Rosa Brooks links 9/11 to January 6 insurrection in new analysis
A piece published in The Economist suggests the war on terror created a direct pathway to the Capitol riots, challenging conventional historical timelines.
Rosa Brooks, a former US Department of Defense official and commentator, has published an analysis in The Economist arguing that the events of 9/11 created a direct pathway to the January 6th insurrection. The piece, titled How the war on terror primed America for autocracy, posits a causal link between the post-9/11 security landscape and the 2021 Capitol attack.
Published on 2 June 2026, the article suggests that the global military campaign launched following the terrorist attacks primed the United States for autocracy. Brooks contends that the structural and political shifts initiated in the wake of the 9/11 attacks established a trajectory that culminated in the insurrection at the US Capitol.
The analysis presents a strong interpretive argument rather than an established historical fact. By framing the road from 9/11 as leading directly to January 6th, Brooks challenges the conventional separation of these two events, suggesting instead that the former was a necessary precursor to the latter in the erosion of democratic norms.
As an opinion piece published by invitation, the article reflects a specific editorial stance on the long-term consequences of the war on terror. It does not provide new empirical data but rather offers a theoretical framework connecting the security policies of the early 2000s to the political violence of the 2020s.
The publication comes amidst ongoing debates regarding the long-term impact of counter-terrorism measures on civil liberties and democratic institutions. Brooks’ argument adds to the discourse by explicitly linking the initial security response to the later breakdown of political order in Washington.
While the causal link proposed is significant, it remains an authorial interpretation. The article serves as a commentary on the potential for security-focused governance to alter the fundamental nature of American democracy over time, rather than a definitive historical record.
The piece highlights the enduring relevance of the post-9/11 era in understanding contemporary political instability. By drawing a direct line between the attacks and the insurrection, Brooks invites readers to reconsider the long-term political costs of the war on terror.
