The lesson of the Capitol riot must be that nobody is above the law

'The America I woke up to is not the America I love'

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of former president Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington, US, January 6, 2021. Reuters

A supporter of US President Donald J. Trump sits on the desk of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after supporters of US President Donald J. Trump breached the US Capitol security in Washington. EPA

Police detain a person as supporters of US President Donald Trump protest outside the US Capitol. AFP

Protesters enter the US Capitol Building. AFP

A protester holds a Trump flag inside the US Capitol Building near the Senate Chamber. AFP

US Capitol police officers point their guns at a door that was vandalized in the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress. AFP

Members of congress run for cover as protesters try to enter the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress. AFP

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol. AFP

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol. AFP

Congress staffers hold up their hands while Capitol Police Swat teams check everyone in the room as they secure the floor of Trump supporters. AFP

US Capitol Police stand detain protesters outside of the House Chamber during a joint session of Congress. AFP

A supporter of US President Donald Trump sits at a desk after invading the Capitol Building. AFP

A protester sits in the Senate Chamber. AFP

Pro-Trump protesters tear down a barricade as they clash with Capitol police during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results by the US Congress. Reuters

Police hold back supporters of US President Donald Trump as they gather outside the US Capitol's Rotunda. AFP

Supporters of US President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol's Rotunda. AFP

A protester is seen hanging from the balcony in the Senate Chamber. AFP

Riot police prepare to move demonstrators away from the US Capitol. AFP

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol. AFP

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces, as they storm the US Capitol. AFP

A supporter of US President Donald Trump wears a gas mask as he protests after storming the US Capitol. AFP

Pro-Trump supporters storm the US Capitol following a rally. AFP

Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest inside the US Capitol. AFP

US President Donald Trump is seen on TV from a video message released on Twitter addressing rioters at the US Capitol, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC. AFP

Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP

Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest in the US Capitol Rotunda. AFP

Paramedics perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a patient. AFP

A wounded protester is carried on barricade as demonstrators breach the US Capital building grounds. Bloomberg

US Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi preside over a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol earlier in the day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. EPA

Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of the morning, after protesters stormed the Capitol in Washington. AP

One of my most treasured birthday presents came from a colleague a few years ago: a small, leather-bound copy of the US Constitution. It sits on display on a table in the entryway to my apartment as a reminder to my son and I – and to anyone who comes to visit – of what binds America and what we hold dearest. The Constitution established our national government and fundamental laws; it guaranteed basic rights for our citizens.

As an American who spent most of her life in other countries and has now returned to the US, I watched in horror yesterday as the Capitol came under attack.

As a former war reporter, I am familiar with chaos and disorder – the tear gas, the broken windows, the riots. I am just not used to seeing it in America.

The America I woke up to this morning is not the America that I love and believe in. Watching the images of rioteers storming of the US Capitol, our ethos and what we adhere to – what is just and fair – was crushed.

The police acted slowly to stop Trump loyalists from barreling past barricades into the Capitol. And this is not over. It may well be a sign of things to come if our institutions continue to erode. What happened yesterday in the Capitol could not have happened elsewhere – in Canada, Britain or France.

Donald Trump has less than two weeks left in the White House. But even in that limited time he can be dangerous. The US president is still encouraging his followers – the red-hat 'Make American Great Again' crowd – to follow his 'ideals', his distorted version of justice and freedom. His supporters' version of “Give me Liberty of Give Me Death” translates into not wearing masks, gathering in large numbers, carrying guns and flaunting dangerous conspiracy theories. In their world, human rights, rule of law and freedom of press do not exist.

Mr Trump is certainly guilty of inciting his followers, and sedition is a felony in the US. Yesterday's events were an affront to US democracy. Back in school, I studied the writings of America's Founding Fathers – which included the first four American presidents – how they shaped a nation. Benjamin Franklin wrote: “The good-will of the governed will be starved if not fed by the good deeds of the governor”.

Yesterday we saw the governor, or rather President Donald Trump, stoking the fire, as he fuelled baseless conspiracy theories, inciting his supporters to violence. By thinking only of himself and not the good of the nation, he trampled on the values of the US Constitution, the framework and laws on which the country runs. Laws are the backbone of a nation and without that backbone in place, we will descend into anarchy – and not just for a few hours as it appeared yesterday.

Never have we Americans been so divided in our political beliefs, whether it is our views on justice or health care, from minimum wages to housing, to education to fundamental human rights, the divide is growing wider.

This morning I woke to commentators and political scientists here in America calling for Donald Trump to be impeached and convicted. The New York Times branded him a "willful arsonist who lit the match under the fabric of our constitutional republic." What we know is what Mike Pompeo warned voters back in March 2016 that Donald Trump would be "an authoritarian president who ignored our constitution".

Donald Trump started a fire. He appears determined to break everything before he leaves office. His Republican Party has enabled him and now they are split in two. Mr Trump has to go and face the consequences of his actions – if only to show ordinary Americans that even he – the commander-in-chief – is not above the rule of law.

Janine di Giovanni is a Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs