Indicators show U.S. on brink of conflict, says Yale historian

People who study the origins of civil wars see "indicators" showing the United States is on the brink of conflict, a Yale historian told Business Insider in an interview on Saturday.

Talking about the future of American democracy, Timothy Snyder, a history professor at Yale University, said if former President Donald Trump were to run again in 2024, he feared his country might not survive.

"First of all, I just want to say that for the people who actually study the origins of civil wars -- not just in the United States but as a class of events -- America doesn't look good right now," the professor warned.

He pointed out that the high degree of polarization, beliefs in alternative realities, and celebration of violence all indicated the United States was near conflict.

"Those social scientists who actually work on this topic -- neutrally -- see indicators in the United States, which suggests that we are on the brink of some kind of conflict," Snyder said.