As former President Donald Trump gears up for a potential 2024 presidential run, a faction of his supporters seeks to downplay the severity of his role in inciting the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, raising concerns about its implications for American democracy.
According to a report from The Atlantic on January 19, 2024, writer Adam Serwer identifies these supporters as “unwitting Trump enablers.” This group includes not only fervent loyalists who laud Trump and perpetuate his falsehoods but also individuals with more substantial influence using nuanced arguments to rationalize or diminish the gravity of Trump’s actions.
Serwer contends that these enablers are actively contributing to the erosion of the memory and significance of January 6, an event he characterizes as an attack on the peaceful transfer of power and the rule of law. Notably, these figures employ various tactics to obscure the truth, such as:
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1. Redefining the term “insurrection” to exclude the events of January 6, involving a mob of Trump supporters storming the Capitol, clashing with police, and disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
2. Comparing the events of January 6 to historical episodes of political violence or protest, like the Whiskey Rebellion, the 1898 coup in Wilmington, or the Black Lives Matter movement, to diminish their uniqueness and significance.
3. Dismissing the notion of Trump’s involvement or responsibility in the attack by asserting that he was too weak, incompetent, or ignorant to orchestrate a coup, or that he did not explicitly call for violence or insurrection.
4. Denying the threat that Trump poses to democracy by portraying him as a harmless populist representing the will of the people or as a victim of a media, Democratic, and establishment-led witch hunt.
Serwer warns that these enablers, whether knowingly or unknowingly, are aiding Trump in evading accountability and justice while allowing him to persist in his pursuit of power and assault on democracy. He argues that these individuals might not fully grasp the consequences of their arguments and may believe they are defending conservative principles, but, in reality, they undermine the foundations of the American system based on respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, and the peaceful transfer of power.
Serwer urges these enablers to reconsider their positions, emphasizing the need to acknowledge the reality and danger of January 6 and Trump’s ongoing influence and ambitions. He calls on them not to be complicit in the degradation of American democracy but rather to stand up for the truth and the principles they claim to uphold.
