Former President Donald Trump’s recent reelection rally in Waco, Texas, took a disturbing turn when speakers blared a version of the national anthem recorded by the “J6 Prison Choir,” made up of people convicted of various charges related to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. On a screen behind the president, images of the Capitol during the assault were displayed to a cheering crowd. With an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 supporters in attendance, Trump pledged that if he was reelected in 2024, he would vindicate his supporters and defeat those he claimed were corrupting the justice system.
Trump’s veneration of the January 6 attack shows a disturbing shift in some segments of the Republican Party’s stance on the event. While some Republicans initially condemned the assault and blamed Trump for inciting the crowd, the party has since attempted to rewrite the narrative, downplaying the event’s violence and claiming Law Enforcement’s effort to charge perpetrators amounts to political persecution. McCarthy, the current House Speaker, has recently made thousands of hours of video taken on the Capitol grounds available to conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who selectively aired segments to suggest that the protests were nonviolent.
Despite attempts to rewrite history, the truth remains that the January 6 assault employed chemical sprays and improvised weapons to break through police barricades. The attack left dozens of police officers injured and claimed at least five lives. Even after urging his supporters to peacefully exit the Capitol, Trump has denied inciting the protesters to violence. Several experts have equated Trump’s effort to celebrate the January 6 attack with historical instances of fascist groups, which venerate an attack in support of a leader, such as the Nazi Party’s “Beer Hall Putsch.”
Political violence expert Rachel Kleinfeld cautions media about providing excessive coverage of Trump’s attempts to celebrate the January 6 attack, as this could lead to further normalization of violence. In some cases, it may even encourage future attacks when violence is championed by a leader that people admire. As individuals believe that violence is not only acceptable but expected, the chances of future attacks increase. Trump’s approval of the violence on January 6 may contribute to more violence in the future.
Trump’s choice of Waco as the site of his rally has historical parallels to the far right in the US. In 1993, the town was the site of a standoff between federal Law Enforcement agencies and a religious sect. The siege has become a touchstone for the hard right in the US, viewed as an example of the federal government’s excessive power. Although few protests have occurred after calls for protest over his possible indictment in New York for illegally using campaign funds to buy the silence of an adult film star, more attention should be given to Trump’s efforts to normalize such violence. Kleinfeld argues that we have seen in other countries where populist authoritarians come back because the media finds more viewership than normal, boring politicians. As the media focuses more on Trump’s efforts to celebrate the January 6 attack, more attention should also be given to the potential normalized violence that this may create.
Original Story at www.voanews.com – 2023-03-27 07:00:00