Bannon’s statements, his demeanor, and his social-media live streaming were no surprise. He was employing the same circus-like tactics that date back to his tenure as Trump’s campaign chief, in 2016, and as White House strategist, in 2017. He appeared, above all, to be enjoying himself. Both before and after surrendering to the court, Bannon signalled that he planned to use the proceedings to cement his standing among Trump supporters. On Capitol Hill, some Democrats seemed satisfied, too. A staffer told me that Bannon’s defiance showed that the groups that tried to overturn the 2020 election are still active. “The threat to democracy continues. It hasn’t gone away,” the staffer said. “We’re seeing it in real time.”

The question, of course, is how the public will see the Bannon case. American democracy is entering a strange and perilous period. The U.S. Capitol has come under attack in the past. In 1814, when the building was still under construction, British forces set fire to it. In 1954, supporters of independence for Puerto Rico fired pistols onto the House floor from the public gallery, wounding five members of Congress. And, in 1971, the Weather Underground claimed responsibility for detonating a bomb, which heavily damaged the building, in an effort to force an end to the Vietnam War.

The January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol is different, because it was conducted by backers of a sitting U.S. President who refused—and continues to refuse—to accept the results of the election that removed him from power. Last week, the ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl released audio of a March interview with Trump in which the former President defended his demands that Mike Pence reverse the results of the 2020 election. Asked if he ever feared for his Vice-President’s safety, as rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” Trump replied no, repeated his false claims that the election was stolen, and blamed Pence for the violence. “It’s common sense, Jon,” Trump said. “How can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress? How can you do that?” A second Democratic Hill staffer said that such statements show why it is vital for the select committee to aggressively investigate the events of January 6th. “What choice is there?” the staffer asked. “They tried to kill the Vice-President of the United States.”