Pro-Trump supporters storm the US Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters gathered in the nation's capital to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images/VCG

As the US political environment continues to deteriorate, the rifts between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile, condemning US internal politics to a mess of partisan conflicts.

On Thursday local time, the US House select committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol that happened on January 6, 2021, released its final report. The Capitol riot is an ugly scar in the history of US partisanship. The final report addressing this event has highlighted such hideousness and the embarrassment it has brought to US politics.

This 845-page report provides details on the deadly event and the role played by now former US president Donald Trump. In its conclusion, the panel referred Trump to the Justice Department for potential prosecution on at least four criminal charges, including conspiracy, inciting insurrection, and obstruction.

The report has given a brief final judgment on the incident and put it on the shelf for now. The US as a nation has wasted too many resources and excessive energy in the wrong places. Instead of focusing on the country's governance, American politicians made all efforts on partisan struggle when it comes to the Capitol riot. In such a toxic political environment, it is quite difficult to find an acceptable solution to spare more needless partisan sparring.

The Capitol riot itself is a product of the severe partisan conflict in the US. Against such a backdrop, the final report on this incident should better bridge the divergences between the two parties and unite them. However, it fails to do so. Instead, it continues to further fuel antagonism at the two opposite ends of the US political spectrum.

During the investigation of the tragic incident at the US Capitol, the ulterior motives of each side are apparent. Leading the House committee investigating the event, the Democrats want to take the chance to attack the Republicans. In particular, they hope to deal a significant blow to the figure they paint as the mastermind of the riot - Trump and his supporters, and attempt to completely kick Trump out of the 2024 presidential election and block his way back to the White House, noted the observers.

Meanwhile, the final report on the Capitol riot has weakened the influence of Trump supporters within the GOP, leaving the Republican Party increasingly divided regarding the polarizing ex-president as well.

The "Trump fraction" in the Republican Party is inciting sympathy and anger among the former president's supporters, paving the way for his grand comeback in 2024. After the report's release, Trump claimed the committee members are "sick people" and labeled the investigation a "witch hunt."

On the other hand, Trump's opponents in the GOP are using the Capitol riot as an opportunity to further cut ties with Trump, who is already losing ground inside the party, and his supporters to consolidate the support from core Republican voters. US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, noted on Wednesday that Trump's "political clout has diminished" and called on him to back off Senate primaries.

As the Republicans won control of the House and the Democrats retained their majority in the Senate, a split Congress will convene for the first time soon. The report on the Capitol riot was released right before the new Congress begins its work and while the Democratic Party is still in control. The message is clear: the Democrats hope their suggestions in the final report will continue to be implemented, no matter which party has more seats in Congress.

However, it cannot be ruled out that a new round of fierce conflicts between the two parties may emerge after the release of the Capitol riot panel's final report. Some Republicans may still stand solid behind Trump. That being said, it is uncertain what role this report will play in reality, and the wishes of many Democratic politicians to completely halt Trump's White House bid for 2024 may eventually fail. 

Moreover, Trump still has a relatively strong voter base in the US because his demands are in line with those of many American populists. Therefore, if the political soil of American populism and political extremism remains the same, the investigation of the Capitol riot will definitely be interpreted politically and face attacks. In the end, it is questionable if the report can truly offer US politicians some valuable lessons and prevent similar tragedies from happening again.


 The author is a reporter with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn.