Washington – The capital breach on January 6, 2021, marks a day of unprecedented intensity in the 247-year history of the United States. This was the day when thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate to certify the 2020 Presidential election results, which concluded with the victory of President Joe Biden.
Unlike other major crises that the United States has faced, such as Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which led to the nation's entry into World War II, and the September 11, 2001, attacks by Al Qaeda that initiated the so-called American war on "terrorism" and the subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the events of January 6, 2021, hold unique danger because they were wholly crafted within America itself, representing an internal crisis that epitomizes the nation's extreme polarization.
Biden Sounds the Alarm
In contrast to previous crises, the events of January 6, 2021, struck at the heart of American democracy, with a sitting president who refused to accept his electoral defeat, baselessly claiming voter fraud without providing substantial proof.
Despite dozens of court rejections of President Trump's claims, and before the final step of certifying the election results on January 6, 2021, millions of his Republican supporters believed that the election had been stolen from him.
Trump became the first president in American history to obstruct the peaceful transition of power, affecting the very core of American democracy itself. To date, he has not commited to respecting and accepting the outcomes of elections.
In his first speech of the presidential election year, President Joe Biden last Friday warned the American people of the dangers of undermining democracy and the threat he and his campaign believe former President Donald Trump poses to it.
Biden stated, "Is democracy still America's sacred cause? Donald Trump's campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future. He is willing to sacrifice our democracy to place himself in power. Our campaign is different."
President Joe Biden warns the American people of the dangers to democracy (Al Jazeera)
Trials, Convictions, and Doubts
David Sundberg, the assistant director in charge at the Washington office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said in a statement that "Three years after thousands of people violently attacked the U.S. Capitol and assaulted law enforcement officers in a failed attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy, the FBI and our partners continue to succeed in holding them accountable." The Department of Justice has yet to conclude all investigations and trials related to the events of that day.
Additionally, Trump's federal trial over charges related to attempting to alter the outcome of the previous presidential election is scheduled to start in March, amid the Republican primary election season.
Trump is accused of conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiring against rights. He has repeatedly insisted that he did not break the law.
He has also promised to issue presidential pardons, if he wins the 2024 election, to the hundreds convicted in the Capitol attack events, some of whom are facing up to thirty years in prison.
Distrust and Fear of What's to Come
Many Americans believe that the current level of political polarization and divisions is as profound as during the last elections. This reality presents a scenario where a Biden-Trump rematch would only exacerbate fears of potential unrest.
A survey conducted last summer by the Pew Research Center among over 8,000 citizens in the US revealed that Americans are more polarized than before, with 55% expressing anger over American politics.
Moreover, a majority fear that another event like January 6, 2021, could recur in the near future, according to recent polls, highlighting widespread concerns about polarization and division within American society.
A Newsweek poll conducted on December 19 among 1,500 American voters suggested that many believe the full truth about the incident has not been disclosed.
The poll indicates that, three years later, January 6, 2021, continues to weigh heavily on many Americans, who may see it as the start of a new era of social unrest and a lack of trust in public institutions.
Despite all that has come to light, much remains unchanged, and former President Donald Trump has not been deterred from running again for the White House. Polls show that Americans remain polarized over the significance of the Capitol attack, while the risk of further political violence remains alarmingly high.
Robert Lieberman, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University, remarked, "It's sad to think that the forces that created the January 6 events and the anti-democratic tension in American politics are receding."
Lieberman added, "We must remember this was not the product of a single candidate or president. Many foundational structural conditions in American politics continue to produce this sense of threat… It would be a mistake to believe that the danger has passed."
Thus, three years on, polls reveal that public opinions about the Capitol attack haven't significantly changed. Deep-seated partisan divisions persist, with differing perspectives between Democrats and Republicans about January 6, 2021.
In a recent Quinnipiac University survey querying whether the Capitol siege was "an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten" or "whether it is time to move on," 77% of Republicans said "it is time to move on," while 90% of Democrats said "it is a day that should never be forgotten."
