The Trump administration is continuing to ramp up pressure on Iran — with what’s said to be the biggest buildup of American naval power in the region in decades. Last summer, the president claimed a “spectacular military success” after bombing nuclear sites there, but last week, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, went on Fox News and said the country was “probably a week away from having industrial-grade, bomb-making material.”

What is the truth here? What is happening in Iran? Did the ayatollah really order the killing of more than 36,000 people? And ultimately, are we going to war with Iran?

In December 2021, there was written evidence from former White House lawyers and the former chief of staff to then-President Donald J. Trump about attempting to use the military to overturn the results of the election and keep Trump in power. The 21st was joined by a political scientist and professor to tackle the question of why the U.S. has been characterized as a "backsliding democracy" and if it can be saved.