The Mob, the Capitol, and the Constitution

We the People

National Constitution Center

News, News Commentary, History

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2021

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the early morning on January 7, 2021, Congress certified President-elect Biden’s Electoral College victory after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. This episode reflects on the historic and constitutional significance of the events of “a date which will live in constitutional history.” Host Jeffrey Rosen was joined by Judge J. Michael Luttig, formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky of Berkeley Law. They discuss the president’s debunked claims about the 2020 election results that sparked the riot; whether President Trump’s words at a rally held in Washington, D.C., on January 6 count as incitement under the law; what the blocking of President Trump’s social media accounts by Facebook and Twitter afterward means for freedom of speech; and what the unprecedented nature of the events means for the future of the country. Additional resources and transcripts available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome
0:07.6	to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.
0:11.7	The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress
0:17.0	to increase awareness and understanding of the will live in constitutional history.
0:33.7	The US Congress ratified President-elect Biden's victory
0:38.2	after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US.S. Capitol.
0:44.0	On today's episode, we will reflect on the historic
0:46.8	and constitutional significance of yesterday's events.
0:50.5	I'm honored to be joined by two of America's leading constitutional scholars.
0:55.0	Erwin-Chammarinsky is Dean and Jesse H. Choper Professor of Law at Berkeley Law.
1:01.0	He was the founding dean of UC Irvine School of Law and is the
1:05.2	author of many books including We The People a Progressive Reading of the
1:09.6	Constitution for the 21st century. Erwin it is great to have you back on the show.
1:15.0	It's always my great pleasure to be with you.
1:17.0	Thank you for inviting me.
1:19.0	And Judge Michael Lutick was just named Counselor and special advisor to the Coca-Cola company.
1:25.2	He previously served for 15 years as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
1:31.6	Before that, he served as assistant attorney general and
1:34.3	counselor to the attorney general at the US Department of Justice and was assistant
1:38.9	counsel to President Reagan.
1:40.3	Mike, it is an honor to have you on the show.
1:44.9	Thank you very much, Jeff, and thank the National Constitution Center.
	...

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