MILWAUKEE — A political science professor weighed in Wednesday on the violent events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

"These are not the images you would see from a stable democracy,” UW-La Crosse Professor Anthony Chergosky said.

Chergosky said those images coming out of D.C. highlight trends political scientists have observed for "a long time." He believes democracy in America, in many ways, is in a state of peril and danger. 

“This is a day for Americans who believe the rule of law to be deeply, deeply embarrassed by what is happening, and to resolve that this cannot happen again," he said. 

The professor said a lot of people bear responsibility for what happened Wednesday, including President Donald Trump.

"There's no question the president's rhetoric has added fuel to the fire as opposed to toning things down,” Chergosky said.