The House committee investigating last year’s attack on the Capitol started public hearings last week, continuing its inquiry into the “facts, circumstances, and causes relating to the January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex.” Central to this investigation are questions about whether then-President Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to attack and disrupt the certification of the election, potentially overturning the result.
Some might argue that Trump’s Jan. 6 speech to his supporters reflects his broader pattern of dismissing presidential norms — including the peaceful transfer of power, which is central to democracy. Before the 2016 election, for instance, Trump would not publicly commit to accepting the results as legitimate if he lost. He made similar comments before the 2020 election, raising questions about whether he would cede power.
