Does the Military Have an Extremism Problem?
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What happened on January 6, 2021?
I'm Ayesha Roscoe, and this is a Sunday Story from Up First. Every Sunday, we do something special, going beyond the news of the day to bring you one big story. Tomorrow marks four years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol as Congress attempted to certify President Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election. On January 6, 2021, then-President Donald Trump, now president-elect once again, held a rally to dispute the election results. And then thousands of people charged into the Capitol. Many were chanting, stop the steal. Some broke windows and damaged property. Others called for the hanging of public officials like then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. When all was said and done, Four people died, 140 law enforcement officers were wounded, and there was nearly $3 million worth of damage. And the FBI soon opened what would become its biggest criminal investigation in history. And as the arrests began, something became clear. There were a lot of people with military ties in the Capitol that day.
It's a fact that continues to have a ripple effect for the Pentagon, especially now, on the eve of another transfer of presidential power and as Trump continues to set up the cabinet for his second administration. Trump recently said that he might pardon some people who were convicted for crimes on January 6th, on his first day in office. Today on the show, we want to dig into the continued legacy of January 6th, 2021. Does the military have a problem with political extremism in the ranks? And what does that mean with Trump returning as commander-in-chief? NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Lauren Hodges have been asking themselves those questions. Late last year, they released a new investigation with NPR's Embedded podcast, called A Good Guy, about an active duty Marine who participated in the Capitol riot. My conversation about extremism in the military with Tom and Lauren after the break.
What is the connection between the military and the Capitol riot?
Our long national nightmare is over. Beyonce has finally won the Grammy for Album of the Year. How and why did it take so long for Beyonce to win the top prize at Music's Biggest Night? We're talking about her big wins and breaking down the Grammys for Kendrick Lamar, Chapel Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter. Listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. We recorded this conversation before the two acts of violence involving trucks on New Year's Day. A pickup truck carrying an ISIS flag intentionally driven into a crowd of pedestrians in New Orleans, which killed more than a dozen people. And a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fuel canisters and fireworks that erupted in front of a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas yesterday. injuring passersby.
Both suspects died as well. Since then, law enforcement has identified the two suspects as retired and active duty service members in the Army, respectively, and are investigating the motives for both attacks. Tom and Lauren, welcome to the podcast.
Thank you. Hey there.
I have a lot of questions about this investigation and about the military during the new Trump administration, the upcoming Trump administration. But I want to go back to January 6, 2021. I think most of us watched the attack on the Capitol live on TV. I was in the dentist and started seeing reports that the barriers were being broken. And then after I got out of the dentist appointment, I realized, oh, shoot, like, this is of another level. But you were both there. Like, you were on the grounds.
Yeah. I was at the Capitol when that huge crowd that Trump sent over started to arrive and, you know, pressing in from all sides. It was thousands of people. I watched them eventually break through police barriers and rush up the Capitol steps and I asked one man in the crowd nearby, what do you want to see happen if you get in? The people in this house who stole this election from us, hanging from a gallow out here in this lawn for the whole world to see so it never happens again. That's what needs to happen.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What happened on January 6, 2021?
0:01–2:22
2
What is the connection between the military and the Capitol riot?
2:22–12:06
3
How many military members participated in the Capitol riot?
12:06–18:04
4
What are the military's responses to extremism?
18:04–19:44
5
How does the military define extremism?
19:44–22:30
6
What is the significance of the investigation 'A Good Guy'?
22:30–23:16
7
What are the implications of political extremism in the military?
23:16–33:11
Speakers
7 identifiedMore from Up First from NPR
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