DAY THAT SHOOK WORLD
IT LOOKED like a scene from a banana republic. People across the globe watched in horror as a rabble stormed Capitol Hill, and the US, once regarded as the leader of the free world, became mired in a shameful rejection of democracy.
It was the day the US election results were to be certified by Congress.
Vice-President Mike Pence was under increasing pressure to overturn the election result that delivered the presidency to Joe Biden. “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” Mr Pence said.
There were no legal grounds for Mr Pence to give Donald Trump a second term and so he insisted he would perform his duty even as the outgoing President continued to question his courage.
A huge group featuring thousands of Trump supporters gathered for a “stop the steal” demonstration as Trump continued to spruik false claims and reject the election result. “We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen,” he told a crowd of supporters.
Shortly after, the angry mob forced its way into the Capitol building, waving flags and vandalising property. Amid the chaos a protester was shot and killed. The scenes of anarchy were shocking and a curfew was imposed on Washington DC.
President-elect Joe Biden tried to take control, imploring Trump to order the mob to stand down. “At their best the words of a president can inspire. At their worst they can incite,” he said.
For some, but not all, senior Republicans the riot was a bridge too far with former supporters pinning the blame for the unrest firmly on Trump and his inflammatory address to the crowd.
Many had already predicted that Trump’s refusal to accept defeat and his insistence at spreading misinformation would see the US descend into chaos – but that didn’t prepare us for the scenes that unfolded yesterday.
Trump has undermined what should have been sacred. Democracy is at the core of western societies and by refusing to accept his defeat, he not only rejects the will of the people but is at risk of irreversibly damaging politics in the United States.
What next for a society that, following the words of a leader, sees thousands violently and dangerously trample over the political system that has served us so well and for so long?
Before yesterday’s saga, there was a way back for Trump at the polls in 2022 and 2024.
But Republicans cannot be seen to endorse a candidate who so recklessly encouraged this sort of civil disobedience. Its core voters do not support this sort of behaviour and his legacy lies in tatters.