As Joe Biden prepares to become president, the US still reels from the deadly consequences of 'alternative facts'

By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different.

If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the 2021 inauguration represents their deadly consequences. After conspiracy-theory inspired violence laid siege to the Capitol Building where lawmakers met to confirm the election results, more than 20,000 troops now patrol the…

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