Was it terrorism?

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss how the US Capitol insurrection fits into the broader spectrum of far-right political violence in the US. They debate whether the incident should be considered an act of terrorism, and if so, what that means in terms of how to craft policy responses to the threat. They end by looking at President Donald Trump’s role in uniting disparate far-right groups, from white supremacists to eco-fascists to anti-government militias, into a loose but dangerous coalition that may persist long after he leaves office.

References:

Jenn has a Vox story on what constitutes “domestic terrorism”

Zack wrote that “Republicans own this”

Vox’s Fabiola Cineas says that “Donald Trump is the accelerant”

Here’s Vox’s explainer on the Proud Boys

And here’s Vox’s explainer on the QAnon conspiracy theory

Lawfare has a smart piece on how the far-right is fractured

Vice wrote about how neo-Nazis use imagery of Osama bin Laden

Hosts:

Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox

Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox

Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox

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