Two researchers have analyzed the backgrounds of several Trump supporters arrested for taking part in the United States Capitol riots last month and have come away disturbed after finding some unexpected results.
Writing in The Atlantic, University of Chicago political science professor Robert Pape and Chicago Project on Security and Threats senior research associate Keven Ruby argue that the Capitol riots show the emergence of a "new kind of American extremism" that is distinct from the kinds of militia movements that have traditionally come under law enforcement officials' radars.
Among other things, the researchers found that the vast majority of arrested rioters have no prior connections to extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys, and that a plurality of them either own their own businesses or work at white-collar jobs.
"Unlike the stereotypical extremist, many of the alleged participants in the Capitol riot have a lot to lose," Pape and Ruby write. "They work as CEOs, shop owners, doctors, lawyers, IT specialists, and accountants."
Additionally, they found that a large number of rioters came from counties where President Joe Biden won -- this was not a case of Americans living in deep-red conservative areas revolting.
"What's clear is that the Capitol riot revealed a new force in American politics—not merely a mix of right-wing organizations, but a broader mass political movement that has violence at its core and draws strength even from places where Trump supporters are in the minority," the researchers argue. "Simply targeting better-established far-right organizations will not prevent people like the Capitol rioters from trying to exercise power by force."
