January 6th - How Did We Get Here?

I am currently enrolled in a course revolving around the insurrection that occurred at the Capitol building on January 6th of this year. Specifically, we are tasked with researching how we arrived at where we are today, what caused our political climate to drastically shift, and what rhetorical theories can help us reach some semblance of an explanation. We've studied emails sent by the Trump campaign, archived Qanon posts, speeches performed by both conservative and liberal politicians, and even memes circulating in popular culture. Our group is primarily focusing on the aftermath of 1/6: the reactions from both the left and the right, where blame was placed and why, as well as how congress members described their traumatic experience after it occurred. We eventually applied theories surrounding victimization and perception of the enemy. Far-right activists felt an election had been stolen, and they would suffer as a result, creating a counter-public. Insurrectionists perceived their enemy, the political left, as socialists who had undermined the American democratic system.