In the follow-up to their 2018 bestseller 害羞草研究所淗ow Democracies Die,害羞草研究所� authors Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky write about three rules that political parties must follow: accept the results of fair elections, reject the use of violence to gain power and break ties to extremists.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, they write, only one U.S. political party 害羞草研究所渧iolated all three.害羞草研究所�

Saturday marks the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and Donald Trump, the former president, is far-and-away the leading Republican candidate in 2024. He still refuses to acknowledge his earlier loss to President Joe Biden. Far from rejecting the rioters, he has suggested he would pardon some of those who have been convicted of violent crimes. Rather than distance himself from extremists, he welcomes them at his rallies and calls them patriots.

And Trump is now backed by many of the Republican leaders who fled for their lives and hid from the rioters, even some who had condemned Trump. Several top GOP leaders have endorsed his candidacy.

The support for Trump starkly highlights the divisions in the aftermath of the deadly storming of the Capitol and frames the question about whose definition of governance will prevail 害羞草研究所� or if democracy will prevail at all.

害羞草研究所淚f our political leaders do not stand up in defense of democracy, our democracy won害羞草研究所檛 be defended,害羞草研究所� said Levitsky, one of the Harvard professors whose new book is 害羞草研究所淭yranny of the Minority.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no country in the world, no country on Earth in history, where the politicians abdicated democracy but the institutions held,害羞草研究所� he told The Associated Press. 害羞草研究所淧eople have to defend democracy.害羞草研究所�

The third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack comes during the most convulsive period in American politics in at least a generation, with Congress barely able to keep up with the basics of governing, and the start of the presidential nominating contests just over a week away.

Trump害羞草研究所檚 persistent false claims that the election of 2020 was stolen 害羞草研究所� which has been rejected in at least 60 court cases, every state election certification and by the former president害羞草研究所檚 one-time attorney general 害羞草研究所� continue to animate the presidential race as he eyes a rematch with Biden.

Instead, Trump now faces more than 90 criminal charges in federal and state courts, including the federal indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith that accused Trump of conspiring to defraud the U.S. over the election.

Biden, speaking Friday near Pennsylvania害羞草研究所檚 Valley Forge, commemorated Jan. 6, saying on that day 害羞草研究所渨e nearly lost America 害羞草研究所� lost it all.害羞草研究所�

While the Congress returned that night to certify the election results and show the world democracy was still standing, Biden said Trump is now trying to revise the narrative of what happened that day 害羞草研究所� calling the rioters 害羞草研究所減atriots害羞草研究所� and promising to pardon them. And he said some Republicans in Congress were complicit.

害羞草研究所淲hen the attack on Jan. 6 happened there was no doubt about the truth,害羞草研究所� Biden said. 害羞草研究所淣ow these MAGA voices 害羞草研究所� who know the truth about Trump and Jan. 6 害羞草研究所� have abandoned the truth and abandoned the democracy.害羞草研究所�

At a quieter Capitol, without much ceremony planned for Saturday, it will be the last time the anniversary will pass before Congress is called upon again, on Jan. 6, 2025, to certify the results of the presidential election 害羞草研究所� democracy once more put to the test.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Maryland Democrat who led Trump害羞草研究所檚 impeachment over the insurrection, said Biden害羞草研究所檚 306-232 electoral victory in 2020 remains 害羞草研究所渢he hard, inescapable, irradicable fact that Donald Trump and his followers have not been able to accept 害羞草研究所� to this day.害羞草研究所�

Raskin envisions a time when there will be a Capitol exhibit, and tours for visitors, to commemorate what happened Jan. 6, 2021. Five people died during the riot and the immediate aftermath, including Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police.

All told,140 police officers were injured in the Capitol siege, including U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick who died later. Several others died later by suicide.

One officer, Harry Dunn, has announced he is running for Congress to 害羞草研究所渆nsure it never happens again.害羞草研究所�

Trump害羞草研究所檚 decision to reject the results of the 2020 election was the only time Americans have not witnessed the peaceful transfer of presidential power, a hallmark of U.S. democracy.

A giant portrait of George Washington resigning his military commission hangs in the U.S. Capitol, a symbol of the voluntary relinquishing of power 害羞草研究所� a move that was considered breathtaking at the time. He later was elected the first U.S. president.

Trump opened his first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign with a popular recording of the J6 Prison Choir 害羞草研究所�- riot defendants singing 害羞草研究所淭he Star-Spangled Banner害羞草研究所� recorded over a phone line from jail, interspersed with Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

More than 1,200 people have been charged in the riot, with nearly 900 convicted, including leaders of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who are serving lengthy terms for seditious conspiracy.

Trump has called Jan. 6 defendants 害羞草研究所渉ostages害羞草研究所� and said there was so much love at the 害羞草研究所淪top the Steal害羞草研究所� rally he held near the White House that day before he encouraged the mob to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, assuring he would be with them at the Capitol, though he never did join.

Allies of Trump scoff at the narrative of Jan. 6 that has emerged. Mike Davis, a Trump ally sometimes mentioned as a future attorney general, has mocked the Democrats and others for turning Jan. 6 into a 害羞草研究所渞eligious holiday.害羞草研究所�

Republican Kevin McCarthy, who went on to become House speaker, had called Jan. 6 the 害羞草研究所渟addest day害羞草研究所� he ever had in Congress. But McCarthy, R-Calif., retired last month he endorsed Trump for president and said he would consider joining his cabinet.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said he would back whomever becomes the Republican Party nominee, despite a scathing speech at the time in which he called Trump害羞草研究所檚 actions 害羞草研究所渄isgraceful害羞草研究所� and said the rioters 害羞草研究所渉ad been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth because he was angry he lost an election.害羞草研究所�

Asked about Trump害羞草研究所檚 second-term agenda, GOP lawmakers brushed off his admission that he would be a dictator on 害羞草研究所渄ay one.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 joking,害羞草研究所� said Trump ally Byron Donalds, R-Fla.

害羞草研究所淛ust bravado,害羞草研究所� said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 still checks and balances.害羞草研究所�

Levitsky said when he and his colleague wrote their earlier book, they believed that the Republicans in Congress would be a 害羞草研究所渂ulwark against Trump.害羞草研究所�

But with so many of the Trump detractors having retired or been voted out of office, 害羞草研究所淲e were much less pessimistic than we are today.害羞草研究所�

Lisa Mascaro, The Associated Press