'Still under attack': Yale historian warns that 'the worst' may be yet to come for America

Yale history professor Joanne Freeman has a stern warning for the United States: the worst may still be yet to come for America. In a new op-ed posted by The Washington Post, Freeman noted how “tempting" it is "to conclude that the insurgency failed" nearly one year after former President Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

But she is making it clear that Trump's failure does not mean the attack on the American government is over. Freeman also explained why the situation is so much more critical now.

“Our government is still under attack. The offensive is quieter now but no less menacing, eroding the government from within,” the professor noted. "The fundamental right to vote is under siege. The regulation of elections is being corrupted. And faith in the electoral process is fading; the “big lie” about Donald Trump’s supposed victory in 2020 has staying power for just that reason."

In addition to the attack on the government, Freeman also highlighted how Trump's strategic attack has also impacted Americans' ability to trust and rely on its government in other areas such as law and public health.

"Americans question the role and reliability of the Supreme Court and wonder whether they can trust health and safety institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Food and Drug Administration — during a pandemic," Freeman wrote. "For too many, the old idea that government is the enemy has a newly magnified appeal."

From Republican-led bills to restructure America's election systems and erode election integrity to their attacks on other critical issues such as abortion, Freeman went on to note other factors that are problematic. Congress' lackluster response, according to Freeman also “virtually guarantees more of the same."

“With no clear line in the sand, the attack on democracy will continue," Freeman said, adding, "unchecked and empowered, with the worst yet to come.”