“Make America Great Again” – Insurrection and Anarchy in Trump’s America

On January 6th 2021, a mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol, storming one of the world’s most recognized symbols of democratic government in an act of domestic terrorism and sedition. 

Anarchists charged into the Capitol Building, breaking through metal barricades and overpowering police officers. The rioters invaded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, set pipe bombs in nearby political offices, and hung a noose on the Capitol grounds, planning to lynch Mitch McConnell. However, for many, the most galling thing about the entire affair was the raising of the Confederate flag in the Capitol. As Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “They flew the Confederate flag for the first time in American history in the U.S. Capitol. It didn’t even make it in [the building] during the … Civil War.” The Confederate flag has been used as a symbol of the Klu Klux Klan and other white supremacists, and for it to be raised in the Capitol sparked revulsion and outrage on a global scale.

The US House of Representatives impeached Trump for a historic second time, charging ‘incitement of insurrection’. Ten Republicans voted to impeach Trump, a remarkable contrast to a little over a year ago when they voted unanimously against his impeachment. Additionally, many major social media websites, including Twitter, which has long been Trump’s preferred platform for his petulant tirades, have banned him permanently. In the immediate wake of his ban, misinformation about the election plummeted by 73%.

This insurrection was a pivotal moment in America’s history, proving to many the danger that Trump posed, as he leaves office with a record low approval rate of 34%. However, many feel as though this revelation has come too late. Why, after four years of Trump’s oft racist and ‘Othering’ policies, during which he caged young children and alienated minority populations in America, did so many still support him? Even as a non-American, the events of his presidency have been horrifying and enraging. The images of the insurrection splashed across social media sites were sickening – one that remains imprinted in my brain is a photo of Trump supporters sporting t-shirts printed with swastikas and the words “Camp Auschwitz” and “6MWE”, standing for “6 Million Wasn’t Enough’, in reference to the number of Jews killed in World War 2.

In my opinion, this event was a culmination of Trump’s disastrous and injurious term in office. Trump’s failure to concede his defeat to President-Elect Joe Biden, despite Biden’s overwhelming majority in both the electoral college and the popular vote showed a flagrant disrespect for the American democratic process. He chose to inflame the passions of his supporters through false and flimsy claims of a stolen election, and should definitely be held responsible for his heinous actions. Trump’s presidency has brought the ugliest side of America to light, with white supremacists and others with ideals that are best left in bygone eras given a platform and empowered by a similarly prejudiced person in power.

The past four years have definitely been a dark period, not just for America, but for the world. It is to be hoped that Biden’s impending inauguration will herald a new dawn and a better day in America’s history. 

Ashley Sia

4 Unity