Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal About Rising Threats to American Democracy

by Timothy J. Heaphy

Overview

A crucial, clear-eyed assessment of what connects the 2 most influential moments of political violence in recent American history, and where we go from here

An unparalleled firsthand account from the foremost expert on American political violence, crucial for readers of Liz Cheney’s Oath and Honor, and How Democracies Die

“Tim’s insights can help restore faith in our democratic institutions.” — Barbara McQuade, author of Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America

“Whether January 6 serves as an historic wake-up call will depend on how people of goodwill respond to the challenge. Read his book, and then do your part.”  — Adam Kinzinger, author of Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country

This dramatic, revealing book offers an insider account of the planning and aftermath of the racist riot in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017, and the insurrection at the US. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

As the lead investigator into both tragic days, Tim Heaphy has an absolutely unique perspective. Readers will travel alongside Heaphy as he organized his team and structured the massive investigations they were about to take, as he interacts with politicians and members of law enforcement, interviews planners, perpetrators, and bystanders, gathers and sorts evidence, and compels and records testimony in order to create a record for today’s voters as well as future generations.

In his page-turning book, he shares what he saw and came to understand about what those events say about state of American democracy. He examines how and why they took place with the hope that understanding the contexts of these events will be a crucial and helpful step toward avoiding similar episodes of political violence in the years ahead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781586424022
Publisher:	Steerforth Press
Publication date:	12/31/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	217,659

About the Author

Timothy J. Heaphy was Chief Investigative Counsel of the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. He also oversaw the independent investigation into the August 12, 2017 riot in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is currently partner at Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP and previously served as the Obama-appointed US Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with his family.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction
Reluctant Expert

           It was a Washington DC day as dissimilar to January 6 as I could imagine. For one, it was sweltering, the kind of day when it’s easy to remember the capitol’s swampy origins. It was also calm and quiet on this early Monday morning, with no line to pass through security at the O’Neill House Office Building on C Street SW. Despite the ordinariness of that morning, I was keenly aware of the importance of the day and the journey on which I was about to embark as I headed into my first day of work as the chief investigative counsel of the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
            I was a new employee in Congress and pulled out my freshly-made staff photo ID to show the Capitol Police officers at the gate that I belonged there. I made my way to the fourth floor and scanned into a cavernous, largely empty space that had been recently configured to house the investigative staff of the select committee. It looked like a newsroom, with rows of empty desks and computers separated into small workstations. No one yet occupied those carrels, as I had not yet approached my first task as chief investigative counsel: hiring investigators. There were five small offices along one wall, the last of which was mine. I walked into the sterile space wondering how I would fill it, and my time, over the coming months. While I was uncertain about what lay ahead, I knew that the work on which we were about to embark had the capacity to change American history.
            Over the course of my career, I’ve learned that lawyers often become accidental specialists. The matters on which they work, the cases they try, and the endeavors they pursue inform their subsequent choices and opportunities. I did not set out to specialize in political violence. Nonetheless, I was standing in the empty House office building at the helm of a tremendously important investigation into the most searing episode of such violence this country has seen in many years. Through a series of unexpected challenges in the communities I call home, I have been fortunate enough to be part of the response, the understanding, and the healing. I am, in many ways, a reluctant expert in political violence and all it reveals about America.
A few years earlier, I led a team that conducted an independent review of the racist riot that occurred in my hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. Back then, I was a former United States attorney hired by the city government to conduct an “after-action” report detailing how the city prepared for and managed the Unite the Right rally that became a forum in which fascist white nationalists clashed with anti-racist counter-protesters in the small city in which I live. Our team issued a lengthy report which contained harsh criticism of law enforcement, city and state officials, and other decision makers for their failure to protect either public safety or free speech in Charlottesville. The “Heaphy Report” became the definitive account of that tragic day.
My experience in Charlottesville ultimately led to my role as Chief Investigative Counsel for the January 6 committee. Over the course of my work on these investigations, I have spent considerable time looking closely at these two seminal events.  Along with a team of experts, I spent untold hours reviewing footage, reading emails, text messages, and other documents generated before, during, and after by people who both perpetrated and tried to prevent them. This work has given me a keen understanding of political violence in America: where it comes from, how it manifests, and how to stop it. This book is an attempt to share that hard-gained knowledge in an effort to understand growing political violence in America as a continuous thread rather than discrete incidents. It’s hard to look at, unsettling to see, but we must not look away.
            Charlottesville and January 6 are inextricably linked in the consciousness of Americans. They have much in common, and examining both events informs broader lessons about the state of American democracy. As horrific as those days were, studying, considering, and talking about them can point us toward a way forward. A close look at the facts and circumstances reveals lessons that can help make spasms of political violence less likely in the years ahead.
This book will not rehash the results of our investigations. Readers interested in more detail about what happened in Charlottesville and at the Capitol can review the reports on which I worked, which tell those tragic stories in graphic detail. Instead, I intend to identify and make meaning of commonalities between the events, beyond the simple fact that both turned lethally violent. And I will expose the dynamics that have escaped the notice and understanding of most Americans, even those who follow the news closely.
One central connection between Charlottesville and January 6 is that both events were planned online, in plain view, on social media. The organizers of the Unite the Right rally encouraged like-minded people to attend by actively promoting the event on Facebook, Twitter, Parler, Reddit, and other social media sites. A little over three years later, the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and others who sincerely but misguidedly believed the 2020 Presidential election had been stolen used these same platforms to draw attention to the January 6 certification proceeding at the Capitol.
The rapid and successful promotion of both events demonstrates the pervasive power of social media. Most Americans today receive information that is filtered through platforms on which false information proliferates. Social media companies are businesses that rely upon keeping users engaged, actively clicking, reading, and reacting to content.  Sophisticated algorithms track a user’s interests and push similar content, drawing and keeping their attention with material that is often increasingly provocative. Social media companies do very little to monitor, flag, or take down hate speech, far-out conspiracy theories, or other false and incendiary content, which makes these platforms unreliable sources of information. They also connect users to others with similar views in affinity groups, which become echo chambers for the spread of misinformation. This landscape is largely unregulated and misunderstood by consumers.
Despite the fact that both the Charlottesville rally and the January 6 attack on the Capitol were planned on open-source channels, law enforcement was woefully unprepared for both events. In Charlottesville, the city was unable to protect either public safety or free speech despite the presence of ample numbers of officers and specialized units. At the Capitol, rioters were able to violently enter the seat of government during the joint session of Congress and came dangerously close to the vice president and other elected officials as they were forced to evacuate. These were not intelligence failures, as there was ample warning of potential violence before each event. They were not resource failures, as sufficient numbers of officers from different agencies were available and ultimately deployed to both locations. They were operational failures; planning did not incorporate the intelligence. 
There are many reasons for the law enforcement failures in Charlottesville and at the Capitol. Dozens of agencies collect information on domestic violent extremism. Those agencies do a poor job sharing that information and ensuring it is available to planners in advance of mass demonstration events. Agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation place unduly restrictive limits on their use of open-source information due to First Amendment concerns. And as is always the case in America, race matters. Police agencies routinely misperceive the threats of violence posed by different racial groups. They underestimate the potential for violence presented by white men like those who converged on Charlottesville on August 12, 2017 and the Capitol on January 6, 2021. This racial bias is also reflected in the overreaction to potential violence in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020. We mistakenly expect violence from Black and brown protesters and fail to anticipate violence from angry white men. Our investigations found that this bias was implicit but persistent. Like the social media policy issues outlined above, these systemic law enforcement failures require attention and constructive solutions.   
The most salient commonality between Charlottesville and January 6 was how they metastasized from one core issue to broader forums for the expression of anger at institutions. Charlottesville started as a protest about the removal of Civil War statues in public space. It became a protest at which a constellation of groups came together to express anger about how our increasingly diverse culture threatened their historic privilege. The unifying principle on January 6 was belief in the “Big Lie” that the 2020 election had been stolen from President Trump. Many participants in the attack on the Capitol were, however, drawn there by a broader cynicism about government and disbelief in what they routinely hear from politicians, the media, and educational institutions. As in Charlottesville, some January 6 rioters believed that the national government is run by self-interested elites determined to replace them with immigrants. Others were motivated by a belief that public health mandates during the pandemic were baseless and infringed their liberty. These groups came together under a common banner of resistance to a system that they regard as oppressive and believe does not work for them.
The core division in this country revealed by Charlottesville and January 6 prompts both anger and apathy among Americans. While some people express anger at mass demonstration events, others simply turn away. Many people in this country don’t vote, pay attention to current events, or actively participate in their communities. Withdrawal is as dangerous as anger. A disengaged citizenry is a more insidious threat to democracy, and ultimately more destructive, than a large crowd of angry rioters.
Identifying effective solutions to this division in America will require grassroots involvement by a much wider spectrum of voices than those that currently participate in these discussions. Our future success will require everyone to care and contribute. The best way to restore faith in government is to make it more responsive to the core needs of the people governed. That requires participation and engagement, not apathy and withdrawal. When people of good faith fail to participate, extreme perspectives are amplified and get outsized attention. We need to run toward, not away from, the problems facing this country, those revealed by these episodes of political violence and many others.
“Truth and reconciliation are the only hope for nations that are bitterly divided,” Nelson Mandela wrote in 1999.[1] I keep coming back to his words as I think through how we got here, and how to move forward. A clear-eyed view of what happened – and why – is essential to preventing similar events in the future. These awful days can help move us to a better place. This book strives to go beyond the core narratives that have emerged from commentators and among groups across the political spectrum to describe and better understand the underlying factors that allowed the violence to occur. Not politicized takes, but rather, following the evidence and providing an honest reckoning. It ends with some hopeful thoughts on ways to change the conditions that gave rise to the horrific events that continue to reverberate in Charlottesville, Washington, and around the world.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” first wrote philosopher George Santayana in 1910.[2] Winston Churchill paraphrased Santayana when he told the House of Commons in 1948, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”[3] My hope is that this book helps us understand Charlottesville and January 6, and is part of the light guiding us forward as we continue the great experiment in democracy that is America…
 

[1] Nelson Mandela, “We should forgive but not forget,” The Guardian, July 2, 1999, reprinted from Civilization Magazine, https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/03/guardianreview.books7.
[2] George Santayana, Reason in Common Sense (London: Archibald Constable & Co, 1910), accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BOU3AQAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&ots=Naxo_HgwZm&sig=h8CCdKgJtJpqT63f3O_FsP3Xl2g#v=onepage&q&f=false.
[3] Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, 1948, as qtd by the International Churchill Society, accessed online: https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/in-the-media/churchill-in-the-news/folger-library-churchills-shakespeare/.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
 
Introduction: Reluctant Expert
Chapter 1: Charlottesville
Chapter 2: January 6
Chapter 3: Social Media
Chapter 4: Law Enforcement
Chapter 5: Division
Chapter 6: “There is No Cavalry Coming”
Chapter 7: “It’s Harder to Hate Up Close”
Chapter 8: Courage and Accountability
Chapter 9: Balloons
Acknowledgements

Editorial Reviews

Timothy Heaphy had backstage passes to two of the most historic and troubling armed conflicts in recent America: Charlottesville and January 6. His blow-by-blow accounts are fascinating. His understanding of why these events happened is unmatched. His ideas about our country’s future should be listened to by all.” — John Grisham

“Heaphy distills the common lessons of two stains on our history to tell us what happened and how we all can do better — governments, social media providers, and ordinary citizens. His deeply informed work is essential reading for all who hope to learn from the past so we don't repeat it." — Former FBI director James Comey, author of A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership

“Riveting. Heaphy analyzes dimensions of new threats to the American constitutional order that have not been seriously examined yet: the use of social media for purposes of spreading propaganda and planning political violence and the unpreparedness of law enforcement to reply to this virulent new peril. This is a soulful and significant contribution to defeating the authoritarian threat in America.” — Congressman Jamie Raskin, author of Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy

“Whether January 6 marks the start of a new era of political violence or serves as an historic wake-up call will depend on how people of goodwill respond to the challenge. I urge you to read this book, then do your part.”  — Adam Kinzinger, author of Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country

“Heaphy offers an inside view on how violent extremism is endangering American democracy. His insights can help us reclaim a government that works for all Americans and restore faith in our democratic institutions.” — Barbara McQuade, author of Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America

“Heaphy takes us inside his search for the root causes of two violent alt-right-inspired attacks, and amid our nation’s bitter political divisions, he offers a hopeful message of how to combat the misinformation and isolation that fomented both.”   — Carol Leonnig, author of I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year

“Heaphy’s unique role as leader of investigations into both the 2017 violence in Charlottesville and the January 6 assault on the US Capitol has given him keen insights into the political divisions, collapse of public trust, and failures of government that bedevil America today. In this highly readable book, he shares his lessons learned and points constructive paths forward toward a healthier and more hopeful future.” — David Von Drehle, author of The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man

“Harbingers is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the toxic ideologies and violent threats lurking just beneath the surface of our fractured politics. Heaphy unflinchingly examines the forces that lead to Charlottesville and presents the historic January 6 Select Committee’s investigative work through the lens of disinformation, racism, and multiple failings among political and law enforcement leaders.” — Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC's Deadline: White House

“In his sobering re-telling of what he saw firsthand investigating the horrific events of January 6 and the Charlottesville white supremacist rally, Heaphy demonstrates the importance of democracy and why we all need to do our part to preserve it. This book is an essential read to come to terms with our past and build a path forward free from political violence, which sadly appears to be on the rise.” — Preet Bharara, author of Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law

"Harbingers is a compelling mix of an authoritative historical record, investigative procedural, and true crime thriller. It is a searing look at some of the 'colossal failures' of law enforcement agencies and the race-based assumptions that may have fueled those failures, while also offering important lessons learned and suggestions about how we can all do better, both inside and outside government."  — Glenn Kirschner

“Heaphy does a great job detailing the cultural forces that seek to divide us — and providing solutions to make sure our democracy stays intact. A must-read.” — Senator Tim Kaine

“Few Americans are as qualified as Heaphy to address the imminent danger of political violence in the contemporary United States. His prescriptions, born of experience, should be required reading for anyone interested in preserving — and improving — participatory democracy on these shores.” — Robert Edwards, author of Resisting the Right: How to Survive the Gathering Storm

“Two recent disturbing events have alerted us to the spreading poison of violence and hatred in our country — the racist, antisemitic march of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, and the shocking insurrection of January 6, 2021 that sought to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power at the US Capitol. We must not forget them, and we need to understand them fully. Fortunately, Heaphy — who was deeply involved in investigating both — has penned this must-read book. If citizens are wise enough to follow his prescription for change, Americans will have a chance to cure what ails us before more damage is done.” — Larry J. Sabato, director, UVA Center for Politics

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