“Big protest in D.C. on January 6th,” President Donald Trump tweeted in December of 2020. “Be there, will be wild!” His supporters listened.
This week’s hearing by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol underscored the connections between key Trump associates and right-wing militia groups along with others who participated in the insurrection. The “unhinged” six-hour meeting in advance of Jan. 6, filled with expletives and shouting so loud it could be heard outside the closed Oval Office, remains disturbing as ever. So does the draft executive order presented to the president that would have authorized the Defense Department to seize all voting machines. More alarming still is the revelation that lawyer Sidney Powell believed she had been appointed special counsel, another part of that plan.
Perhaps most consequential is the news, shared by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) at the end of Tuesday’s hearing that Mr. Trump recently tried to call an unnamed witness in the House’s investigation. This troubling outreach to a witness, along with the rest of Mr. Trump’s conduct, deserves further probing.
The committee’s focus Tuesday, however, was on how the then-president’s words inspired his followers to violent action. At least one pro-Trump group moved up plans for a rally later in January to the 6th; the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers coordinated with the help of longtime ally Roger Stone to honor Mr. Trump’s wishes; conservative influencers promoted the protest as a “red wedding,” a “Game of Thrones” reference that invokes mass slaughter. Most important, text messages showed that Mr. Trump’s exhortation to march to Capitol Hill was planned rather than spontaneous — and that those involved in coordinating the rally sought to conceal this intention, because they knew it would get them into trouble.
Congress heard from one of the protesters who illegally entered the Capitol. He came to D.C. because Mr. Trump told him to; he marched to the Capitol because Mr. Trump told him to; he left, after so many hours, because finally after 187 minutes of silence Mr. Trump told him to. “I feel like I had horse blinders on,” he said. “I was locked in the whole time.”
The Jan. 6 committee has shown that Mr. Trump knew better: His closest advisers, his in-house lawyers, his own Justice Department told him there was no evidence of the widespread voter fraud he alleged. Many of his supporters, though, did not know better at all — because they trusted a president who cares nothing for truth. Mr. Trump relished in the effect his words had on his supporters. A responsible president would have used that power to restore our shared reality, but he used it lead his followers further into delusion. A responsible Republican Party would, today, also fight for the facts rather than resist efforts to find them.
These lies matter — to democracy, and to individual people. They can wound, the way they did when a crowd pushed, kicked and sprayed with chemicals a police officer who, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) explained on Tuesday, will now never return to the force. They can kill; at least seven people lost their lives in connection with the violence of Jan. 6. Brad Parscale, the former Trump campaign manager, said after the attacks that he felt guilty for helping his boss win in 2016.
“If I was Trump and knew my rhetoric killed someone,” he wrote to his colleague Katrina Pierson. Ms. Pierson replied, “It wasn’t the rhetoric.” “Katrina,” he answered, “Yes it was.”
Sorry, Amazon Post, your lame attempt to gin up support for the failing Unselect Committee is falling on deaf ears. More folks are watching Young Sheldon reruns than the Kangaroo Kourt that relies on hearsay and fabricated gossip, similar to this op-ed more appropriate for the National Enquirer. In fact, your constant bellyaching about our great President Trump is only making him stronger and more influential.
Yes, Westy, there are even more deaf ears as they tune out the alternate reality created by the kangaroo court known as the Unselect Committee. Similar to the deaf ears promoters of Biden’s America Last policies are showing to the American people in regards to unchecked inflation, higher crime rates, a greater number of invaders from the south. Need I go on? I’ll probably need to since rabid lefties are continually attempting to use the Unselect Committee to distract from treasonous Biden’s actions. BTW, did Biden attempt to shake hands today with another (yes, another) imaginary person again?
Terence Y, Maybe you could also look up the definition of treason. Treason is not policies that you disagree with. A good example of treason is gathering an armed mob and sending them to the houses of government to disrupt the certification of a free and fair election. It is threatening election officials, both elected officials as well as calling out volunteer election workers by name in order that the mob can be brought to bear to threaten them. It is cosying up to Putin after he was found to be paying bounties on American military personnel. And we could go on, but you get the idea.
Westy, I checked and no surprise, I’m again on the mark. Let me provide textbook examples of treason… Treasonous Biden providing aid and comfort to the Taliban when Biden took a knee, actually both knees, and surrendered Afghanistan and $billions in cash, equipment, and weapons. Treasonous Obama providing aid and comfort to Iran in the form of pallets of cash. We could go on, but I hope you get the idea.
This story confirms what Bagdad Jorg has been saying all along. If true, there are mindless idiots in this world who will follow hearsay orders to create mayhem. Does the January 6 Committee really believe this nonsense? Any judge would be laughing at this kind of "testimony" and dismiss it without comment. I have to admit that Ms. Cheney has a promising career waiting for her in B-movies as an extra.
It's not mindless idiots, it's basic psychology and its not new. There are methods to recruit and turn even extremely intelligent people. It's how terrorists have traditionally operated, and with social media recruitment it is so much easier to recruit. If you are clicking on things that make you angry, the social media algorithms will feed you more and more clickbait that feeds and grows your anger and offers you all kinds of "facts" and justifications for your feelings. You see so much of it, some of it must be true, right? It can't possibly all be made up and it sure does feel good to believe it. So many people are telling me that January 6 was not an insurrection and that Liz Cheney is a RINO and worse, it must be true. She can't possibly have any valid points or love for her country. She might even be secretly Jewish or a communist.
Westy , I still wonder why Ms. Cheney is suddenly a hero for the left. The only reason she actually was elected in her position was because of her war-mongering father and rode in on his coattails. You may recall that her dislike, to put it mildly, for Trump is rooted in the fact that Trump came out against the war in Iraq and campaigned on that issue pointing out the damage that was done to us and much of the Middle East. Much to Cheney's and the Bushes' irritation. She has an ulterior motive which the Committee is capitalizing on. And, don't forget, propaganda is effectively used by both sides. Social media helped Obama get into office even though he had neither experience nor a legislative track record.
Rep. Cheney is a hero, in that she is willing to take a stand to protect our democracy. I can respect that while completely disagreeing with her on pretty much every policy issue. Plenty of other Republicans had reason to disagree with Trump for more recent reasons than Iraq, some even spoke out against him right after the Jan 6 attempt to overthrow our government, yet they came back around to lick his boots. His mafioso techniques are very effective. Yes, the fact that she has money and backing helps her have a backbone, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating her stand.
I disagree with your analysis of why Obama won. Yes social media helped him and his campaign used it very effectively. However, the techniques I was speaking of specifically use hatred, racism, fear, and terrorism while Obama won on a message of hope, inclusiveness, and health care for all.
Well of course she’s a hero to Westy… Especially when Cheney hugged the hearsay testifier after spilled gossip that would never be allowed in a court of law… Or maybe Cheney was hugging the hearsay testifier because Cheney knows the testifier’s 15 minutes of fame is over. Thank goodness Cheney’s 15 minutes of fame is over, too, as well as her reputation.
Westy, I checked and I’m perfectly on the mark. Perhaps you should review the definition of hearsay before you tell someone else to review the definition of hearsay, because it definitely doesn’t mean what you think it means if you think it doesn’t mean what I think it means. [beam]
Dirk: What exactly do you mean by "Bagdad Jorg"? Just wondering. Not that it bothers me at all, since I can't take you seriously at all, but just for the curiosity: what do you mean, if anything?
"Trump engaged in a four-part plan: lying to the American people about election fraud; filing phony claims of fraud in court (he lost 60 out of 61 cases filed); pressuring state officials to send phony electors to Washington; and summoning his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6 and prevent Congress from doing its job.
"Why? To stage a coup. To launch another Civil War. To overthrow the government of the United States and replace it with an illegitimate, unelected government. Above all else, Trump must be charged with sedition.
In order to preserve our democracy, Attorney General Merrick Garland must charge Donald Trump with attempting to overthrow our government. If not, we might as well put back up all the statues of Confederate generals, erect a monument to Robert E. Lee on the Washington Mall, and give the Medal of Honor to Benedict Arnold. Trump’s as big a traitor as all the rest of them. They didn’t get away with treason, and neither should he."
Tommy – first, I’d like to congratulate you on posting more than a sentence or two, although I’m not sure cutting and pasting a rabid leftie diatribe really counts as “you.” Second, who or what is a Bill Press? I’ve never heard of the guy (publication?) so he must be a know-nothing talking head from CNN or MSNBC (or another rag destined to birdcage liner). Third, his/their blather is as confused as the Unselect Committee, and just as ineffective.
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(15) comments
Sorry, Amazon Post, your lame attempt to gin up support for the failing Unselect Committee is falling on deaf ears. More folks are watching Young Sheldon reruns than the Kangaroo Kourt that relies on hearsay and fabricated gossip, similar to this op-ed more appropriate for the National Enquirer. In fact, your constant bellyaching about our great President Trump is only making him stronger and more influential.
Yes, there are still many deaf ears, possibly because they are covered by headphones that are tuned into an alternate reality.
Yes, Westy, there are even more deaf ears as they tune out the alternate reality created by the kangaroo court known as the Unselect Committee. Similar to the deaf ears promoters of Biden’s America Last policies are showing to the American people in regards to unchecked inflation, higher crime rates, a greater number of invaders from the south. Need I go on? I’ll probably need to since rabid lefties are continually attempting to use the Unselect Committee to distract from treasonous Biden’s actions. BTW, did Biden attempt to shake hands today with another (yes, another) imaginary person again?
Terence Y, Maybe you could also look up the definition of treason. Treason is not policies that you disagree with. A good example of treason is gathering an armed mob and sending them to the houses of government to disrupt the certification of a free and fair election. It is threatening election officials, both elected officials as well as calling out volunteer election workers by name in order that the mob can be brought to bear to threaten them. It is cosying up to Putin after he was found to be paying bounties on American military personnel. And we could go on, but you get the idea.
Westy, I checked and no surprise, I’m again on the mark. Let me provide textbook examples of treason… Treasonous Biden providing aid and comfort to the Taliban when Biden took a knee, actually both knees, and surrendered Afghanistan and $billions in cash, equipment, and weapons. Treasonous Obama providing aid and comfort to Iran in the form of pallets of cash. We could go on, but I hope you get the idea.
This story confirms what Bagdad Jorg has been saying all along. If true, there are mindless idiots in this world who will follow hearsay orders to create mayhem. Does the January 6 Committee really believe this nonsense? Any judge would be laughing at this kind of "testimony" and dismiss it without comment. I have to admit that Ms. Cheney has a promising career waiting for her in B-movies as an extra.
It's not mindless idiots, it's basic psychology and its not new. There are methods to recruit and turn even extremely intelligent people. It's how terrorists have traditionally operated, and with social media recruitment it is so much easier to recruit. If you are clicking on things that make you angry, the social media algorithms will feed you more and more clickbait that feeds and grows your anger and offers you all kinds of "facts" and justifications for your feelings. You see so much of it, some of it must be true, right? It can't possibly all be made up and it sure does feel good to believe it. So many people are telling me that January 6 was not an insurrection and that Liz Cheney is a RINO and worse, it must be true. She can't possibly have any valid points or love for her country. She might even be secretly Jewish or a communist.
Westy , I still wonder why Ms. Cheney is suddenly a hero for the left. The only reason she actually was elected in her position was because of her war-mongering father and rode in on his coattails. You may recall that her dislike, to put it mildly, for Trump is rooted in the fact that Trump came out against the war in Iraq and campaigned on that issue pointing out the damage that was done to us and much of the Middle East. Much to Cheney's and the Bushes' irritation. She has an ulterior motive which the Committee is capitalizing on. And, don't forget, propaganda is effectively used by both sides. Social media helped Obama get into office even though he had neither experience nor a legislative track record.
Rep. Cheney is a hero, in that she is willing to take a stand to protect our democracy. I can respect that while completely disagreeing with her on pretty much every policy issue. Plenty of other Republicans had reason to disagree with Trump for more recent reasons than Iraq, some even spoke out against him right after the Jan 6 attempt to overthrow our government, yet they came back around to lick his boots. His mafioso techniques are very effective. Yes, the fact that she has money and backing helps her have a backbone, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating her stand.
I disagree with your analysis of why Obama won. Yes social media helped him and his campaign used it very effectively. However, the techniques I was speaking of specifically use hatred, racism, fear, and terrorism while Obama won on a message of hope, inclusiveness, and health care for all.
Well of course she’s a hero to Westy… Especially when Cheney hugged the hearsay testifier after spilled gossip that would never be allowed in a court of law… Or maybe Cheney was hugging the hearsay testifier because Cheney knows the testifier’s 15 minutes of fame is over. Thank goodness Cheney’s 15 minutes of fame is over, too, as well as her reputation.
Terence Y, I think maybe you should review the definition of hearsay. I don't think it means what you think it means. :-)
Westy, I checked and I’m perfectly on the mark. Perhaps you should review the definition of hearsay before you tell someone else to review the definition of hearsay, because it definitely doesn’t mean what you think it means if you think it doesn’t mean what I think it means. [beam]
Dirk: What exactly do you mean by "Bagdad Jorg"? Just wondering. Not that it bothers me at all, since I can't take you seriously at all, but just for the curiosity: what do you mean, if anything?
Bill Press captured it perfectly:
"Trump engaged in a four-part plan: lying to the American people about election fraud; filing phony claims of fraud in court (he lost 60 out of 61 cases filed); pressuring state officials to send phony electors to Washington; and summoning his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6 and prevent Congress from doing its job.
"Why? To stage a coup. To launch another Civil War. To overthrow the government of the United States and replace it with an illegitimate, unelected government. Above all else, Trump must be charged with sedition.
In order to preserve our democracy, Attorney General Merrick Garland must charge Donald Trump with attempting to overthrow our government. If not, we might as well put back up all the statues of Confederate generals, erect a monument to Robert E. Lee on the Washington Mall, and give the Medal of Honor to Benedict Arnold. Trump’s as big a traitor as all the rest of them. They didn’t get away with treason, and neither should he."
Tommy – first, I’d like to congratulate you on posting more than a sentence or two, although I’m not sure cutting and pasting a rabid leftie diatribe really counts as “you.” Second, who or what is a Bill Press? I’ve never heard of the guy (publication?) so he must be a know-nothing talking head from CNN or MSNBC (or another rag destined to birdcage liner). Third, his/their blather is as confused as the Unselect Committee, and just as ineffective.
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Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
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