insurrection
Leaders can’t support the American Republic while also supporting efforts to destroy it
We used to assume that Democrats and Republicans, all differences aside, at least shared allegiance to the small-d-democratic values that have sustained our republic for over two centuries. We used to assume that the two major political parties in the United States were both committed to a common democracy, including free and fair and accessible […]
U.S. House backs select committee to probe Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted Wednesday to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection, in which a mob of pro-Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. In a 222-190 vote that was almost entirely party-line, just two Republicans joined Democrats in passing the resolution, which calls for a probe into “one of the […]
Voting against medals for cops, 21 Republicans hit a new low in insurrection denial
So just how desperate are some Republicans to deny the reality of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol? Desperate enough that 21 of them voted against a slam-dunk of a bill earlier this week awarding one of the country’s highest civilian honors, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the law enforcement officers who defended […]
Investigating Benghazi but ignoring the Jan. 6 insurrection
A decade ago, there were more than a half-dozen Congressional committees investigating the attack upon the U.S. Consular Office in Benghazi, Libya. Yet chances are dimming for even a single Congressional investigation of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol itself on Jan. 6, 2021. But Congress should not be barred from investigating an attempt to […]
Play taps for America: The Republic is under attack
Play taps for America. For a breach of faith with those we memorialize. We pay tribute to generations of Americans who paid with their lives so democracy — messy, impassioned democracy — would endure. Yet today we stand at the precipice of its demise. That’s not hyperbole. That’s a five-alarm fire burning down the house […]
Senate GOP filibuster blocks commission to probe U.S. Capitol attack
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Friday blocked consideration of a bill creating a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate what happened leading up to and during the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Legislation to form an investigatory panel into that attack passed the House of Representatives earlier this month, with 35 House Republicans joining […]
Liz Cheney ousted from U.S. House GOP leadership for rejecting Trump’s “big lie”
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans voted Wednesday to remove U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership position after her continued pushback against former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud in the presidential election. Saying they want to unite the party in an attempt to win back the House in the 2022 midterm elections, […]
After the insurrection, America’s far-right groups get more extreme
By Matthew Valasik, Louisiana State University and Shannon Reid, University of North Carolina – Charlotte As the U.S. grapples with domestic extremism in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, warnings about more violence are coming from the FBI Director Chris Wray and others. The Conversation asked Matthew Valasik, a sociologist […]
The legislature was stormed in England three centuries ago. Parliament marks it to this day
On Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray was peppered by senators’ questions about Trump supporters’ Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol as Congress worked to formalize President Donald Trump’s defeat at the ballot box. Among the questions: Were white-supremacist groups among the attackers? Did security officials ignore warnings? Was there any evidence that some of the […]
Trump’s acquittal is a sign of ‘constitutional rot’ – partisanship overriding principles
The Senate’s decision to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial may have been a victory for Trump, but it is a clear sign that democracy in the U.S. is in poor health. As a constitutional scholar, I believe the United States – the world’s first constitutional democracy – is in a […]
Senate acquits Trump in his second impeachment trial; 7 GOPs vote to convict
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted on Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding his second impeachment trial with the same verdict as his first impeachment. In the 57-43 vote, seven Republicans joined every Senate Democrat and independent in […]
‘Is this America?’ A Black Capitol police officer’s question is what the Trump trial is all about
Earlier this week, in an emotional moment among emotional moments, lead U.S. House Impeachment Manager, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., shared the story of a Black Capitol police officer and the racist abuse he endured when a mob with murder on its mind sacked the seat of government last month. “I sat down with one […]