A year after the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the success of Republican-led dismantling of voting rights by legislatures across the country, many have accused the Republican Party of imperilling democracy in the United States.

According to a recent Ipsos/NRP poll, 64 percent of Americans believe that democracy in their country is in crisis and at risk of failing. Yet political partisanship continues to rise, dominating discourse about government. While many blame former President Donald Trump for polarising the country, world-renowned scholar, author and political activist Noam Chomsky says responsibility largely lies with the GOP.

“Republicans have just become a denialist party. This precedes Trump. When President Obama was elected, Mitch McConnell, Senate leader for the Republicans and maybe the most influential person in the party, [...] said straight out that the Republicans have one goal, make sure he cannot achieve anything.”

“He's doing exactly the same thing now,” Chomsky says of McConnell and Senate Republicans.

“When Joe Biden was elected, McConnell said very explicitly, our goal is to ensure that he can achieve nothing. We'll harm the country as much as possible, and we will then blame it on the Democrats, and we'll come back to power. That's not a political party. That's a radical insurgency. No interest in democracy.”

This week in an UpFront special, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with Noam Chomsky about the state of democracy in the US.

A year after the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the success of Republican-led dismantling of voting rights by legislatures across the country, many have accused the Republican Party of imperilling democracy in the United States. According to a recent Ipsos/NRP poll, 64 percent of Americans believe that democracy in their country is in crisis and at risk of failing. Yet political partisanship continues to rise, dominating discourse about government. While many blame former President Donald Trump for polarising the country, world-renowned scholar, author and political activist Noam Chomsky says responsibility largely lies with the GOP. “Republicans have just become a denialist party. This precedes Trump. When President Obama was elected, Mitch McConnell, Senate leader for the Republicans and maybe the most influential person in the party, [...] said straight out that the Republicans have one goal, make sure he cannot achieve anything.” “He's doing exactly the same thing now,” Chomsky says of McConnell and Senate Republicans. “When Joe Biden was elected, McConnell said very explicitly, our goal is to ensure that he can achieve nothing. We'll harm the country as much as possible, and we will then blame it on the Democrats, and we'll come back to power. That's not a political party. That's a radical insurgency. No interest in democracy.” This week in an UpFront special, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with Noam Chomsky about the state of democracy in the US.

With the thrust and parry of rigorous debate, Mehdi Hasan cuts through the headlines to challenge conventional wisdom, highlight contradictions and uncover double standards.

UpFront

Through rigorous debate, Marc Lamont Hill cuts through the headlines to challenge conventional wisdom.

Through rigorous debate, Marc Lamont Hill cuts through the headlines to challenge conventional wisdom.