Study Finds Mainstream Americans, Not Extremists, Committed Most Capitol Riot Offenses

Contrary to the widespread perception that the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was orchestrated primarily by extremist factions, new data indicates the riot was largely driven by average citizens. In his latest work, *Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism*, Robert A. Pape argues that the danger to American democracy stems not from fringe groups, but from mainstream individuals who increasingly view political violence as an acceptable tool.

While organizations such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers dominated media coverage of the insurrection, Pape’s analysis reveals that 90 percent of those charged with crimes related to the attack held no affiliation with militias or militant organizations. The data, collected through Pape’s role as founding director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST), portrays a demographic far removed from the stereotypical image of political radicals.

The profile of the defendants includes 22 percent who are business owners and nearly 30 percent who hold college degrees. Occupations among those charged ranged from doctors and engineers to CEOs and government employees. Approximately 40 percent held white-collar positions, while only 8 percent were unemployed at the time of the attack.

Pape warns that these findings underscore a critical misunderstanding among the public: the threat of political violence is emerging from the center of society rather than its margins. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, he writes that U.S. elections are entering a perilous phase where state authority, public protest, and political legitimacy are increasingly colliding. He notes that many Americans still view political violence as an isolated, shocking event that will eventually fade, an assumption he describes as both reassuring and dangerously misguided.

In a recent discussion with WIRED, Pape defined violent populism as a political climate in which significant portions of the public accept physical force as a legitimate means to gain or defend political power. He attributes the rise of this trend to a deep cultural clash over American identity and citizenship, intensified by elite rhetoric that frames political opposition as an existential struggle between enemies. According to Pape, this structural dynamic transforms ordinary citizens into active participants in political aggression.