America’s New Era of Violent Populism Is Here

2026-01-14

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More To The Story: A year ago this month, President Donald Trump granted clemency to nearly 1,600 people responsible for the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. University of Chicago political science professor Robert Pape argues that Trump’s decision to pardon and set free the insurrectionists, including hundreds who had been found guilty of assaulting police, could be the most consequential decision of his term. On this week’s More To The Story, Pape talks with host Al Letson about how America’s transformation to a white minority is fueling the nation...

More To The Story: A year ago this month, President Donald Trump granted clemency to nearly 1,600 people responsible for the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. University of Chicago political science professor Robert Pape argues that Trump’s decision to pardon and set free the insurrectionists, including hundreds who had been found guilty of assaulting police, could be the most consequential decision of his term.

On this week’s More To The Story, Pape talks with host Al Letson about how America’s transformation to a white minority is fueling the nation’s growing political violence, the remarkable political geography of the insurrectionists, and the glimmers of hope he’s found in his research that democracy can survive this pivotal moment in history.

Listen: How Trump’s January 6 Pardons Hijacked History (More To The Story)

Read: Both the Left and the Right Are Targeted by Political Violence. Who Perpetrates It? (Mother Jones)

Read: Understanding Support for Political Violence in America (Chicago Project on Security and Threats)