From The Brooks Brothers Riot To January 6

The Brooks Brothers Riot: Opening the Door to January 6^th

The domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a terrifying and shocking moment, revealing that for some Americans, political violence in support of their candidate is justified, regardless of the law. Over 150 police officers were injured, and several people died as a result of the mob’s actions. While there have been occasional attacks on election workers—particularly in the post-Civil War South and during the Civil Rights era—Americans generally respected election officials, even when their candidates lost. Though small in scale, the Brooks Brothers Riot of 2000 signaled a shift in American democracy, as passion for a candidate began to override respect for the rule of law. Unlike the close Kennedy-Nixon election of 1960, where a razor-thin margin didn’t lead to violence, the 2000 election opened the door to the tragic events of January 6.

“Make Them Riot”

A court filing from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election revealed that a Trump campaign operative encouraged rioting to disrupt the results in Michigan. Seeing unrest at Detroit’s TCF Center, where absentee ballots were being counted, the operative urged a colleague to “make them riot” and “do it!!!” This call to action came amid attempts to halt the count in a heavily Democratic city, using unfounded fraud claims to justify obstruction. While such a suggestion might have been shocking decades ago, it was less surprising after the success of the Brooks Brothers Riot in Florida in 2000, where a protest stopped a lawful ballot count. The precedent had been set—why not try it again?

On October 21, 2024, a PRRI survey revealed that a quarter of Republican voters believe Donald Trump should seize power, even through violence if necessary, should he lose the election.

The Brooks Brothers Riot: A Political Turning Point

On November 22, 2000, amid the heated aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, the “Brooks Brothers Riot” erupted in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Organized by Republican operatives during the recount battle between George W. Bush and Al Gore, the protest tried to stop the manual recount of ballots, particularly in Democratic-leaning areas, which could have shifted the results in Gore’s favor. The protesters, many flown in from Washington, D.C., stormed the Miami-Dade canvassing board offices, chanting and banging on doors, leading to the halting of the recount. Terrified and trapped, vote counters feared for their lives.

Reactions and Long-Term Impact

The Brooks Brothers Riot had an immediate effect: the Miami-Dade canvassing board stopped counting votes, significantly influencing the outcome of the 2000 election. Reactions were mixed—Republicans hailed it as a victory, while Democrats and many observers were outraged by the use of intimidation tactics. The riot marked a dangerous precedent, showing how protest and intimidation could be weaponized to interfere with democratic processes. It foreshadowed future attacks on election officials, as demonstrated by the increasing threats faced by election workers today.

A Small Riot with Large Consequences

Though small, the Brooks Brothers Riot shocked many Americans. It demonstrated the vulnerability of election workers to intimidation, a problem that has only grown. According to a 2022 Brennan Center report, 1 in 6 election workers has experienced threats, revealing the mounting dangers those administering elections face. Steve Simon, Minnesota’s Secretary of State, stressed the need for protections, stating, “Election workers have been targeted for simply doing their jobs.” The Brooks Brothers Riot was a key early indicator of how vulnerable election processes could become.

From Brooks Brothers Riot to January 6^th

While the Brooks Brothers Riot involved relatively few protesters, it set the stage for future, larger-scale attacks on democratic institutions.

The most alarming example came on January 6, 2021, when a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the certification of a presidential election. While the Brooks Brothers Riot featured protesters in suits rather than armed insurgents, both events share a dangerous commonality: the use of intimidation and force to interfere with the electoral process, threatening the foundation of American democracy.