U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton says two years after insurrection, Congress and the country are still divided

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, says the inability for the House of Representatives to elect a speaker shows how deeply divided the country is. Moulton says it's also a threat to national security.

"We have been saying that this is dangerous for days now," Moulton, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said on WBUR's Radio Boston. "And I mean, sure, there was some laughter at the Republican dysfunction on day one, but there hasn't been laughter the last few days. We've been concerned for our country, but the Republicans don't want to talk to us. They're trying to sort this out themselves."

As of 3 p.m. on Friday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy had run and lost more than a dozen bids to become speaker of the house.

On Friday, Moulton also reflected on the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. He said he's in favor of the Justice Department pursuing criminal charges against former President Trump in connection with the riot. The House committee that investigated the insurrection handed down those recommendations, and others, in a report released last month.

"President Trump is not above the law, just like you or I would not ... none of us are above the law," said Moulton. "We have to do the work of justice. The work of justice must continue, or January 6th can happen again."

Click the audio player atop this post to hear the full interview with Moulton, as well as a conversation with the Harvard Shorenstein Center's Joan Donovan on the local impacts of the insurrection.