Diplomacy and International Politics

Storming the Capitol, shaking democracy - how dangerous are the days ahead of the transition of power for the United States? And even if Trump leaves the Oval Office, will he remain an eternal divider? Does the poison of his lies continue to have an effect in America, and does it perhaps continue to serve as a model for populists abroad? [translated from German, interview in German]

Three days before Joe Biden's inauguration as the new US Presiden, the fear of another escalation of violence is great. How threatened is the transition of power? Political scientist Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook and Washington reporter Alica Jung weigh in. [translated from German; interview in German]

The presidency of Donald Trump has left such a wretched stench in Europe that it's hard to see how, even in four years, Joe Biden could possibly get America's most important alliance back on track.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty share insights into the evident fragility of American democratic norms and institutions following the attack on the United States Capitol by followers of President Trump. These essays examine the nature and scale of the threat and weigh potential avenues for protecting and nurturing democracy. They were written before the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Trump on Wednesday for the second time.

Harvard Kennedy School political scientist, Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, attaches great importance to the new impeachment process. On Deutschlandfunk she said: “It's about the oldest functioning democracy in the world. It is about the status of the United States' global role model.” Which system will set the credible international frame for the future - authoritarian China or democracies like the USA and Europe? She added: "To protect democracy as such, the President must be stopped." [from German; interview in German]

In eight days, the term of office of President Trump ends in America. Now, the Democrats want to remove him from office. Today the FAZ Podcast for Germany welcomes Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook to discuss the opportunities and risks of impeachment.  [translated from German, interview in German]

After initially praising the U.S. Congress riots, Trump later distanced himself from the mob that stormed the Capitol - too late, many believe. Is it time to apply the 25th Amendment? Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook speaks to ZDF Heute about the chaos at the Capitol. [In German]

Donald Trump may be the first American president to put himself out of office. Thousands of his supporters surrounded the Capitol in Washington on January 6th while members of Congress were set to confirm Joe Biden's election victory. Trump has announced that he will hand over power in an orderly manner, but many are calling for him to be held accountable and removed from office. How can a country find peace if its citizens want to deal politically with violence? [translated from German]

After the riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, many are worried about the peaceful transition of power on January 20th. With the police failure and the discovery of numerous pipe bombs at the Capitol, Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook warns that the danger has not subsided. [translated from German]

President Trump has been sowing doubts about the legitimacy of the election for years, according to Belfer Center's Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook.