Historian: ‘The fate of the republic really is at stake’

America is facing one of its greatest historical challenges as Donald Trump continues to push his "big lie" of election fraud.

"America survived the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but the explosion of political violence exposed the republic’s fragility. A year later, after an impeachment and amid federal investigations, the risk to America’s system of governance remains high, according to many elected officials and advocates. Etched in the granite of national memory, Jan. 6 has become shorthand for an ongoing and existential battle over fair elections, the integrity of democratic institutions and the abuse of power," Jon Allen reported for NBC News on Tuesday.

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For analysis, Allen interviewed historian Joseph Ellis, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his book on the American revolution and the National Book Award for his biography of Thomas Jefferson.

"Focusing on this as a genuine inflection point in American history, comparable to the Civil War and the Revolution is not fanciful — it's absolutely historically correct," Ellis explained.

"We are facing a historic crisis. The fate of the republic really is at stake," he warned.

Read the full report.