If the Democrats fail to unleash the full force of the justice system on Trump, they are guaranteeing that every illegal action by Agent Orange and his minions will not only be repeated, but exacerbated over the next couple of years. It will essentially be an official announcement that the rule of law does not apply if you are rich enough, connected enough, or can delay and obstruct investigations. Our downfall will shortly follow.
Ian, I am concerned about that too. I am concerned that AG Garland is not moving more quickly. They can't possibly say they don't have enough evidence. I keep hearing it is because they don't want to have the problems of legal challenges that could get Trump off the hook. I doubt that would happen if Trump were charged separately for all the crimes he has committed: inciting an insurrection (against the 14th Amendment and other laws), knowingly stealing documents that belong to the National Archives (particularly top secret ones which we don't know what he planned to do with), election fraud in Georgia and possibly other states, publicly maligning corporations that make voting machines, and others I can't recall at this moment but are out there. Starting with those and putting time limits on when the trials can be set up would be a good start. I know there is no penalty for lying most of the time, but I bet in the 30,000 lies he told in public during his 4 years as president, I am sure there are some that could be prosecuted. I hate to bring up the "race card" but in reality, had Trump been Black and not as rich, having done the things he has done, he'd be in jail by now, president or not.
Ruth, had you or I, committed any of the criminal acts DJT,or his minions such as Stone, Flynn, Kushner, Manafort, Barr et al. have, we’d be behind bars!
I understand your frustration, Ruth, but hang on to your patience. By early next year, the AG will have all his ducks in a row and be ready to request an indictment from the Grand Jury, which thank goodness, will be formed in Washington, DC (not Kentucky or Alabama)
I am under the impression that AG is fighting through the court system in the Mar A Lago documents accusations. As soon as all the legal impediments that Trump has placed are resolved, Garland will act. I hope so. But Trump is true to his own history of bogging down indictments and accusations in frivolous and long enduring court appeals until the issue dies a death by attrition. What a turkey!
The committee is not a grand jury. Every member of Congress was an eyewitness on 1/6 and many could be material witnesses.
In the PI civil cases, I'd start with depositions of people who were in the House, Senate that day Start with Pence's "mother" and his kids. I'd want to know what the mental state of everyone present was on 1/6.
I agree, start with the henchmen, Roger Stone, and Steve Bannon, and Mike Flynn have already been convicted but Meadows has not. And this time there will be no trumpster to bail them out. But I really like your second post. Johnson and Jordan have no conscience anyway.
No we don't support liars. Just a lot of Kool-aid drinkers in this State. The LIE(S) have been told often enough, that some uneducated, gun-totting Wisconsinites believe it(them).
Excellent! Thank you. TFG has never accepted NO for an answer. And he does not accept responsibility. We must Prosecute and at the same time be ready for the possibility of violence as a response by his supporters and from him. Merrick Garland must do his job.
I read it yesterday, although Foer wrote a good piece, it’s hard to see Garland indicting on the 1-6 sedition charge, which has more complicated outcomes. More likely the stolen documents, which appears a criminal act indictment worthy immediately!
Remember, Ian, regardless of the outcome of the November elections the DOJ has until January 19. 2025. Well practically, not quite that long. But Merrick Garland, who is meticulously gathering evidence, in addition to the evidence being turned over to the DOJ by the January 6th committee. I feel confident Trump will be tried and convicted for all his crimes. I still hope (not confidently) that the Federal Government seizes ALL his assets in repayment for the harm he inflicted on America.
Ian, Having read the Mueller Report, replete with prepared synopses vetted for classified material and ready for immediate distribution, I am certain the outcome of the investigation would have been different had A.G. Barr not withheld those synopses and replaced them with a 3-page misrepresentation of the report’s content. By the time the redacted full report was released, too much time had passed to reverse the damage. Adding insult to injury, when Mueller eventually testified, his performance was wanting for a host of reasons not worth enumerating.
My point is that none of the foregoing factors are currently in play.
I hope that is the case. A major problem I see is that everyone knows his followers are so rabid and deranged that to cross Trump is to risk putting a bullseye on yourself and your family at worst, and at best, you have to worry about a lifetime of threatening emails and random people showing up where you live and work. I'm worried trying to turn people against him is a strategy destined to fail, and that the Dems...meaning the companies that determine what both parties do....will just decide it wasn't worth doing and try to get us to move, as they did with Iraq, the Great Recession, etc.
If you're referring to the Grand Jury, as has already been explained, this is not a hearing, it's a decision on whether or not there should be a hearing in court, presented by both Defense and Prosecution, with or without a jury. If you're referring to the January 6th Committee Hearings, did you even listen? There were far more Republicans and trumpsters testifying than Democrats. If the head trumpster wanted to tell his story UNDER OATH, he had the invitation and the opportunity
As I understand it, there is a fundamental difference in law between an inquest, which seeks to determine the probable cause of something, and a trial, which examines and determines the issues of fact and applicable law in a case to state, with a predetermined degree of certainty, whether that cause has been proven.
I was long mystified by the principles of a grand jury in criminal law, which considers only one side of a controversy. I didn't understand why people said that grand juries are protectors of the innocent.
The job of a grand jury is to assemble all the facts and law of a matter, and say, at that point, even if all the allegations against the defendant were true, would it result in conviction?
Evidence: There was evidence of Mr. A murdering Mr. B but Mr. B had died before the murder. Case closed. No matter what sort of corroborating evidence there was against Mr. B, he was not alive and could not have committed the crime.
There was evidence of Mr. A murdering Mr. B but Mr. B had a solid alibi that he was in Cancun when the murder occurred in Warsaw. CASE NOT CLOSED. Mr. B's defense must be brought to trial so that he can assert his alibi, and someone must determine whether it is credible, to the standard of proof.
This is why many people make mistakes when pulled over by the police for a traffic infraction or some other alleged crime. The police are not there to judge the matter for or against the defendant. The police are only there to accumulate sufficient support to assert probable cause. If they cannot do so, they cannot act against the suspect.
If the police hear a loud crash, and go to determine the cause of the crash, and see a broken store window, and Mr. B is the only person near the store window, then there is nothing more they need to do. They don't even have to talk to Mr. B very much. As long as there's enough evidence to infer that Mr. B was the likely CAUSE of the window breaking, and that breaking a window is a crime, they're done.
Perhaps in court, Mr. B will assert that a seagull flew into the window and broke it, and a search of the store shows a dead seagull lying in broken glass, well, Mr. B can go free. But it's not the police's job to weigh the solidity of Mr. B's defense. Enough evidence existed before the seagull was found to suggest that Mr. B did the crime.
If you get pulled over, and the police ask you if you've been drinking, and you say I had one beer an hour ago, and you take a field sobriety test and pass it, the police are only required to testify - "Did the defendant say he was drinking?" "Yes." That's not the full picture; they don't have to give the full picture. If you failed the sobriety test, they will mention it; if you passed it, they will not. But isn't that evidence of your innocence? It's not their job to look for evidence of your innocence. Sure, prosecutors and police are supposed to BE ATTENTIVE TO citizens' rights. But they exist to present only one side for your booking. They're not their to be your advocates. Let the courts do the trial stuff, they say - we just arrest perps.
Thanks Prof. Reich. Just read a few comments here. This is very serious business!! Trump's resume reads like several pages out of Mein Kampf. He MUST be stopped at all costs. Everything else aside, he is guilty on all counts the Committee and Justice Dept. are looking at. I believe and sincerely hope that Attorney General Merrick Garland will indeed arrest and try Trump, as soon as he has an air tight case. Trump continues to give more and more reason to do this daily. It can't happen before the midterm election, so we must be very careful who we vote for. It is apparent our democracy is seriously at risk.
We all need to email A.G. Garland at DOJ and demand he indict, prosecute, and ultimately remove Trump from any future runs for office: Amendment 14, Section 3. Trump is unfit to serve and should be removed from society, based on his own admissions and performance on 1/6.
As a deeply concerned American citizen, I ask that A.G. Merrick Garland indict, prosecute, and ultimately remove Trump from any future runs for office as stipulated in Amendment 14, Section 3 of the US Constitution. Trump is unfit to serve and should be removed from politics based on his own admissions and performance on January 6, 2021.
Thank you Rob. My husband and I will do the same. We must share this. Our young people depend on us to to be examples of law abiding citizens. Help them write their own letters.
I fear that we have (as a generation) been very poor role models for the next generation. We have given a collective "so what" to far too much thuggery by all public servants.
I read that A.G. Garland has never lost a case. Given that, I’m sure he will win —if there is no hesitation to prosecute Trump. We just need to make our concerns known so that we save our Putin & fossil fuel/tech oligarch endangered Democracy.
Did you not see that he told the crowds to go “peacefully” to the capitol? Or have you not seen footage where the Capitol police let the protestors into the Capitol? This is a state sponsored suppression of one party against another.
Dear P: He said to go "peacefully" specifically so that he, and his supporters like you, could hide behind this single word to claim he did nothing wrong. 99% of his speech that day promoted violence. He wanted people to "fight like hell" to "get their country back." This was all based on the lie that 2020 was rigged. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY no evidence of this. You have been duped by a mentally ill con man who has himself admitted he lost.
Mr. Reich, can you please try and explain to those of us who do not know the legal details but surely see what seems like obvious criminality... what is the DOJ waiting for to move forward? The committee disbands soon. Will this amount to actual indictments, trials and convictions?
What we see and "know" is not legally admissible evidence. What has to be presented in Court must be irrefutable evidence, not hearsay. This is what the Department of Justice is collecting now. The trial of the trumpster will be well worth hearing.
He will either lie or take the 5th. He is guilty as sin and they have proved it conclusively. We do need to know more from the secret service especially with the deleted emails. All those now suing him should have access to this information so it needs to be stored securely but still accessible in a view only mode.
Hey George, you are right, Trump will plead the 5th because he has been carefully schooled how to do it and even his feeble brain can understand that much. We heard the disrespect Flynn and others had for the Committee when they just said "5th" when asked anything. I know we need the 5th Amendment to protect us from self-incrimination, but it is pretty weird to hear it when the committee already has evidence of those guys doing what they are pleading the 5th over. I'm OK with him pleading because at least people will see that he is covering up things he doesn't want to respond to. Besides, I have my doubts if he even remembers most of what happened that day. Maybe he'll remember the orgasms he got from watching his fans hurt people and work to destroy the capitol, a building he had no respect for anyway.
I know that Mike Flynn was pardoned by Trump, but I believe he should lose all his military service and pension . I would have lost my job for absolutely just standing still in the real world. This man and many others spit on their Constitution and on the American flag. What must that say to veterans ?
What is really funny, Ruth, is the trumpster, himself, declared that taking the 5th was proof you are lying and therefor guilty. Of course he said that before the took the fifth 437 times at a deposition where he was under oath.
Yes! But the 1/6 Committee ends 12/31/22 and if Retrumplicans have House they will block any further investigation. And God knows what they will do to DOJ.
An excellent summary of today's hearing about January 6th. The whole thing was compelling. I "watched" every moment of it and was again moved by the dedication and competence of the members of the Congressional Committee. Unlike Donald Trump and his crew, the Committee actually cares about this nation and our democracy. Seeing again the Trump lies, incitement, and whining about the election, it made me realize again, just how impaired mentally Trump is. He now lives in a fantasy world where he can ignore facts, demand a**-kissing from Republican candidates or sick his mob on anyone who doesn't want the "honor."them (only hinted at in this hearing). There were a lot of people in the administration who stood between Trump and disaster, but even after Trump had been replaced by Biden, they said little or nothing, letting Trump keep whining that he won the election and was the "real" president. I am not sure how much of that he believes but he at least, has delusions of grandeur and power he is trying hard to realize and h is sycophantic followers are trying to help him. I love the way Trump insults Biden about his age when Trump is the one age is impairing most. I hope the subpoena goes out tomorrow and Trump is called in as early as next week so he won't have a chance to whip up another mob to help him steal what he didn't win.
I really am not sure trump is so mentally impaired, or at least he is no more mentally impaired than his heroes, Adolph Hitler, and Vladimir Putin. I believe he is sane enough to stand trial. but then I am not a psychologist.
You don’t have to be a psychologist to understand that this man and his followers are dangerous. An 8 th .grade teacher can tell this! An 8 grader can tell this!!
Two thoughts: 1) people under 45 I do not believe are watching these committee meetings. Speaking as a 23 year old, I do not know a single person (except those who work in news) that have watched a committee meeting. Today was my first time watching one. I think the bottom line is this committee is geared down an America that is shrinking by day. The so called middle America. Trump is extremely polarizing and contributing daily to this disappearance of the “middle”. I do not need the committee to tell me that this was pre mediated or that Trump is responsible. We all saw it happen in real time!! Then on the other side, the Republicans that believe that this is all political or a “witch hunt”. Trump has continued to divide this country by demanding blinding allegiance to him and as you share- refusing to accept the 2020 election results. Is the committee meant to convince these people otherwise? Who is this committee for? 2) As an American, a citizen of Earth, and a believer of Democracy- i truly believe and worry of the threat that Trump poses to our democracy and institutions. But subpoenaing him with so many defense mechanisms (executive privilege, the 5th, the SCOTUS he and the GOP stacked) will only add to his rhetoric or witchhunt and when he is deemed not required to give testimony it will be viewed as a maytr defining the odds and “undefeated against the deep state”. I am very grateful for all the committees work, research, testimony, and courage but we need the DOJ to be more active to stop the active threat against our democracy. Thank you for all you do Robert -AT
Thank you, Alex. It is so good to hear from someone your age, and you are absolutely right. I am able to watch these hearings, only because I am nearly 90 and retired last year, otherwise I would be at work. Anderson Cooper has promised to show the entire clips shown on today's hearing during his 8:00 PM ET show. But in California, where I live that is still only 5 pm and most people are just getting off work. The "mainline media" are only interested in programming the brings in big bucks from sponsors. What is needed is for some local channels to at least summarize these hearings during prime time - I know, good luck with that.
Nearly 90? OK Fay, what’s your secret??? Your online “voice” sounds to me like, I would’ve guessed, about 45. Are you overdosing on Prevagen? Good genes? What is it? I gotta know…
Fay ! Thank you for your words! At 90 and still keeping your finger on the pulse- you are a hero of mine! Life long learning in action!! Yes we do need local channels to provide non partisan, non biased, fact based reporting on this. I checked out FOX to see what they were covering- did not even mention the committee meeting but only reporting on the “Democrats condemning Biden” for the southern border
Hi Alex - It's all being covered on Cheddar, so I believe people under 45 know what's going on. They're just to busy to sit and watch the January 6th Committee Investigators rake the Traitor and Chief over the coals! Justice is coming is spades, and I for one am thrilled!
I never said people under 45 did not know what’s happening just as you said - not watching the hearings. 25-35 years ago a hearing of this magnitude would be watched by every single person. I think both bc of social media AND (as i commented) WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. We all saw the posts, tweets, speeches and on live TV Trump incite a riot and insurrection. I hope you are right that Justice is coming.
WE CANNOT let the fear of retaliation by Trump keep the DOJ and the US from blocking this fetid POS from running for ANYTHING AGAIN. He may be viewed as a "martyr" by his enablers, but they are less than 50% of the country. Please keep all this in mind when you worry about the active threat Trump presents. We stopped him before, let's not give him the chance to try to seize power again. Because that's what he DOES - he SEIZES POWER - it's his only method of doing anything. He's gotten away with that for far too long. He needs to be stopped ASAP!
William, I, too want to know about the FBI's and Secret Service's roles in the whole business, how much they contributed, what they intended to do with VP Pence when they wanted him to get into the car they had, why they didn't report what they knew about what was planned for January 6th in time for it to be stopped or at least slowed down, and more. I am hoping the Committee will release what they know about those things in a later hearing or in their report. We'll see.
I remember that in the 2016 election the New York FBI headquarters was known as Trump Central and it was obvious they were leaking information to Giuliani. I believe it's more than we thought. The Secret Service looked like they were ready to take Pence away and put Grassley in charge. Grassley would have done trump's wishes.
Yes, this was the most interesting stuff today, imo, though I missed some of it because the phone kept rining during that part. I hope some reporter eill focus on it: it was handled too delicately to be clear to someone without more contextual knowledge than I have (though I've watched all but one hearing).
As I posted yesterday, Biden, Pelosi and Schumer need to reframe the midterms, and energize young voters, with an exciting proposition: If Americans give Pro-Choice Democrats a huge mandate in the midterms, Pelosi and Schumer need to promise NOW that they’ll hand off power to younger Progressive leaders in January 2023, and that Biden won’t run in 2024.
Hopefully, this might increase chances of keeping the House. If not, Democrats should at least keep the Senate with at least 2 more seats (to make Sinema & Manchin impotent, and end the filibuster). So, the House 1/6 Committee can hand off its investigation to a Senate Committee.
I just sent an email to my Congresswoman, and I'll follow-up with a call to reference it, and suggest others consider doing similar things:
Hi,
I realize this is not a standard case-work request. I have this email address because your office helped me with a case back in August. THANK YOU!! It was resolved.
I intend to call with two messages for Rep. _______ when your local office opens. I'm emailing, because the messages are a bit long, so I can ask someone to look at this email.
First: The House Jan 6th committee omitted one important point, and I think it's very important that it is made clear to all Americans ASAP:
Trump did not call off his mob/militia until sufficient police and National Guard were imminently about to be deployed that his mob/militia would start fighting a losing battle, take losses, and get arrested. This would've changed the post-insurrection situation so dramatically that:
(1) he could never sell to any of the GOP base, or even his non-participating MAGA base, they were his "patriotic" supporters, and
(2) GOP House members could not pretend it did not happen, and sufficiently more GOP Senators would've been compelled to vote to impeach him
Second: Please ask Rep. _______ to suggest this to Speaker Pelosi: Speaker Pelosi, Senate Leader Schumer and President Biden need to reframe this election to energize apathetic voters, by promising Americans they'll cede leadership to younger politicians if they get a strong pro-choice, filibuster-proof mandate. Pelosi & Schumer need to promise they'll cede their leadership roles in January 2023 with such a mandate. And, President Biden needs to say his role was to unite the country and defeat divisive, racist and militant elements in America. So, a strong mandate will allow him to finish his mission within just one term.
I honestly appreciate all that Speaker Pelosi, Senate Leader Schumer and President Biden have done, and could achieve. However, I think the profit-hungry media is undermining the midterms, and making potentially apathetic voters want to abstain.
President Biden and the Democrats are doing a disastrous job controlling the messaging about the midterms. The MAGAs are making voters think the election is a standard midterm referendum about a President who has allowed immigration & the economy to worsen, and who cannot even get respect from so-called Allies: Saudi's MBS raising gas prices after Biden goes to Riyadh to forgive him from murdering Khashoggi. It doesn't matter whether the latter is true; it matters how the right wing spins the story!
You know what I’m fearful of? Trump dying before he’s made accountable. I feel like he’d be turned into a martyr to lionise for an autocratic right, and subvert any sense of justice and accountability a majority of Americans demand. It feels horribly pessimistic, cynical and down-right tin-hatty to think this way, but I feel if it did it’s a win-win scenario for the Republicans...
I’ve listened to all the hearings and quite frankly don’t understand that when the authorities knew this was in the air to happen- please tell me Professor Reich why NOTHING was done to secure the Capitol Building and the government people inside?? I just don’t get it! People died - In my opinion the cops and law enforcement was negligent- no other way to say it!! Why was nothing done?? It’s like a bomb is coming in and don’t tell people to prepare- you want to see those people just killed? And in this case the craziness of Trump is well documented. Please somebody explain this to me. I’m totally baffled out of my mind!!
Hi, Kay Ann, you are blaming the wrong people. Law enforcement from the Capitol Police and the DC Metropolitan Police force were there and did their best to control the maggots who were attacking both them and the Capitol. The failure (as in 9/11) wasn't from the police officers but from the leaders (the only ones informed) who decided to do nothing. I don't know if they were all retrumplicans or just plain damned stupid. But what was learned today will go the the Department of Justice, hopefully, this time some heads will (figuratively) roll.
Fay, by no means was I blaming the local Capitol police. These people really suffered and some killed and some committed suicide. I,like you, am questioning the “higher ups”. The DOJ The FBI The etc.Like you said and I reverberate let the heads roll that sat back and did nothing!! My query is still WHY??
I agree with you, Kay Ann, the information was "in the air". During a three month period from election day to the 1/6 insurrection, from all the information that appeared on public news channels and other media , I and others I have spoken to felt that violence was going to happen at the Capitol that day. If average people, like myself, had that concern, it was almost unbelievable to see what actually happened that day. Absolutely shocking and unforgivable! Will it result in a military coup next time ?
I agree WHY. The same thing occurred pre-9/11. At least one FBI agent in Chicago voiced her suspicions to higher ups in headquarters at least two months in advance and was totally ignored, That too, was during a Republican presidency, so I don't know if the FBI at both times was being run by political hacks or the FBI just needs to be shaken up. This is certainly another case where the country would be better off, if the heads of agencies were selected competitively through civil service instead of political appointments. Teddy Roosevelt had the right idea, he just didn't go far enough.
The Republicans have placed moles inside of the Secret Service and the FBI. This is why the Trump rally was not canceled and why the capital was left underprotected.
I didn’t say it as bluntly as you did William, but your thought was definitely in my mind. It’s horrible to actually think these supposedly “non-partisan “ appointments are indeed very partisan. Their sole purpose is to enforce the law- not play or get involved in partisan politics. James Comey, I greatly admire, stood up to Trump’s required loyalty oath! It cost him his job but he was an honorable man. I guess the realization this people can be intimidated, bought off and coerced is sad but true. It’s a hard pill to swallow- for me.
This is my conjecture Fay. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify that. In the fullness of time I expect Congress/AG to take up the question of the Secret Service and FBI response during the January 6th insurrection. And I fully expect that the facts will bear out that there was interference within the Secret Service and the FBI. Just like it is conjecture at this point whether or not Donald Trump broke the law - because the investigation is not over with and we don’t have a conviction yet. Conjecture? Yes. In doubt? No.
Trump is really guilty of treason against the United States by violating his oath of office and doing many illegal things to try to hold on to power, including his last desperate effort to lead an insurrection against Congress to deny Biden's indisputable election; one in which people were injured and even killed. The penalty for treason in death, and in his case, I would like to see it enforced.
No matter what happens to him, Trump continues to hamstring our federal government and largely prevent it from attending to any number of other crucial issues. Trump’s modus operandi is to ignore the law and constitutional restraints, thereby effectively tossing a wrench into the mechanism of government. He has sucked the entire nation — even those of us who detest him — into the vortex of his own sociopathology. The damage he already has done to our nation is incalculable and will persist for years. Thus, I merely repeat the question that my European friends kept asking during my recent visit: “Why can’t you Americans just make this guy disappear?”
At all of his rallies Trump repeats that if he is elected President again we will Take This Country Back. He never says how far back!
David Montgomery of the Washington Post has written a roundup of what 21 experts “in the presidency, political science, public administration, the military, intelligence, foreign affairs, economics and civil rights” say would happen should Trump be reelected in 2024.
They argue that upon taking office, Trump would install super loyalists to do his bidding and would ignore the Senate if it tried to stop him, as he largely did in his term. He has, after all, already outlined a plan to fire career civil servants and has explored a rigorous system for guaranteeing loyalists for those posts. Next, the experts suggest, he would deploy the military at home against his enemies while disengaging internationally and turning things over to Putin and other authoritarians. America’s global leadership would end, not least because no other nations would trust our intelligence services. Political violence would become the norm, giving Trump an excuse to declare martial law, and our democracy would fall.
More than half the Republican nominees for office in November are election deniers, and on Saturday, October 8, Republican nominee for Nevada secretary of state Jim Marchant told a rally, “We’re gonna fix the whole country and President Trump is gonna be president again.”
If the Democrats fail to unleash the full force of the justice system on Trump, they are guaranteeing that every illegal action by Agent Orange and his minions will not only be repeated, but exacerbated over the next couple of years. It will essentially be an official announcement that the rule of law does not apply if you are rich enough, connected enough, or can delay and obstruct investigations. Our downfall will shortly follow.
Ian, I am concerned about that too. I am concerned that AG Garland is not moving more quickly. They can't possibly say they don't have enough evidence. I keep hearing it is because they don't want to have the problems of legal challenges that could get Trump off the hook. I doubt that would happen if Trump were charged separately for all the crimes he has committed: inciting an insurrection (against the 14th Amendment and other laws), knowingly stealing documents that belong to the National Archives (particularly top secret ones which we don't know what he planned to do with), election fraud in Georgia and possibly other states, publicly maligning corporations that make voting machines, and others I can't recall at this moment but are out there. Starting with those and putting time limits on when the trials can be set up would be a good start. I know there is no penalty for lying most of the time, but I bet in the 30,000 lies he told in public during his 4 years as president, I am sure there are some that could be prosecuted. I hate to bring up the "race card" but in reality, had Trump been Black and not as rich, having done the things he has done, he'd be in jail by now, president or not.
Ruth, had you or I, committed any of the criminal acts DJT,or his minions such as Stone, Flynn, Kushner, Manafort, Barr et al. have, we’d be behind bars!
'criminal acts'?
Please. here's
TomTomorrow:
https://thenib.com/reality-check/
Heart not working, so I'll give u one:❤. Perfect.
thnx!
T.T. Rocks
I understand your frustration, Ruth, but hang on to your patience. By early next year, the AG will have all his ducks in a row and be ready to request an indictment from the Grand Jury, which thank goodness, will be formed in Washington, DC (not Kentucky or Alabama)
I sure hope you are correct.....
Me too!
I am under the impression that AG is fighting through the court system in the Mar A Lago documents accusations. As soon as all the legal impediments that Trump has placed are resolved, Garland will act. I hope so. But Trump is true to his own history of bogging down indictments and accusations in frivolous and long enduring court appeals until the issue dies a death by attrition. What a turkey!
However, the trupster met his match in the Judge who ruled this week that he did not have the right to delay. YAY!!!
Suggest you read Franklin Foer's latest article: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/10/merrick-garland-donald-trump-investigation-indictment/671683/
Start with his henchmen. Most will turn. That should soften up the cult.
The committee is not a grand jury. Every member of Congress was an eyewitness on 1/6 and many could be material witnesses.
In the PI civil cases, I'd start with depositions of people who were in the House, Senate that day Start with Pence's "mother" and his kids. I'd want to know what the mental state of everyone present was on 1/6.
IMHO Gym Jordan, Ron Johnson have perjured themselves. Running for office. Jordan falsely blamed Pelosi for the lack of defense. According to Johnson nothing memorable happened on 1.6. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/07/12/ron-johnson-false-electors-not-focus-jan-6-committee-mike-pence/10044435002/
Caught in a lie. Why is he ahead in the polls? Do WI voters support liars?
I agree, start with the henchmen, Roger Stone, and Steve Bannon, and Mike Flynn have already been convicted but Meadows has not. And this time there will be no trumpster to bail them out. But I really like your second post. Johnson and Jordan have no conscience anyway.
No we don't support liars. Just a lot of Kool-aid drinkers in this State. The LIE(S) have been told often enough, that some uneducated, gun-totting Wisconsinites believe it(them).
That is an example of a tacit admission.
I doubt the Orange Monster's cult will collapse, even if he falls. There will be someone else who will take his vitriolic, venemous place.
Excellent! Thank you. TFG has never accepted NO for an answer. And he does not accept responsibility. We must Prosecute and at the same time be ready for the possibility of violence as a response by his supporters and from him. Merrick Garland must do his job.
I read it yesterday, although Foer wrote a good piece, it’s hard to see Garland indicting on the 1-6 sedition charge, which has more complicated outcomes. More likely the stolen documents, which appears a criminal act indictment worthy immediately!
Remember, Ian, regardless of the outcome of the November elections the DOJ has until January 19. 2025. Well practically, not quite that long. But Merrick Garland, who is meticulously gathering evidence, in addition to the evidence being turned over to the DOJ by the January 6th committee. I feel confident Trump will be tried and convicted for all his crimes. I still hope (not confidently) that the Federal Government seizes ALL his assets in repayment for the harm he inflicted on America.
I hope you're right, but after the Mueller fiasco, it's tough to have faith in any public servant's commitment to justice at that high level.
Ian, Having read the Mueller Report, replete with prepared synopses vetted for classified material and ready for immediate distribution, I am certain the outcome of the investigation would have been different had A.G. Barr not withheld those synopses and replaced them with a 3-page misrepresentation of the report’s content. By the time the redacted full report was released, too much time had passed to reverse the damage. Adding insult to injury, when Mueller eventually testified, his performance was wanting for a host of reasons not worth enumerating.
My point is that none of the foregoing factors are currently in play.
Good and accurate points. Bravo!
I hope that is the case. A major problem I see is that everyone knows his followers are so rabid and deranged that to cross Trump is to risk putting a bullseye on yourself and your family at worst, and at best, you have to worry about a lifetime of threatening emails and random people showing up where you live and work. I'm worried trying to turn people against him is a strategy destined to fail, and that the Dems...meaning the companies that determine what both parties do....will just decide it wasn't worth doing and try to get us to move, as they did with Iraq, the Great Recession, etc.
What hearing??? When only one side is presented, it is a Lynching.
Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.”
— Charles Mackay, 1841.
And even if…will it be enough to stop the darkness?
will it finish off McMitch
KkKonnell? great question
we can only Hope and Pray
How can it be a hearing when only one side is presented?
If you're referring to the Grand Jury, as has already been explained, this is not a hearing, it's a decision on whether or not there should be a hearing in court, presented by both Defense and Prosecution, with or without a jury. If you're referring to the January 6th Committee Hearings, did you even listen? There were far more Republicans and trumpsters testifying than Democrats. If the head trumpster wanted to tell his story UNDER OATH, he had the invitation and the opportunity
Note: I'm not an attorney.
As I understand it, there is a fundamental difference in law between an inquest, which seeks to determine the probable cause of something, and a trial, which examines and determines the issues of fact and applicable law in a case to state, with a predetermined degree of certainty, whether that cause has been proven.
I was long mystified by the principles of a grand jury in criminal law, which considers only one side of a controversy. I didn't understand why people said that grand juries are protectors of the innocent.
The job of a grand jury is to assemble all the facts and law of a matter, and say, at that point, even if all the allegations against the defendant were true, would it result in conviction?
Evidence: There was evidence of Mr. A murdering Mr. B but Mr. B had died before the murder. Case closed. No matter what sort of corroborating evidence there was against Mr. B, he was not alive and could not have committed the crime.
There was evidence of Mr. A murdering Mr. B but Mr. B had a solid alibi that he was in Cancun when the murder occurred in Warsaw. CASE NOT CLOSED. Mr. B's defense must be brought to trial so that he can assert his alibi, and someone must determine whether it is credible, to the standard of proof.
This is why many people make mistakes when pulled over by the police for a traffic infraction or some other alleged crime. The police are not there to judge the matter for or against the defendant. The police are only there to accumulate sufficient support to assert probable cause. If they cannot do so, they cannot act against the suspect.
If the police hear a loud crash, and go to determine the cause of the crash, and see a broken store window, and Mr. B is the only person near the store window, then there is nothing more they need to do. They don't even have to talk to Mr. B very much. As long as there's enough evidence to infer that Mr. B was the likely CAUSE of the window breaking, and that breaking a window is a crime, they're done.
Perhaps in court, Mr. B will assert that a seagull flew into the window and broke it, and a search of the store shows a dead seagull lying in broken glass, well, Mr. B can go free. But it's not the police's job to weigh the solidity of Mr. B's defense. Enough evidence existed before the seagull was found to suggest that Mr. B did the crime.
If you get pulled over, and the police ask you if you've been drinking, and you say I had one beer an hour ago, and you take a field sobriety test and pass it, the police are only required to testify - "Did the defendant say he was drinking?" "Yes." That's not the full picture; they don't have to give the full picture. If you failed the sobriety test, they will mention it; if you passed it, they will not. But isn't that evidence of your innocence? It's not their job to look for evidence of your innocence. Sure, prosecutors and police are supposed to BE ATTENTIVE TO citizens' rights. But they exist to present only one side for your booking. They're not their to be your advocates. Let the courts do the trial stuff, they say - we just arrest perps.
Thanks Prof. Reich. Just read a few comments here. This is very serious business!! Trump's resume reads like several pages out of Mein Kampf. He MUST be stopped at all costs. Everything else aside, he is guilty on all counts the Committee and Justice Dept. are looking at. I believe and sincerely hope that Attorney General Merrick Garland will indeed arrest and try Trump, as soon as he has an air tight case. Trump continues to give more and more reason to do this daily. It can't happen before the midterm election, so we must be very careful who we vote for. It is apparent our democracy is seriously at risk.
I like your reference to the airtight case. When trump goes to Court, he must be convicted.
This is not a court. Only one side has ever been presented...show me the man and I’ll find a crime.
We all need to email A.G. Garland at DOJ and demand he indict, prosecute, and ultimately remove Trump from any future runs for office: Amendment 14, Section 3. Trump is unfit to serve and should be removed from society, based on his own admissions and performance on 1/6.
Thanks, Terry! I rewrote this & anyone can use it on the form at: https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
As a deeply concerned American citizen, I ask that A.G. Merrick Garland indict, prosecute, and ultimately remove Trump from any future runs for office as stipulated in Amendment 14, Section 3 of the US Constitution. Trump is unfit to serve and should be removed from politics based on his own admissions and performance on January 6, 2021.
Thank you Rob. My husband and I will do the same. We must share this. Our young people depend on us to to be examples of law abiding citizens. Help them write their own letters.
I fear that we have (as a generation) been very poor role models for the next generation. We have given a collective "so what" to far too much thuggery by all public servants.
Done thanks Rob.
👍
Thanks Rob! May I share this on social media as well?
👍
I think the 14th is our only hope.
Be patient, it takes time to accumulate sufficient evidence that the DOJ will win the trial.
I read that A.G. Garland has never lost a case. Given that, I’m sure he will win —if there is no hesitation to prosecute Trump. We just need to make our concerns known so that we save our Putin & fossil fuel/tech oligarch endangered Democracy.
https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
Did you not see that he told the crowds to go “peacefully” to the capitol? Or have you not seen footage where the Capitol police let the protestors into the Capitol? This is a state sponsored suppression of one party against another.
Dear P: He said to go "peacefully" specifically so that he, and his supporters like you, could hide behind this single word to claim he did nothing wrong. 99% of his speech that day promoted violence. He wanted people to "fight like hell" to "get their country back." This was all based on the lie that 2020 was rigged. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY no evidence of this. You have been duped by a mentally ill con man who has himself admitted he lost.
Mr. Reich, can you please try and explain to those of us who do not know the legal details but surely see what seems like obvious criminality... what is the DOJ waiting for to move forward? The committee disbands soon. Will this amount to actual indictments, trials and convictions?
What we see and "know" is not legally admissible evidence. What has to be presented in Court must be irrefutable evidence, not hearsay. This is what the Department of Justice is collecting now. The trial of the trumpster will be well worth hearing.
Read https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/10/merrick-garland-donald-trump-investigation-indictment/671683/
Thank you for sharing
Thanks. Good article.
I recommend following Glen Kirschner on “ Because Justice Matters”, you tube
Many of these questions are answered nightly
Thank you. I just watched and he said today it’s time to indict
He will either lie or take the 5th. He is guilty as sin and they have proved it conclusively. We do need to know more from the secret service especially with the deleted emails. All those now suing him should have access to this information so it needs to be stored securely but still accessible in a view only mode.
Hey George, you are right, Trump will plead the 5th because he has been carefully schooled how to do it and even his feeble brain can understand that much. We heard the disrespect Flynn and others had for the Committee when they just said "5th" when asked anything. I know we need the 5th Amendment to protect us from self-incrimination, but it is pretty weird to hear it when the committee already has evidence of those guys doing what they are pleading the 5th over. I'm OK with him pleading because at least people will see that he is covering up things he doesn't want to respond to. Besides, I have my doubts if he even remembers most of what happened that day. Maybe he'll remember the orgasms he got from watching his fans hurt people and work to destroy the capitol, a building he had no respect for anyway.
I know that Mike Flynn was pardoned by Trump, but I believe he should lose all his military service and pension . I would have lost my job for absolutely just standing still in the real world. This man and many others spit on their Constitution and on the American flag. What must that say to veterans ?
What is really funny, Ruth, is the trumpster, himself, declared that taking the 5th was proof you are lying and therefor guilty. Of course he said that before the took the fifth 437 times at a deposition where he was under oath.
Can you take the fifth in a Congressional hearing?
Yes! But the 1/6 Committee ends 12/31/22 and if Retrumplicans have House they will block any further investigation. And God knows what they will do to DOJ.
I know. I just wasn’t sure of the rules. I thought maybe if you can’t take the fifth he’d expose himself to perjury charges.
can Kavanaughtius Maximus
finish off a keg before you
can say Let's rewrite
the Constitution?
Yes.
An excellent summary of today's hearing about January 6th. The whole thing was compelling. I "watched" every moment of it and was again moved by the dedication and competence of the members of the Congressional Committee. Unlike Donald Trump and his crew, the Committee actually cares about this nation and our democracy. Seeing again the Trump lies, incitement, and whining about the election, it made me realize again, just how impaired mentally Trump is. He now lives in a fantasy world where he can ignore facts, demand a**-kissing from Republican candidates or sick his mob on anyone who doesn't want the "honor."them (only hinted at in this hearing). There were a lot of people in the administration who stood between Trump and disaster, but even after Trump had been replaced by Biden, they said little or nothing, letting Trump keep whining that he won the election and was the "real" president. I am not sure how much of that he believes but he at least, has delusions of grandeur and power he is trying hard to realize and h is sycophantic followers are trying to help him. I love the way Trump insults Biden about his age when Trump is the one age is impairing most. I hope the subpoena goes out tomorrow and Trump is called in as early as next week so he won't have a chance to whip up another mob to help him steal what he didn't win.
I think he had always known it wasn't true but his pathology won't allow him to admit it.
It was a lesson Roy Cohn taught him. You never admit your are wrong or guilty and you just keep pushing your agenda.
I really am not sure trump is so mentally impaired, or at least he is no more mentally impaired than his heroes, Adolph Hitler, and Vladimir Putin. I believe he is sane enough to stand trial. but then I am not a psychologist.
You don’t have to be a psychologist to understand that this man and his followers are dangerous. An 8 th .grade teacher can tell this! An 8 grader can tell this!!
I do think that the eventual disposition of this entire affair will determine whether our government survives as a democratic republic or not.
Two thoughts: 1) people under 45 I do not believe are watching these committee meetings. Speaking as a 23 year old, I do not know a single person (except those who work in news) that have watched a committee meeting. Today was my first time watching one. I think the bottom line is this committee is geared down an America that is shrinking by day. The so called middle America. Trump is extremely polarizing and contributing daily to this disappearance of the “middle”. I do not need the committee to tell me that this was pre mediated or that Trump is responsible. We all saw it happen in real time!! Then on the other side, the Republicans that believe that this is all political or a “witch hunt”. Trump has continued to divide this country by demanding blinding allegiance to him and as you share- refusing to accept the 2020 election results. Is the committee meant to convince these people otherwise? Who is this committee for? 2) As an American, a citizen of Earth, and a believer of Democracy- i truly believe and worry of the threat that Trump poses to our democracy and institutions. But subpoenaing him with so many defense mechanisms (executive privilege, the 5th, the SCOTUS he and the GOP stacked) will only add to his rhetoric or witchhunt and when he is deemed not required to give testimony it will be viewed as a maytr defining the odds and “undefeated against the deep state”. I am very grateful for all the committees work, research, testimony, and courage but we need the DOJ to be more active to stop the active threat against our democracy. Thank you for all you do Robert -AT
Thank you, Alex. It is so good to hear from someone your age, and you are absolutely right. I am able to watch these hearings, only because I am nearly 90 and retired last year, otherwise I would be at work. Anderson Cooper has promised to show the entire clips shown on today's hearing during his 8:00 PM ET show. But in California, where I live that is still only 5 pm and most people are just getting off work. The "mainline media" are only interested in programming the brings in big bucks from sponsors. What is needed is for some local channels to at least summarize these hearings during prime time - I know, good luck with that.
Nearly 90? OK Fay, what’s your secret??? Your online “voice” sounds to me like, I would’ve guessed, about 45. Are you overdosing on Prevagen? Good genes? What is it? I gotta know…
I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, it must be good for the brain. Fay has 1 of the sharpest minds around.
Fay ! Thank you for your words! At 90 and still keeping your finger on the pulse- you are a hero of mine! Life long learning in action!! Yes we do need local channels to provide non partisan, non biased, fact based reporting on this. I checked out FOX to see what they were covering- did not even mention the committee meeting but only reporting on the “Democrats condemning Biden” for the southern border
Hi Alex - It's all being covered on Cheddar, so I believe people under 45 know what's going on. They're just to busy to sit and watch the January 6th Committee Investigators rake the Traitor and Chief over the coals! Justice is coming is spades, and I for one am thrilled!
I never said people under 45 did not know what’s happening just as you said - not watching the hearings. 25-35 years ago a hearing of this magnitude would be watched by every single person. I think both bc of social media AND (as i commented) WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. We all saw the posts, tweets, speeches and on live TV Trump incite a riot and insurrection. I hope you are right that Justice is coming.
WE CANNOT let the fear of retaliation by Trump keep the DOJ and the US from blocking this fetid POS from running for ANYTHING AGAIN. He may be viewed as a "martyr" by his enablers, but they are less than 50% of the country. Please keep all this in mind when you worry about the active threat Trump presents. We stopped him before, let's not give him the chance to try to seize power again. Because that's what he DOES - he SEIZES POWER - it's his only method of doing anything. He's gotten away with that for far too long. He needs to be stopped ASAP!
We also need to know the intentions of the FBI and Secret Service. Were they in league with the insurrectionists?
William, I, too want to know about the FBI's and Secret Service's roles in the whole business, how much they contributed, what they intended to do with VP Pence when they wanted him to get into the car they had, why they didn't report what they knew about what was planned for January 6th in time for it to be stopped or at least slowed down, and more. I am hoping the Committee will release what they know about those things in a later hearing or in their report. We'll see.
Maybe some.
I remember that in the 2016 election the New York FBI headquarters was known as Trump Central and it was obvious they were leaking information to Giuliani. I believe it's more than we thought. The Secret Service looked like they were ready to take Pence away and put Grassley in charge. Grassley would have done trump's wishes.
Yes, this was the most interesting stuff today, imo, though I missed some of it because the phone kept rining during that part. I hope some reporter eill focus on it: it was handled too delicately to be clear to someone without more contextual knowledge than I have (though I've watched all but one hearing).
Wry comment: Bring the guilty bastard in and we'll give him a fair trial.
he can even use the Gallows
his disciples built for
VP Pence
.
unless he'd prefer
the French Option.
Remember what an angry town did to nasty snake oil salesmen? Tar & feathers! MAGA! 😬
As I posted yesterday, Biden, Pelosi and Schumer need to reframe the midterms, and energize young voters, with an exciting proposition: If Americans give Pro-Choice Democrats a huge mandate in the midterms, Pelosi and Schumer need to promise NOW that they’ll hand off power to younger Progressive leaders in January 2023, and that Biden won’t run in 2024.
Hopefully, this might increase chances of keeping the House. If not, Democrats should at least keep the Senate with at least 2 more seats (to make Sinema & Manchin impotent, and end the filibuster). So, the House 1/6 Committee can hand off its investigation to a Senate Committee.
but they gotta word it
so they don't terrify their
base Base with The Squad
I'd LOVE to see
AOC Speaker
of the House
I just sent an email to my Congresswoman, and I'll follow-up with a call to reference it, and suggest others consider doing similar things:
Hi,
I realize this is not a standard case-work request. I have this email address because your office helped me with a case back in August. THANK YOU!! It was resolved.
I intend to call with two messages for Rep. _______ when your local office opens. I'm emailing, because the messages are a bit long, so I can ask someone to look at this email.
First: The House Jan 6th committee omitted one important point, and I think it's very important that it is made clear to all Americans ASAP:
Trump did not call off his mob/militia until sufficient police and National Guard were imminently about to be deployed that his mob/militia would start fighting a losing battle, take losses, and get arrested. This would've changed the post-insurrection situation so dramatically that:
(1) he could never sell to any of the GOP base, or even his non-participating MAGA base, they were his "patriotic" supporters, and
(2) GOP House members could not pretend it did not happen, and sufficiently more GOP Senators would've been compelled to vote to impeach him
Second: Please ask Rep. _______ to suggest this to Speaker Pelosi: Speaker Pelosi, Senate Leader Schumer and President Biden need to reframe this election to energize apathetic voters, by promising Americans they'll cede leadership to younger politicians if they get a strong pro-choice, filibuster-proof mandate. Pelosi & Schumer need to promise they'll cede their leadership roles in January 2023 with such a mandate. And, President Biden needs to say his role was to unite the country and defeat divisive, racist and militant elements in America. So, a strong mandate will allow him to finish his mission within just one term.
I honestly appreciate all that Speaker Pelosi, Senate Leader Schumer and President Biden have done, and could achieve. However, I think the profit-hungry media is undermining the midterms, and making potentially apathetic voters want to abstain.
President Biden and the Democrats are doing a disastrous job controlling the messaging about the midterms. The MAGAs are making voters think the election is a standard midterm referendum about a President who has allowed immigration & the economy to worsen, and who cannot even get respect from so-called Allies: Saudi's MBS raising gas prices after Biden goes to Riyadh to forgive him from murdering Khashoggi. It doesn't matter whether the latter is true; it matters how the right wing spins the story!
You know what I’m fearful of? Trump dying before he’s made accountable. I feel like he’d be turned into a martyr to lionise for an autocratic right, and subvert any sense of justice and accountability a majority of Americans demand. It feels horribly pessimistic, cynical and down-right tin-hatty to think this way, but I feel if it did it’s a win-win scenario for the Republicans...
He’s going to be canonized no matter what so IMO him dying ASAP would be the best thing for the country.
his Wake'd be
One for the Ages
hell it might even
Reunite the Country
.
too Soon
to sell
Tix?
I’ve listened to all the hearings and quite frankly don’t understand that when the authorities knew this was in the air to happen- please tell me Professor Reich why NOTHING was done to secure the Capitol Building and the government people inside?? I just don’t get it! People died - In my opinion the cops and law enforcement was negligent- no other way to say it!! Why was nothing done?? It’s like a bomb is coming in and don’t tell people to prepare- you want to see those people just killed? And in this case the craziness of Trump is well documented. Please somebody explain this to me. I’m totally baffled out of my mind!!
Hi, Kay Ann, you are blaming the wrong people. Law enforcement from the Capitol Police and the DC Metropolitan Police force were there and did their best to control the maggots who were attacking both them and the Capitol. The failure (as in 9/11) wasn't from the police officers but from the leaders (the only ones informed) who decided to do nothing. I don't know if they were all retrumplicans or just plain damned stupid. But what was learned today will go the the Department of Justice, hopefully, this time some heads will (figuratively) roll.
Fay, by no means was I blaming the local Capitol police. These people really suffered and some killed and some committed suicide. I,like you, am questioning the “higher ups”. The DOJ The FBI The etc.Like you said and I reverberate let the heads roll that sat back and did nothing!! My query is still WHY??
Why isn’t anyone mentioning the Secret Service & the mass deletion of text on January 5th????
Gayle you’re absolutely right. When I said etc I met them too! There’s a lot there to explain !! ALOT!!
I agree with you, Kay Ann, the information was "in the air". During a three month period from election day to the 1/6 insurrection, from all the information that appeared on public news channels and other media , I and others I have spoken to felt that violence was going to happen at the Capitol that day. If average people, like myself, had that concern, it was almost unbelievable to see what actually happened that day. Absolutely shocking and unforgivable! Will it result in a military coup next time ?
I agree WHY. The same thing occurred pre-9/11. At least one FBI agent in Chicago voiced her suspicions to higher ups in headquarters at least two months in advance and was totally ignored, That too, was during a Republican presidency, so I don't know if the FBI at both times was being run by political hacks or the FBI just needs to be shaken up. This is certainly another case where the country would be better off, if the heads of agencies were selected competitively through civil service instead of political appointments. Teddy Roosevelt had the right idea, he just didn't go far enough.
The Republicans have placed moles inside of the Secret Service and the FBI. This is why the Trump rally was not canceled and why the capital was left underprotected.
I didn’t say it as bluntly as you did William, but your thought was definitely in my mind. It’s horrible to actually think these supposedly “non-partisan “ appointments are indeed very partisan. Their sole purpose is to enforce the law- not play or get involved in partisan politics. James Comey, I greatly admire, stood up to Trump’s required loyalty oath! It cost him his job but he was an honorable man. I guess the realization this people can be intimidated, bought off and coerced is sad but true. It’s a hard pill to swallow- for me.
Is this true, or just hearsay?
This is my conjecture Fay. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify that. In the fullness of time I expect Congress/AG to take up the question of the Secret Service and FBI response during the January 6th insurrection. And I fully expect that the facts will bear out that there was interference within the Secret Service and the FBI. Just like it is conjecture at this point whether or not Donald Trump broke the law - because the investigation is not over with and we don’t have a conviction yet. Conjecture? Yes. In doubt? No.
But there weren't enough of them with the tools to prevent an invasion of the Capitol they had ample warning could occur.
Why? https://www.justsecurity.org/81806/january-6-intelligence-and-warning-timeline/
Check out the Flynn brothers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/flynn-national-guard-call-riot/2021/01/20/7f4f41ba-5b4c-11eb-aaad-93988621dd28_story.html
Securities forces faced an impossible challenge - they were faced with trying to saving their elected superiors from themselves.
Nope. See below.
Trump is really guilty of treason against the United States by violating his oath of office and doing many illegal things to try to hold on to power, including his last desperate effort to lead an insurrection against Congress to deny Biden's indisputable election; one in which people were injured and even killed. The penalty for treason in death, and in his case, I would like to see it enforced.
No matter what happens to him, Trump continues to hamstring our federal government and largely prevent it from attending to any number of other crucial issues. Trump’s modus operandi is to ignore the law and constitutional restraints, thereby effectively tossing a wrench into the mechanism of government. He has sucked the entire nation — even those of us who detest him — into the vortex of his own sociopathology. The damage he already has done to our nation is incalculable and will persist for years. Thus, I merely repeat the question that my European friends kept asking during my recent visit: “Why can’t you Americans just make this guy disappear?”
Trump Rallies
At all of his rallies Trump repeats that if he is elected President again we will Take This Country Back. He never says how far back!
David Montgomery of the Washington Post has written a roundup of what 21 experts “in the presidency, political science, public administration, the military, intelligence, foreign affairs, economics and civil rights” say would happen should Trump be reelected in 2024.
They argue that upon taking office, Trump would install super loyalists to do his bidding and would ignore the Senate if it tried to stop him, as he largely did in his term. He has, after all, already outlined a plan to fire career civil servants and has explored a rigorous system for guaranteeing loyalists for those posts. Next, the experts suggest, he would deploy the military at home against his enemies while disengaging internationally and turning things over to Putin and other authoritarians. America’s global leadership would end, not least because no other nations would trust our intelligence services. Political violence would become the norm, giving Trump an excuse to declare martial law, and our democracy would fall.
More than half the Republican nominees for office in November are election deniers, and on Saturday, October 8, Republican nominee for Nevada secretary of state Jim Marchant told a rally, “We’re gonna fix the whole country and President Trump is gonna be president again.”
Only True American Patriots can end this!
STOP THIS LOSER !