David blight is professor of american history at yale university and director of the guilde leman centre for the study of slavery, resistance and abolition. In 18 61, abraham lincoln, the leader of the original republican party, decided forthrightly, that he and his party would stand up to secession. He said, let there be no compromise on the question of extending slavery. If there be, all our labor is lost, and ere long must be done. Gone to a southerner.
On January 6 2021 a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S Capitol seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. Rioters overran police and broke through windows chanting ‘stop the steal’ while threatening Vice President Mike Pence with violence. The moment sent shockwaves through America as people tried to understand how this could be happening in the world’s most powerful democracy. There is now growing pressure on the Department of Justice to prosecute Trump for his role in the incident after a set of public hearings revealed damning evidence of his actions. But others argue that while Trump’s conduct after the November 2020 election was reprehensible, not every wrongdoing, even a highly consequential one, is a crime. Who’s right and who’s wrong? To find out, we invited David Blight, Sterling Professor of American History at Yale University, and Rich Lowry, Editor-in-chief of National Review, to debate the issue. Our host for this discussion is journalist, academic and former White House correspondent for the BBC, Philippa Thomas.
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