Former GOP Strategist Matthew Dowd Says ‘January 6 Was Worse Than 9/11 Because It’s Continued To Rip Our Country Apart’

On the six-month anniversary of the Capitol insurrection on Tuesday, former Republican operative Matthew Dowd made a case that it was actually worse than the September 11 attacks because it was perpetrated by domestic partisans.

“One of the things [Abraham] Lincoln said was, America will never be destroyed from outside,” said Dowd. “America will destroy itself. And I think that’s what I fear about right now.”

He elaborated:

To me, though there was less loss of life on January 6, January 6 was worse than 9/11 because it’s continued to rip our country apart and give permission for people to pursue autocratic means. And so, I think we’re at a much worse place than we’ve been, and as I’ve said to you before, I think we’re in the most perilous point in time since 1861 and the advent of the Civil War.

“I do too,” replied Reid.

Reid said there had been an “uptick” in White nationalism since the Trump era began.

“Republicans think their base is bigoted and their base is stupid, and that’s why they keep doing what they’re doing,” said Dowd, alluding to the persistent lies about the 2020 election being stolen from Donald Trump.

Dowd also said during the segment, “Part of the problem is because there’s been no accountability, it’s given permission to do more of this. And not only it’s given permission to just average people out there who might do crazy things, it’s allowed the Republicans just to continue this Big Lie that they pushed across.”

In an 1838 speech, Lincoln said, “At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.”

Watch above via MSNBC.