Politics / Column / Don’t Let Trump’s Henchmen Rewrite History. They’re the Ones Inciting Violence. A brief catalogue of the times Republicans have called for brutal repression makes clear that Trump, not the left, is tearing apart the country. It was the single worst act of violence against the pillars of American democracy since the Civil War. On day one of his second administration, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 insurrectionists convicted for their violent actions that day.