Assault on American democracy has gained pace since US Capitol attack

Analysis: Republican strategy has focused on sowing doubt about 2020's result, passing new laws and taking over key election offices

On 6 January 2021, it seemed like the stitching holding America's democracy together might finally collapse. As armed supporters of a defeated president laid siege to the Capitol, the US Congress did something extraordinary - it suspended the official procedure to certify the winner of a presidential election.

The attack was eventually put down and Congress returned to officially certify Joe Biden's victory. They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed," Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said when the Senate came back into session.