The Storm by Luke Mogelson

It is three months since the U.S. Capitol was assaulted by frothing zealots in red caps and t-shirts with slogans of proud bigotry. It was a criminal act and an affront on the very principle of democracy perpetrated by individuals desperate to see their unfounded hatred validated. Since alternately fueling and placating those reprehensible instincts has long been the sole prevailing strategy of the Republican Party for years now, mouthpieces for the right have done everything they can to diminish the severity of the incursion or, worse, to invent justification for the reprehensible actions of these bad citizens. Reporting for The New Yorker, Luke Mogelson offers a thorough accounting of the day, including drawing an indisputable connection between the incendiary words of politicians and the destruction wrought by their emboldened adherents. This was published in January, not long after the dark day it depicts. It’s worth revisiting now.