Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-277).

Introduction: Reluctant Expert
Chapters
Charlottesville
January 6
Social Media
Law Enforcement
Division
“There Is No Cavalry Coming”
“It’s Harder to Hate Up Close”
Courage and Accountability
Balloons

As the lead investigator into both the 2017 racist riot in Charlottesville and the January 6 insurrection, Tim Heaphy has a unique perspective on the cynicism and anger that also fueled Trump's return to the Presidency. All 3 events, both the violent protests and the peaceful and lawful decisions made at the ballot box in November of 2024, reflect an increasing lack of trust in institutions among a growing number of Americans. In [this] book, Heaphy shares what he saw and came to understand about what those events say about state of American democracy. He examines how and why they took place with the hope that understanding the contexts of these events will be a crucial and helpful step toward avoiding similar episodes of political violence in the years ahead. Readers will travel alongside Heaphy as he organized his team and structured the massive investigations they were about to take, as he interacts with politicians and members of law enforcement, interviews planners, perpetrators, and bystanders, gathers and sorts evidence, and compels and records testimony in order to create a record for today as well as future generations.