Tactically this was a brilliant, multifaceted campaign. The fact that Trump got as many votes as he did was proof of their accomplishment. But they didn't count on the massive Democratic turnout. But just in case, they had a back up plan ready.
Roger Stone developed the false "Stop the Steal" narrative in 2015 and Trump had said many times in his first election if he lost it was "rigged". But Trump won so "Stop the Steal" was tabled for the next election. They never intended to give up power and had always planned to attack the electoral process. Venezuela was a foreboding of this as the fascists there tested the theory there. Juan Guido refused to participate in the election, telling his supporters not to participate in the rigged election then afterwards declared himself the rightful president. It is important to note that Nancy Pelosi backed his man right along with the right wing Republicans.
The GOP planned to use the feelings of outrage and perceived victimization on the right as the ammunition to load the tension into their mob in preparation for the coup. They used the multiple court cases to wind the spring, to enrage their base for two full months of disinformation with a known D-DAY being Jan 6.
As soon as Donald Trump lost, Flynn readied the foot soldiers for a violent over throw of the government. Not all Trump supporters in Washington on the 6th were aware of or in support of the coup. Remember, before the coup, there had been two other instances of gun wielding Trump supporting groups who took over state Capitols. Those were test runs. It could be done. This emboldened the base. The men who plotted to kidnap and execute Governor Whitmer were treated more like traffic violators than terrorists. One of them was out on bond and was at the Jan 6 coup attempt. All throughout this time, police officers and politicians signaled to the armed insurrectionists they were in support. Sheriff Dar Leaf appeared at an anti-lockdown rally and pointed to two of the men who would later be involved in the plot to kidnap Whitmer and told the crowd "these men are our last line of defense" He said that Whitemer's lockdowns were illegally arresting the public, putting them on home arrest when they had committed no crime.
After the plot was discovered and the men arrested, Leaf suggested perhaps this "kidnapping was really a citizen's arrest" which he said is legal. So you had a law enforcement officer rationalizing kidnapping as legal. Trump said at a rally of the men, "maybe they did something wrong and maybe they did not" The fallout from these outrageous comments? Nothing. Leaf was reelected to an $80,000 a year position, running unopposed.
This was only one example but there were hundreds of law enforcement and politicians who advocated this political violence as justified. As a result the message was clear. We are on your side, and you will not be punished for terrorizing evil Democrats if it gets you what you want. The purpose of the attacks was terrorize the elected Democrats into not fighting back or overreacting. If they respond with force it is "proof" of their tyranny. If the terrorists get away with it, they are seen as heroes who "fought for liberty"
These incidents were battles in a larger war. And with every victory they shared on social media, their army grew in numbers, righteous outrage and a belief there would be no repercussions because people at the top were on their side.
I totally agree that with you Rob that the people should be called terrorists. They didn't just break windows and enter illegally. They didn't just steal Nancy Pelosi's gavel and podium. This was specifically to stop the certification of Joe Biden by creating terror in the chamber. The timing of the rally, its proximal distance to where the certification was about to occur, the messaging that went on since election day, every anger built open another, the multiple speeches given at the rally using language filled with violence and the clear message that this was their LAST CHANCE TO SAVE AMERICA. This was an organized, premeditated and masterfully orchestrated plan to - at best overthrow the election through terror, at worst to solidify the participants as either "true patriots" or "enemies" In either case - it was the use of terror to advance a political ideology.
I'm certain history will reveal through hard evidence the participation and direction of this by Trump and not just in his rhetoric, but until we get the evidence of the communications that went on behind the scenes, who the players are and who funded it (I believe the massive fund raising by Trump over the last two months was not for recounts, bt for launching this terror attack. Investigators will have to follow the money to determine where it came from. Until then we have to look at the circumstantial evidence.
Just after the November 3 election Trump fired Mark Esper and several top pentagon officials. Remember Trump wanted to fire Esper in June after he refused to use military troops against the protesters at the White House. Esper told Military Times when he was fired, "And who is going to come in after me? A yes man, and God help us then."
This, along with the months of election denialism spread by the likes of Ted Cruz, ramped up the divisiveness shows Trump's motive and created his opportunity for a coup. There was online evidence of an intention on Jan 6 to storm the building. The ADL had told intelligence officials about the increased violent rhetoric and yet there was insufficient protection for Congress. Once the Capitol was overrun, desperate calls for help were made from those inside under siege. One such call was to Maryland Governor of Larry Hogan who contacted the Department of Defense for authorization to send the National Guard. Hogan desperately tried to get authorization, but was delayed and delayed. Click Here
The Capitol was evacuated at 1PM. Hogan ordered full mobilization of the guard at 3:47. The Defense Department did not authorize help until 4:18. Trump knew what was taking place at the Capitol. He was watching his handiwork as his "patriots" tried to terrorize Mike Pence and Congress into capitulation. Trump did not send help to the Capitol as it was over run. This is damning evidence even if it is circumstantial.
For all of the GOP screaming about Benghazi about how Hillary left the people at the embassy to be killed because she didn't send help, we know for a fact that Trump who was less than a mile from the attack (not thousands like Hillary was) KNEW exactly what was happening and let it go on. Now I'm no defender of Hillary Clinton, but my point is, this act far surpasses, in terms of complicity and culpability than could ever be proven in Benghazi.
But perhaps the best evidence this was terrorism is that those who jumped on this fascist band wagon, initially out of fear of Trump's Twitter retribution and a desire for easy votes had already showen themselves as abject cowards with zero morals. And the thing about terrorists is, since their tool is terror, they look for the weak links like Cruz. Once you buy in out of cowardice, they will always own you. Terrorists are keen to issue death sentences to anyone they see as a traitor. Look at Pence. Look at McConnell. Look at the angry mob following Lindsey Graham through the airport. This was the way of Hitler's Germany. You buy in at the beginning and even if you realize you made a mistake, its too late. If you try to resist you will be taken out. There is no having your own morals and opinions when you join a terrorist organization.
And now people like Cruz, even if they had a change of heart would have to find courage somewhere in their soul to say that the actions of this mob were wrong. And if they cowered at a tweet from Trump, I don't have much faith they will make a courageous choice when staring at an angry mob ready to string them up.
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