Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

What led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the election? 

Mob breaches the U.S. Capitol.
A Trump supporter hangs from the balcony in the Senate Chamber on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. A pro-Trump mob pushed into the U.S. Capitol building to disrupt a joint session of Congress to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump.
Win McNamee | Getty Images

Throngs of President Donald Trump’s supporters on Wednesday stormed the U.S. Capitol and halted the ceremonial counting of electoral votes that would confirm Democrat Joe Biden as president-elect. 

Lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence were forced into hiding and later evacuated as the mayor of Washington D.C., declared a curfew and called in the National Guard. 

Thursday morning, MPR News host Kerri Miller turned to several political scientists to talk about what brought us to this attempt to undercut America's democratic process and keep Trump in the White House. 

Guests:

  • Timothy Naftali is a clinical associate professor of public service and history at NYU.

  • Wendy Schiller is chair of political science at Brown University.

  • Philip Chen is assistant professor of political science at Beloit College in Wisconsin.

  • Todd Shaw is professor of political science and African American studies at the University of South Carolina.

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