Lame Duck President Donald Trump addressed his followers on the Ellipse this afternoon. “After this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you,” he said. They walked, but he didn’t, probably because of his bone spurs. He continued:
“We’re going walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators, and congressmen and women. We’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because you’ll never take back our country with weakness.”
“We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated. I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”
They marched, but not peacefully, and certainly not patriotically. They resisted Capitol Police, broke into the U.S. Capitol Building, even disrupting the congressional coup plotters working on Trump’s behalf, looting and vandalizing the House and Senate chambers and offices. Tear gas was deployed in the Capitol Rotunda, and at least one rioter has been shot.
The National Guard has been activated, and the DC mayor has declared a 6PM curfew. As of 4PM the President, clearly the instigator of this historic national disgrace, has not called off his MAGA dogs.
On Tuesday, Washingtonian‘s Andrew Beaujon noted that some Trump worshippers had been plotting a Capitol break-in online, but none of us really expected it to happen. We should have.
Updates:
“Trump Justifies Violence at Capitol: These ‘Things’ Happen When No One Recognizes My ‘Sacred Landslide,’” Blake Montgomery, Daily Beast
“Capitol has seen violence over 220 years, but not like this,” Jerry Schwartz, Associated Press
“Every Trump Loyalist Is Complicit in the President’s Incitement of Sedition,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine
“Twitter locks Trump out over election fraud tweets amid Capitol siege,” Ina Fried, Axios
“Ivanka, Eric, and Don Jr. Are in Furious Damage Control Mode Following Capitol Hill Siege,” Bess Levin, Vanity Fair
“Democrats, Republicans blame Trump for inciting ‘coup’ as mob storms Capitol,” Colby Itkowitz and Paulina Firozi, Washington Post
Solicitation to commit a crime of violence – 18 U.S. Code § 373
“Republican AGs group sent robocalls urging protesters to the Capitol. GOP officials now insist they didn’t know about it.” Andrea Salcedo, Washington Post
“Guns, Brass Knuckles, Homemade Napalm: Read Some of the Documents From Arrests After the Capitol Riot,” Andrew Beaujon, Washingtonian
“‘Trump said I could’: One possible legal defense for accused rioters,” Teri Kanefield and Mark Reichel, Washington Post
“US Capitol Building Riot: Justice Dept. Pursues at Least 150 Suspects,” Katie Benner and Adam Goldman, New York Times
“Who were they? Records reveal Trump fans who stormed Capitol,” Michael Biesecker,
Michael Kunzelman, Gillian Flaccus, and Jim Mustian, Associated Press
“‘Trump said I could’: One possible legal defense for accused rioters,” Teri Kanefield and Mark Reichel, Washington Post
“MAGA Civil War shirts, a Camp Auschwitz hoodie, and other extremist merchandise was on full display at the Capitol riot,” Hilary George-Parkin, Vox
“QAnon reshaped Trump’s party and radicalized believers. The Capitol siege may just be the start.” Drew Harwell, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Razzan Nakhlawi, and Craig Timberg, Washington Post
“Using A Pseudonym, This QAnon Believer Raised $40,000 To Send People To The DC Riot,” Craig Silverman and Jane Lytvynenko, BuzzFeed News
“‘I Answered the Call of My President’: Rioters Say Trump Urged Them On,” Alan Feuer and Nicole Hong, New York Times
“Texas woman who stormed Capitol says she was following Trump’s orders,” Lauren Aratani and Martin Pengelly, The Guardian
“Alabama Man Charged in Capitol Riot Said He Was Following Instructions From Alex Jones: Affidavit,” Arya Hodjat, Daily Beast
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