Photo/Illutration Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, speaks during a campaign rally on July 29 in Erie, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump openly resisted the will of the voters expressed in the presidential election and tried to prevent a peaceful transition of power with lies and violence.

It is a denial of democracy unacceptable in any country.

If the United States wishes to maintain its international prestige as a democratic superpower, we hope it makes efforts to overcome its current crisis.

Trump was indicted on Aug. 1 over his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of his supporters on the Capitol Building.

This is the third indictment against Trump, who became the first criminally charged former U.S. president.

The latest case is directly linked to the exercise of people's sovereignty as he allegedly plotted to obstruct an official proceeding of Congress in its certification of the presidential election results.

We hope the trial will proceed in a rigorous fashion along with the other two cases as well.

According to the indictment, although Trump already knew he had lost the election, he falsely claimed illegal ballots had been cast and pressured the Department of Justice, state governments and other agencies to overturn the election results so that he could remain in power.

Special counsel Jack Smith declared that the attack on the Capitol was "an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy" that was "fueled by lies" of the defendant.

Over the past two and a half years, authorities charged at least 1,000 individuals with unlawful entry, assaulting police officers and other illegal activities related to the Capitol attack.

It appears that about 2,000 people were involved in the incident, making it an ongoing investigation on an unparalleled scale.

It also turned out that conservative groups had provided funds, while private far-right militia groups were also involved in the attack.

But if the case is dismissed as an outburst of hysteria from his supporters mobilized outside the Capitol Building, the seriousness of the situation will be overlooked.

According to reports, more than 80 percent of individuals indicted for their roles in the attack were ordinary citizens with no ties to specific groups.

The incident occurred after the then-president, his subordinate politicians and some media outlets all worked together to spread lies in society and stirred public anger.

It is vital to take this opportunity to recognize how misinformation-fueled politics could result in serious consequences.

Such a precarious situation remains unchanged.

According to a poll, approximately 30 percent of Republican Party supporters supported the attack, with about half saying it was part of legitimate political activities. 

Trump recently referred to the day of the attack as a "wonderful day," while there are deep-rooted voices within the Republican Party trying to trivialize the incident and saying it has been exaggerated to discredit the former president.

This is a worrying situation when the public is divided even over an assault on democracy this blatant, with political strife playing a major role.

During a NATO summit held last month, President Joe Biden said the United States and its allies are supporting Ukraine to protect the values of democracy.

Indeed, it is true that the world is rife with authoritarian regimes, such as military juntas.

But if the United States wants to sound a warning against such a situation, then it should face its own uncertainty.

The Capitol attack is a dark incident in U.S. history. It is necessary for politicians, across party lines, to keep it in mind to ensure that violence against politics and sovereignty will never occur again.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 3

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