America is divided and battling many different internal “wars” — over politics, culture, language, religion. Is it possible all this internal division could culminate in a civil war? Today’s episode of “The Argument” brings together Jamelle Bouie and Tim Alberta to assess. Bouie is a Times Opinion columnist and historian of America’s Civil War. Alberta is a staff writer at The Atlantic and made the case that the F.B.I. Mar-a-Lago search is the tipping point for political violence that could put our democracy at stake.

Mentioned in this episode:

• “The Civil War” documentary by Ken Burns
• “Oklahoma City” documentary from PBS
• “Bring the War Home” by Kathleen Belew
• “What Comes After the Search Warrant?” by Tim Alberta in The Atlantic
• “Why We Are Not Facing the Prospect of a Second Civil War” by Jamelle Bouie in The New York Times
• “Bad Losers” by Tim Alberta in The Atlantic

(A full transcript of the episode is available on the Times website.)

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