Whatever political side you’re on, and however you feel about Donald Trump’s policies, personality or problems with the truth, the latest testimonies to the U.S. House committee investigating Jan. 6, 2021, make a couple of things chillingly clear.
The line between democratic governance and authoritarian rule is fragile. And it came perilously close to being upended after Trump lost the 2020 election but kept insisting he didn’t.
Key elements were in place, as we heard in last week's testimonies: an enigmatic president unwilling to acknowledge the truth, and intent on propelling his way to a second term by concocting a myth of election fraud. Without evidence, he alleged faulty ballot-counting machines, discarded ballots in his favor, and election interference by Venezuela or China. He ignored court rulings proving him wrong. A loyal base of almost cultish supporters, including armed right-wing militia groups, some fed by social media sites spinning conspiracy theories, stood ready to go to any lengths for him. And so did a few key allies in his inner political circle, willing to march into the sea like lemmings rather than face the president's wrath by setting him straight.
