The January 6, 2021, violent assault on the nation’s Capitol Building—a day that will forever be etched in shame in American history, was created, supported, instigated, and led by Trump Republicans, including the racist President himself.
These Republicans, like Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MI) and Ted Cruz (R-TEX), who, ironically, also embrace the President’s “law-and-order” political mantra, allied themselves with far-right-wing extremists who the FBI reports, pose the greatest domestic terror threat to America. The groups include the Proud Boys, Boogaloos, QAnon Conspiracy Theorists, and other unregulated Second Amendment militias groups.
The Republicans who joined Trump’s call to make a stand on January 6 were aware beforehand of the potential for violence. In fact, they had an open expectation of violence. Trump had promised them that the anti-government “protest” would be wild. Republican law enforcement officials (here and here), state lawmakers (here, here, here & here), and other prominent Republican officials called for the constituents to break out their MAGA hats and Trump flags to join the “Liberty Square” rally (here).
All these Republicans knew their presence was being called upon to disrupt and intimidate lawmakers holding hearings to certify the Electoral College vote that would cement President-elect Joe Biden’s landslide presidential victory. These Republicans knew they would be standing next to, and embracing, white supremacists and armed thugs present to take part in a quasi-official coup attempt. As did Sens. Hawley and Cruz, they knew that Trump and his family “goon squad” (Donald Jr. and Eric) and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, would be there inciting the crowd to insurrection, calling to seize control of the government.
The Boogaloos, Proud Boys, and militia thugs did not disappoint.
They stormed the Capitol Building, destroyed property, stole sensitive classified material, threatened lawmakers with “Off With Their Heads” signs, and murdered a Capitol Police officer. One of the insurrectionists was killed by Capitol police as she tried to force her way into the House Chamber, and another was “crushed to death” by the mob while three others died from “medical emergency” issues (here).
This was the violent mayhem that law-and-order Republicans not only supported but took part in as they were incited to do by Trump, Giuliani, and Donnie Jr. just moments before the murderous onslaught took place. Thousands of misinformed citizens were encouraged by the most corrupt and incompetent President in the history of this nation to take leave of their moral senses and engage in an attempt to overthrow—or at the very least—violently disrupt a constitutional process of government underway in the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
And what did they accomplish at the end of that day?
A police officer was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher, and dozens more were severely injured. The “Peoples House” was thrashed by goons threatening to kill the nation’s leaders, including our Republican Vice-President. Confederate flags were flown in the halls of Congress.
Many of the insurrectionists are now facing criminal charges, and hundreds more will face similar or worse charges in the weeks to come.
Acting Washington, D.C. Republican U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin had this to say after his Office charged thirteen of the Republican Insurrectionists with criminal charges:
“The lawless destruction of the U.S. Capitol building was an attack against one of our nation’s greatest institutions. My Office, along with our law enforcement partners at all levels, have been expeditiously working and leveraging every resource to identify, arrest, and begin prosecuting these individuals who took part in the brazen criminal acts at the U.S. Capitol. We are resolute in our commitment to holding accountable anyone responsible for these disgraceful criminal acts, and to anyone who might be considering engaging in or inciting violence in the coming weeks – know this: you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
That’s what an Acting Republican U.S. Attorney called the coup attempt incited by Trump and his cohorts: “disgraceful criminal acts.”
And what did our pathetic Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick say in response to the coup attempt?
The Dallas Morning News reported that Patrick, one of Trump’s most corrupt supporters, linked the Nation’s Capitol’s violence on January 6 to the “urban unrest” that followed the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis last May. Patrick said in a written statement. “We can disagree loudly and protest peacefully but the behavior we’ve seen today and in the last year can never be acceptable to any American.”
Virtually all the George Floyd protests were peaceful, and much of the violence that did erupt in the protests was orchestrated by Republican Proud Boys and Boogaloos.
And what did Sens. Cruz and Hawley do while the Republican Insurrectionists were assaulting the Nation’s Capitol Building threatening to kill those inside?
Republican Senators Send Out Fundraising Messages During Insurrection
These two riot-agitators sent out “fundraising messages” to their Republican supporters seeking more campaign money to undermine this nation’s duly elected government.
Over fifty “proud boy” American traitors have been charged in the Washington, D.C. Superior Court with crimes associated with the insurrection.
Many of the Republican insurrectionists returned home, blood dripping from their hands, only to find that they had lost their jobs, careers, and standing in their communities. The Capitol Police Chief and the U.S. House/Senate Sergeant of Arms were forced to resign, Trump and his cohorts are now under criminal investigation, and the New York Bar Association is being urged to investigate and disqualify Giuliani for his role in inciting the Capitol assault.
Seditious Conspiracy and Terrorism
There are many federal crimes that can, and will, be brought against those responsible for the planning, organizing, and instigating of the attempted violent overthrow of our government on January 6, 2021—one of which is “seditious conspiracy.”
This criminal statute prohibits the use of force “to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof.”
A conspiracy under this statute occurs when multiple individuals (like Trump, Giuliani, and Donnie Jr.) “conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or … oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof.”
Conviction for this federal offense carries a possible prison sentence of 20 years.
As evidence that a “seditious conspiracy” was underway to overthrow the federal government on January 6, 2021, Republicans in the following states were demonstrating, attacking, and/or forcing the closure of governments in the following nine states:
- Texas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Kansas
- New Mexico
- Wyoming
- Pennsylvania
There will be a slew of legislative and criminal investigations into who, and to what extent, Republican officials and citizens were involved in the January 6 coup attempt. And make no mistake about it: Donald J. Trump and his supporters that day wanted to have a violent overthrow of the U.S. Government to halt the Electoral College certification.
And, just for the record, thousands are still promising to continue the “struggle” to impose a fascist dictator on the Nation: Donald J. Trump.
Our Democracy survived on January 6, but it is now on life-support.
And here we are. At this political juncture half of all Republicans in this nation inexplicably, and many insanely, believe that Donald J. Trump “rightfully won” the presidential election on November 3, 2020. There is no credible evidence to support that wild-eyed conspiracy belief, only repeated false claims on right-wing media intended to stoke the base and keep eyeballs tuned to their media empires.
This Republican-based insanity, fueled by a corrupt and racist alliance with the QAnon Conspiracy and the white supremacist Proud Boys, will not die quickly. These people now hate the U.S. Government—their vehicles don stickers that proudly promote crime against Democrats.
Their leader, Donald J. Trump, and his cabal will leave Office with a boatload of classified information that will undoubtedly be used to enrich his family. How much of that classified information will end up in Putin’s back pocket as the Trump family hopes to close their hotel deal in Moscow is anyone’s guess. This is what happens when elected officials cherish profits over people.