The 6th January 2021: The day that shook the foundations of American democracy, where hundreds stormed the seat of government. And tried to overturn an election result. This assault didn’t come out of the blue. It was by people that were carrying out the wishes of the sitting president, wishes they felt he signalled to them loud and clear. BBC News: Storming the Capitol, Aleem Maqbool reporting, BBC 9th January 2021
‘I call on President Trump to go on national television now and demand an end to this siege.’ ibid. Biden
He was caught pressuring an official to re-calculate the votes in a state he lost in the November election. ibid.
But Wednesday 6th January was always going to be the day it came to a head. Congress was due to do what’s normally procedural – formalize the results of the election. ibid.
Fight for Trump: At his [Trump] request thousands of his supporters had gathered from all over the country … ‘You’ll never take back our country with weakness; you have to show strength and you have to be strong.’ It was all his supporters wanted to hear. ibid.
Many point to the relative restraint shown by the security forces as compared to some of the scenes we saw as the Black Lives Matter protests law summer. ibid.
Many Americans described feeling numb at the events the previous day. ibid.
Democrats are adamant Donald Trump needs to leave office immediately … ‘an armed insurrection against America.’ ibid. Pelosi
It was a hard American winter. A tough time for Americans. But out there under the ice something big was stirring. An awakening of the unruly animal American democracy. This presidential election isn’t like other elections … a nationwide loss of faith in government. The American Future: A History by Simon Schama 2/4, BBC 2008
The world has got into the habit of thinking of America as the tough guy empire, trigger-happy cowboys’ addiction to the rush of military power. But that’s not the way America sees itself. ibid.
There’s no escaping American fervour. You could feel its heat right across the country burning into politics … Evangelical Christians suspect the Republican nominee John McCain isn’t really their man. The American Future A History by Simon Schama 3/4
‘I want all of you to pray I can be an instrument of God.’ ibid. Obama
When the American revolution began in 1775 most Jews threw in their lot with the Americans against the British. ibid.
Here religion has provided a haven for many whites whose lives have been blighted by poverty. A sense of community, something to lean on. And it was in this world that conservative evangelicalism had its roots. ibid.
Billy Sunday preached hard work and obedience to the bosses. ibid.
Fannie Lou Hamer: So began a career as a civil rights activist that would inspire millions. ibid.
What kind of a nation are we? Who can take us to a better place? The American Future A History by Simon Schama 4/4
Barack Obama has stretched beyond anything that was thought possible the definition of who can be an American president. ibid.
‘I will secure our borders.’ ibid. John McCain
The Chinese: today they are so much a part of America’s success story. ibid.
It was a day that stunned and shook a nation already on edge. Provoking a mob of his supporters, President Trump upended America’s long tradition of peacefully transferring power. Last week’s deadly siege at the Capitol raised urgent questions about the health and security of our democracy. American Reckoning: PBS Newshour 2021
Here in Washington, security has been fortified around the Capitol complex, the White House and much of the centre of the city. More than 25,000 members of the National Guard are being called up to ensure there will be no further riots or attacks. ibid.