Trump Didn't Want To Stop The Riot He Had Started

The following is an editorial by the editorial board of The Washington Post:

The real action of the prime-time hearing Thursday on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was the inaction: the 187 minutes that President Donald Trump spent doing next to nothing while an armed mob of his supporters stormed the seat of government in a deadly insurrection.

Thursday’s hearing was the eighth in a series that started in June, and though it sounded like the closing chapter to the case, the House select committee conducting the investigation has promised there’s more to come. For now, though, Thursday night was a fitting coda.

Reps. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), both military veterans, took viewers through a minute-by-minute account of those more than three hours during which the commander in chief sat idly by as rioters tore through the chambers of Congress. Testimony from senior aides, including former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, revealed how Mr. Trump sat in the Oval Office dining room watching the horror unfold on Fox News, refusing to walk the mere steps down the West Wing hallway to the press briefing room to give the public statement condemning the rioters that his White House counsel, his chief of staff and even his family members begged him to make.

He did not call the National Guard, or the FBI, or D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), or anyone else who could have provided aid. He did call senators, urging them to continue objecting to the certification of the vote. He did call Rudy Giuliani. Why? This was his only chance to stop an electoral count declaring him the election’s loser. As Mr. Kinzinger put it in his opening statement, “The mob was accomplishing President Trump’s purpose, so of course he didn’t intervene.”

The presenters argued Thursday that not calling off the assault was a dereliction of duty. That’s certainly true. Yet it was also something worse: an effective endorsement of that day’s horrific events, delivered in the form of all-too-meaningful silence, and punctuated with tweets that made clear exactly what the lame-duck leader was trying to communicate. Most alarmingly: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what was necessary,” Mr. Trump wrote at 2:24 p.m., as his supporters on the National Mall chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!” The impact was real: The emboldened mob was threatening enough that some members of the vice president’s security detail asked colleagues to tell their loved ones goodbye.

The new details shared Thursday are damning on their own, but they’re more damning still read alongside everything else the committee has laid out these past several weeks. Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, his top campaign lawyer, his lead data analyst and even his attorney general told him he had lost the election. Instead of abating his efforts to overturn the results, he escalated them. He not only pressured officials to “find” votes for him, or to submit rogue slates of electors, but he also rendered the explosion of Jan. 6 all but inevitable by summoning his followers to Washington and directing them to the Capitol, knowing they would go to extremes for him.

That all this culminated in violence was no surprise, and no accident. Mr. Trump had the power to start what occurred on Jan. 6, and he had the power to stop it. Having exercised the former, he withheld the latter. This was indeed a violation of his oath of office — one that began the moment he realized he had lost the election, and one that continued until the disaster he invited had finally struck. Now the country must figure out what to do about it.

McCarthy Tries To Harm Jan. 6th Committee With His Picks

We have known who the Democrats were on the January 6th Investigation Select Committee for a couple of weeks now, and one Republican (Liz Cheney - picked by Speaker Pelosi). But Minority Leader McCarthy has dragged his feet in choosing the five Republicans who will join the committee. 

He has finally made his choices, and it seems obvious that he has picked members that will obstruct rather than investigate the January 6th seditious riots. His choices are Joe Banks (Indiana), Kelly Armstrong (North Dakota), Rodney Davis (Illinois), Jim Jordan (Ohio), and Troy Nehls (Texas).

I have no quarrel with Armstrong and Davis. They voted against impeaching Donald Trump, but did vote to certify the 2020 election results. I disagree with them on almost all policy matters, but we need five Republicans on the committee, and they are probably as good as can be expected among available Republicans.

The same cannot be said of the other three picks. All three of them not only voted against impeaching Trump, but also voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election. They were among the people who supported Trump's big lie, and in effect, gave their blessing to the rioters who wanted to stop the election's certification. 

Jordan is the worst one of all. He doesn't seem to think his job is to legislate for the good of the country. Instead, he is a bomb-thrower -- trying to obstruct and destroy the legislative efforts of others. He has no business being on this important committee.

At the very least, Speaker Pelosi should ban Jordan from serving on the committee, and personally, I think she should also ban Banks and Nehls. They weren't picked to help find the truth, but to prevent the truth from being revealed.

Those Not Apalled By Jan. 6th Don't Believe In Democracy

We are coming up on a date that every American remembers -- July 4th, the date our Declaration of Independence was adopted, creating our new and independent nation. I hope every American continues to remember this date.

But there are other dates that should always be burned into the memory of every American -- dates that should forever live in infamy -- April 12th (the day the Civil War started), December 7th (the attack on Pearl Harbor), November 22nd (the assassination of President Kennedy), April 19th (bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City), and January 11th (the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon).

Americans who love their democracy must now add another infamous date -- January 6th (the date our Capitol Building was attacked). This insurrection is at least as important as the dates listed above, because it was an attack at the heart of our democracy -- the holding of free and fair elections. Anyone not horrified by the January 6th attack does not believe in our democracy.

The following is a small part of an op-ed by Peggy Noonan in The Wall Street Journal: 

Anyway, Capitol Hill was asleep at the switch. 

I want to say something about the meaning of 1/6 and why it is so important we set ourselves to knowing all that happened that day. 

It’s not just “the past” and we can’t just “move on.” It’s a story that’s still happening.

People experienced it differently. Most of us were chilled and horrified as we saw the pictures of men in assault gear climbing the face of the Capitol, breaking in, swarming the Rotunda. It was a shock to see the Capitol breached. 

But some weren’t horrified. They see the Capitol as already trashed through decades of bad governance, and now a stolen election. Jan. 6 was merely the physical expression of a longtime fact, that the vandals had already arrived and were wearing congressional pins. 

To the horrified, the Capitol is a symbol and repository of our republic, our democracy. Those we choose to represent us do their work there. It may be a mess and a bit of a whorehouse but it’s always been a mess and a bit of a whorehouse, because it’s human. And yet greatness can erupt there, progress can be made, things improved. 

It’s what as a nation we’ve got. It’s our only hope. 

If you weren’t appalled by 1/6, then you have given up: Throw in the towel, democracy’s done, its over. Those who know it’s not done, not over, who won’t allow it to be done and over, also know that democracy needs friends right now.

White House Issues Proclamation On The Racial Wealth Gap

The statement above was issued by the White House just before President Biden made his visit to Tulsa on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot (when whites in that city bombed and burned down the successful Black community and killed hundreds of its inhabitants). 

The White House also listed what they want to accomplish to narrow the wealth gap between Blacks and Whites in this country, and you can access that here.

Families Of Fallen Officers Ask For Jan. 6th Investigation

Most Republicans in the House voted against creating a bipartisan committee to investigate the riot at the Capitol on January 6th. The bill is now in the Senate, where it will likely take 60 votes to approve it. Sadly, it looks like there will not be enough Republicans to vote for it to reach the 60 votes (which would take 10 GOP senators). 

The Republicans don't want the committee established because they are afraid the report by that committee would embarrass their party, and maybe hurt the party in the 2022 election. For them, party politics is more important that getting the truth about the riot, and passing legislation to prevent it from happening again.

That's not making the families of fallen Capitol Police Officers happy though. They want an investigation. Here's what they had to say:

The mother Of Officer Brian Sicknick is asking to meet with Republican senators, and had this to say:

“Not having a January 6 Commission to look into exactly what occurred is a slap in the faces of all the officers who did their jobs that day. I suggest that all Congressmen and Senators who are against this Bill visit my son’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery and, while there, think about what their hurtful decisions will do to those officers who will be there for them going forward.”

“Putting politics aside, wouldn’t they want to know the truth of what happened on January 6? If not, they do not deserve to have the jobs they were elected to do.” 

The family of Officer Howie Liebengood had this to say:

“We believe a thorough, non-partisan investigation into the root causes of and the response to the January 6th riot is essential for our nation to move forward. Howie’s death was an immediate outgrowth of those events.” 

“Every officer who worked that day, as well as their families, should have a better understanding of what happened. Uncovering the facts will help our nation heal and may lessen the lingering emotional bitterness that has divided our country. We implore Congress to work as one and establish the proposed Commission."

Most Of The Public Wants Jan. 6th Investigation Committee

 

The chart above reflects the results of the newest Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between May 22nd and 25th of a national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,248 registered voters). The margin of error for adults is 2.9 points, and for registered voters is 3.1 points.

It shows that once again the Republicans are at odds with the rest of America. While the Republicans don't want the January 6th investigation committee established, a majority of adults (56%) and registered voters (58%) do want a committee to investigate the riot at the Capitol.

Republicans are afraid the investigation would make their party look bad, possibly even exposing some members of Congress as being liable (and maybe even Trump). The public doesn't;t care about that. They want to know what happened and who is responsible.

If the GOP is able to kill this committee, it is not going to increase their popularity with the voters.

Outlook Is Not Good For Committee To Investigate Jan 6th

A few days ago, I wrote that the January 6th Investigation Committee had a fatal flaw. The flaw was that the committee was made up of five Democrats and five Republicans -- and it took six votes to issue a subpoena.

Since then, things have just gotten worse. A couple of days ago, Kevin McCarthy (House Minority Leader) came out public against the committee. Yesterday, Mitch McConnell (Senate Minority Leader) did the same.

This is bad, because it's McCarthy and McConnell that are supposed to choose the five Republican members of the committee. Even if the committee is approved and establish by Congress, it is likely that McCarthy and McConnell will choose the more radical members of their party to sit on it (people like Louie Gohmert, Jim Jordan, David Clyde, Ron Johnson, or Rand Paul). 

That would mean no subpoena could be issued to a Republican - especially those who were involved with the rioters. And without the ability to subpoena those involved, the committee would not be able to function properly.

This was a good idea, because there needs to be a thorough investigation of the January 6th riot, but it now looks like an idea that is doomed to failure!
 

Was Trump Responsible For Jan. 6th National Guard Delay?

When the rioters attacked our Capitol Building on January 6th, the call went out for National Guard help. But it was over three hours later before the decision was made to send those troops. What so long a delay? Was it because Trump administration officials in the Defense Department didn't want to upset Trump (who seemed to be enjoying watching the riot on TV)?

It certainly looks that way. The troops were not sent until Trump finally asked his rioting supporters to go home. Here is just part of the story from Dana Milbank in The Washington Post: 

Three hours and 19 minutes.

That’s how long it took from the first, desperate pleas for help from the Capitol Police to the Trump Pentagon on Jan. 6 until the D.C. National Guard finally received permission to help put down the bloody insurrection.

During those 199 minutes, the mob sacked the Capitol. People died. Overwhelmed Capitol and D.C. police were beaten. Lawmakers’ lives were jeopardized. And violent extremists defiled the seat of government, temporarily halting the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.

“At 1:49 p.m., I received a frantic call from then-chief of United States Capitol Police, Steven Sund, where he informed me that the security perimeter of the United States Capitol had been breached by hostile rioters,” Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, commander of the D.C. Guard, testified Wednesday to a joint Senate committee investigating the attack on the Capitol. “Chief Sund, his voice cracking with emotion, indicated that there was a dire emergency at the Capitol, and he requested the immediate assistance of as many available national guardsmen that I could muster.”

Walker immediately alerted senior Army leadership — and then waited. And waited. Approval to mobilize the guard wouldn’t be received until 5:08 p.m.

At best, this was a catastrophic failure of government. At worst, political appointees and Trump loyalists at the Defense Department deliberately prevented the National Guard from defending the Capitol against a seditious mob.

The man ultimately responsible for the delay, Christopher Miller, had been a White House aide before Donald Trump installed him as acting defense secretary in November, as the president began his attempt to overturn his election defeat. Miller did Trump’s political bidding at another point during his 10-week tenure, forcing the National Security Agency to install a Republican political operative as chief counsel.

Also involved in the Pentagon delay was Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, brother of disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, convicted (and pardoned) for lying to the FBI. Michael Flynn had suggested Trump declare martial law, and he helped to rile Trump supporters in Washington the day before the Capitol attack. The Pentagon had falsely denied to Post journalists that Charles Flynn was involved in the pivotal call on Jan. 6. . . .

Curiously, the Pentagon claims Miller’s authorization came at 4:32 — 15 minutes after Trump told his “very special” insurrectionists to “go home in peace.” Was Miller waiting for Trump’s blessing before defending the Capitol?

The Pentagon’s 199-minute delay looks worse in light of a Jan. 4 memo Miller issued saying that without his “personal authorization” the D.C. Guard couldn’t “be issued weapons, ammunition, bayonets, batons or ballistic protection equipment such as helmets and body armor.”

The Army secretary added more restrictions the next day, saying in a memo that he would “withhold authority” for the D.C. Guard to deploy a “quick reaction force” and that he would “require a concept of operation” before allowing a quick reaction force to react. McCarthy even blocked the D.C. Guard in advance from redeploying to the Capitol guardsmen assigned to help the D.C. police elsewhere in Washington.

Without such restrictions, Walker, the D.C. Guard commander, could have dispatched nearly 200 guardsmen soon after the Capitol Police mayday call. “That number could have made a difference,” Walker testified.

Capitol Riot Has Cost Taxpayers $30 Million (& Still Rising)

The Pro-Trump Capitol riot on January 6th caused damage to our democracy (especially our electoral system). But that wasn't all it cost this country. Repairing the damage done to the Capitol Building and providing security for it is also costing taxpayer money -- about $30 million so far, and that cost will rise further.

Here is how National Public Radio (NPR) is reporting this: 

The cost of repairing damages from the attack on the U.S. Capitol and related security expenses have already topped $30 million and will keep rising, Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton told lawmakers on Wednesday.

The events of Jan. 6, he said, were "difficult for the American people and extremely hard for all of us on campus to witness."

Blanton said that congressional appropriations committees have already approved a transfer request of $30 million to pay for expenses and extend a temporary perimeter fencing contract through March 31.

But more money will be needed, he added: "History teaches us that project costs for replacements and repairs beyond in-kind improvements across campus will be considerable and beyond the scope of the current budgetary environment."

The price tag will go even higher, Blanton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee, if the fence and other security measures are needed beyond March.

In his prepared testimony, Blanton described how his employees tried to minimize the threat to the Capitol and lawmakers on Jan. 6, when thousands of former President Donald Trump's supporters breached security perimeters at the Capitol grounds. Many of them then engaged in a pitched battle with police and security personnel.

"[Architect of the Capitol] employees sheltered congressional staff in their shops to protect them from the roving mob," Blanton said, adding, "Other members of our team raced to the roof to reverse the airflows within the building to help clear the air of chemical irritants, like bear repellents and pepper spray, while more team members rushed bottles of water and eyewash stations to Capitol Police officers in need of assistance."

When the mob thronged the Capitol, the Architect of the Capitol's painters and artisans were laboring to complete the massive task of readying the campus to host a presidential inauguration.

"Over the course of a couple of hours, the hard work of our team was destroyed," Blanton said.

"The [inauguration] platform was wrecked. There was broken glass and other debris. Sound systems and photography equipment was damaged beyond repair or stolen. Two historic Olmsted lanterns were ripped from the ground, and the wet blue paint was tracked all over the historic stone balustrades and Capitol building hallways."

In the Capitol building complex, historical statues, murals and furniture were damaged, mainly from pepper spray accretions and residue from chemical irritants and fire extinguishers, requiring expert cleaning and conservation. Work crews covered gaping holes with plywood and cleared "a small mountain of debris left behind on the west and east fronts," Blanton said.

Blanton also said many lawmakers have asked his office about preserving mementos from the unprecedented violence wrought by U.S. citizens on their own Capitol. While most damaged items had to be removed because of safety concerns, he said his staff preserved the panels of the historical Columbus Doors on the east front "for a potential presentation or display."

Most Say Trump Incited Violence And Should Be Convicted

 

The charts above are from the new CBS News / YouGov Poll -- done between February 5th and 8th of a national sample of 2,508 U.S. residents, with a 2.3 point margin of error.

It shows that about 56% of the American public believes that Donald Trump did incite violence at the Capitol on January 6th -- and an equal 56% believe he should be convicted in the Senate impeachment trial.

Most Texans Don't Believe There Was Voter Fraud

 

The charts above are from the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs / YouGov Poll -- done between January 12th and 20th of 1,329 Texas adults, with a 2.7 point margin of error.

It shows that while Republicans may be willing to accept Trump's lies and the results (the Capitol riots), most Texans are not.

176 People Have Been Charged In The Capitol Riot

 These charts are from The New York Times. Here's is a part of what they had to say:

In the weeks since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, federal prosecutors have announced criminal charges against more than 175 people — less than a quarter of those involved in the melee, but enough to provide a rough portrait of the mob and the sprawling investigation into its actions.

At least 21 of those charged so far had ties to militant groups and militias, according to court documents and other records. At least 22 said they were current or former members of the military. More than a dozen were clear supporters of the conspiracy theory QAnon. But a majority expressed few organizing principles, outside a fervent belief in the false assertion that President Donald J. Trump had won re-election.

The accused came from at least 39 states, as far away as Hawaii. At least three were state or local officials, and three were police officers. Some were business owners; others were unemployed or made their living as conservative social media personalities. Many made comments alluding to revolution and violence, while others said the protests had been largely peaceful.

A New York Times review of federal cases through the end of January suggests that many of those in the horde were likely disorganized, but some groups and individuals came to the events of Jan. 6 trained and prepared for battle. The early charges set the stage for those to come as the Justice Department promises to prosecute even those accused of misdemeanor trespass and also devotes resources to more serious crimes, like conspiracy and homicide.

January 6th Was A Coup Attempt & It Was Directed By Trump

 

As I watched the breaching of the Capitol Building on January 6th, my first impression was that a pro-Trump demonstration had gotten out of control -- a grassroots effort that had gone too far thanks to the passion of the demonstrators. I no longer think that.

One of the first clues was when the media played Trump's speech to the protesters. It was obvious that he incited them, and them directed them to march on Congress. That was bad, but the argument could still be made that he did not intend for the protesters to enter the halls of Congress.

But more information is now coming out. We now know that the demonstration was not organized at a grassroots level. It was organized by a Trump campaign official, and it was funded by a Trump campaign donor.

Once I learned that, it became clear that this was an effort by Trump himself -- because he is a micro-manager, and nothing happens in his organization unless he knows about it and approves it.That is now known to be true. The New York Times is reporting that Trump had a direct hand in organizing the protest. 

He not only tweeted to his followers about the protest, but had an actually hand in how it was going to happen. Trump picked all of the speakers that addressed the protesters, and even picked the music that would be played. He also planned the protest to end with a march on Congress.

So, we know Trump planned and organized the protest, incited the crowd, and send them to attack Congress. Did he mean for them to breach the halls of Congress and try to track down members of Congress? He must have, because he watched the whole thing on TV for 6 hours and did nothing to stop it. He didn't ask the protesters to stand down and he didn't call in the National Guard to stop the insurrection. What was he waiting for?

I believe he wanted the protesters to invade the Capitol Building, and was hoping the would find some members of Congress -- taking them hostage and maybe even killing some. That would then justify (in his mind at least) declaring martial law and bringing in the military. He probably would have at least tried to suspend Congress -- giving himself total power (the power of a dictator)!

Fortunately, even though Trump wouldn't do it, the National Guard was called in (by Pence?) and the insurrection was quelled before it reached the stage Trump wanted. 

It was a coup (an attempt to overthrow the legitimate government) that was planned and directed by Donald Trump. It failed, and our fragile democracy was saved. But that doesn't lesson Trump's guilt in trying to stage a coup. He deserved the impeachment, and he should be convicted by the Senate. That's the only way to keep someone else from trying it in the future (someone smarter and more competent than Trump).

Jan. 6th Riot Was Organized/Funded By Trump Campaign

The Trump campaign would like you to believe that the January 6th demonstrations that turned into an insurrectionist riot was organized and funded by grassroots Trump supporters. That is simply not true.

The truth is that a Trump campaign official in charge of collecting donations (Caroline Wren) had a big part in organizing the insurrection. And a huge Trump campaign donor (Julie Jenkins Fancelli) provided the money for it.

I'm sure that Trump and his campaign aides will try to claim that this was done without his knowledge. That's ridiculous! If there's one thing we've learned about Trump, it's that he's a micro-manager. NOTHING happens in his organizations, both business and political, without his knowledge and consent,

The truth is that Trump didn't just incite the insurrection -- he organized it!

Here is part of the coverage of this story from ProPublica.org:

In the week leading up to the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., that exploded into an attack on the Capitol, a top Trump campaign fundraiser issued a directive to a woman who had been overseeing planning for the event. 

“Get the budget and vendors breakdown to me and Justin,” Caroline Wren wrote to Cindy Chafian, a self-described “constitutional conservative,” in a Dec. 28 text message obtained by ProPublica.

Wren was no ordinary event planner. She served as a deputy to Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, at Trump Victory, a joint presidential fundraising committee during the 2020 campaign. The Justin mentioned in her text was Justin Caporale, a former top aide to first lady Melania Trump, whose production company helped put on the event at the Ellipse.

Text messages and an event-planning memo obtained by ProPublica, along with an interview with Chafian, indicate that Wren, a Washington insider with a low public profile, played an extensive role in managing operations for the event. The records show that Wren oversaw logistics, budgeting, funding and messaging for the Jan. 6 rally that featured President Donald Trump.

Chafian told ProPublica that Wren and others had pushed her aside as plans intensified, including as a late effort was made to get Trump to speak at the event.

On Dec. 29, after receiving the budget, Wren instructed Chafian, via text, to hold off on printing event-related slogans “until we decide what the messaging is and we have no clue on timing because it all depends on the votes that day so we won’t know timing for a few more days.” The “timing” appears to be a reference to Congress’ Jan. 6 vote to certify the election results.

Wren’s services were enlisted by a major donor to Trump’s presidential campaign, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported Saturday that Julie Jenkins Fancelli, the heiress to Publix Super Markets, committed some $300,000 to fund the Jan. 6 rally.

The funding commitment by Fancelli, who Federal Election Commission records show has donated more than $1 million to Trump Victory, the president’s campaign and the Republican National Committee since 2018, was facilitated by the right-wing conspiracy peddler Alex Jones, the Journal reported. Chafian told ProPublica that she herself had been directed by Jones to Wren, who, she was told, had ties to a wealthy donor who wanted to support the January affair.

50% Say BLM Was Treated More Harshly Than Capitol Rioters

 The chart above is from a YouGov Poll -- done between January 10th and 12th of a national sample of 1,500 adults, with a 3.6 point margin of error.

Those Who Sponsored The Sedition Must Be Punished

 The following post is by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich on his own blog. I agree with every word he has written!

Call me old-fashioned, but when the president of the United States encourages armed insurgents to breach the Capitol and threaten the physical safety of Congress, in order to remain in power, I call it an attempted coup.

Last week’ rampage left five dead, including a Capitol Hill police officer who was injured when he tangled with the pro-Trump mob. We’re fortunate the carnage wasn’t greater.

That the attempted coup failed shouldn’t blind us to its significance or the stain it has left on America. Nor to the importance of holding those responsible fully accountable. 

Trump’s culpability is beyond dispute. “There’s no question the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob. He lit the flame,” said Rep. Elizabeth Cheney, the third-highest ranking Republican in the House.

He should be impeached, convicted, and removed from office – immediately.  

To let the clock run out on his presidency and allow Trump to seek the presidency again would signal that attempted coups are part of the American system. If Senate Republicans can install a new Supreme Court justice in eight days, Trump can be removed from office within ten. 

He should then be arrested and tried for inciting violence and sedition (along with Trump Jr. and Rudy “trial-by-combat” Giuliani).

Those who attacked the Capitol should also be prosecuted. They have no First Amendment right to try to overthrow the U.S. government. 

Trump’s accomplices on Capitol Hill, most notably Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, should be forced to resign. Knowing Trump’s allegations of voting fraud were false, Cruz and Hawley nonetheless led an attempt to exclude Biden electors, even after the storming of the Capitol. 

The United States Constitution says that “no Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress” who “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against" the Constitution, “or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.“

Both Cruz and Hawley are eyeing runs for the presidency in 2024. They should be barred from running. 

Other abettors are now trying to distance themselves, but their conversions come too late. 

Senator Lindsey Graham now says Trump must “understand that his actions were the problem, not the solution,” and criticizes the White House for making “accusations that cannot be proven.”

Graham had been one of Trump’s key attack dogs, even bullying state election officials to change voting tallies. If Graham is not forced to resign, he should at least be censured and stripped of his ranking membership on the Senate Judiciary Committee.   

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Michael Pence finally broke with Trump, but only after remaining mute as Trump lied and bullied his way through the last eight weeks, thereby signaling agreement with his preposterous claims. 

McConnell should also resign or be censured and stripped of committee assignments. Pence should be barred from any future public office. 

Some administration officials have already resigned in response to the attempted coup. Transportation secretary Elaine Chao said it was “entirely avoidable,” and education secretary Betsy DeVos told Trump there was “no mistake the impact your rhetoric had.” Other Trumpers are reportedly jumping ship, too. 

Yet before Wednesday most of them defended Trump’s antics, lavished him with praise, and willingly did his dirty work. Their complicity should forever haunt their reputations and consciences. 

Other accessories are Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, and Sundar Pichai,CEO of Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company. 

For four years, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have functioned as Trump’s megaphones, amplifying his every lie and rant. When pressured to remove Trump’s fabrications about the election, they labeled them “disputed.”  

Twitter has now permanently suspended Trump, preventing him from sending messages to his more than 88 million followers “due to the risk of further incitement for violence.” Facebook has banned him indefinitely. YouTube should be next. 

But why did it take an attempted coup for them to act? 

Many business leaders who are now denouncing the violence enthusiastically bankrolled Trump’s re-election campaign, knowing full well who he was and what he was capable of doing. And they’ve had no qualms about advertising on his largest megaphones, including Fox News. All are complicit because they knew Trump would stop at nothing. 

Fox News’s mendacious hosts and producers have no excuse. After repeatedly telling Trump supporters the election was stolen, they’re now saying the attempted coup was “understandable” because Trump supporters believed the election was stolen. Morally, if not legally, they share responsibility for this travesty. 

All are all part of the ecosystem that led to Trump’s sedition. That ecosystem is still in place. 

Those who say we should “look forward” to a new administration and forget or dismiss what occurred last week are delusional. Unless all who participated in or abetted the attempted overthrow of the United States government are held accountable, it will happen again. Next time it may succeed. 

The Public Wants Trump Removed From Office

 The charts above are from the new ABC News / Ipsos Poll -- done on January 8th and 9th of a national sample of 570 adults, with a 4.7 point margin of error.

Insurrection's NOT Over - They are Planning To Do It Again

Most Americans were horrified at the mob riot (insurrection) by right-wing Trump supporters  as they forced their way into our Capitol Building, endangering elected officials.

But the far right was not horrified. They were proud of it. It has emboldened them, and they are planning to do it again. It was just the opening salvo in a war the far right has been planning for years.

And the next round is not far away. They are calling for another round of insurrection around January 17-20 -- and may well try to turn the inauguration into a battle. And they're planning to come with weapons this time.

Consider this from NBC News:

In the wake of Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol, Trump supporters with extremist views feel emboldened and are vowing to return to Washington for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, using online platforms to rally each other.

“Many of Us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying Our weapons, in support of Our nation's resolve, towhich [sic] the world will never forget!!! We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match,” wrote a popular Parler user who frequently posts about QAnon, and is being tracked by the Anti-Defamation League.

Parler, Telegram chat rooms and the platform TheDonald.win were all used to plan and coordinate the Jan. 6 rally that turned into a riot. Posters explicitly stated their intentions to “occupy” the Capitol. QAnon conspiracy theorists and people associated with militia groups had a visible presence in Wednesday’s crowd.

“Round 2 on January 20th. This time no mercy. I don’t even care about keeping Trump in power. I care about war,” an anonymous person posted on the platform TheDonald.win, which is filled with comments posted by people who lauded those who rioted Wednesday as “heroes.” . . .

According the National Park Service, which handles permits for rallies in D.C., there are seven First Amendment permit applications in process that overlap with the inauguration date, one of which is clearly for Trump supporters.