After two weeks of incitement, rioting, and growing worries about political violence, there is one phrase that is a go-to for politicians: “We need to turn the temperature down.” Whether from those who continue to be alarmed by the revelations of plots of violence against government institutions, egged on by those claiming the election was stolen, or from Republicans opposing impeachment on the grounds that they say it is too divisive, there is lots of talk in Washington about cooling things off.

Unfortunately, America’s thermostat may be broken.