Former President Donald Trump has once again stoked fears of political violence if he fails to win the upcoming presidential election in November. In an interview with Time Magazine, Trump refused to dismiss the possibility of further unrest, stating that it “depends on the fairness of the election.”
This comes after Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him. His false claims of election fraud were rejected by judges across the country following Joe Biden’s victory.
The aftermath of Trump’s baseless claims was seen on January 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol in a violent insurrection. The chaos resulted in several deaths, numerous injuries to law enforcement officers, and damage to the Capitol building.
Since the insurrection, the FBI has been actively investigating and charging individuals involved in the attack. Over 1,385 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states, with nearly 500 facing charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Trump himself is facing a litany of legal challenges, including federal indictments in Washington DC and Georgia related to his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. He is also facing separate criminal charges in Manhattan over alleged hush money payments.
Despite these legal troubles, Trump continues to use his social media platform, Truth Social, to spread incendiary rhetoric about a supposed plot by the Biden administration to prevent him from campaigning for the presidency.
As the FBI investigation into the Capitol insurrection continues, arrests and sentences are ongoing, with individuals across the country facing consequences for their involvement in the violent attack. The specter of political violence looms large as the country braces for another contentious election season.