#240 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday January 5)
Good morning,
Tomorrow marks one year since “Insurrection Day.” What a horrible day to commemorate. It is hard to believe that it was one year ago when Donald Trump urged his followers on to the Capitol to get tough and “fight for their country” in the midst of a trumped-up claim of election fraud. That these harangues were emanating from in front of the White House by the crybaby-in-chief over an election he clearly lost should mark this man as a political pariah for generations to come. It should mark him as unfit and unqualified to lead this country. Then again, bragging about inappropriate sexual exploits and claiming he could do anything he wanted to any woman should have been a disqualifier in the original election.
And yet, I fear, we may yet find him in the oval office three years hence, unless a credible alternative Republican candidate emerges (which seems increasingly unlikely in a field where Trump sucks the oxygen from the room) and/or the Democrats can capitalize upon the not-insignificant accomplishments of President Biden, through whatever candidate eventually emerges.
In the midst of an investigation into the organized attack on the Capitol, here is what Donald Trump had to say last month: “Why isn’t the Unselect Committee of highly partisan political hacks investigating the CAUSE of the January 6th protest, which was the rigged Presidential Election of 2020?” Read that again. This is how a president of the United States speaks? What a liar. Mr. Trump has yet to identify who “rigged” the election, has yet to produce evidence of same, and has forgiven the protesters who attacked the Capitol as, apparently, not the issue.
Mr. Trump went on to deny that protesters were armed, notwithstanding clear evidence to the contrary…. His sycophants have followed suit. Only five people died and 140 officers were injured in the attack—apparently that isn’t sufficient for these people. At least one officer was dragged and beaten unconscious, while another was injured by near-impalement with a flagpole.
You just can’t make this up. To the former-president and his supporters, including most of the Republicans in Congress, this wasn’t an insurrection or even a crime. It was a “protest” over an election that has been demonstrably proven to have been lost by Mr.Trump (including, notwithstanding his conclusions to the contrary, after a Trump-biased recount in Arizona discovered more votes for President Biden).
In commemoration of this most distressing and ominous of anniversaries, one which I fear portends future violent political conflicts in this country, a few factoids:
Mr. Trump will be holding a press conference at Mar-a-Lago today. The timing is yet again an example of Mr. Trump’s gross ego and lack of concern for those who died or were injured during what was a major assault on our democracy. What he will say is a mystery but I’m confident it will be inappropriate.
Several of his colleagues have been called to the House committee investigating this. Thus far the claims of executive privilege have fallen on deaf ears. Sadly, I suspect we are likely to hear nothing but invocations of the Fifth Amendment if and when they do appear.
At least two House members, including Jim Jordan, have now been called for their phone and email records to ascertain the level of support for the uprising came from their offices. It will be curious what level of support will be uncovered for the criminals who breached the Capitol.
Other than Representatives Kinzinger and Cheney (branded as RINOs for the temerity of wanting to learn how the Capitol building was breached), few Republicans in the House have made a statement in support of the Committee’s investigation nor seems particularly concerned regarding what will be learned.
Mr. Trump has now taken his twice-failed attempt to keep his records from that day from the House Committee all the way to the Supreme Court. What, exactly, is he hiding?
Folks in the White House knew exactly what was going on. What records have been obtained support that this was all a piece of a well-organized attempt to block the certification and steal the election.
One of the leaders of the Proud Boys has struck a plea bargain on a felony charge that should no doubt yield some interesting information on the organizing of the insurrection. Inroads are being made with other insurrectionists, who likely will turn “state’s evidence.”
Something to ponder:
If Trump runs in 2024, would any of this surprise you:
He will claim victory, whether he actually obtains enough votes to win an electoral majority or not.
Claims will be made that several states he lost had fraud or the potential for fraud. If close enough, state legislators or compliant Secretaries of State (as the case may be) will certify electors for Trump, notwithstanding the vote. This is, of course, enhanced by Republican success in many states to restrict the power of elections officials, put election decision-making in the hands of Republican legislatures, and put partisans in many election commissions.
If the Republican legislatures and/or secretaries of state don’t certify electors, their electors may not be certified by Congress (particularly since the Republicans will be in charge of the House), meaning the it will be thrown to the House. House delegations (voting one vote per state) will seat the Republican candidate.
If Trump is not elected, there will be massive demonstrations, with weapons, in the street, protesting yet another “stolen election.”
If Trump is elected through one of the nefarious means described above, there will be violence in the streets.
The only way to avoid political violence is a definitive victory by Trump or a definitive victory by Biden or the democratic candidate. Let us pray for the latter. Our democracy depends upon it.
We are in for a bumpy road.
In the meantime, here’s to a happy, healthy, peaceful new year,
Glenn