The January 6 hearings show that if democratic backsliding can happen in the US, then it can happen anywhere

The January 6 committee — a US House panel charged with investigating the 2021 Capitol insurrection — held its first day of hearings last week. In this Q&A, Thomas Gift explains key take-aways from the proceedings, how the news is playing to an international audience, and what the findings could mean for US domestic politics heading into the 2022 midterm elections.