Today on Boston Public Radio:
E.J. Dionne responded to the violent events in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and the impact it might have on President Donald Trump’s political influence post-presidency. He also weighed in on President-elect Joe Biden's choice of Judge Merrick Garland, Dionne's former college friend, to serve as attorney general. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country."
Rosa Brooks reacted to the storming of the U.S.Capitol by pro-Trump extremists, which she predicted in exercises laid out by her bipartisan Transition Integrity Project. She also offered her thoughts on the path forward for maintaining democratic stability in the U.S. Brooks is a former Pentagon official in the Obama administration and a professor of law and policy at Georgetown Law. Her forthcoming book is "Tangled Up In Blue: Policing The American City."
Next we opened the phone lines to talk with listeners about their thoughts on Wednesday’s chaos and the future of the U.S. post-Trump.
Andrea Cabral discussed the lawlessness of Wednesday’s pro-Trump mob, offering her take on the lackluster response from authorities defending the U.S. Capitol building and comparing Wednesday's police enforcement to what was seen at Black Lives Matter protests throughout 2020. Cabral is the former Suffolk County sheriff and secretary of public safety. She is the current CEO of cannabis company AscendMass.
Next we returned to our listeners to talk about Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol and the response from political leaders and members of the media.
Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass, talked about his experience being barricaded in his office at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday and the growing number of his colleagues who want Vice President Mike Pense to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Keating is a a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. He represents Massachusetts' Ninth Congressional District.
We closed out Thursday's show by returning to our callers, getting their final impressions (for now) of Wednesday's events.
