Abstract

On January 6th, 2021, the United States democracy was assaulted as rioters stormed the Capitol to prevent the genuine power transfer from Donald Trump to President Joseph Biden. They weaponized “patriotism,” holding a sense of entitlement to their “Real American” views paralleled in white supremacist history (Anderson).  These insurrectionists opened an important conversation about how far-right extremism is built from exclusionary politics; specifically, the historical continuity of white supremacy and how white entitlement is fostered by the United States’ institutions (Anderson, Diem & Hawkman). Since this ideology combines with racism, I find it necessary to further investigate far-right extremism in a human rights context. I argue that January 6th was a demonstration of white supremacy through the analytical review of rioters’ rhetoric as well as their affiliations. In this report, I attempt to hold privilege accountable, and shed light on the immense threat January 6th posed to social, civil progression.