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America's damaged democracy

What next for the United States and the Republican Party?

Donald Trump is ending his presidency with the distinction of being the only president in American history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. The behaviour of his supporters in breaking into the Capitol Building, where a session was in place to certify the presidential election, has received widespread condemnation. Several people died. Democrats say the violence was the culmination of President Trump's history of riling up his supporters with misleading claims and outright lies, and it was an attempt to overturn the will of the people who voted for Joe Biden as the next president. Yet many, including some Republican politicians who fled the mob, say the protestors were right to challenge the legitimacy of Mr Biden's victory - even though the claims of mass fraud have been debunked by election officials and rejected by the courts. And despite events, Mr Trump remains popular with a significant portion of Republicans. President-elect Biden takes office under the theme ‘America United’, but it’s clear the country is anything but. So what lies ahead for America’s fragile democracy? With angry and polarised political groups, rampant misinformation, and an absence of dialogue, how dangerous a moment is this for country – and what might pull it back from the brink? Join Ritula Shah and guests as they discuss the impact of a tumultuous week in Washington DC.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 16 Jan 2021 04:06GMT

Contributors

Timothy Snyder - The Levin Professor of History at Yale University and author of the book: 'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century'

Daniel McCarthy - Editor of the Conservative magazine Modern Age

Melanye Price - Professor of American Politics and African American Studies at Prairie View University, Texas

Also featuring ...

Steven Calabresi - A professor at Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law and a lifelong Republican

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Members of U.S. Capitol Police try to fend off a mob of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump as one of them tries to use a flag like a spear as the supporters storm the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington. Credit:ÌýREUTERS/Leah MillisÌý

Broadcasts

  • Fri 15 Jan 2021 10:06GMT
  • Sat 16 Jan 2021 00:06GMT
  • Sat 16 Jan 2021 04:06GMT

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