Trump Loyalists, Sens. Ted Cruz & Josh Hawley Helped To Inspire The Insurrection By Resisting Biden’s Victory
WASHINGTON–Early this afternoon, approximately 2,000+ pro-Trump rioters breached police barricades, in an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government and sabotage Joe Biden’s certification process which was taking place at Capitol Hill. Guided by Donald Trump’s false messages of a fraudulent election, they took it up on themselves to organize a coup to maintain Trump’s presidency, in lieu of Trump’s failed conspiracy theories and judiciary losses to prove the fraud claims. Countless judges from different circuits denied Trump attorneys’ attempts to challenge the election results due to lack of evidence. The insurrection resulted in 4 people dead, one woman was shot and killed and 3 suffered medical emergencies.
As the crowds started learning of Vice President Mike Pence’s stance, which he sent to the media right as he entered the chambers, he stated in it that he couldn’t unilaterally change the people’s votes and will, thus turning his back on Trump.
The angry “thugs,” seemingly aware of what was happening and having heard a instigative speech by Trump, his family and close circle supporters, went up the stairs, erupted through police guarded areas, broke windows and scaled walls to gain access to the Chambers and even Representatives’ offices. All of it unfolded in front of television and web viewers who’d tuned in for the momentous speeches and to hear the objections presented by Sen. Hawley and Sen. Cruz, amongst other Trump supporters to the election results. The objections sought to challenge the veracity of the people’s vote.
The web exploded with comments about what they were seeing and theories as to what was taking place.
“This is a coup attempt,” read Senator Adam Kinzinger’s tweet (R-Ill.). And, many concurred with him.
https://twitter.com/RepKinzinger/status/1346900490999762951
Photos by Getty Images and other media sources depicted white domestic terrorists roaming through Senators and Representatives’ personal files and belongings, which were left behind in a hurry as Congressional members were rushed to shelter.
Mostly white men paraded outside and inside the Capitol building carrying “Trump 2020” flags, American flags, and the state flag of Texas which also donned a rifle. The flag poles were used to break through windows and enter into the offices at the Capitol, such as the office of House Majority Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.). A photo and videos depicted a rioter seen sitting at her desk with his feet kicked up on top of it, leaving a handwritten message behind that read: “We Will Not Back Down” on the front of a file folder.
Precursor
Earlier today, Trump’s “Save America March” at the Ellipse in Washington D.C., preceded the coup that rioted at Capitol Hill. He used the same false assertions that were disproven by experts, District Attorneys from various states and through recounts that didn’t change the results. In the Courts, he also lost every time, but he continued to express disinformation to those present at the March. Other speakers did the same.
“We are going to take our country back,” said Lara Trump, TV Host and producer of Inside Edition and Eric Trump’s wife during the rally.
“We need to stand up for this country, we need to stand up for what’s right,” said Eric exhorting the crowd to march on Capitol Hill.
The most directly racist words came from Donald Trump, Jr. when he compared the “not so peaceful” riots of those present at the march — unbeknownst to him then — to the Black Lives Matter and George Floyd protests in the country that protested police abuse of African Americans and people of color in general. He said to the crowd that when “we protest we do it without burning buildings, ripp[ing] down churches or without looting,” as the crowd cheered.
With a bombastic entrance, hiding behind a plexiglass barricade to seemingly protect himself (and himself only) from COVID, Trump addressed the attendees and vowed to “never concede.”
“We will never give up, we will never concede,” said Trump to the audience that seemed to take his words as the truth.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346891760174329859
And, he claimed that the biggest problem in the country was the radical media, not mentioning the radical right media that he speaks highly of, unless they don’t project him as a winner on election night, like it happened in November.
“The media is the single biggest problem we have as far as I am concerned,” Trump said.
The focus on the unfounded election fraud is what incited the crowd the most.
“This year they rigged an election and they rigged it like they’ve never done it before,” he said as if the biggest loss were that of the crowd’s and not his.
“All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by emboldened radical left democrats, which is what they’re doing and stolen by the fake news media,” he added. “… We will never give up, we will never concede. We will never concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore and that’s what this is all about. … We will stop the steal.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump has not referred to families of loved ones lost to it, their suffering, the first responders nor essential workers, as the U.S. has become the country with the highest number of casualties in the world (361,000 so far and with a tally of 21.3 million infected). Yet, he mentioned the virus as a political strategy.
“They’ll use the pandemic as a way of defrauding the people,” Trump told the mostly unmasked and un-distanced audience. “You’re the people who built this nation, not the people who torn down this nation. … You have to get your people to fight and if they don’t fight we have to primary the heck out of them. We’re going to let you know who they are … You know what the world says now?” he asked them, only to reply that “we don’t have free and fair elections.
“… We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women and we’re probably not going to cheer so much for some … we have come to demand that Congress do the right thing. … Our country has been under siege for a long time.”
James Mattis
In a statement sent to Politico, Mattis, Trump’s first former Defense Secretary, said the blame lied on Trump.
“Today’s violent assault on our Capitol, an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule, was fomented by Mr. Trump,” Mattis wrote to the news site. “His use of the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice.”
He also wrote in his statement to the media company that the country “will overcome ‘this stain,’ while Trump ‘will deservedly be left a man without a country.'”
Watching a film
Out of the public light and under protection for hours, lawmakers left the public eye as Americans watched their television or computer/tablet/smart phone screens horrified as Capitol Hill was ransacked and violated without any real resistance by police, who were unable to contain the mob, its size and their bearing of arms. Americans were in shock, as was the world.
Others expressed anger at others whom they believed had enabled Trump’s baseless — and without evidence — voting conspiracy theories. Most, however, blamed Trump and his enablers who had stood by his side as he spewed hate and lies against Biden, Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris and the election results, even as the Supreme Court denied his appeal to even review his baseless case due to lack of evidence. There simply was no fraud found in any state or commonwealth.
https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/1346898053060554753
Many more expressed the need to enact Amendment 25, which removes a sitting president from office. Proposed by Congress and ratified by the states in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, The 25th Amendment provides the procedures for replacing the president or vice president of the U.S. in the event of death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation, according to the The Uncertainties of Presidential Disability and Succession by
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1346966378427817987
Under domestic attack, the few Secret Service agents and police present were outnumbered and people insisted the National Guard was called upon to help them contain the crowd. According to Aaron C. Davis, via Twitter, such a request was denied to deploy the National Guard.
https://twitter.com/byaaroncdavis/status/1346908166030766080
Biden addressed the nation from Delaware and referred to Trump’s words and the inciting of his supporters while called for unity and peace among Americans.
”The words of a president matter, no matter how good or bad that president is,” Biden said. “At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite.”
The Aftermath: One dead, others injured
Doubling down on today’s order of business, Congress reassembled when it was safe to do so to certify the election results, effectively making President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris’ win official.
https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1346979317117579267
Senator minority leader, soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), read the following statement upon reconvening:
“Unfortunately, we can now add January 6th, 2021 to that very short list of dates in American history that will live forever in infamy. This temple to democracy was desecrated. … The World saw America’s elected officials hurriedly ushered out because they were in harm’s way.
“The House and Senate floors were places of shelter until the evacuation was ordered leaving rioters to stalk these hallow halls. Lawmakers in our staff, average citizens who love their country and serve it every day fear for their lives. One woman was shot and tragically lost her life. We mourn her and feel for her friends and family. These images were projected to the world.
Stain on the U.S.: International Reactions
Schumer’s statement continued:
“Foreign embassies call their home capitals to report the harrowing scenes at the Capitol, the very heart of our democracy. This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away. The final terrible indelible legacy of the 45th president of the U.S., undoubtedly our worst. I want to be very clear, those who performed these reprehensible acts cannot be called protesters. No, these were rioters and insurrectionists, goons and thugs, domestic terrorists. They do not represent America. They were a few thousands violent extremists who tried to take over the Capitol building and attack our democracy. They must and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, hopefully by this administration, if not certainly by the next. Make no mistake, today’s events did not happen spontaneously.
“The president who promoted conspiracy theories and motivated these thugs. The president who exhorted them to come to our nation’s capital, egged them on. He hardly ever discourages violence and more often encourages it. This president bears a great deal of the blame. This mob was in good part president Trump’s doing, incited by his words, his lies. This violence, in good part, his responsibility and his ever-lasting shame. Today’s events certainly would not have happened without him. Now January 6th will go down as one of the darkest days in recent American history. A final warning to our nation of a demagogic president, the people who enabled him, the captive media who parrot his lies, and the people who followed him as he attempt to push American to the brink of ruin.
“As we reconvene tonight let us remember that all this mob has really accomplished is to delay our work by a few hours. We will resume our responsibilities now and we will finish our task tonight. The House and Senate Chambers will be restored good as new and ready for legislating in short order. The counting of the electoral votes is our sacred duty. Democracy roots in this nation are deep, they are strong and they will not undone, ever, by a group of thugs. Democracy will triumph as it has for centuries.”
Via social media, several world leaders expressed shock over the sudden attack.
https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1346926138057220103
Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney delivered a more direct condemnation of Trump and his supporters.
https://twitter.com/simoncoveney/status/1346929675281559554
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, expressed the concern of Canadians at the cowardice of the attackers and the attacks on what was known as the most stable democracy in the world, until Trump.
https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1346959061862912004
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressed dismay that the republic’s process wasn’t being upheld.
https://twitter.com/jensstoltenberg/status/1346917585535823872
Schumer said that whether in this administration, or the next, those culpable who were part of the attack on Capitol Hill would receive their due punishment for it to the “fullest extent of the law.”
Close to midnight, the Joint Session of Congress was finally moving forward to certify Biden’s win.
