His second inauguration had just occurred and the speeches were barely over when Donald Trump pardoned pretty much all of the Jan. 6 rioters. At the moment, the president continues to enact executive orders, coupled with promises to force Washington to bend to his political will.

Given the intense degree of activity and resistance, it may be difficult to decipher what is actually happening.

Hours into his second term, Trump surrendered accountability under an avalanche of pardons for some 1,500 of his most loyal supporters who attempted to nullify the 2020 election. They were self-appointed members of Trump’s personal resistance militia who viciously and violently assaulted police officers at the U.S. Capitol. Some of those officers lost their lives.

Such an insulting act was just one example of his obscene, no-holds-barred attack on the law. Trump’s rapid pardons have created a loyalty oath for the Republican party. While a few Republicans, including former Senate leader Mitch McConnell, have denounced the move, the vast majority have supported the president or engaged in extraordinary levels of verbal gymnastics. Two major police unions stated they were “deeply discouraged” by the pardons and commutations, even as Trump described the attacks on officers as “very minor incidents.”

Trump’s pardon blitz feels like a frightening nightmare, though the onslaught of revenge, retribution and violence will haunt the nation much longer. One can only ponder how the children, spouses and friends of those who testified against the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and in defense of the Capitol Police and other officers received such dispiriting news. Indeed, they probably felt as if they were under assault once again. A president who rewards violence, disorder, thuggery and treason is hardly an inspirational and morally responsible leader.

The decision of pardon is far from a popular one. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans are opposed to pardoning rioters convicted of crimes, according to a survey released last week.

The most crucial result of the pardons isn’t who has been freed from prison, but rather the symbolic meaning of Trump’s actions, namely, that radical militias are free to act with no restraints — as long as they’re loyal to Trump. Any right-wing extremist who breaks the law can take perverse solace in the reasonable possibility Trump will rescue him or her from facing any responsibility. In fact, this is one of the major reasons for engaging in political violence across various communities — a belief among perpetrators they have been granted a license to do so and will suffer no consequences. Political violence, particularly on the far right, has been increasing over the past several years. Now, after being granted pardons, right-wing extremists have little, if anything, to fear from law enforcement and no longer have any reason to reside in obscurity.

The Republican Party of 2025 is alarmingly and tragically duplicative of the Democratic Party of the 1850s: callous, arrogant, confrontational and prone to violence. The primary issue of that era was slavery. Today, the dissension is stratified across several issues, including immigration, race, abortion, sexuality, free speech and religious freedom.

The current Republican Party has become so rapacious, barbarous and amoral in its blind thirst for power that it seems determined to attack and, if possible, overturn any election outcomes or social movements that are not conducive to its agenda. We have already seen the GOP engage in this sort of undemocratic activity with the voter suppression laws they have enacted in various states.

The acrimonious rhetoric of the far right betrays the undeniable truth they are terrified and aware their current political stronghold will erode if they are unable to manipulate the laws and future elections. Thus, they are attempting to establish a form of minority rule. As many left-wing activists have observed, such retrograde antics are a form of “Jim Crow 2.” In fact, there are some scholars who argue that Nov. 5, 2024, was the end of America’s second reconstruction (1964–2024).

The present climate is filled with fear, resistance and anxiety. Things are tense to be sure, a situation that certainly does not bode well for the immediate future. Those of us committed to equality for all Americans have our work cut out for us.

Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. He is also an author and public speaker.