"A visual archive of Jan. 6, 2021, through the lenses of those who were there. That day was indeed a turning point, but not the one it first seemed to be. It was a turning point toward a version of Mr. Trump who is even more lawless than the one who governed the country in his first term. It heralded a culture of political unaccountability, in which people who violently attacked Congress and beat police officers escaped without lasting consequence. The politicians and pundits who had egged on the attack with their lies escaped, as well. The aftermath of Jan. 6 made the Republican Party even more feckless, beholden to one man and willing to pervert reality to serve his interests."
"Once Mr. Trump won election again in 2024, despite his role in encouraging the riot and his many distortions about it, it emboldened him to govern in defiance of the Constitution, without regard for the truth and with malice toward those who stand up to his abuses. Tragically, America is still living in a political era that began on Jan. 6, 2021. Recognizing as much is necessary to bring this era to an end before it has many more anniversaries."
Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, when supporters of then-president Donald Trump broke into the Capitol to stop certification of the 2020 election. The event signaled a shift toward a more lawless version of Trump and a wider culture of political unaccountability. Violent attackers and the politicians and pundits who encouraged them largely escaped lasting consequences. The Republican Party became more beholden to one man and more willing to pervert reality to serve his interests. Trump's 2024 victory reinforced governing in defiance of constitutional norms and without regard for truth.
Read at Poynter
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