After the Capitol riots, Joe Biden faces the challenge of restoring faith in US democracy

It’s not the first time the Capitol has seen violence in its history. But, writes Sam Edwards, the damage done by Trump’s angry mob means the president-elect has a long, difficult path ahead of him

Capitol Breach-Who Was There (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

In a powerful cautionary tale first published in 1935, the author Sinclair Lewis imagines a world in which a populist authoritarian wins the presidency of the United States and then embarks upon the establishment of totalitarian rule with the aid of a violent private militia, the “Minute Men”.

Written amidst the global tumult of the 1930s, which in Europe saw the rise of various fascist dictatorships, Sinclair’s dystopian vision challenged contemporary American complacency regarding the strength and resilience of the nation’s democratic institutions. Titled, It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair’s point was, of course, to declare that it could.

On January 6, 2021, a mob of pro-Trump supporters, outraged by the recent electoral victory of Joe Biden and incited to violence by “their” candidate, marched on the Capitol, breached security, and desecrated the home of American democracy.