Xinhua Headlines: Four years on, U.S. political unrest persists in shadow of Capitol riot

* As the United States marks the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, its political landscape is still deeply divided, and political violence remains a chronic ailment of the society.

* Although Trump secured an overwhelming victory in the Electoral College in the 2024 election, his narrow popular vote margin revealed widespread discontent with his policies among a sizable portion of the electorate.

* Observers suggest that Trump may reverse several of the Biden administration's policies, with political disputes over key issues like immigration, inflation, and international conflicts expected to persist.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- As the United States marks the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, its political landscape is still deeply divided, and political violence remains a chronic ailment of the society.

In the closely contested 2024 U.S. presidential election, the riot's aftermath continued to fuel political turmoil in the nation, deepening the already intense divide between Democrats and Republicans.

KEY CONTROVERSY

The 2021 Capitol riot was a key issue in the 2024 presidential election, with Democrats accusing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump of inciting the riot and attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.

In a speech shortly before the Nov. 5 election, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said that Trump sent an "armed mob" to the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss, warning of the dangers of another Trump presidency.

Meanwhile, the majority of Republicans continue to support Trump, echoing his claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election.

Trump, for his part, has repeated denials of any wrongdoing, describing the riot as a largely peaceful protest by "patriots" who were simply "angry" about the "stolen" election.

As public opinion grew more divided and political polarization deepened, incidents of political violence surged.

In the final months leading up to the election, Harris' campaign office in Arizona was shot at and vandalized, and Trump survived two assassination attempts, with the first one being the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

Six in 10 voters said they were either very or somewhat concerned that "another event like what happened on Jan. 6 will happen again following the 2024 presidential election," according to a POLITICO-Morning Consult poll released in November.

POTENTIAL PARDON

In an interview with NBC News in late December, Trump pledged to pardon his supporters as soon as on his first day in office, saying that there "may be some exceptions" to his pardons.

"Most likely, I'll do it very quickly," he said. "Those people have suffered long and hard."

Over 1,500 individuals have been charged in the Capitol riot. Around 1,100 people have been convicted so far, and more than 600 rioters have been sentenced to prison, making it one of the biggest criminal investigations in American history.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said she has spoken at length with Trump and is lobbying him to pardon everyone who participated in the siege, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"Few Republicans are going that far, but many believe it's appropriate for Trump to look at pardons on a case-by-case basis," said the report.

Jim Jordan, a Republican representative and top Trump ally who leads the House Judiciary Committee, said he supports pardons for "people who didn't commit any violence," while veteran Republican representative Gus Bilirakis cautioned that "you've got to look at it individually."

Some Republicans have expressed reservations.

"People who attacked police officers, listen, I don't think that is something we should ever condone," said South Dakota representative Dusty Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed to the bench by Trump in June 2019, recently criticized that it would be "beyond frustrating and disappointing" if the president-elect were to issue mass pardons to the rioters.

House Democrats, who spearheaded the impeachment effort against Trump over the Capitol riot and led a comprehensive investigation into the attack, warned that granting pardons could have significant implications, both for the rule of law and the security of the country.

FURTHER TURMOIL

Although Trump secured an overwhelming victory in the Electoral College in the 2024 election, his narrow popular vote margin revealed widespread discontent with his policies among a sizable portion of the electorate.

Following his win, a survey by Pew Research Center revealed that about 53 percent of U.S. adults approve of Trump's plans, while 46 percent disapprove.

Following "a divisive presidential contest," the survey also found that 41 percent of Americans are confident in Trump to bring the country closer together, while 59 percent express little or no confidence in his ability to do so.

Observers suggest that Trump may reverse several of the Biden administration's policies, with political disputes over key issues like immigration, inflation, and international conflicts expected to persist.

Trump's proposed mass deportation, for example, could face significant challenges and trigger considerable disruption.

"This is a policy that is certain to result in mistaken identifications, attempts to deport citizens, violence all around, and also efforts from elected officials in blue states and cities to prevent their police forces, National Guard units, and so on from being used for this," Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the northeastern state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua.

Echoing Galdieri, Greg Cusack, a former member of the Iowa House of Representatives, told Xinhua that he is troubled by the current state of affairs in the country and concerned about more violence. (Video reporters: Xiong Maoling, Hu Yousong; video editors: Wu Yao, Zhu Cong, Li Qin)■