Mob breaches Capitol, spurring lockdown
January 6, 2021 11:48 AM   Subscribe

U.S. Capitol is on lockdown as protesters clash with police and breach the building; D.C. mayor imposes curfew.
posted by NotLost (1679 comments total) 89 users marked this as a favorite
 
YOU ARE HERE =====>
18 U.S. Code § 2383 - Rebellion or insurrection

Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
posted by mikelieman at 11:50 AM on January 6, 2021 [177 favorites]




I don't quite understand how they "breached" the building -- the video I saw showed people filing in down a line of preset stanchions. I mean, the building has doors and windows that lock, yes?
posted by JanetLand at 11:52 AM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Go to the World Channel -- Lisa Desjardins is -- was -- live in the middle of things. Jesus, she's getting her combat pay today. This is unbelievable. Armed police inside the Capitol Building. This definitely is a crowd sourced attempted coup.
posted by y2karl at 11:56 AM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Shoutout to my uncle, a career federal employee who worked for a regulatory agency for more than 30 years, who asked me each time we discussed the Trump Admin during 2017-January 2020, “Yes, Trump is ignorant, and crass and a bully, but how has your life changed? How has he affected you personally?”
posted by mlis at 11:58 AM on January 6, 2021 [53 favorites]


There's something very symbolic about a group of protesters breaking into the U.S. Capitol while carrying a Confederate battle flag.
posted by traveler_ at 11:58 AM on January 6, 2021 [102 favorites]


How is this even a thing I am watching live on television. The fucking PBS reporter is on the 3rd floor and there are MAGA hats all over and I'm sorry, there is a fucking ARMED STANDOFF AT THE DOOR OF THE CHAMBER what even is happening?!?!
posted by DarlingBri at 11:58 AM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


I don't quite understand how they "breached" the building -- the video I saw showed people filing in down a line of preset stanchions. I mean, the building has doors and windows that lock, yes?

>25% of the people who work in that building are part of the coup.
posted by benzenedream at 11:58 AM on January 6, 2021 [50 favorites]


What the actual fuck.
They’re shooting into the chamber.
[image]
--@MEPFuller
posted by XtinaS at 11:59 AM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]




There'd be blood in the streets if BLM had even thought about doing this. Compare the security in both situations.
posted by simmering octagon at 11:59 AM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]



"Bourgeois society stands at the crossroads, either transition to socialism or regression into barbarism" Rosa Luxemburg
posted by robbyrobs at 12:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [39 favorites]




I don't quite understand how they "breached" the building -- the video I saw showed people filing in down a line of preset stanchions. I mean, the building has doors and windows that lock, yes?


Video of insurrectionists attacking Capitol door. (Jim Newell via twitter)
posted by mikelieman at 12:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


mods: this might be a better link to the article, current one goes to front page of site - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/06/dc-protests-trump-rally-live-updates/
posted by CyberSlug Labs at 12:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm pretty sure I can tell from here which path Bourgeois society is choosing.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Gosh, security for the Trump protesters could never have seen this coming.
posted by uraniumwilly at 12:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Who wants to bet that Trump is going to pardon everyone involved?
posted by simmering octagon at 12:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]




Just going out on a limb... But did anyone who kept seeing police use kid gloves on MAGAturds and Proud Boy all summer really expect anything different than this today?
posted by deadaluspark at 12:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [68 favorites]


The brownshirts were never gonna go down without a fight. Fuck them, fuck Trump, fuck the GOP, and fuck everyone who normalized the mainstreaming of white supremacy. I’m sick to death of these shitty confabulating delusional racist fuckwits and their enablers. I want to launch them all into the fucking sun except what did the poor sun do to deserve that?
posted by supercrayon at 12:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [90 favorites]


yes

i exepcted them to be better at riot control and to hold the line
posted by lalochezia at 12:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]




Delete Trump's Fucking Twitter
posted by theodolite at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [45 favorites]


What a shitshow. It'll take a long time to get this under control, especially with the active malevolence of the Executive and DOD. Mad to watch.
posted by knapah at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


MSNBC showed a woman being taken out on a stretcher, blood covering her face, her eyes open, and she looked like she was gone. There are pictures and since it was on Live TV there are bound to be videos, but I suggest avoiding it if you can. I wasn't ready to see that. I hope the person isn't dead, but she sure looked it.
posted by cashman at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Months ago, I predicted gunfire in the House or the Senate before this was all over, but I never said anything because I knew I would be accused of scaremongering and my comment would be deleted.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [41 favorites]


If I had to pick one time to use tear gas, it would be when armed assailants are trying to get into the legislature while it's in session.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [98 favorites]


Every time somebody says that something is "just a meme", I remember that Trump's presidential campaign was once a just a meme.
posted by betweenthebars at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


(posted on other thread, reposting here):

so in my experience, legislative bodies often have officially designated alternate meeting rooms where business can be carried out in the event that the actual chambers are inaccessible due to popular action. is there anything like that at the level of the federal legislature? are there emergency chambers where the house & senate can officially meet, or can one actually shut down the legislature by taking and holding the dais?
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


So they just aren't going to do anything? Like, these people just get to destroy the Capitol Building?
posted by all about eevee at 12:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


BREAKING: DC paramedic source tells me one person shot in Capitol. CPR in progress

warning: replies include stills and video of the footage that aired on MSNBC, in which a woman is being taken away on a stretcher with a lot of blood.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Needs to be clearly stated: were these "protesters" Black, they would be dead. Right now.

We are watching white privilege in action. Never forget that.
posted by Dashy at 12:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [142 favorites]


I'm somewhere in the 1920s in Volker Ullrich's Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939. Specifically, the chapter I'm on is entitled "Führer on Standby."

It's incredibly on the fucking nose.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Just going out on a limb... But did anyone who kept seeing police use kid gloves on MAGAturds and Proud Boy all summer really expect anything different than this today?

Did I expect the police to roll over like neutered dogs to these fuckers and their antics? Yes, of course.

Did I expect, honestly expect in the United States of America, that some knucklehead with a room temperature IQ would be able to get his ass all the way into the office of the # 3 in line to the Presidency and sit his ass at her desk and play around on her computer without being stopped or slowed?

Fuck no, and neither did you, don't be glib.
posted by phunniemee at 12:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [175 favorites]


are there emergency chambers where the house & senate can officially meet

CSPAN reported that yes, they can convene in alternate locations.
posted by mrgoat at 12:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Invoke the 25th Amendment, Vice President Pence. Do it now.
posted by vitout at 12:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


Breaking on @MSNBC: Speaker Pelosi is safe. - Kyle Griffin
posted by valkane at 12:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Some historical perspective: During Trump's 4 year term:
1) Loss of the House
2) Loss of the White House
3) Loss of the Senate
4) First time thugs breach Capitol building security since 1954
posted by uraniumwilly at 12:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Any updates on the National Guard? Were they called? Did that denial really happen? Can they overturn it and still call them?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


It would be swell to think that this - this - might finally sway some of the less cultishly brainwashed supporters of the GOP. I would like to think, for instance, that my otherwise loving, trump-backing elderly aunt and uncle would recoil from this in horror and take a long, goddamned hard look at what they've been enabling all these years. I would like to think scores of people would wake up as if from a night of excessive partying, reeling and asking themselves "I did WHAT??" and make sincere efforts to distance themselves from these white supremacist filthbags. It would be nice if this were a true turning point towards something better.

I have absolutely NO hope that this will happen. But it would be nice.
posted by DingoMutt at 12:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


> I'm not being glib. I've seen how abysmal the US has treated "security" for decades. If you didn't think our "security" is an absolute shitshow you haven't been paying the fuck attention.

I've seen this from inside the federal cybersecurity apparatus, and yeah, it's bad. But I've always found the physical security around things very strong, and am stunned that a relatively small group of thugs was able to do this to such an important center of power.
posted by tonycpsu at 12:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Any updates on the National Guard? Were they called? Did that denial really happen? Can they overturn it and still call them?

The Speaker and the Mayor have both requested them. Neither request has been acted on.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Jesus mother of fuck...
posted by acb at 12:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


We're about one or two chaotic events away from some high-ranking generals having to decide what side they're on.
posted by tonycpsu at 12:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [39 favorites]


Did I expect, honestly expect in the United States of America, that some knucklehead with a room temperature IQ would be able to get his ass all the way into the office of the # 3 in line to the Presidency and sit his ass at her desk and play around on her computer without being stopped or slowed?

Given that some knucklehead with a room temperature IQ got his ass all the way to the actual Presidency and stayed there for four years, then yes, I am honestly not at all surprised that this is how things are playing out right now. Dismayed, yes; surprised, genuinely no.
posted by flabdablet at 12:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [49 favorites]


Channel 4 News has suggested that if this was taking place in a banana republic it would be seen as a coup. I can't believe it's happening in the USA. How can that person be encouraging his fascist footsoldiers to defy the laws of the land and discard basic bloody morality? Is there some sort of film playing in his brain where all of this is the dramatic final battle? How can he not be imprisoned for fermenting a riot?

These are all pretty rhetorical questions but I feel so sorry for America and the vast majority of her decent and law abiding citizens. This is awful, even after four years of awful.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 12:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


(hundreds? of terrorists at the capitol and I'm not seeing many masks among them. I know its hard to think about anything else right now, but we are still in a deadly pandemic too.)
posted by supermedusa at 12:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Wow, how is everyone there not being tear gassed? Where is Homeland Security? How did a bunch of fucking yokels just pull this off!?
posted by flamk at 12:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Don’t be surprised if Trump declares a national emergency and suspends the electoral process.
posted by cenoxo at 12:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Masks aren't macho, it's that simple.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I don't quite understand how they "breached" the building -- the video I saw showed people filing in down a line of preset stanchions. I mean, the building has doors and windows that lock, yes?

Yeah, but it's not a fortress. A High School built within the last 20 years is more impentatrable.
posted by sideshow at 12:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


It's more terrifying than I thought to be living through historical events... This will probably spread. Stay safe all.
posted by Rabarberofficer at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Don’t be surprised if Trump declares a national emergency and suspends the electoral process.

He can't stop his term expiring on January 20th. If he holds on past then, it's not a "national emergency", it's just a self-coup.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Fucking hell. I mean just fucking hell.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


MSNBC: Trump is "monitoring the situation". He has no plans to speak.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2021




IMPOTUS45: I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!

The words of someone who didn't think the roided-up leopards would come eat faces in his backyard.
posted by tonycpsu at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


I honestly haven't been this frightened since 9/11.
posted by all about eevee at 12:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]


The Metropolitan Police protest planners must be watching this in shock.
posted by knapah at 12:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm not surprised, just disappointed and grieving.
posted by Jacen at 12:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


And law enforcement still isn't going going to crack down on these people as hard as they do on BLM protestors.
posted by demonic winged headgear at 12:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


cosplay coup?

redneck's revolt?
posted by djseafood at 12:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Megami - I'm worried about the White House on inauguration day.
posted by shortfuse at 12:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Aaron C Davis: A source tells me The Defense Department has just denied a request by DC officials to deploy the National Guard to the US Capitol.

Heather Cox Richardson: If true, this is huge. It explains why Trump removed Esper as soon as he lost the election.
posted by Dashy at 12:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


He can't stop his term expiring on January 20th. If he holds on past then, it's not a "national emergency", it's just a self-coup.

What's to stop him? The Constitution is clearly just a piece of paper to these people.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


"Rep Mike Gallagher, who is a Trump supporter, on the phone with @jaketapper:

"Call this off Mr. President, the election is over. Call this off."

When asked by Jake what Trump should tweet, Rep. Gallagher says he should tweet "I support the peaceful transfer of power." -- Yashar Ali
posted by valkane at 12:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]




There's a dog-that-caught-the-car vibe to this. What next? Mob rule? They don't know what to do next. They're milling around and not doing much.

Vandalism probably. They might start a fire.

History will damn these people and their leader.
posted by adept256 at 12:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Surely this...
posted by PhineasGage at 12:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


A source tells me The Defense Department has just denied a request by DC officials to deploy the National Guard to the US Capitol.

This is the sort of thing that I'm absolutely not going to amplify until I get some corroboration.
posted by tclark at 12:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Listening to a Dem senator (sorry, missed who) being interviewed over phone by BBC. He's just been read Trump's latest tweet about obeying the law.

"Well isn't that NICE." - I don't think I can convey the sheer sarcasm in his voice.
posted by Major Clanger at 12:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I hate how this will bolster these people in the future. They'll attribute any failure to just not having the numbers and they'll keep building their numbers. This needed to be nipped in the bud (on the lawn). This is disgusting.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


I was going to post 2 hours ago thanking MeFites outside this country for their good wishes. Now we just need help...
posted by goalyeehah at 12:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


There's a dog-that-caught-the-car vibe to this.

Only because Pelosi etc have been evacuated. If they'd still been in the chamber we'd have a full hostage situation.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [34 favorites]


Sorry, not senator, it's Rep Brendan Doyle. "The rest of the world must be looking at this and wondering if democracy just failed in the United States."
posted by Major Clanger at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


He can't stop his term expiring on January 20th.

Irrelevant to the Imperial Donald: it’s just another law to break. He just stopped the electoral process with a speech.
posted by cenoxo at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


"I am told that the reluctance of DOD to call out the DC guard is because they would come under the command of POTUS, which would obviously be a problem." -- Robert Farley
posted by valkane at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


They're breaking in the windows of the Capitol - film on CNN
posted by Mchelly at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


This isn't a terror attack...merely a formalisation of the fascist governing process.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Reminder that we won in Georgia and we won in November. And when you challenge the patriarchal white supremacist right in America, they snap back hard. Especially if you win.

They were never gonna go down without a fight. Ever since they were in the streets in Charlottesville yelling about blood and soil and Trump gave them a wink and talked about very fine people on both sides.

The right in America has been shrieking about the second amendment and armed resistance to “tyranny” for decades, this is the consequence for normalizing violence and racism and treating it as though it were just another mainstream point of view instead of what it is: fascism, cowardice, and white supremacy.
posted by supercrayon at 12:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [106 favorites]


Not that the rules matter right now, but would it be legal for Maryland or Virginia to mobilize their National Guard units, e.g. to protect their representatives?
posted by Riki tiki at 12:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


What's to stop him? The Constitution is clearly just a piece of paper to these people.

With or without a declaration of emergency there is nothing stopping Trump from deciding that he will keep being the president, except all the rest of us. The point is an emergency declaration doesn't give him extra special coup powers.
posted by muddgirl at 12:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


"I am told that the reluctance of DOD to call out the DC guard is because they would come under the command of POTUS, which would obviously be a problem." -- Robert Farley

well does fucking Virginia want to lend a hand then
posted by schadenfrau at 12:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


WaPo has changed 'protestors' to mob in the headline, now Mob breaches Capitol, spurring lockdown
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


This needed to be nipped in the bud (on the lawn). This is disgusting.

This needed to be nipped in the bud when the Bundys drew guns on BLM staff. That's when they really knew they were going to get the kid gloves treatment.
posted by jason_steakums at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [129 favorites]


We are watching white privilege in action. Never forget that.

Oh, absolutey. The very first thing I thought of when all those white people were attacking those other white people was the unfairness of it all, that there might be somehow, further culling of the herd.

Just like all that white privilege everywhere, when all those white people gather in large or even huge groups while not wearing a mask during a pandemic. Such white privilege to die stupidly.

posted by uraniumwilly at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


While there are real consequences on the ground as we speak, in the short-to-medium term, EVEN if this is "merely" a "2020" blip in terms of the electoral process.....

..... America's reputation as a stable Bastion for Capital, Democracy, Power, Control, whatever self-delusions the post-WWII capitalist world has desperately clung to about it .......just died today.

Vladdy P, many other autocrats, and jackpot-disaster-capitalists must be pissing themselves laughing.
posted by lalochezia at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


Dropping tear gas next to a pile of octagenarian senators seems like it could have some unfortunate side effects... I think we get an extra dose of terrible if this ends with any dead congress critters.
posted by kaibutsu at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Why the hell aren't those fuckers being arrested? This is unbelievable.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Trump need to be prosecuted for this.
posted by octothorpe at 12:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


A woman has been shot and is in a critical condition.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I don't understand what's happening anymore. It's not like you get to run the country if you take over the capital. It's not Risk
posted by Lord_Pall at 12:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


CNN is reporting that a woman was shot on the Capital grounds.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:27 PM on January 6, 2021


Why the hell aren't those fuckers being arrested?

This is a very good question.
posted by valkane at 12:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


CNN is still straggling with "Protesters breach Capitol as Congress certifies Biden's win"
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


If they'd still been in the chamber we'd have a full hostage situation.

There'd be a lot of dead people by now if there was even a wiff of a hostage situation.
posted by sideshow at 12:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


(hundreds? of terrorists at the capitol and I'm not seeing many masks among them. I know its hard to think about anything else right now, but we are still in a deadly pandemic too.)

Very few people are wearing masks and very many of them are indoors, shouting loudly, and in close proximity. Many of them are in high-risk groups.

The number of people who are going to die or suffer long-term effects as a result of this attempted sedition during a novel pandemic is going to be staggering.
posted by Ouverture at 12:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Why the hell aren't those fuckers being arrested? This is unbelievable.

They have guns. And numbers. Until the building can be cleared, I don't know there's even anywhere to put them.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


What do these bozos expect?

That the 81 million people who voted for Biden to say "oh, you felt that strongly about it? OK. Four more years for Trump?"

Some reasonable-sounding "election commissioned" to be formed and investigate? Will they accept their findings if not for Trump?

Or do they just want to re-found the nation on the basis of Owning the Libs?
posted by MrGuilt at 12:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


"CNN's @PamelaBrownCNN reports a woman is in critical condition after being shot in the chest on Capitol grounds. She says we don't yet know what happened." -- Daniel Dale
posted by valkane at 12:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I don't understand what's happening anymore. It's not like you get to run the country if you take over the capital. It's not Risk

Trump sent a mob to (successfully, for now) stop the legal certification of the next president.
posted by theodolite at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


Rep Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan) just said on ABC that the National Guard has confirmed they'll be responding
posted by stinkfoot at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


There's video on twitter of the woman being shot in the neck. I won't link to it. She appears to be a part of the coup attempt.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021


Letting armed terrorists break into the chamber where the VP and both houses of Congress are convened (including the VP-elect) is a huge failure of the Secret Service, along with the rest of federal law enforcement. The logical outcome of government and law enforcement refusing to treat white, right-wing mobs as the threat they are.
posted by mbrubeck at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [92 favorites]


"The right in America has been shrieking about the second amendment and armed resistance to 'tyranny' for decades"

In fairness, the Founders deserve a fair bit of blame for this.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


Eric Erickson, far right blogger tweeted.: Shoot the protestors. Waive the rules, impeach. Waive the rules, convict. Waive the rules, deny the ability to run again.
posted by y2karl at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


I call BS. If these were BLM protestors there would be tear gas and goose stepping law enforement.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Still, you know, tax cuts
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


WaPo has changed 'protestors' to mob in the headline, now Mob breaches Capitol, spurring lockdown

Is a shame that here, on Metafilter, the title of the thread invokes protesters. Perhaps this can be changed?

These are not protesters.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 12:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [87 favorites]


Politico's Olivia Beavers on Twitter
21 minutes ago: We are not disclosing where we are going or where members have been taken.
22 minutes ago: Reporters aren’t allowed in the safe room where members were just escorted — Rep, Spanberger tried to pushback for us, no luck. Heading to a members office with some other reporters.

posted by Iris Gambol at 12:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


I would think they could at least bring in the fire department to hose down the rebels.
posted by NotLost at 12:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Why are people talking about impeachment and 25th amendment. Who gives a shit about those processes right this second. Where are the rubber bullets, tear gas and water canons. This must be stopped right now. The hammer of “processes” can come later but Jesus why isn’t anyone stopping them!?
posted by like_neon at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Yeah it's insane that after a full summer of practice the DC police and whatever federal people protect the capitol just let this happen with nary a canister of tear gas let off outside. Every little fractal corner of today is insane.
posted by GuyZero at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


I think CNN is calling it a coup.
posted by NotLost at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


How long will the recess last? What happens to the certification?
posted by asra at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


What do these bozos expect? That the 81 million people who voted for Biden to say "oh, you felt that strongly about it? OK. Four more years for Trump?"

You're assuming that these bozos believe that 81 million people DID vote for Biden. They don't even believe those 81 million people EXIST.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


A huge portion of the mob seems to be content to stand on the steps and mill about on the street vs getting MAGA points for breaking in. What decision-making process determines that, I wonder.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Why the hell aren't those fuckers being arrested? This is unbelievable.

Why would the police attack their most ardent supporters? They're on the same team.

This is the best illustration of what leftist people of color have been saying about the police for decades.

I hope every person who thinks otherwise is paying close attention:
This was the capitol’s security when there were black protestors on the streets.
posted by Ouverture at 12:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [80 favorites]


Don't even call them rebels.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


"I was on the floor but I am safe with my brave staff. What we are witnessing is an attempted coup directly incited by the criminal in the White House. It will fail." -- Rep. Bill Pascrell
posted by valkane at 12:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


I feel sick - Ted Cruz and trump are both tweeting about keeping the protests peaceful. They unleashed the monster, put them out in front of that mob of seditionists.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Is it just me, or are there more people there now, than at the Trump inauguration?
posted by Rabarberofficer at 12:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Trying to imagine the look on Vladimir Putin's face right now.
posted by PhineasGage at 12:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


C-SPAN just announced that a top Virginia official said the VA National Guard has been mobilized.
posted by Riki tiki at 12:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


What do these bozos expect?

That the 81 million people who voted for Biden to say "oh, you felt that strongly about it? OK. Four more years for Trump?"


That's the stupidest part. In a world there Trump somehow was still President on Jan 21st, the Trump Administration wouldn't survive until the end of the month.

I don't mean that metaphorically. Enough of them would be dead to prevent them from holding onto power.
posted by sideshow at 12:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]




Putin is sleeping soundly, as he has for 4 years now.
posted by Dashy at 12:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Something to consider: the art of deescalation against a crackpot and crazed mob does not include beating the shit out of them. and yes, my dark side wants to see them bumped and bruised.
posted by uraniumwilly at 12:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


can virginia or maryland send in their national guard, or does their authority stop at the d.c. city limits?
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:34 PM on January 6, 2021


Although I have to admit that there doesn't seem to be an endgame here. Trump declaring martial law? It's an important building, but it's just one building.

Although every time I type out "they just have to..." it seems patently stupid. So who knows.
posted by GuyZero at 12:34 PM on January 6, 2021


"If these attackers were Black, they'd already be dead. But the fascist Republican Party has decided that these confederate flag waving nazis can commit all the terrorism and destruction they want." -- Walter Shaub, former director @OfficeGovEthics
posted by valkane at 12:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]


Welp, there goes my resolution for better time management in 2021.
posted by srboisvert at 12:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [86 favorites]


> The Virginia National Guard and 200 state troopers are being sent to DC, per a top Va official.
3:29 PM · Jan 6, 2021


oh thank god.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Cnn.com stating that Maryland police from Montgomery County have been mobilized to assist.
posted by soundguy99 at 12:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Hi, folks. Personal request: please do not post bald assertions without linking to (or at least mentioning) where you're getting the information. Thank you.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 12:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]


All the Reps and Senators giving interviews right now say they will move forward with the certification as soon as the building is secured.
posted by all about eevee at 12:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


There better be some serious fucking consequences for all this.
posted by aramaic at 12:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]




I don't quite understand how they "breached" the building -- the video I saw showed people filing in down a line of preset stanchions. I mean, the building has doors and windows that lock, yes?

Yeah, but it's not fortress.


I am very familiar with the Capitol. It is a very large building, but there are a limited number of entrances. Based on my memory: On the east side (away from the Mall), there are six doors - one at the top of each of the three stairs (House, Senate, and center/Rotunda), and one each under each of those stairs. There's an entrance on each side. The west side has been blocked off for a while - since 9/11, I believe - but I believe there are also three doors. There are close to 1000 Capitol Police (in a quick search I found 846 listed from 2017).

This is a massive failure on their part, both in planning and execution. I know that many here will ascribe this to bias, and that may well be a contributing factor - perhaps they didn't anticipate violence because of bias - but my gut feeling is that it's primarily incompetence. In particular, I am totally shocked that once a few people entered the building they were not able to fall back, secure the building, and quickly arrest everyone inside. (Yes, it's a public building, but it's not generally open to the public - again, since 9/11 - except through guided, ticketed tours.)

To be sure, this is overwhelmingly a political failure and crisis, but it's also a bureaucratic and operational one.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [80 favorites]


What do these bozos expect? That the 81 million people who voted for Biden to say "oh, you felt that strongly about it? OK. Four more years for Trump?"

This exact kind of threat worked on the Supreme Court to buy GWB his first term.
posted by srboisvert at 12:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Now I'm wishing those antifa supersoldiers weren't a fantasy.
posted by adept256 at 12:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


"No president in American history has called into television control rooms more than Donald J. Trump to be interviewed on air. But today, silence from the White House. If there was ever a time for a presidential statement or leadership, now would be that time." - Jeff Zeleny, CNN
posted by valkane at 12:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [50 favorites]


Mr.Know-it-some: There's scaffolding up that the mob used to climb up and break through windows.
posted by SansPoint at 12:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Something to consider: the art of deescalation against a crackpot and crazed mob does not include beating the shit out of them

not according to the crazed crackpots themselves. the nazis thought it was hilarious that they could have been stomped into irrelevance for years before they came to power, but nobody ever did it. possibly because they were busy trying to artfully deescalate nazis.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [40 favorites]


Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully. This would be straight out of the Reichstag playbook.
posted by beagle at 12:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


“Turmoil at the Capitol” Live Blog, Reuters
posted by ob1quixote at 12:38 PM on January 6, 2021


Not to be all "I just read a history book" but this is the exact scene that defined the French Revolution over and over again. With the the tacit or overt support of the National Guard, a mob broke in, threatened legislators, told the legislators what to say, and the legislators did it and said the right things and then stuck to it even after the mob left. This tactic WORKED many times. This tactic worked against the king. Those mobs weren't organized, either. THIS METHOD HAS WORKED IN THE PAST. If the legislators hadn't evacuated it would be working now.

And it's impossible to imagine these guys are doing all this without the tacit or overt support of the police.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Now I'm wishing those antifa supersoldiers weren't a fantasy.

making some changes to my new year resolutions
posted by schadenfrau at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Many Dare Call It Treason
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


I haven't even gotten around to my daily check of the covid-19 numbers today.

The doom is outpacing my scroll.
posted by srboisvert at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [62 favorites]


I am currently attending a virtual conference, and all I can think right now is something that another conference attendee just dropped into the hashtag: "Another benefit of a virtual #SICB2021 is that none of us are in Washington, D.C. right now." Because. It was supposed to be held in DC this year. There is no way I would not have gone, I love DC and I love this conference.

Hoooooooooly fuck.
posted by sciatrix at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


This an attempted terrorist coup, egged by the President and many members of the Republican party.

Nobody in Congress should leave DC until Donnie is impeached, and every Republican tweeting for calm now should resign in disgrace. You asked for this. You encouraged this.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


CNN just suggested that Trump is ignoring calls for him to put out a stronger tweet.
posted by MrGuilt at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The video that CNN is showing, shows the mobsters breaking the windows of the capital building with some kind of clear battering ram (with handles). That's how they got in apparently.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"Mr.Know-it-some: There's scaffolding up that the mob used to climb up and break through windows."

Isn't that the same way that one guy broke into Buckingham Palace and into the Queen's bedroom?


How does this stuff keep happening?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I love PBS, but never has their calm, sober announcer voice been less appropriate to broadcasting the news than right now.
posted by PhineasGage at 12:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Utah State Capitol evacuated due to increasing right-wing protests.

Channeling rebeccablood from the MeFi 9/11 thread:
my greatest fear is how our governmentPresident for the next 14 days and the military are going to respond. more erosion complete destruction of freedom in the name of freedom four more years
posted by inflatablekiwi at 12:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Biden will be making a statement shortly.
posted by bluesky43 at 12:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I don't quite understand how they "breached" the building

C-SPAN showed some footage of a pack of yahoos going in through a window after breaking it with the edge of what appeared to be a police-style plastic riot shield.
posted by flabdablet at 12:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


"The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now. Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building." -- Mike Pence
posted by valkane at 12:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


"some kind of clear battering ram (with handles)"

It's a riot shield taken (given by?) the Capitol Police.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Mr.Know-it-some: There's scaffolding up that the mob used to climb up and break through windows.

CNN was pointing out that scaffolding is up for Biden's inauguration.
posted by MrGuilt at 12:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Not to be all "I just read a history book" but this is the exact scene that defined the French Revolution over and over again.

Similarly, not to be that guy, but...

Ullrich, op. cit., fresh in my mind because I read this bit last night:

In most cases, it was the SA who started the violence. Packs of SA men tried to create an atmosphere of violence and intimidation and convince their political enemies that of their omnipresence by marching through working-class districts or suddenly appearing en masse in smaller "red" towns. Such acts of provocation, which often precipitated brawls, were like invasions of a hostile territory. As a rule, public action taken by the German communists and socialists were aimed at defending themselves against the SA's increasingly aggressive behaviour in working-class area, which the police frequently refused to prevent and thus tacitly supported. Hitler's oft-repeated contentions that the street fights were "without exception the work of Communists and Social Democratic activists" and that the SA was "mostly outnumbered and only defending itself" were a crass reversal of the facts.

So yeah, if you plopped in "tweets" and "erroneous claims about 'BLM' and/or 'antifa'" into the above, you'd have, well...

...today.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]


Single tweet from a UK legal blogger (DavidAllenGreen), but I think it captures up a lot.
So many Lone Wolves.
posted by MattWPBS at 12:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [95 favorites]


some kind of clear battering ram (with handles)

seconding flabdablet that it appeared to be a plastic riot-type shield.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 12:41 PM on January 6, 2021


From Dan Lamothe:
The entire D.C. National Guard will be activated today, putting about 1,100 guardsmen on duty tonight, defense official tells me. Comes after breach of Capitol by pro-Trump protesters.

Same defense official confirms Mayor Bowser made request for National Guard at Capitol as it was breached. Defense officials initially offered to replace police in other capacities in the city, allowing more police at Capitol specifically, source says.

Defense official denies that DOD denied the request from D.C. officials for more support at Capitol, but acknowledges it has not yet been acted upon.

posted by Dashy at 12:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


"Antifa false flag" is absolutely going to be the play long-term. Good-hearted god-fearing Trump supporters would never break into the Capitol, nosiree.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Oh, and as to the secure location: When the Capitol Visitors Center was added underground on the east side of the Capitol, they dug way, way down. There are lots and lots of large meeting rooms down there; according to the Wikipedia article, 580,000 square feet. I expect there are some other large rooms that are not shown on the official floor plan.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


This is a massive failure on their part, both in planning and execution. I know that many here will ascribe this to bias, and that may well be a contributing factor - perhaps they didn't anticipate violence because of bias - but my gut feeling is that it's primarily incompetence.

I wasn't saying the Capitol couldn't be kept secured, if someone were to decide to do so ahead of time, but that the "default mode" isn't going to keep a mob willing to put cinderblocks through the doors.

My guess is everyone assumed the cops out front would crack enough heads to prevent the "cinderblock through the doors" situation from coming into play, instead of the "come on dudes, knock it off!" effort we saw.
posted by sideshow at 12:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


> Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

this is the party line on r/conservative (which is the deepest into the sewer i'm willing to look right now).

q: is it a good idea for northam to send in the va. national guard? the options look to be open confrontation between the military on the one hand and cops and trumpists on the other, or else just letting them hold the capitol until they get bored. which of these is more likely to give the fucker cover for calling a national emergency. alternately, which of these is less likely to make it seem legitimate when the fucker inevitably calls for a national emergency?
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

People on Twitter are ALREADY saying that.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


What happens when the National Guard mobilizes at the capitol? Do they have the ability to arrest people like the police? Are their strategies different or the same as police in quelling chaos?
posted by extramundane at 12:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


CNN just suggested that Trump is ignoring calls for him to put out a stronger tweet.

Do not want Strong Bad Presidential Tweet.
posted by srboisvert at 12:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


"What we're seeing right now is what we've always known: President Trump is a dangerous, violent threat to the American republic. He's also a coward. He appears to be literally hiding right now." -- Josh Marshall
posted by valkane at 12:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [39 favorites]


letting them hold the capitol until they get bored

They won't get bored. They'll start livestreaming from inside, set up a #MAGA protest camp. They'll set up a People's Assembly in the chamber and start reading out whatever's in Nancy Pelosi's desk.

There's no universe in which they leave on their own accord.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

We need arrests and trials so that the truth will be shown.
posted by No Robots at 12:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


How is it, at this moment, EvenTheLiberalMedia is still calling these people protesters instead of terrorists? I know the answer is racism but is 9 horrifying to see how far the legacy media will go in defense of white supremacy.

If BLM had done something like this they'd all be dead and there would already be a massive FBI roundup of anyone who could be considered influential in BLM. But whit conservative terrorists can storm Congress with no violent response and I doubt there will be more than a handful of arrests.

Tear gas, kettling, mass arrests, tear gas, all that is used exclusively on minorities.

I don't want even these people to get treated the way the pigs treat BLM. I want the pigs to treat BLM the way they treat these people.

They can't really win, right? Eventually they have to leave and Congress will acknowledge Biden, right?
posted by sotonohito at 12:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


MAGA protests attempting to breach gov't building in (at least) Kansas, Utah, Georgia. If anyone has a link to a reported covering all of the non-DC coup attempts, would appreciate it. The other states are getting drowned out a bit.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Is a shame that here, on Metafilter, the title of the thread invokes protesters. Perhaps this can be changed?

You're right. I was in a hurry and just quoted WaPo. Changed it to rebels.
posted by NotLost at 12:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Everyone calling them "protestors" can f right off. These are Trump terrorists.
posted by dno at 12:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


"This morning “President” Trump directed his rioting fans to go to the Capitol and show how “tough” they were; his lawyer Rudy Giuliani advocated for “trial by combat.” The crowd then went to the Capitol, broke in, entered chambers, destroyed property, and someone was shot." -- Robert DeNault
posted by valkane at 12:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]




re: the masklessness, the WaPo feed caught someone coughing hugely in a crowd and commented on that. My fellow healthcare workers down in DC area, you all have a horrible few weeks starting now and going forward, and I feel for you.
posted by cobaltnine at 12:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]






How does this stuff keep happening?

It's kind of the playbook to this whole stupid administration. So much of how the US is governed is actually more like "politeness" agreements and not really legally binding stuff. So all those Executive Orders, and all of the ICE awfulness, and all of the BLM/antifa villianization, and all of the "We're just going to stonewall your processes and fast track our own" a lot of that has been legal (though certainly not all of it) but people just never maybe thought someone would be rude enough to do it.

Which is what POC and other people have been talking about for decades, centuries. They're going to do this stuff, they have been doing this stuff. They will continue to do this stuff. And they were and are right.
posted by jessamyn at 12:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [74 favorites]


NotLost: Changed it to rebels.

I suspect "rebels" plays into their world view. Could we call them terrorists, insurgents, or just Trump Supporters?
posted by MrGuilt at 12:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [42 favorites]


if the fuckers harm so much as one hair on aoc's head.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


Congressman Jamie Raskin is on the phone on C-SPAN, saying that he was in the Capitol with his daughter, so she could see the peaceful transfer of power. He sounds like he's crying.
posted by theodolite at 12:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [48 favorites]


For what it's worth, CNN has "Protesters" in some headlines and captions, but "Rioters" in others. Also referring to "mob violence", and the main news page headline is, appropriately, "ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY."
posted by kristi at 12:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


MAGA protests attempting to breach gov't building in (at least) Kansas, Utah, Georgia. If anyone has a link to a reported covering all of the non-DC coup attempts, would appreciate it. The other states are getting drowned out a bit.

No confirmed links, but looks like its happening in Washington state as well. Relevant reddit thread.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


letting them hold the capitol, avoid Merrick Garland, TCJA, play CDC, etc. until they get bored.

I think we already tried the "let the toddlers cry themselves out" approach on a few things. Been a long damn 4 years and here we are.
posted by Dashy at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


- Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

- People on Twitter are ALREADY saying that.

WaPo has amended the headline to Pro-Trump mob storms Capitol building
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


My fellow healthcare workers down in DC area, you all have a horrible few weeks starting now and going forward, and I feel for you.

Anyone seen any data on how many of these folks are DC area locals vs in town from wherever?
posted by mollymayhem at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Reporter Jake Sherman on MSNBC "I usually can't get through security with my AirPods or my belt, and these people have broken down doors."
posted by tonycpsu at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


There are lots and lots of large meeting rooms down there; according to the Wikipedia article, 580,000 square feet. I expect there are some other large rooms that are not shown on the official floor plan.

If that’s where they are, I seriously they’re secured by 4-foot thick blast doors. Because, sooner or later, the terrorists are going to go searching for them, and god help us all if they actually get their hands on them.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Cori Bush is safe.

Has anyone seen or heard anything from AOC since the shit hit the fan?
posted by mrjohnmuller at 12:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


I doubt the Capitol police have ever dealt with a full-on coup, much less one that's egged on by the outgoing President.

The National Guard is completely different than the police, and I don't think the two groups actually like or trust each other. A lot of the Guard joined up for college benefits - meaning that they are younger, poorer, and more racially diverse than the police.
posted by meowzilla at 12:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]




Ted Cruz's dad may not have been responsible for killing JFK, but his son is certainly responsible for threatening the life of Mike Pence
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


I suspect "rebels" plays into their world view. Could we call them terrorists, insurgents, or just Trump Supporters?

I think Sore Losers sums it up
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Thank you, lazaruslong, I was just gonna go searching for that info.
posted by XtinaS at 12:54 PM on January 6, 2021


"Per sources briefed on the events, Pence told Trump by phone shortly before the rally about how he planned to handle the certification. The president was processing his fury about it during the rally, as he called on his supporters to go march to the Capitol." -- Maggie Haberman
posted by valkane at 12:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]




I think that, with enough violence, the terrorists could prevent the count from being certified. I don't think they could get a false count certified.

Has nobody reminded the terrorist coup crowd that US presidencies do not have rollover and if nobody is inaugurated on Jan 20, then the presidency is vacant and the Speaker for the House steps into the role?
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 12:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Anyone seen any data on how many of these folks are DC area locals vs in town from wherever?

I doubt that they're locals. DC voted something like 95% against Trump.
posted by axiom at 12:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Congressman Jamie Raskin is on the phone on C-SPAN, saying that he was in the Capitol with his daughter, so she could see the peaceful transfer of power. He sounds like he's crying.

Congressman Jamie Raskin lost his son, Thomas, on New Year's Eve. Thomas was 25; the family laid him to rest yesterday.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [72 favorites]


Coup participants need to stop asking me to subscribe to their channel. It cheapens the experience.
posted by Lord_Pall at 12:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


I suspect "rebels" plays into their world view. Could we call them terrorists, insurgents, or just Trump Supporters?
I'm going with Hitler Youth, myself.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]




Has anyone seen or heard anything from AOC since the shit hit the fan?

I would like reassuring deets on the whole freshman Squad, given how the hate groups have villainized them.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Has nobody reminded the terrorist coup crowd that US presidencies do not have rollover and if nobody is inaugurated on Jan 20, then the presidency is vacant and the Speaker for the House steps into the role?

Republican-terrorists will probably not suddenly have a change of heart and respect the law in this, or any respect.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Sergeant at Arms says they expect it to take half an hour or an hour to clear the Capitol.

I would think they would need to do a *full*, massive sweep of the entire building after clearing everyone out. So many things could've been planted in the chaos. Bugs, bombs... I'd be very dubious about Congress going back into session today.
posted by Roommate at 12:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


"Sergeant at Arms says they expect it to take half an hour or an hour to clear the Capitol. They have protestors contained to one area and are just working on getting them out." -- Matt Fuller
posted by valkane at 12:58 PM on January 6, 2021


"Congressman Jamie Raskin [...] was in the Capitol with his daughter, so she could see the peaceful transfer of power. He sounds like he's crying."

Ugggggggh. My shitty parenting day just consisted of saying, "Kids, take your distance learning in the other room, mommy's watching a coup." Still not great.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [48 favorites]


>Yes, because as we all know, when terrorist movements win a tactical victory and get a high-profile act covered by the media, they just tend to get bored and go home.

high-profile media wins are not the important thing here, so long as they don't meaningfully threaten the legitimacy of the extant government. if the legislature can finish certifying the ec vote while ceding the building, that's a win.

i desperately hope that the virginia national guard can in whatever way neutralize and contain this insurgency. someone earlier in the thread noted that we're one or two chaotic acts before generals have to start picking sides. minimizing the number of situations where one of the nervous people holding guns can spark off a firefight is real important.

the only reason i am not actively panicking right now is the knowledge that the maga boys and their police supporters are relatively undisciplined & maybe don't have an exit strategy, or a plan aside from "make big noise."
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 12:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Might this give Twitter cause to take away Trump's account?
posted by MrGuilt at 12:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Do we know where Biden and Harris are right now? Not specifically, but that they're safe? This is terrifying.
posted by invincible summer at 12:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


"Might this give Twitter cause to take away Trump's account?"

He needs a muzzle.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:59 PM on January 6, 2021


Biden and Harris are both safe.
posted by all about eevee at 1:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Find those fuckers and fire them.

Yes. But don't just fire them. They need to be given the maximum possible sentence for sedition. They are much worse and more dangerous than the members of the mob in that they have sworn to uphold the laws that are being attacked.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 1:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [72 favorites]


invincible summer: Biden is in Delaware and was supposed to make a statement at some point.
posted by SansPoint at 1:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Politics is power and this is Trump demonstrating power. He will get a lot of leverage from this.
posted by dmh at 1:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


"just working on getting them out"

Not arresting them? wtf
posted by Jacqueline at 1:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Anyone seen any data on how many of these folks are DC area locals vs in town from wherever?

I'm sure virtually none are from DC proper, but there are plenty of supporters in the exurbs. E.g., Fauquier Co, about an hour drive, voted about 60/40 for Trump.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


NBC showing a line of cop cars, lights and sirens on, heading to the Capitol.

Also saying FBI & DHS on the way.
posted by soundguy99 at 1:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


A pointed subtweet from @NicolaSturgeon
The scenes from the Capitol are utterly horrifying. Solidarity with those in [Flag of United States icon] on the side of democracy and the peaceful and constitutional transfer of power. Shame on those who have incited this attack on democracy.
posted by Buntix at 1:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Or, and this would be better, he will be tried for treason.
posted by dmh at 1:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


I hope the DC prosecutors are putting Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Parler, etc on notice to preserve all of the evidence that the terrorists have been posting. And that includes anyone actively cheering the protestors on online or calling for them to go further or commit additional crimes. Let this be a watershed moment that leads to thousands of right wing terrorists facing justice.
posted by jedicus at 1:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [59 favorites]


Sorry I'm not familiar with USA police rules of engagement but I feel like in most places if you storm the capitol building with an armed group you kind of forfeit your life? Like, there's no expectation that you'll be captured alive is what I'm saying.
posted by some loser at 1:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


"Aaand Ivanka calls them “Patriots”." -- Soledad O'Brien
posted by valkane at 1:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


"Sorry I'm not familiar with USA police rules of engagement but I feel like in most places if you storm the capitol building with an armed group you kind of forfeit your life? Like, there's no expectation that you'll be captured alive is what I'm saying."

The rules are different if you're white.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [94 favorites]


I want law enforcement officials to be surrounding the White House as well, not to protect it but to prevent Trump et al from fleeing the scene of the crime.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I think that, with enough violence, the terrorists could prevent the count from being certified.

I have been streaming NBC's coverage, and at some point they had a commentator on to say that the Constitution only states that the Congress must START the process of certifying the votes today. It does not say they have to FINISH today, nor does it say how long they need to take. In theory Congress could keep deliberating up until January 19th. So since they officially started today, we're good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


As far as military support for the coup - which branches follow? Space Force is certain. The Air Force might. I doubt the other branches will side with the fascists, though.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Politics is power and this is Trump demonstrating power. He will get a lot of leverage from this.

Trump is demonstrating the power to have his supporters scare people including leaders of his own party before those supporters get crushed by police or the National Guard. Actual power would be negotiating $2000 stimulus checks, which is what Joe Biden is going to do after he becomes President on January 20th.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Is there a procedural reason why the electoral college votes have to be done in DC? Could they just fly Congress over to Area 51, proclaim "Democracy will prevail!", and have the votes done there?
posted by meowzilla at 1:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Sorry I'm not familiar with USA police rules of engagement but I feel like in most places if you storm the capitol building with an armed group you kind of forfeit your life? Like, there's no expectation that you'll be captured alive is what I'm saying.

It will be interesting to find out how many security people were a part of this breach plan.
posted by uraniumwilly at 1:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]




Biden now addressing press, I'm watching the PBS NewsHour youtube stream.
posted by BuxtonTheRed at 1:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Biden is speaking now on CNN and other channels. He calls this "An assault on the citadel of liberty."
posted by beagle at 1:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Sorry I'm not familiar with USA police rules of engagement but I feel like in most places if you storm the capitol building with an armed group you kind of forfeit your life? Like, there's no expectation that you'll be captured alive is what I'm saying.

if this were a target getting breached there'd be some swift on-site response maybe
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


So since they officially started today, we're good.

Proceedings halted with the tally reflecting twelve electoral votes for Trump, zero for Biden.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Biden: This "borders on sedition... I call on this mob to pull back"
posted by BungaDunga at 1:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Biden talking live now. He's calling it out as sedition, and sounded close to tears when he started.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Biden also says this "borders on sedition".
posted by mrgoat at 1:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


"it's chaos, border line sedition"

-PEOTUS, Biden.
posted by clavdivs at 1:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Politics is power and this is Trump demonstrating power. He will get a lot of leverage from this.

He's a narcissist who wants to punish America for rejecting him.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


"Could they just fly Congress over to Area 51"

Probably West Virginia, but yes, I'd imagine that will happen.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:09 PM on January 6, 2021


Biden: "It's not protest. It's insurrection."
posted by nickmark at 1:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


"The crowd is streaming calmly away as seemingly endless cop cars head toward the capitol. seeing multiple jurisdictions, lots of unmarked. vans full of swat." -- Molly Conger
posted by valkane at 1:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


President-Elect Biden: "I call on President Trump to go on national television now and fulfil his oath by calling for an end to this siege." "It's not protest, it's insurrection."
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Biden: "At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite."
posted by tonycpsu at 1:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


To my knowledge, if the count doesn't finish by noon on the 20th with someone getting 270 electoral votes, the Speaker becomes Acting President.
posted by BungaDunga at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Steve Mnuchin's Tweet this morning seems almost comical on reflection. "On my way to Israel now for important meetings..." Never be at the scene of the crime, right Steve?...or the 25th amendment discussion for that matter?.....just be in...errr...a meeting....yeah...err...a really important meeting. Sorry I left my spine in my other pants.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Gotta impeach Trump now before he can pardon these dumbfucks.
posted by Groundhog Week at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


The crowd is streaming calmly away as seemingly endless cop cars head toward the capitol.

Not good enough, unless that crowd is getting rides in the aforementioned cop cars.
posted by MrGuilt at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


The Speaker of the House doesn't have to be a member of the House. They could elect Joe Biden if necessary.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


The crowd is streaming calmly away as seemingly endless cop cars head toward the capitol.

Not good enough, unless that crowd is getting rides in the aforementioned cop cars.


With zip ties, not hand holding
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


"The Capitol Police just made Space Force look tough." -- J. Elvis Weinstein
posted by valkane at 1:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


It doesn’t border on sedition. It IS sedition.
posted by Ruki at 1:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [48 favorites]


"BREAKING: The race has officially been called in favor of both Jon Ossoff and Rafael Warnock. Democrats take control of the United States Senate." -- Brian Tyler Cohen
posted by valkane at 1:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [116 favorites]


Mod note: rapidly evolving situation -- if you have issues about moderation or think we missed something, please use the contact form, thanks.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Gotta impeach Trump now before he can pardon these dumbfucks.

Process Question: Can he just blanket-pardon "all my supporters who attacked the Capitol on the Sixth?"
posted by MrGuilt at 1:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


@EamonJavers: NBC’s Pete Williams reports several law enforcement officials say at least one improvised explosive device has been found on the US Capitol grounds.
posted by BungaDunga at 1:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


The moment Biden became presidential. No seriously.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


The classic action-movie speech that the President gives in the face of grave threats was just given, but it was given by the President-Elect, calling on the President to end the grave threat the President has instigated.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [97 favorites]


I hope Rev. Warnock has really REALLY good bodyguards around him right now.
posted by desuetude at 1:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [27 favorites]


Process Question: Can he just blanket-pardon "all my supporters who attacked the Capitol on the Sixth?"

No, but they will be identified shortly, and as President, he surely has access to that information, and with that information, he can make pardons.

Last summer they ID'ed a girl who torched a cop car using a shirt she bought on Etsy. Lots of these people are actually livestreaming what they are doing. They will be identified shortly, especially since many aren't wearing masks and the US military (as well as FBI no doubt) has sprawling facial recognition program.
posted by deadaluspark at 1:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Can he just blanket-pardon "all my supporters who attacked the Capitol on the Sixth?"

My understanding is that as long as a pardon is specific enough that you can tell someone was definitely covered under it, then it will stick. So if you are charged for conduct at the Capitol, you can go to court and say "look at this piece of paper that obviously covers me" and the court would ordinarily accept it and void the charges.
posted by BungaDunga at 1:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


JFC USA WTF
posted by chavenet at 1:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


OMG, Trump is going to give TAPED remarks later (per NBC) -- they literally don't trust him to go on camera and not start a civil war.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [63 favorites]


I hope Rev. Warnock has really REALLY good bodyguards around him right now.

John Ossoff too, he's just been called as the winner of his race as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


That was one heck of a speech by your president to be. Gave me goosebumps and some hope as well.
posted by bouvin at 1:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Or, and this would be better, he will be tried for treason.

Wouldn't that require a formal state of war against an enemy he was giving comfort to?
posted by acb at 1:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Recipients of a pardon do not need to be specified by name. Carter pardoned all Vietnam draft dodgers, even if they had not been charged. As far as I know, Trump could pardon all Federal prisoners with the stroke of a pen. That would be interesting.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


OMG, Trump is going to give TAPED remarks later (per NBC) -- they literally don't trust him to go on camera and not start a civil war.

Can you blame them? He started all of this in the first place.
posted by MrGuilt at 1:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Pence just unfollowed Trump on Twitter. Shit got a bit too real for him.
posted by essexjan at 1:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [112 favorites]


I'm hoping one of Biden's first acts is to order federal investigations (and prosecutions as appropriate) for everyone involved in this coup attempt.

I don't expect much in the way of arrests today, but the statute of limitations for crimes like this is longer than two weeks.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


It's so much more serious than this, but the disappointment and sadness in Biden's face and tone reminded me so much of when your third grade teacher leaves the room for a few minutes and comes back to find the whole class rowdy and misbehaving. "You're so much better than this. I'm so disappointed in you."
posted by nickmark at 1:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


There's a few comments upthread like this one: What do these bozos expect?

The practical answer is: they're finding out how many people will join up and how big a push they can make.

There's a video that usually gets used in inspirational contexts, a real thing that happened where a person was trapped under a burning car, and a woman ran up and tried to lift it. She was obviously not big enough to do it, but other people around her got the idea and soon they were all lifting and the trapped person was pulled out from under the car. It all depends on that first person who can't lift the car but tries anyway.

This kind of attack is a negative version of the same thing: run up and try to overthrow a government you obviously can't overthrow on your own and see if enough people join you.
posted by john hadron collider at 1:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [59 favorites]


How the fuck long does it take for the National Guard to show up?
posted by SansPoint at 1:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Wouldn't that require a formal state of war against an enemy he was giving comfort to?

Some were carrying a Confederate flag. History question: outside of Lee surrendering at Appomattox, did the USA formally end hostility with the Confederacy?
posted by Groundhog Week at 1:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Pence just unfollowed Trump on Twitter. Shit got a bit too real for him.

I don't think so.
posted by Corduroy at 1:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Maddow talking about Charlottesville
posted by maniabug at 1:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


run up and try to overthrow a government you obviously can't overthrow on your own and see if enough people join you.

They obviously haven't seen Les Miserables.
posted by charred husk at 1:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


From CNN maybe 10 minutes ago: A White House adviser said some aides around President Donald Trump are becoming furious that the President won't do more to stop the insurrection at the Capitol.

The adviser said aides have been all but begging Trump to come out and make a statement to begin to calm the situation.

"He doesn't want to" to do more than what he is doing right now, the adviser said.

"If we could throw him to the angry mob, we'd throw him to the angry mob now," the adviser said.


Me and you both, dude, and I'm not his fucking adviser.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [51 favorites]



How the fuck long does it take for the National Guard to show up?


I'm seeing NBC showing footage now of heavily-armed dudes gathering in what they say is the regular press room to plan strategy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


And why weren't the cops in riot gear to begin with? Here in Philly we've had cops in riot gear for the tiniest of protests. Like, 30 people holding a few signs get outnumbered by fully shielded-up lines of officers.
posted by desuetude at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


Trump just posted video statement to Twitter (not going to link that fucker), but repeats election was stolen even when asking for calm. Well that's fucking horrific.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]


Yeah, about that taped message:

"He’s still saying the election was stolen. This is not a call for peace. This is continued incitement." -- Jim Sciutto
posted by valkane at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [62 favorites]


Trump is speaking now in a pre-recorded message. "It's time to go home."
posted by beagle at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


"Why y’all keep asking where the police at? Y’all ask where Miley’s at when Hannah’s on stage?"
-@lotoysrus
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [124 favorites]


"Antifa false flag" is absolutely going to be the play long-term.

I've been reading a trump supporter discussion board since the election as I was pretty concerned about post-election disruption, and this is coming up in a lot of the comments now even though people have been basically planning this on that same site for weeks and weeks. It is mind boggling.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 1:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Pence just unfollowed Trump on Twitter

Profiles in courage. I look forward to this moment being noted in the Ken Burns documentary.
posted by nubs at 1:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Trump's taped statement: "You have to go home now."
Also Trump's taped statement: "This was a fraudulent election." "It was stolen, it was a landslide, everyone knows it"
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


"History question: outside of Lee surrendering at Appomattox, did the USA formally end hostility with the Confederacy?"

Yes -- surrenders were state-by-state and sometimes unit-by-unit, but the war was formally declared over August 20, 1866.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Watching Trump's message. He keeps talking about how bad the other side is, and how the election was "stolen." Go home, but we're the victims!
posted by MrGuilt at 1:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The classic action-movie speech that the President gives in the face of grave threats was just given, but it was given by the President-Elect, calling on the President to end the grave threat the President has instigated.

Republicans, even on the supreme court, have always thought 24 was a documentary and here we are while almost the entire party makes it true.
posted by srboisvert at 1:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


This is twitter's disclaimer on Trump's video: "This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence"
posted by stinkfoot at 1:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


Can we remove Trump's right to pardon those involved in an attempted coup that he started?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Then they should delete it
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


Can I just mention the "you are very special" line?
posted by kevinbelt at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [22 favorites]


Whatever adults are left in the room allowed Trump to say the election was stolen in the message that we're left to believe was intended to stop the violence.

Guys, I don't think there are any more adults in the room.
posted by tonycpsu at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]




Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

Another reason it's important to arrest as many as possible of them: to make their identity clear.
posted by trig at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


This kind of attack is a negative version of the same thing: run up and try to overthrow a government you obviously can't overthrow on your own and see if enough people join you.

People have already mentioned this, but it feels for real like a rerun of or variation on the Beer Hall Putsch. I mean, we ought to mock these fascists. But we should also remember: the Nazis failed hilariously in a violent coup and Hitler went to prison ... before they later succeeded.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [63 favorites]


So, Twitter admits that Trump's tweets are risking violence and they're leaving them up. Well fucking done.
posted by BungaDunga at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


RE Treason, IANAL, but based on the text of the law, you are correct: we have to be in a state of actual war for that to be a legal claim. So there is no treason here, in the legal sense.

Until today, all of the BS couldn’t be called actual sedition either, since the text of that law specifically requires that an act of force be integral with the seditious behavior:
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to 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, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
But today, with the forceful occupation of the US Capitol in order to prevent Congress from processing the election results, this now becomes seditious conspiracy, by the specific text of the law. These insurgents have more than “just” engaged in criminal trespass, vandalism of federal property, etc., etc., etc. They have specifically now engaged in “seditious conspiracy”.

The fact that some people have been harmed during these acts may also raise the stakes. I strongly suspect that there will be some of these people that end up arrested and, unless pardoned, will see prison time.
posted by darkstar at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [38 favorites]


a partial transcript of the video posted to trumps twitter: “this was a fraudulent election but we can’t play into the hands of these people, we have to have peace. so go home, we love you, your special, you see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil, go home, go home in peace”

which amendment comes after 24 again?
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Do the chambers need to be disinfected before activities can commence?
posted by asra at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"We love you, you are very special." Like...what?
posted by all about eevee at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


"BREAKING: The race has officially been called in favor of both Jon Ossoff and Rafael Warnock. Democrats take control of the United States Senate."

YAY.

In preparation for this, yesterday "Trump hand-picks replacement for Atlanta's US attorney after surprise resignation" (CNN). On Monday, Byung "BJay" Pak (a Trump appointee serving as the US attorney for GA's Northern District), resigned effective immediately; Trump's slotted in Southern District of Georgia's US attorney, Bobby Christine.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


"The Republicans in Congress/Senate were already trying to figure out how to back away from their relationship with Loser Trump without splitting the party: these terrorists just made it *really easy* for them." -- MeFi's own cstross
posted by valkane at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


A source close to the White House who is in touch with some of the rioters at the Capitol said it's the goal of those involved to stay inside the Capitol through the night.

Then let them, while the House & Senate go convene somewhere else and finish their work.

At about 3am, give every SWAT team that wants a chance to practice clearing a building.
posted by nubs at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


Can we remove Trump's right to pardon those involved in an attempted coup that he started?

The only surefire way is to impeach and remove him before he does it.

Otherwise? You'd need a constitutional amendment, or a federal judiciary with a novel interpretation of the existing Constitution.
posted by BungaDunga at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


I wonder if any of the Republican senators will withdraw their objections to the electoral college votes after seeing this?

(in Canada, feeling physically sick af for youse all down south. A stupid coup is still a coup.)
posted by scruss at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


I'll be honest, I think Twitter are doing the right thing. There is a need for a call from Trump for people to go home, so that has to stay up. The fuckwit won't put up a straight one.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Do the chambers need to be disinfected before activities can commence?

I don't think anyone should go back in until the bomb squad has been through the entire building.
posted by PenDevil at 1:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Tons of photos inside the capitol by news photographer Saul Loeb who is on the scene right now.
posted by mbrubeck at 1:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [29 favorites]


On PBS Newshour, a reporter says that Representative Mike Lee, a Trump lover, is blaming the media for this attempted coup. Not Trump and not Republicans because of course not.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


CNN just called the race for Ossoff.
posted by bz at 1:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


The time to ban Trump from Twitter was several years ago, not now when he can theoretically do his job and call for the insurrection to end.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

He can't pardon them in that case. I'm fine with him declaring "those aren't my REAL supporters" if they can go to prison for it.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


People have already mentioned this, but it feels for real like a rerun of or variation on the Beer Hall Putsch. I mean, we ought to mock these fascists. But we should also remember: the Nazis failed hilariously in a violent coup and Hitler went to prison ... before they later succeeded.

In 2017, at my most optimistic, I said that the best case scenario was that Trump would act as a sort of inoculation against right wing fascism in the United States.

I think that can happen, if Biden treats this as the emergency it is, and investigates and prosecutes everything and everyone, and right wing terrorism gets treated like the threat it is.

but we could still fuck it up and end up with competent nazis in 5-10 years.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [51 favorites]


I've been reading a trump supporter discussion board since the election as I was pretty concerned about post-election disruption, and this is coming up in a lot of the comments now even though people have been basically planning this on that same site for weeks and weeks. It is mind boggling.

As soon as Needy Amin posted his “Wild time” tweet, encouraging his minions to descend upon DC, there should have been plans immediately drawn-up to deal with exactly this scenario. There should have been troops surrounding the Capitol. Or, maybe that would have been bad optics?
posted by Thorzdad at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


"We love you, you are very special." Like...what?

It's just that they're very fine people.
posted by trig at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Anderson Cooper is going with "insurrectionists" with or without the modifier "treasonous"; I can dig it
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


mbrubeck: I have the "Make America Kittens Again" extension installed on my browser, which replaces all Trump-related images with kittens, so when I loaded your link of photos inside the capitol, I got a fantastic page completely full of kitten photos, which I really kind of needed right now.
posted by kristi at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [53 favorites]


Ugh, I just saw one of my cousins in those images mbrubeck posted.
posted by all about eevee at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [41 favorites]


On PBS Newshour, a reporter says that Representative Mike Lee, a Trump lover, is blaming the media

It's Representative Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania, not Senator Mike Lee from Utah.
posted by rocketman at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Actually, fuck that. BBC just played Trump's video.

Delete that shite.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


How the fuck long does it take for the National Guard to show up?

Serious question: who has jurisdiction and numbers to show up and clean up this mess? I'm hearing on TV that Virginia and Maryland state troopers are on route.
posted by gimonca at 1:32 PM on January 6, 2021


presidential pardon cannot be overturned. Pence and the cabinet could declare him unfit, a quicker way then the impeachment.
posted by clavdivs at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Politics is power and this is Trump demonstrating power. He will get a lot of leverage from this

In this situation, Trump has no power if he does not have the military behind him
posted by goalyeehah at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Maybe I’m being painfully optimistic, but the response I’ve been seeing has more of a backlash against the rioters’ “cause” and Trump’s excuse of a response than a “Fuck Yeah!”. (Somehow I don’t think there’ll be as many repub opposition to the electoral college voting thang as there were before this happened). Methinks the death spiral of Trump’s 2024 prospects begins today.

Also, I’ll probably have to work until 8 tonight to make up the time spent digesting what’s been going down.
posted by gtrwolf at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


CNN just called the race for Ossoff.

Bittersweet.
posted by all about eevee at 1:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


"Ugh, I just saw one of my cousins in those images mbrubeck posted."

Shit, that fucking sucks. Sending you love and hugs. <3
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


A bald attempt to create the famous “state of emergency,” pretext for martial law. Treason and subversion. No, Jim Comey, this man cannot go free.
posted by homerica at 1:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


In this situation, Trump has no power if he does not have the military behind him

Wake me when the military does anything other than let everyone peacefully walk away and go home.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


How did they get in, you ask? Well, it started with the cops escorting them through the gates.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [86 favorites]


Just saw the video on bbc. Sickening. It should not be on Twitter. It does NOTHING for calming anyone down.
posted by like_neon at 1:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


And conversely, can we have any law enforcement leadership who stood aside and allowed this to happen charged with sedition as well?
posted by gimonca at 1:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


My roommate just came and told me that the National Association of Manufacturers (a lobbying organization) has just reached out to Pence and asked him to invoke the 25th Amendment against Trump.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [42 favorites]


FBI SWAT breaching now
posted by clavdivs at 1:36 PM on January 6, 2021


Needy Amin

I needed that laugh. Thank you.
posted by scruss at 1:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


> FBI SWAT breaching now

video
posted by tonycpsu at 1:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


And NBC is reporting that a SWAT team is on the scene now and starting to calm shit down.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Thanks for the correction, rocketman.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Shit, that fucking sucks. Sending you love and hugs. <3

Thank you. He got radicalized online but I didn't know he was at storm the Capitol building levels until just now. Pretty sure our Granny is going to have a cow over this.
posted by all about eevee at 1:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


> FBI SWAT breaching now

video


reminded me of that backstage scene in Spinal Tap
posted by stinkfoot at 1:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I suspect "rebels" plays into their world view. Could we call them terrorists, insurgents, or just Trump Supporters?

Trumpists.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 1:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]




> FBI SWAT breaching now

video


This is good but I was hoping for it to show guys getting thrown to the floor and getting the shit whaled out of them. Well, late is better than never, I suppose.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


FBI SWAT. Highly intelligent. Highly trained. Best of the best.

....and only one of them wearing their mask during a pandemic.
posted by Inkslinger at 1:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Rick Santorum just described the decision of whether to continue supporting the President as "a death pact".

Rick Santorum.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


BBC just had the Republican Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp on, continuing condemning Trump. There's some Republicans who are going to come out of this with some credit, and some who are going to be reviled.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Rep. Ayanna Pressley: Donald J. Trump should immediately be impeached by the House of Representatives & removed from office by the United States Senate as soon as Congress reconvenes. This is dangerous & unacceptable.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [73 favorites]


There's some Republicans who are going to come out of this with some credit.

It shouldn't have taken an actual attempted coup for them to try to claim this credit, dammt.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


I know we can't hope for the GOP to be completely dismantled but if they can expunge the Trump base, maaaaybe the Overton window can shift back to something less horrific.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Ilhan Omar is drawing up articles of impeachment.
posted by metaxa at 1:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [136 favorites]


that's wonderful, but it needs Republicans, and frightened as they may be right now, I bet they wouldn't agree with Omar for anything
posted by Countess Elena at 1:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Ilhan Omar is drawing up articles of impeachment.

let's see how much "credit" any Republicans have left

(it's none)
posted by schadenfrau at 1:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I'm sitting here about four miles from the Capitol getting increasingly nervous about tonight. I know we're all focused on the Capitol, but what's stopping these people from rampaging through D.C. after the sun goes down?
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


From Omar above: We can’t allow him to remain in office, it’s a matter of preserving our Republic and we need to fulfill our oath.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


So nice they impeached him twice!
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


It's been stated a million times, but it can't be stated enough: I can't imagine what would have happened if the people who breached the capital weren't right wing white people. It's absolutely unbelievable.

Some were carrying a Confederate flag. History question: outside of Lee surrendering at Appomattox, did the USA formally end hostility with the Confederacy?

I think technically the USA formally negotiating with the Confederate government would have legitimized it as a legal entity. From the POV of the US government the confederates were rebels, traitors, and insurrectionists. The "surrenders" were more like plea bargains in a court of law.

Also, I'm note giving Republicans credit for anything. Rats, ship, sinking.
posted by eagles123 at 1:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Statement by the National Association of Manufacturers urging use of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office immediately. This is, essentially, a collection of Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller businesses. It's a lobbying organization that has been described as having "unfettered access" to Congress. This is not an idle suggestion — they are on their phones now to Congressional leaders.
posted by beagle at 1:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [106 favorites]


ArbitraryAndCapricious, I have a friend maybe a bit closer to the Capitol and he and his partner are considering leaving town. I hope you will be okay, this stuff is scary.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


My partner was just playing a broadcast from PBS and I heard some commentator saying "whatever their motivation was" and "we don't know what motivated each individual there."

Yes we do. This is the self-healing mechanism of white supremacy in action. Wilful denial. Reassuring viewers that this is inexplicable, an aberration.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [48 favorites]


Denzel Anton McCampbell, posting an update for Michigan's Rep. Tlaib: @RashidaTlaib and her team are safe. Thanks for checking in everyone.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


I'm sitting here about four miles from the Capitol getting increasingly nervous about tonight. I know we're all focused on the Capitol, but what's stopping these people from rampaging through D.C. after the sun goes down? You and me both. I'm not leaving the house tonight, not that I was planning on going anywhere anyway.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]



I'm sitting here about four miles from the Capitol getting increasingly nervous about tonight. I know we're all focused on the Capitol, but what's stopping these people from rampaging through D.C. after the sun goes down?


Hopefully the National Guard.
posted by Liquidwolf at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


DC mayor is implementing a 6 PM curfew - 6 AM tomorrow morning and condemning the "protests" as unlawful.
posted by erattacorrige at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Now we see the violence inherent in the system.
posted by Phanx at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [54 favorites]


...but what's stopping these people from rampaging through D.C. after the sun goes down?

Hopefully, the Virginia National Guard. Otherwise...
I fear for the people of DC tonight.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:48 PM on January 6, 2021


Getting him out of office is a great first step. I would fear that it would only stoke the fire, but we're really past that.

It's not enough, though. We need to take away his microphone. I'm sure that, even without a platform, he'll still get support or surrogates. But his ability to make trouble needs to be blunted. No more "be peaceful but you have been robbed."
posted by MrGuilt at 1:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Here's the National Association of Manufacturers statement.
Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement in response to large groups of armed Trump adherents who have violently stormed the U.S. Capitol building as members of Congress meet to count the electoral votes:

“Armed violent protestors who support the baseless claim by outgoing president Trump that he somehow won an election that he overwhelmingly lost have stormed the U.S. Capitol today, attacking police officers and first responders, because Trump refused to accept defeat in a free and fair election. Throughout this whole disgusting episode, Trump has been cheered on by members of his own party, adding fuel to the distrust that has enflamed violent anger. This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule. It is dangerous. This is sedition and should be treated as such. The outgoing president incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy. Anyone indulging conspiracy theories to raise campaign dollars is complicit. Vice President Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy.

“This is not the vision of America that manufacturers believe in and work so hard to defend. Across America today, millions of manufacturing workers are helping our nation fight the deadly pandemic that has already taken hundreds of thousands of lives. We are trying to rebuild an economy and save and rebuild lives. But none of that will matter if our leaders refuse to fend off this attack on America and our democracy—because our very system of government, which underpins our very way of life, will crumble.”
posted by MattWPBS at 1:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [88 favorites]


I would think that Republicans in Congress would much, much prefer Trump to be removed by the 25th amendment, so they don't have to be on record voting one way or the other on it. I'd guess they'd be strongly encouraging Pence and the cabinet to take that route.
posted by biogeo at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


By the way, I feel like an idiot. When a Swedish buddy asked me last November if I was worried about a coup attempt or election-related violence, I was all, "Nah, it will be fine. There will be loud, annoying assholes spouting shit but nope, I am not worried. It will be fine."
posted by Bella Donna at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Caller on C-Span blaming 'antifa' for this. [facepalm]
posted by mazola at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


...but what's stopping these people from rampaging through D.C. after the sun goes down?

My boss is concerned that this may not stay confined just to DC and is seriously considering sending everyone home early.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Just spoke to a friend in DC who has cancelled his plans to go get take-out for dinner AND the alternative of asking a delivery person to risk their life to bring food to him.
posted by PhineasGage at 1:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Re NAM: You go, capitalist overlords!
posted by lalochezia at 1:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


It shouldn't have taken an actual attempted coup for them to try to claim this credit, dammt.

100%. It's very few who will deserve any.
posted by MattWPBS at 1:51 PM on January 6, 2021


> Caller on C-Span blaming 'antifa' for this.

The dumbest thing in media outside of the wingnutosphere is the existence of the C-SPAN call-in segments. That they're doing it during this shreds whatever credibility the network might still have aside from its legal obligation to air a feed of House and Senate floor proceedings.
posted by tonycpsu at 1:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


I hope Susan Collins wasn't too "troubled" by any of this.
edit: Excuse me.. "concerned"
posted by Liquidwolf at 1:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Georgia, Kansas, Utah, Oregon & now Protests At California State Capitol Reportedly Become Violent (CBS) Sacramento is one of the many cities across the country where Trump supporters are protesting the presidential election vote count.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Huh. Well, of all days and times, I just got a form reply to an email back from Senator Wicker, super R, saying he had decided not to object but managing to suggest that doing so preserves the Electoral College and protects us from "large, liberal states like New York."

It sounds so distant today.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


As an expat, this is bloody terrible to see on a bunch of levels that will I'm sure intensify as more information becomes available and events unfold.

But almost as jarring and in what may be an unfortunate harbinger of further consequences... it's shocking to see the complete disregard for distancing and mask-wearing amoung everybody involved. There'll be a death toll here.
posted by Seeba at 1:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Caller on C-Span blaming 'antifa' for this. [facepalm]

Yeah, I like watching cspan because I don't like people telling me how I should think about things (that's what metafilter is for), but the flip side of that is, of course, that idiots get to say things too.
posted by phunniemee at 1:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


..but what's stopping these people from rampaging through D.C. after the sun goes down?

As per the DC mayoral & police chief press conference happening right now, the 6 pm curfew plus the assistance of the Virginia, Maryland, and NJ State Police, plus 1100 DC National Guard.
posted by soundguy99 at 1:54 PM on January 6, 2021


But almost as jarring and in what may be an unfortunate harbinger of further consequences... it's shocking to see the complete disregard for distancing and mask-wearing amoung everybody involved. There'll be a death toll here.


i'm at the coup attempt
i'm at the superspreader event
i'm at the combination coup attempt / superspreader event
posted by lazaruslong at 1:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [154 favorites]


Caller on C-Span blaming 'antifa' for this. [facepalm]

So they think Trump think they are special and he loves them?

The stupidity of these people is truly breathtaking.
posted by like_neon at 1:55 PM on January 6, 2021


That they're doing it during this shreds whatever credibility the network might still have aside from its legal obligation to air a feed of House and Senate floor proceedings.

That's the problem with a free country.
posted by sideshow at 1:56 PM on January 6, 2021


Capital shares an interest with us right now: removing Donald Trump as a threat to the stability of our system of government. I don't trust them to look out for us, but I trust that they are looking out for their own interests and that those currently align with ours. They're powerful allies who may be enough of a counterweight to pull Pence and other Republican leaders into doing the right thing for once, and I'm glad they're acting. We can go back to fighting them once this is done.
posted by biogeo at 1:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [56 favorites]


Bella Donna: ""If we could throw him to the angry mob, we'd throw him to the angry mob now," the adviser said."

Except it's HIS angry mob.

Wait for a better class of mob to turn up before throwing.
posted by chavenet at 1:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I don't know why anyone is shocked at the lack of masks. These are also the type of people who protested the mask mandates and licked windows like zombies.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Also Arkansas, Colorado, Florida -- Google news results for "state capitol"
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Yeah, I like watching cspan because I don't like people telling me how I should think about things

That's wrong.

(Joke.)
posted by biogeo at 1:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Poor adviser. Just one of the many little frogs who suddenly feel like there's this stinging sensation and they're drowning.
posted by Drastic at 1:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


It's difficult to arrange all that's going on in my head right now.The attack on the Capitol building is treasonous and utterly un-American. All right thinking people, from every political affiliation, must condemn these terrorists' appalling actions. And I want 45 to be locked up at last (or at least disable his Twitter account, for fuck's sake. Why is he allowed to continue to incite violence). I'm disgusted by this attack and experiencing that mix of fury and deep sorrow that has no proper name in English.
posted by but no cigar at 1:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


PBS was just emphasising that the National Manufacturing Association leans, if anything, Republican! So yeah, biogeo, I'm with you. Happy to fight them again once this is done but in the meantime, we need to get that guy out of office now.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


What the hell are they doing at Republican state capitols, anyway? What do they want to change?
posted by Countess Elena at 1:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


My partner was just playing a broadcast from PBS and I heard some commentator saying "whatever their motivation was" and "we don't know what motivated each individual there."

Economic anxiety, surely.
posted by schoolgirl report at 1:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [29 favorites]


And the 25th amendment needs to be invoked fast, before he has time to start issuing more pardons.
posted by biogeo at 2:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma - is the media so broken no one outlet is catching all of these in one place?
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]




Thank you. He got radicalized online but I didn't know he was at storm the Capitol building levels until just now. Pretty sure our Granny is going to have a cow over this.

. . . Do you know his employer? Just spitballin' here.
posted by Think_Long at 2:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Additional calls for invoking the 25th amendment to remove Trump:
-- New York Magazine editorial
-- California Rep. Ted Lieu
-- Florida Rep. Charlie Crist
-- Anchorage Press (yesterday)
posted by beagle at 2:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


And again today, my head is filled with Tevye singing "Seditionnnnnn, sedition!"
posted by PhineasGage at 2:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


From Mary Trump on Twitter:
This is down to Donald and every one of his racist, traitorous enablers from McConnell on down. None of them should be allowed to hold power again. They ALL need to be held accountable, through removal from office or imprisonment. We cannot fuck around and let any of this stand.

Why are these fucking traitors not being held at gunpoint, handcuffed, and arrested?

(Repeat after me: Because they aren't Black.)
posted by Bella Donna at 2:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [68 favorites]


Guessing they'd get 67 Senators to vote for removal if the ITMFA. They were in fear for their lives because of him.
posted by azpenguin at 2:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Would using resistbot to write our reps to invoke the 25th be productive?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


The 25th is such a great political opportunity for the GOP that it's hard to believe they aren't seriously discussing it right now at the highest levels.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


If they impeached him at this point (assuming Pence was onboard) would that calm things down or make it worse.
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:04 PM on January 6, 2021


Wouldn't that require a formal state of war against an enemy he was giving comfort to?

That's correct, but nevertheless the word "treason" essentially captures what happens when a usurper usurps power. The legal definition is different as you rightly point out, but legal definitions by themselves don't stop coups. And this is a power struggle, not a legal battle.
posted by dmh at 2:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Many of the Republicans would be in fear for their lives if they voted to convict. I wouldn't count on it.
posted by biogeo at 2:04 PM on January 6, 2021


If my representative has tweeted that they're locked down and safe, it's not grossly indecent of me to call their local office right now to ask for impeachment (again, again, again), support for Cori Bush's proposed bill, etc., right?
posted by mixedmetaphors at 2:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Honestly, from the UK this looks like an attempted coup and is being described as such by the Guardian. Maybe things look different in the US.
posted by dudleian at 2:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


The BBC just felt it necessary to censor a speech by the POTUS o_O
posted by merlynkline at 2:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Yeah, but those Cabinet members that signed on to a 25th invocation would have death threats and harassment for themselves and their family for the rest of their lives, so they might be less inclined to do it.
posted by darkstar at 2:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Well, Democrats have control of (what's left of) the Senate.
posted by bz at 2:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Why the people that entered the capitol were not arrested... how can that not involve essentially sedition by the police? There certainly needs to be a lot of officers reassigned, like maybe Siberia.
posted by sammyo at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


This chucklefuck senator on NewsHour refuses to admit Trump may have had something to do with this. He should be ejected from the Senate with prejudice.
posted by SansPoint at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


On PBS, Republican Representative Ron Estes of Kansas is refusing to blame Trump for anything while also refusing to answer if he will go ahead and object to the electoral votes when Congress assumes. He is spinning the type of nonstop bullshit that I have rarely witnessed.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


NJ State Police

Shit just got real, yo.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Honestly, from the UK this looks like an attempted coup and is being described as such by the Guardian. Maybe things look different in the US.

No, it looks exactly the same from here. It's just that a non-insignificant portion of our society actually desires authoritarianism and actively desires a takeover via violent means.
posted by deadaluspark at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [39 favorites]


USians know it's an attempted coup. Pretty sure the insurrectionists know, too.
posted by momus_window at 2:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I think we need to kind of fence off the "what do we do about Trump" discussion from the "what do we do about the Trump movement" discussion. Getting rid of him by the 25th or impeachment is going to inflame his mob, but it reduces the power of the strongman that's causing the mob to grow. Once the head is cut off the movement (metaphorically) we can start to try to figure out what we do about the fact that some 30% of America is watching the same events we are and cheering them on, whie another 20%-ish was okay enough with it to vote for him.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Guessing they'd get 67 Senators to vote for removal if the ITMFA. They were in fear for their lives because of him.

GOP rep Ron Estes is on PBS right now talking about how this was all fine and good and not Trump's fault and that he's going to continue to object to the certification.
posted by theodolite at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Okay quick reminders:

The House of Representatives has the power to impeach the president.

If impeached, then the Senate holds a trial and has the power to convict and remove the president from office.

The Vice President and the cabinet together have the power to temporarily remove the president from duty under the 25th amendment. I believe this would be enough to end out his term of office.

So Congress has nothing (official) to do with removal under the 25th amendment, and Pence has nothing (official) to do with removal under impeachment.
posted by biogeo at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Yeah, but those Cabinet members that signed on to a 25th invocation would have death threats and harassment for themselves and their family for the rest of their lives.

Not to sound callous but...there are a great many people who already move through the world this way, and for far less noble reasons.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [66 favorites]


That's correct ...

I'm pretty sure it's not correct. Going way back to the Whiskey Rebellion, there are several instances of people charged with and even convicted of treason (though typically then pardoned) against the United States without there being an existing war between nation states.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 2:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Yeah, but those Cabinet members that signed on to a 25th invocation would have death threats and harassment for themselves and their family for the rest of their lives.

Not to sound callous but...there are a great many people who already move through the world this way, and for far less noble reasons.


And not to seem callous myself, but if you're in the Trump cabinet, you were already onboard with this happening to others, so shoe, other foot, etc.
posted by maxwelton at 2:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Pence, 9 cabinet members sign a paper, walk it down the hall and he isIMMEDIATELY removed. impeachment would take to long.

Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma - is the media so broken no one outlet is catching all of these in one place?
about 300 armed people outside Michigan capital, no violence, are we missing something?
posted by clavdivs at 2:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


But if Pence and the cabinet 25th trump, all trump has to do is write a letter saying he's fine, and congress has to get a 2/3rds vote in both houses or trump gets his office back. It's actually easier to impeach and remove.
posted by mrgoat at 2:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Many of the Republicans would be in fear for their lives if they voted to convict. I wouldn't count on it.

If anything, this was as much a threat to any Republican legislator thinking of doing anything other than what Trump says.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Did any of these fools bring food for their takeover or is the like the Bundy national park thing where they will try and crowd fund life support again?
posted by srboisvert at 2:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Honestly, from the UK this looks like an attempted coup and is being described as such by the Guardian. Maybe things look different in the US.

The only thing that makes this maybe not a "coup" is that the rioters had no idea what to do after they got into the Capitol building - they just kind of wandered around taking selfies in offices. (As far as we know - clearly needs to be swept for explosives & see what might have been stolen.)
posted by soundguy99 at 2:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


So, Twitter admits that Trump's tweets are risking violence and they're leaving them up. Well fucking done.

This is a company whose employees literally argued to keep beheading videos on the service, remember.
posted by NoxAeternum at 2:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


all trump has to do is write a letter

got im
posted by phunniemee at 2:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [109 favorites]


2 friends watching CNN right now have advised me that they've seen several scenes of "protesters" being escorted out of the building by police and then just...being allowed to walk away.

This is America.
posted by lord_wolf at 2:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [59 favorites]


The right wing has dined out for decades on Ruby Ridge and Waco, so my first impulse is to think that any kind of due-process response is best. Don't give them video to share of so much as a body slamming. Though I want to meet the podium thief in the parking lot.

I am so sad.
posted by Caxton1476 at 2:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


The only thing that makes this maybe not a "coup" is that the rioters had no idea what to do after they got into the Capitol building - they just kind of wandered around taking selfies in offices.

Who was it that once said that a dog will chase a car with no clear idea of what they would do if they actually caught it?
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 2:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


The only thing that makes this maybe not a "coup" is that the rioters had no idea what to do after they got into the Capitol building - they just kind of wandered around taking selfies in offices.

You know, a Trump supporter with an occupied capitol building's a little like a mule with a spinning wheel
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Good luck today to anyone who was trying that Dry January thing.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [104 favorites]


I'm beyond caring how these chuds will react to the 25th being foisted upon their Great Leader. We should never let the pursuit of justice, or not, be informed by what the most violent, reactionary sects in the country may say or do in response. I mean that's kinda the whole point of justice and democracy isnt it.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


> Pence, 9 cabinet members sign a paper, walk it down the hall and he isIMMEDIATELY removed. impeachment would take to long.

Find nine non-dead-end loyalists on this list.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


- Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma - is the media so broken no one outlet is catching all of these in one place?
- about 300 armed people outside Michigan capital, no violence, are we missing something?

Scale. We're missing any sense of scale (and coordination). Some locations are seeing violent activity. Some state governments are shutting down. I'd like to see all of that in one place.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


I mean, congress would have 48 hours to take the vote, so trump would be out for up to two days.

Maybe hide his sharpies before invoking the 25th.
posted by mrgoat at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


DirtyOldTown: I want to hit my vape, but I'm dealing with a minor case of Plague so I really shouldn't. And I'm trying to stretch my edibles as best as I can.
posted by SansPoint at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


The only thing that makes this maybe not a "coup" is that the rioters had no idea what to do after they got into the Capitol building - they just kind of wandered around taking selfies in offices. (As far as we know - clearly needs to be swept for explosives & see what might have been stolen.)

Well, and that it's really just a building. Everyone can meet at the a conference room down at the airport Hilton and run the government from there. A bunch of LARPers hanging out in the Capitol is extremely bad for optics, but it's not like whomever holds Pelosi's gavel assumes the office of Speaker of the House.
posted by sideshow at 2:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


But if Pence and the cabinet 25th trump, all trump has to do is write a letter saying he's fine, and congress has to get a 2/3rds vote in both houses or trump gets his office back. It's actually easier to impeach and remove.

Per George Conway on Twitter, Congress has 21 days to vote to affirm. During that time Pence is the acting POTUS. After that 21-day period, if no vote is held, Trump does get the office back. But Biden will take over on the 20th, anyway, so it'd be moot. So it's definitely an option.
posted by un petit cadeau at 2:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


My grandparents and their siblings fought and died to stop this evil. How ashamed they must be of us now. I'm ashamed to be white, to be associated with this atrocity of morals, this ignorance of history and I'm just sick right now from the stress.
posted by omegajuice at 2:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [51 favorites]


There’s plenty of time delay in the 25th before the vote needs to happen which would reinstate him. They can just run down the clock.

Not that I think that they can get enough of the cabinet on board, but if it happened, he’d be out.
posted by notoriety public at 2:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Listening to some asshole on PBS spouting both-sides garbage and talking about coming together and moving forward. It's this exact kind of abuser language bullshit that has helped grease the slide into this absolute shitshow.
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 2:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [49 favorites]


Everyone can meet at the a conference room down at the airport Hilton and run the government from there.

NBC reporting that members of both houses of Congress are considering the logistics of continuing the vote count from the various safe locations they're currently in.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


But if Pence and the cabinet 25th trump, all trump has to do is write a letter saying he's fine, and congress has to get a 2/3rds vote in both houses or trump gets his office back. It's actually easier to impeach and remove.

No, they have 25 days to perform that duty before he'd be automatically returned to office. Biden's inauguration is fewer than 25 days away, so invoking the 25th would be it for Trump's term.
posted by nobody at 2:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'm watching live footage of this and these people can't even get a good chant going. I heard a few half-hearted "USA, USA"s going up, but it was scattered and out of sync. Guys, it's literally only 3 letters. I've heard kindergarteners chant with more charisma and coherence than this.
posted by erattacorrige at 2:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


I am shocked, shocked that the white, armed protestors aren't being shot by police and the National Guard.

Unlike a previous protest in the Capital.
posted by tommasz at 2:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Anyone else in favor of removing further senate proceedings to Four Seasons Total Landscaping?
posted by ProtagonistZero at 2:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


Sure, but this is how seizure of power starts. The hoped-for next steps are popular demonstrations around other centres of power (like state capitals), and then peeling off (hopefully but not necessarily with prior arrangement) the armed forces and police. The fact that these people are not very good or well-coordinated doesn't stop this from being clearly where they're trying to go. And I certainly think that if this were to spread the MAGA crew here won't back down. That's the MO, plausible deniability so it's all in fun when they're losing but taking advantage when it works.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [40 favorites]


Have congress reconvene at the closest infantry base to do the recount. Good luck getting in, shitbags.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:20 PM on January 6, 2021


From the Daily Beast: Trump reminded us of his despicable role in this with his repulsive video statement in the wake of the onslaught he inspired. It was not a sincere call for peace or order. It actually aggravated the situation, justified the coup and embraced the lawless mob. It will no doubt make the situation worse and stood in stark contrast to the solemn, well-chosen, strong, clear words of his successor, Joe Biden. In this contrast lay both the explanation for why Biden won and why Trump remains such a threat to us all.

His party leaders should go to him and encourage him to make that departure sooner rather than later. Given today’s events, the two weeks between now and the Biden inaugural loom large and ominous. We have seen how at risk Trump and Trumpism makes our system. For the survival of that system it is essential he be contained, that he be put in a position that he can do no more damage and that after he is gone from office that he and all those responsible for this nightmare be held accountable.

For if the past four years have taught us anything, it is that so long as Trump and men and women like him are sent the message that they can debase and desecrate our democracy with impunity, they will do so. It is finally time for patriots from both parties to stand up and put an end to this madness conjured by Trump, enabled by the weak-minded legislators who joined his plot and exacerbated by extremist mobs like the one that invaded one of our most cherished temples of democracy today.

posted by Bella Donna at 2:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


Trump has just massively massively massively increased his own legal risk (and that of his kids) here; certain folks are gonna be a lot less inclined to let bygones be bygones I think.
posted by aramaic at 2:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


To be fair, the traitors thought they were storming the Capitol Total Landscaping building.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Why Americans don't want to call this a coup.

"It’s undeniable at this point. The United States is witnessing a coup attempt—a forceful effort to seize power against the legal framework. The president has caused the interruption of the process that would certify his removal from office. The mechanics of constitutional government have been suspended. Americans are in danger of losing constitutional government to a degree unmatched even during the Civil War, a period when secession itself did not postpone either the holding of elections or the transition of power between presidents.

The moment we face as Americans, in other words, compares more closely to the August 1991 coup that attempted to remove President Mikhail Gorbachev from the head of the Soviet Union or the 1993 armed standoff between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the Russian legislature."

"Mostly, though, the optimists’ reluctance to see what’s in front of their faces has had less to do with scholarly integrity and more to do with wish-casting—making predictions because you want them to be true, not because the evidence supports it. For U.S. political scientists, coups and paramilitary political forces are axiomatically things that happen out there.

Their study fits in the mainstream of comparative politics, which studies foreigners, not U.S. politics (except for the small tribe of specialists in U.S. political development, who are well aware of the history of violence in the country’s political history). Until Wednesday, Americanists modeled what election outcomes would be, not whether their results would matter—those questions mattered for others."
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


Ok now there's some Bob Marly "one love" being blasted into the crowd by a shitty boombox. Guys...you realize Bob Marley isn't white, right?
posted by erattacorrige at 2:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


ABC showing police arresting the terrorists and loading them into wagons.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


and to think, all of this because one son of a bitch doesn't want to go to jail

where are the hostage negotiators when you need them
posted by Countess Elena at 2:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


does anyone know if the folks who broke in are in custody? or will face justice of any kind?
posted by rude.boy at 2:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Is there a procedural reason why the electoral college votes have to be done in DC? Could they just fly Congress over to Area 51, proclaim "Democracy will prevail!", and have the votes done there?

No, we even used to have bunkers on standby for the precise purpose of governing when it couldn't be done in DC, though the concern was nuclear bombs, not Proud Boys. Still would have been very useful to have all that infrastructure still in place today. They could already have gone to Raven Rock and been done with their business by now.
posted by wierdo at 2:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


erattacorrige: They're fine with PoC entertainers, athletes, and the like—provided they don't step out of their lane and, you know, ask to be treated equally. Also Bob Marley is dead, therefore safe.
posted by SansPoint at 2:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


.
posted by sydnius at 2:24 PM on January 6, 2021


That asshole should be removed from office now.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


There's something very symbolic about a group of protesters breaking into the U.S. Capitol while carrying a Confederate battle flag.

I mean...
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


all trump has to do is write a letter saying he's fine, and congress has to get a 2/3rds vote in both houses or trump gets his..

"Section 3.
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the..."
posted by clavdivs at 2:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I think Greenbrier in WV is still maintained as the backup location for the US Govt.
posted by COD at 2:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


get er' done
posted by clavdivs at 2:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


This needed to be nipped in the bud when the Bundys drew guns on BLM staff. That's when they really knew they were going to get the kid gloves treatment.

It's a really small thing, but as a gardener I feel increasingly good about my choice to boycott Baker Creek Seeds after they thought it would be a good idea to host Cliven Bundy five years after the standoff. There are other purveyors of heirloom seeds that I feel better about supporting.

Note that fountain pen fans may want to avoid Noodler's inks as well.
posted by Lexica at 2:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]




It wouldn't be a surprise if all of Congress is headed to the Greenbrier, right?
posted by PhineasGage at 2:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


There's something very symbolic about a group of protesters breaking into the U.S. Capitol while carrying a Confederate battle flag.

160 years after Fort Sumper, the Confederates finally take DC.
posted by COD at 2:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


>Pence, 9 cabinet members sign a paper, walk it down the hall and he isIMMEDIATELY removed. impeachment would take to long.

>Find nine non-dead-end loyalists on this list.


Find nine who are not just "acting" cabinet members whose signatures would be legal.
posted by JackFlash at 2:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


the August 1991 coup that attempted to remove President Mikhail Gorbachev

Honestly this has occurred to me a couple times today. I don't think I have the right words to characterize how I'm feeling watching this happen now and in the US.
posted by nickmark at 2:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


i'm at the coup attempt
i'm at the superspreader event
i'm at the combination coup attempt / superspreader event
posted by lazaruslong at 1:55 PM on January 6


Eerily, this came on my shuffle while picking up a roomie who was evacuating from DC, right AS we pulled into the PH/TB drive through. UNIVERSE WHAT ARE YOU SAYING
posted by FatherDagon at 2:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]




Can you imagine Trump being 25th'd? And then getting _back_into_power? Wow - talk about spiteful... No, watching the video of him talking to his 'supporters' who just stormed the capital - I think that was his point, a show of strength against the R's in congress...

god, I can't wait for this shit to be over.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Yeah, sorry. I read it wrong. 25th him and run out the clock then!
posted by mrgoat at 2:30 PM on January 6, 2021


This looks like a cop legitimately in fear of his life.

iT's Ok iF yOu'Re wHiTE
posted by phunniemee at 2:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


I think Greenbrier in WV is still maintained as the backup location for the US Govt.

It got mothballed eventually. It's still there though! Apparently there's a new secret bunker somewhere- I'm sure they must have expanded things after 9/11. Hopefully there's some deep, deep meeting rooms under the Capitol.
posted by BungaDunga at 2:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


PBS just called this mob "protestors".
posted by bluesky43 at 2:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Guardian liveblog: Pentagon says Pence authorized the National Guard -- I'm guessing that 25th Amendment thing might be closer than we suspect.
posted by aramaic at 2:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


As unlikely as it would be, if the 25th were invoked tonight and Pence became President for the next two weeks, who would preside over the electoral college count?
posted by nobody at 2:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


the August 1991 coup that attempted to remove President Mikhail Gorbachev
The white house was attacked in that one.
posted by clavdivs at 2:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


(Also, oh, wow, not giving him a chance to pardon the family before being tossed out would be fantastic.)
posted by nobody at 2:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


In the middle of chaos we do well to remember that we've got this. Our collective being has already won and overcome. We just need collect and remember that "there is nothing to fear but fear itself".

200 million of us can walk into our White House and hold it. Into our Capitol building and hold it. Anywhere and everywhere hold space and place for truth love compassion justice equality. A comparatively small number of even well-armed delusionalists may remove some of us, and some of them may be trampled underfoot. Then we mourn our losses and livevolve a love/hope/joy-based paradigm of living no longer fear.
posted by riverlife at 2:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


Guardian liveblog: Pentagon says Pence authorized the National Guard -- I'm guessing that 25th Amendment thing might be closer than we suspect.

My roommate noted this and is wondering if the 25th already HAPPENED and they just haven't told the news yet, for fear that this would add gas to the fire.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


FOX: Unlike BLM, there’s no vandalism other than breaking into the Capitol.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 2:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


who would preside over the electoral college count?

I think Chuck Grassley, he's president pro tempore.
posted by BungaDunga at 2:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


As unlikely as it would be, if the 25th were invoked tonight and Pence became President for the next two weeks, who would preside over the electoral college count?

Senate President pro Tempore Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 2:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


nobody: Nancy Pelosi
posted by SansPoint at 2:34 PM on January 6, 2021


The Constitution doesn't specify that it's nine cabinet members, but that it's a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide. If acting cabinet members don't count, presumably it would just need to be a majority of the remaining members.
posted by biogeo at 2:34 PM on January 6, 2021


My roommate noted this and is wondering if the 25th already HAPPENED

The constitutional procedure involves the VP transmitting a letter to the Congress to tell them. I don't know if it takes effect until Congress is informed.
posted by BungaDunga at 2:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Guardian liveblog: Pentagon says Pence authorized the National Guard -- I'm guessing that 25th Amendment thing might be closer than we suspect.

The acting secretary of defense, Christopher Miller, said in a statement that he discussed the deployment of national guard troops to the Capitol with Mike Pence, not Donald Trump.

“Chairman Milley and I just spoke separately with the Vice President and with Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Senator Schumer and Representative Hoyer about the situation at the US Capitol,” Miller said in the statement.
“We have fully activated the DC National Guard to assist federal and local law enforcement as they work to peacefully address the situation. We are prepared to provide additional support as necessary and appropriate as requested by local authorities.”
There were earlier reports that the Pentagon had initially denied the request for national guard troops to be deployed, but reinforcements have now been sent to the Capitol.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


Yes we do. This is the self-healing mechanism of white supremacy in action. Wilful denial. Reassuring viewers that this is inexplicable, an aberration.

The astonished bafflement on the part of largely white & mostly well-meaning news reporters as to "how, why, who?!?!" is exasperating and depressing. Yes, this is your country, and yes, it has been this way for a while, and yes, it's no longer just fly-over country or deplorables or rustbelt. It's you.
posted by dmh at 2:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [45 favorites]


Good luck today to anyone who was trying that Dry January thing.

Yeesh, I just quit drinking again yesterday!
posted by nickmark at 2:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


This is perhaps unprecedented.

But not unpresidented. Far from it.
posted by Stoneshop at 2:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Yesterday's White House press statement needs to be corrected (below). From only yester-fucking-day.

Antifa Far right and white-nationalist activists have brutally attacked our law-abiding friends, neighbors, and business owners, and destroyed historic landmarks that our communities have cherished for decades. This violence and lawlessness has no place in the United States and will be called out for the domestic terrorism that it is.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:37 PM on January 6, 2021


The Secretary of Defense has the authority to direct DC National Guard troops, and his declining to discuss the matter with the President does not imply a transfer of power. If Trump doesn't like it, Trump can fire the Secretary of Defense.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 2:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


>30% of America is watching the same events we are and cheering them on, whie another 20%-ish was okay enough with it to vote for him.

from an earlier comment of mine:
1/5 will instigate
1/5 will bandwagon
1/5 will both-sides
1/5 will keep their heads down
1/5 will fight for what's right
fortunately, the election process thus far has been quite removed from the chaos it could have been (we've seen some 'Brooks Brothers' acting up but the margins weren't close enough to gum up the counting & certification).
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 2:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


There are lots of historical reasons to dislike Vice, but the extensive reporting that Ben Makuch and Mack Lamoureux, from the U.S. and Canada, respectively, have been doing on the far right for the last few years has been very, very good. Here's them today...

Neo-Nazi Accelerationists Celebrating Attack on Congress As Start of Civil War: Online neo-Nazis are ecstatic with the violence taking place on Capitol Hill, many believing this to be the moment to kick off a "race war."

"All believe this is a historic moment for their cause."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Sergeant at Arms says the Capitol building is secure.

The room breaks out into applause.
-@MEPFuller

Follow-up:
I’m thankful to be safe, but it’s actually unfathomable to me that Capitol Police were this unprepared.

We knew there were going to be mass protests. We knew some people would try to storm the building. There have apparently only been 13 arrests. How did this happen?
-@MEPFuller
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 2:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


Nice to see PBS actually explicitly contrasting the non-response to this coup with the gassing of the people spoiling Trump's photo ops, never mind the BLM protests.
posted by BlueNorther at 2:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


Just a reminder, This is America.
posted by PhineasGage at 2:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


The police have been standing in a line on the Capitol steps for the last hour. In between the police is an SUV with a large sign that says PELOSI IS SATAN on the windshield. The police haven't bothered to remove the sign during that time. Hmmmm.
posted by Xurando at 2:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

this is the party line on r/conservative (which is the deepest into the sewer i'm willing to look right now).


ah i am guessing on Parler or somewhere this is also circulating because i have already had to tell someone that just becuase the "internet they" says something does not make it true.
posted by domino at 2:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


My parents used to go to the Greenbier every year. Doubt they got to go in the secret spots though.
posted by Windopaene at 2:41 PM on January 6, 2021


Statement by the National Association of Manufacturers urging use of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office immediately. This is, essentially, a collection of Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller businesses. It's a lobbying organization that has been described as having "unfettered access" to Congress. This is not an idle suggestion — they are on their phones now to Congressional leaders

NAM is an elephant of a organization. Huge clout.

Given SecDef’s mention of Pence but not Trump, I really wonder if 25th amendment has been triggered. I mean, Trump has already turned on him and threatened him.
posted by leotrotsky at 2:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


All I want to know is why the light was left on, the front door unlocked and the welcome mat out...
posted by jim in austin at 2:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


Note that fountain pen fans may want to avoid Noodler's inks as well.

I've kinda had that vibe from them for years.

It's really a shame that aligning yourself with patriotism and veterans/military themes flag folks as right wingers when it should be owned by everyone.

(I do realize some of the inks were less "neutral," but it was those inks that triggered me.)
posted by MrGuilt at 2:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Given SecDef’s mention of Pence but not Trump, I really wonder if 25th amendment has been triggered.

Me too. Above it's noted that the SecDef can call out the National Guard without Trump but there is no mention of consulation with him in his action. That fucker.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:44 PM on January 6, 2021


Frederick Joseph on Twitter:
I won’t share the video, but I just saw the Proud Boys reenacting George Floyd’s murder on the Lincoln Memorial.

I hope all of them die. I mean that truly.
posted by non canadian guy at 2:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [75 favorites]


Mayor Brandon Scott of Baltimore has issued a "Statement on Coup Attempt at U.S. Capitol" (Facebook link).

Among other things, it says that "Baltimore stands ready to support our sister city", and refers to the incident as a "terrorist attack".
posted by escape from the potato planet at 2:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [34 favorites]


I have mixed feelings about the 25th. If Pence becomes President, surely the first thing he'll do is pardon Trump.
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]



Ralph Northam
@GovernorVA
At the request of @AlexandriaVAGov and @ArlingtonVA
, I am declaring a 6PM to 6AM curfew in these jurisdictions, with limited exceptions.

I am also issuing a State of Emergency in Virginia, so we can continue to respond.
posted by bluesky43 at 2:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Tear up all the greens on Trump's golf courses.
posted by rhizome at 2:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]




Tear up all the greens on Trump's golf courses.

....I have a key to a golf cart. I have been told that golf cart keys are interchangeable.

There is a Trump course up in the Bronx.

If I were able to drive (broken knee still on the mend) I might just be doing that.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


If Pence becomes President, surely the first thing he'll do is pardon Trump.

Trump still risks prosecution from New York or other states. I don't think a Federal pardon would be a net benefit to anyone giving it.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 2:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


NBC reporting that the unidentified woman shot inside the Capitol building has died.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 2:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I have mixed feelings about the 25th. If Pence becomes President, surely the first thing he'll do is pardon Trump.

I wondered if that was in effect earlier today, when Pence released a statement saying he can't overturn the election (some deal he made yesterday).

At this point, I'm not so sure. Trump has shown himself to be an unstable actor. While I'm saying that for the 378th time this year--and it's only the 6th--Pence may recognize this may have gone beyond mere shenanigans to straight-up treason. He won't want to be the guy who cosigns that.
posted by MrGuilt at 2:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


At this point I'm pretty much sputtering with rage. These asshats were shown just how little resistance they would face. Fucking hell.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


My parents used to go to the Greenbier every year. Doubt they got to go in the secret spots though.


You can take a tour
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 2:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


WaPo has: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants senators to return to the chamber Wednesday night to finish certifying the election, and he puts a lot of the blame for the day’s events on President Trump, an adviser to the Kentucky Republican said.

& also, at 2:32 p.m.: "Trump supporter says he entered Senate chamber, took picture with Pence’s Bible" Rick Crosby, a 25-year-old from Connecticut, was in an early wave of rioters that breached the Capitol, entering from the west. Crosby said he was among about 20 people who made it into the Senate chamber, where another rioter with a bullhorn led them in a prayer. They then sought to memorialize the moment.

“We took a picture with Mike Pence’s Bible and put it back on the desk,” he said. After that, he said, they left at the direction of the police. “It felt very historic,” Crosby said. “Regardless of how this turns out, I think this is going to be a moment that goes down in the history books.”
[...] Crosby rejected the idea that he and others were doing anything wrong. On the contrary, he said, they were just doing what the president asked of them. “I think probably President Trump said it best,” he said, citing Trump’s comments to some of his violent supporters in a presidential debate. “He said, ‘Stand back and stand by.’ That’s what we’re doing.”

WaPo, chitchatting with an unrepentant, religious-extremist terrorist not under arrest, presumably before he drives back to Litchfield.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [59 favorites]


NBC reporting that the unidentified woman shot inside the Capitol building has died.


Those 13 people that were arrested so far? Their legal jeopardy just got much more serious.
posted by darkstar at 2:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Is there any knowledge on whether she had been with the terrorists or was someone working in the building? That doesn't change the tragedy of her death; only looking for clarification on what happened.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 2:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


NBC said that she was shot by someone in law enforcement, but no other details about the circumstances.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 2:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Hopefully there's some deep, deep meeting rooms under the Capitol.

If I understand correctly, Congress can meet wherever they like, as long as both houses agree to do so. They could count electoral votes at a 7-11 if they wanted to.
posted by snowmentality at 2:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


unconfirmed word I'm hearing is, she was one of the terrorists, & was shot by a cop.
posted by rifflesby at 2:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


NBC reporting that the unidentified woman shot inside the Capitol building has died.

Just saw that as well. Truly a chilling moment on national television to have watched. There was no warning for a lot of people, since the camera was positioned behind the lead person pulling the stretcher. I saw what I think was an IV bag but of course you just think somebody fainted or something like that, then all of a sudden the cameraperson stopped to let the stretcher go by and you could see the horrific aftermath. I feel really bad for anybody whose kids saw that. I'm a grown man and I gasped and covered my mouth. I hate that I witnessed that.
posted by cashman at 2:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


WaPo has: Senate Majority Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wants senators to return to the chamber Wednesday night to finish certifying the election...

FTFY
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


“Friends” on Facebook are comparing today to BLM attacks on thr Portland capital on 7-26.

Wtf?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:56 PM on January 6, 2021


There is always a tweet.
posted by Mchelly at 2:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Their legal jeopardy just got much more serious.

depending on jurisdiction they could be on the hook for felony murder, though that might not be a thing in DC
posted by BungaDunga at 2:56 PM on January 6, 2021


Watch: Trump is going to say that the people who actually entered the Capitol were antifa provocateurs, and that his supporters stayed outside peacefully.

A senior California Republican has already been alleged to have tweeted that this was antifa.
posted by biffa at 2:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


when Pence released a statement saying he can't overturn the election (some deal he made yesterday).

Ummm . . . Not sure if I'm reading you wrong or if you mistyped something, but this was not any kind of "deal" made by Pence - it is quite explicit via the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act that he literally does not have that power.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


To qualify that, I've been actively thinking, "Please let her not be AOC" for the last hour. Get used to seeing her name as a "martyr" for nazism for the next 20 years.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


...from the UK this looks like an attempted coup and is being described as such by the Guardian.

Welcome to Planet Earth, American Exceptionalism.
posted by cenoxo at 2:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


@cevansavenger: the police opened the fucking gates.
posted by rhizome at 2:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


felony murder, though that might not be a thing in DC

DC was like the murder capital of the US in the 90's - you bet your ass they got felony murder laws.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


If I understand correctly, Congress can meet wherever they like, as long as both houses agree to do so. They could count electoral votes at a 7-11 if they wanted to.

The problem is that the Electoral Count Act specifies that the count occur in "the Hall of the House of Representatives." Probably best not to give the Trumpists room to claim that the count was somehow deficient because it was held in an alternate location.

Personally I'm fully of the persuasion that "the law is not a suicide pact" and that overly literal readings of laws and the Constitution should be avoided when it would lead to absurd or dangerous results, but we have a judiciary packed with Trump-appointed judges.
posted by jedicus at 2:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


CBS reporting that George W. Bush just released a statement rebuking “elected leaders” for their part in fomenting this riot. Says that this kind of thing happens in a “banana republic”. Looking for actual text...
posted by darkstar at 3:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


from @facebook's VP of Integrity
Guy Rosen
@guyro
· 17m
This is an emergency situation and we are taking appropriate emergency measures, including removing President Trump's video. We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence.

Nice of you to step up FB
posted by bluesky43 at 3:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


you bet your ass they got felony murder laws.

In the literal Capitol building, is it possibly a federal crime? However that also makes it pardonable.
posted by meowzilla at 3:02 PM on January 6, 2021


Mod note: A few comments removed. I know we are feeling a lot of feelings amidst this latest apotheosis of fascist horseshit but please try to not get into explicit wishes of violence etc].
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


I was witness today to a convoy of cars proudly waving "Stop the Steal" flags pulling up in front of the US Consulate in downtown Toronto. This lunacy is not just contained to the US anymore. (Though in a slightly comical bent, I should add that the lead car was also brandishing a huge picture of Jesus and the driver was firmly sticking a large cross out of their window.)

Also, is it just me or... are these terrorists strangely cowed by velvet ropes?
posted by greatgefilte at 3:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I think that can happen, if Biden treats this as the emergency it is, and investigates and prosecutes everything and everyone, and right wing terrorism gets treated like the threat it is

This is one of those conditionals that actually makes the situation seem much worse when you consider who it proposes is required to do what and their track record with that sort of thing.
posted by atoxyl at 3:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


They can try to say that it was the work of Antifa, but this dumbass just got sworn in as a WV delegate - solidly in Republican land.
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 3:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


The problem is that the Electoral Count Act specifies that the count occur in "the Hall of the House of Representatives."

Well, if a square full of protestors can be cleared so the Buffoon in Chief can have a photo op, surely the Hall of the House of Representatives can be cleared so that the electoral process is followed.

I am just so pissed off about the utter lack of consequences for the people that instigated and participated in this.
posted by nubs at 3:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


I have watched the video a few times, and it is not clear to me that the cops opened the gates. I think it is just as likely that the mob pushed open the gates, they weren't seemingly padlocked or anything, and the crowd vastly outnumbered the cops, who did not want to be trampled. Some of the cops were assholes allowing selfies with the lawless mobs but I'm not convinced the cops just let it happen on purpose.
posted by Bella Donna at 3:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Good luck today to anyone who was trying that Dry January thing.

Looks like I picked the wrong election to quit drinking
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


Jesus, Merrick Garland will have a lot of work to do, even just based on today.
posted by The Potate at 3:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Also, is it just me or... are these terrorists strangely cowed by velvet ropes?

Given the importance they attached to gold fringe, I'm unsurprised.
posted by meinvt at 3:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


"Effort underway to persuade Cruz, Hawley and the objectors to stand down from their objections after the pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol today" -- Seung Min Kim, WaPo
posted by valkane at 3:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Looks like I picked the wrong election to quit drinking
I really want a drink, but there was only alcohol-free beer in the fridge, Goddamit
posted by mumimor at 3:08 PM on January 6, 2021




For those that ask, "how did they breach the Capitol?" this might be a hint.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Speaking of dumbass, this article on the seditious demonstrations at the Minnesota capitol does conclude with a gem:

"This should be what should be here every flipping Saturday until we get our state back," Waterbury told the crowd. She said some people have called her Facebook posts conspiracy theories and said she has been scaring people.

"Are you frickin' scared?" Waterbury asked. "No!"

"Are you going to fight back?" she yelled. "No!"

posted by nickmark at 3:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Trump on twitter:

"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"
posted by deeker at 3:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


To every single GOP elected official loudly calling for the madness and hate to end: Where the fuck were you two weeks ago? Two months ago? For the past 4 years?

If today is the day you finally publicly said "enough is enough," well, fuck you. The time to act already passed and no amount of posturing now is going to change anyone's mind about your true values and what you really stand for.
posted by caution live frogs at 3:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]




The actual fucking nerve of Trump's latest tweet. Oh we'll fucking remember this day.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 3:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [34 favorites]


Is Trump trying to "Remember remember" the 6th of January?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 3:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


In the literal Capitol building, is it possibly a federal crime? However that also makes it pardonable.

Laws are weird in DC, because it's a Federal enclave. The President can pardon people for crimes against the DC Code, not just federal crimes.
posted by BungaDunga at 3:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


The woman who was shot in the neck at the Capitol building has passed away.
No matter what "side" she was on, sad news indeed. And completely needless.
posted by erattacorrige at 3:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]






She was wearing a MAGA cape when shot.
posted by lazaruslong at 3:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


The Twitter Board of Directors needs to fire Jack Dorsey. This is absurd.
posted by SansPoint at 3:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


"This situation isn't really what the 25th Am is for and pushing through impeachment would be a challenge. But what is supposed to happen in a situation like this is that GOP leaders tell the President he needs to resign. They clearly don't have the courage to do what's right." -- Josh Marshall
posted by valkane at 3:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


What a fucking narcissist. (Trump I mean)
posted by muddgirl at 3:16 PM on January 6, 2021


Wow, GWB's statement explicitly labeled the ongoing events as an insurrection. It's literally titled "Statement by President George W. Bush on Insurrection at the Capitol." He's never been a Trump fan or anything, but strong language is being deployed against this bullshit. It probably won't convince any of Trump's "army," but may well help convince the public as a whole that extreme measures need be taken.
posted by wierdo at 3:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


Re: Tiff's tweet: Wow, so all of this is a happy birthday to Eric?!?

My coworkers aren't really caring, they are continuing to have Work Dramas and everyone is bothering me about them and I wish they'd just stop under the circumstances. Then a friend said this over email: "I'm out here trying to sell some fucking videogames and people will not stop trying to overthrow the government for like 5​ fucking minutes."
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]


This situation isn't really what the 25th Am is for and pushing through impeachment would be a challenge. But what is supposed to happen in a situation like this is that GOP leaders tell the President he needs to resign. They clearly don't have the courage to do what's right.

FFS, Josh, what makes you think he’d listen?!
posted by leotrotsky at 3:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Wow it's so weird to jump back to the Georgia Senate election thread and see just how different the tone of everything was just a matter of hours ago. What a strange and awful day.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 3:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]




No sympathy for any traitors injured (even gravely) in the dumbass coup, No sympathy for Trumpists, no sympathy for Republicans, the whole party is toxic and the label tainted, no sympathy for Trump, no sympathy for his corny children. The best they deserve is a lifelong vacation to a Black Site.

And fuck Twitter too.
posted by WeekendJen at 3:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


Donald Trump Is Now a Terrorist Leader - Mother Jones

"The attack on the Capitol is the culmination of Trumpism, and the GOP owns this."
posted by valkane at 3:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


GWB's statement explicitly labeled the ongoing events as an insurrection. It's literally titled "Statement by President George W. Bush on Insurrection at the Capitol." He's never been a Trump fan or anything, but strong language is being deployed against this bullshit.

Reportedly, he and Hilary Clinton ended up sitting next to each other at Trump's Inauguration, and after Trump's acceptance speech, Bush leaned over and muttered to Hilary - "well, that was some weird shit."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


Stepped away from the thread for my weekly remote therapy appointment (can you guess what we talked about??) and am realizing that I need to step away for the rest of the day to preserve my mental health. 2020 was the year I quit drinking! I'm holding strong! But damn, today really sucked. Solidarity with all of you, especially the ones living with mental illness as well.
posted by lazaruslong at 3:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [91 favorites]


Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time. The FB livestream is over but she gives a good overview of today.
posted by Glinn at 3:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Good luck and good health, lazaruslong.
posted by cortex at 3:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


> Full statement by George W. Bush.
“I am appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement,” he said in a statement.
Someone help me out here... Is he talking about Rep. Ocasio-Cortez or Rep. Omar?
posted by tonycpsu at 3:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]




SF Chronicle, an hour ago. Electoral College ballots reported safe: The Electoral College votes that were supposed to be counted before Congress on Wednesday were saved after pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, tweeted. “If our capable floor staff hadn’t grabbed them, they would have been burned by the mob,” Merkley said.

That's something I wasn't even thinking about. The votes reflect results previously recorded & certified by each state, and I don't want to go looking up potential legal loopholes concerning their 'integrity' being compromised in some way by today's attack.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]


I have read that businesses in DC put up plywood to protect their businesses when the election was called for Biden. I don't know if they have taken it down or not. However, that makes it quite clear that some people in DC have been expecting this. They don't have to have been certain it would happen, they just have to have had the idea that it might happen.

So what kind of preparations DID the Capitol Police make and what was their game plan? Well, they didn't deploy any reinforcements and somewhere along the line they opened a barricade and let a bunch of people in - which honestly reminds me of when I toured the building and all us tourists had to wait until the barrier was open and the tour guide took us down the hall and inside "..this historic chamber is where they vote... etc."

So it looks to me like the Capital Police game plan was to let them in. And to let them take selfies.

Now this sounds like the Capitol Police also ought the be charged with sedition and a few other things, but I've seen similar game plans go down when the police are outnumbered. Move back, let them burn a vehicle or two and a week or so after the rioters have gone home, show up at various homes with arrest warrants. I mean, one reason to not wear a mask is to avoid antagonizing the protestors who are often anti-maskers, but it also encourages the protestors to forget that face covers provide protective anonymity.

There may have been a basic game plan of let them hold a protest and arrest afterwards. A lot of people are reacting to the site of these "patriots" with their feet on the desks with suggestions that tear gas and clubs are suitable, but if you were a police officer, and had a certain sympathy towards the "patriots", you might lean towards not using clubs and tear gas and even be hoping that you could get away with not pressing charges.

If I were the guy in charge of the Capitol Police, this would be one of my concerns. How many of my guys are enough on the side of the mob that they might fail to follow orders, and might even change sides...?

Yeah. Wouldn't want to give any orders that might not be obeyed.

The guy in charge might also be considering the possible draw back of the clubs and tear gas routine, that there are a lot of gun owners waiting for a call to civil war. Mobs that outnumber the police have a nasty habit of circling around if the rubber bullets come out, and throwing molotails into the windows of the back of the building, or charging down the street to escape, angry enough to break windows and heads a few blocks over.

Out of control violence is one thing. Hearts and minds are another. Shoot just a couple of kids at Kent State and suddenly all these parents stop supporting the Vietnam War. If the news was now full of police vans zooming away jammed full of newly arrested protestors, would fires break out across the country tonight as the boogaloo began? Keep in mind that this is a peaceful mob - no shots have been fired at the Capitol Police and I strongly suspect THAT is their ultimate priority. Yep, don't wanna get hurt. I think the Capitol Police are trying to de-escalate things.

Still and all, likely the main reason the Capitol building wasn't lined with National Guardsmen before the mob arrived is because the guy who has the power to send in the National Guard sent the mob in, instead. Nobody else had the jurisdiction to send in the troops until there were rioters getting in the building. At which point they have, in fact, been sent for.

This all looks to me like it is being well handled. They aren't giving the Trump Army any thing they could describe as violent state oppression. Unfortunately that means the radical white magas will have to up their game to terrorism, in order to try to incite a violent police crack down and thus encourage more angry and frightened and entitled people to be willing to die to prevent Biden from leading the country...

I've been sitting here being afraid of that for months.

We are in the dangerous days, that point when the abuse victim known to be making a break for escape, and looks like they might make it. At that point the abuser is often willing to see her dead rather then free, and sometimes willing to go the murder suicide route to ensure it. I think Trump would be willing to see America dead, as punishment for rejecting him.
posted by Jane the Brown at 3:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [78 favorites]


The constitutional procedure involves the VP transmitting a letter to the Congress to tell them. I don't know if it takes effect until Congress is informed.

I mean, if they're all standing in the same room can they just text each other?
posted by photoslob at 3:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


This is one of those conditionals that actually makes the situation seem much worse when you consider who it proposes is required to do what and their track record with that sort of thing.

Case in point - it appears that the main thing the police managed to accomplish here was to shoot an unarmed member of the MAGA crowd.
posted by atoxyl at 3:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


photoslob: They haven't been in the same room. Based on the coverage, some have been in their offices, some in other locations in the Congress complex.
posted by SansPoint at 3:23 PM on January 6, 2021


Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time.

I wish. I highly doubt it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Mod note: Hey guys, I realize emotions are running really high -- mine too -- but please don't be ugly or vicious or graphic about the woman who died; the people you hurt most are the mod staff who have to keep reading and deleting that kind of comment, and we're already a little wrung out today.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 3:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [155 favorites]


Nobody else had the jurisdiction to send in the troops until there were rioters getting in the building.

Virginia and Maryland appear to think they can assist if the DC Mayor asks.
posted by BungaDunga at 3:25 PM on January 6, 2021


>their 'integrity' being compromised in some way by today's attack

the electoral law actually requires multiple copies to be sent from the states to DC, with this exact sort of fuckery in mind
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 3:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


and I don't want to go looking up potential legal loopholes concerning their 'integrity' being compromised in some way by today's attack.

NBC actually mentioned that there are multiple copies in different places for precisely this reason - well, more like because of the possibility of them being damaged or lost in the days when horses were the fastest transportation. (IIRC, there's a set at the National Archives.)
posted by soundguy99 at 3:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Apparently it will be televised...

Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution
posted by GhostintheMachine at 3:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [34 favorites]


Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time.

I'm not fully convinced he will be out of office on the 21st.
posted by dirigibleman at 3:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Some of the cops were assholes allowing selfies with the lawless mobs but I'm not convinced the cops just let it happen on purpose.

If paying attention to the history of and news from the USA teaches you anything, it's that the police letting this happen would be thoroughly out of character.
posted by invitapriore at 3:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


is introducing a resolution to the House to expel Republicans who are accomplices to today’s failed coup.

It's a good start. Might have momentum to expel any objectors to democracy who still have the guts to persist in their farce after all that.
posted by ctmf at 3:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution

A Noel Coward song, just waiting to happen.
posted by Grangousier at 3:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


CBS reporting that Trump’s National Security Advisor (O’Brian) has posted tweets RE resolution of this crisis that conspicuously omit Trump. Mention only Pence and Congress. Implication is that Trump is not involved in managing this situation.
posted by darkstar at 3:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


There is video. Posted in this thread. Of the police letting this happen.
posted by tiny frying pan at 3:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


The Twitter Board of Directors needs to fire Jack Dorsey. This is absurd.

What reason would lead them to do that? This is probably one of the most profitable days for Twitter in its history.

Too bad we won't have any possible way to stop Twitter for at least another 4 years.
posted by Ouverture at 3:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


CBS reporting that Pelosi statement just released: The House will reconvene tonight to complete the vote count.
posted by darkstar at 3:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I think it's safe to say that the political will for prosecuting Trumpist terrorists and criminals has grown at least three sizes today

ETA: and collaborationists. none of us will forget about the collaborationists.
posted by schadenfrau at 3:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]




don't know if this is the place or not but big love to the metafilter community and its mods
posted by meows at 3:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [211 favorites]


I hope a majority of the House convenes tonight to also get Articles of Impeachment filed. When there is an existential emergency for the country, everyone needs to be on board, if not on the record of where they stand on this coward's act of treachery.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time.

I have the greatest respect for her but it would really surprise me if that happens. Some kind of soft workaround seems much likelier.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution"

I am retroactively glad that I decided not to buy that same piano scarf she's wearing in that video
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 3:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Seen from the outside, it is really strange that such a small group of idiots can get this far.
posted by mumimor at 3:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


I’ve run out of favorites, meows, so I flagged your comment as fantastic, instead.
posted by darkstar at 3:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Twitter just removed Trumps last two tweets.

Edit: wait, cannot confirm.
posted by valkane at 3:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Once again, thank you mods for keeping the community alive and well managed. You’re all amazing.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time.

I have followed her for a while now, I adore her, but this is the first time I've really disagreed with her. I respect where she's coming from but naaah.
posted by Twain Device at 3:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I wonder if there were any foreign, perhaps Russian agents in that crowd. Great opportunity to plant devices in people's offices, grab a laptop or two, ...
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Heather Cox Richardson pointed out that the entire government is well aware that as long as Trump is President, he controls the nukes. And there is no controlling him.
posted by PennD at 3:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


PBS just called this mob "protestors".

Smart. It minimizes them in a way they loathe.

Y'all...there's no way those 140-odd seditious congesscritters who signed onto this hot mess are gonna get seated. Trump may have just handed us a Trifecta and a 2/3 majority on an (admittedly noisy) silver platter. (Dumbass.) We could pass amendments. >:]
posted by sexyrobot at 3:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Mother Jones has some statements from historians about why they don't think this meets the scholarly definition of a coup. If I understand them correctly, several of them hold that belief because the attempts haven't used an instrument of the government (e.g., the military) to make their attempt. Horrifying, unlawful, and terrible in many ways but not a coup.
posted by ElKevbo at 3:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


There is video. Posted in this thread. Of the police letting this happen.

Louder for the people in the back.
The police. Opened. The gates.
posted by phunniemee at 3:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [27 favorites]


They were already all sworn in 3 days ago.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Is it too soon to yearn for the calm, tranquil days of 2020?
posted by MrGuilt at 3:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


"Twitter just deleted Trump’s video justifying the insurrection. Good. Now do his account." -- Brian Tyler Cohen
posted by valkane at 3:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


"These are the things and events that happen when..."

Passive voice. You always know that some bullshit evil is going on when they bring out the passive voice.
posted by clawsoon at 3:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


I have always hated the phrase "This is not who we are," because it's sanctimonious and smarmy, but anyone who uses it today is gonna get my double angry glare.
posted by PhineasGage at 3:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Questions in my mind:

1) Is VP Pence acting as de facto commander in chief?

2) Is he already at Raven Rock?

3) Will he convene cabinet to remove Trump under the 25th amendment?

4) Where does the military feel enemies may exploit the crisis in US leadership?

5) How will they respond if Trump gives illegal or insane orders?
posted by sindark at 3:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Okay, here it is:

"Twitter has removed three of the president’s tweets, including the last two tweets...one of which contained his video and the other blamed the insurrection on what he falsely claimed was a fraudulent election." -- Yashar Ali
posted by valkane at 3:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]




CBS reporting that George W. Bush just released a statement rebuking “elected leaders” for their part in fomenting this riot. Says that this kind of thing happens in a “banana republic”. Looking for actual text...

Well, ol' W would certainly know a thing or two about using mob violence to interrupt the electoral process.
posted by eagles123 at 3:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


Twitter missed removing the other 56,565 tweets.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 3:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


If I understand them correctly, several of them hold that belief because the attempts haven't used an instrument of the government (e.g., the military) to make their attempt.

The current president is pretty much the definition of instrument of government. Sure that's a singular person acting as instrument but still seems to qualify.
posted by Mitheral at 3:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


People in the comment sections of my parents’ friends’ Facebook posts are super sure this was all an antifa false flag. Exhausting.
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


The problem, as if anyone needs me to spell it out, is that Trump's supporters, and most self-identifying Republicans, are almost infinitely elastic in their support. Like a snake unhinging its jaw to swallow an egg, they're rapidly opening up to those new developments. By tomorrow this will be Just Fine, or Antifa, or whatever; rule by direct threat of violence will be normal. Many I'm seeing on social media are already there in record time.
posted by argybarg at 3:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


Idiotic and self-aware at the same time - an anonymous White House aide: "Problem is, if I resign, it looks disingenuous — you were willing to stick around for four years, but this is what did you in?"
posted by PhineasGage at 3:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution"

I hope we also get a livestream of her arrest, and that it is at least as entertaining.
posted by COD at 3:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Mother Jones has some statements from historians about why they don't think this meets the scholarly definition of a coup. If I understand them correctly, several of them hold that belief because the attempts haven't used an instrument of the government (e.g., the military) to make their attempt. Horrifying, unlawful, and terrible in many ways but not a coup.

Which is why it’s imperative to investigate why Capitol Police were so ineffective.
posted by lazugod at 3:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


In 2000, they held the Brooks Brothers riot to interfere in the election process. They were angry and loud; belligerent but not frighteningly violent; menacing, but unarmed...and well-dressed. No real opposition from law enforcement, but no aiding and abetting either (other than not being prosecuted for disturbing the peace).

In 2021, they were loud and violent and armed and dangerous. Dressed like paramilitary in some cases, like clowns in others. Some opposition from law enforcement, but also some disturbing examples of alliance.

Next time, they will be violent, armed and dangerous, and with outright tactical and logistical support from allies in law enforcement and the US military -- if the Democrats and centrists and moderates in the US media and government do their usual "Aww, they're just excitable boys, let 'em run amuck a little bit. No harm, no foul" dance.

Also, after this, those same moderates, centrists and "reasonable" folks on the left who all tut-tut and wag their fingers whenever minorities, women, or progressive movements like Occupy Wall Street and labor unions are "too disruptive" as we ask for civil rights or demand even mild reform need to miss us when we non-violently protest from here on out.
posted by lord_wolf at 3:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [63 favorites]




*police handing out Berettas under a sign that says "FREE GUN WITH PROOF OF TRUMP VOTE" on the front lawn of the police department*
everyone who favorited the comment I quoted above: I'm just not convinced that they're doing this on purpose, as a whole. sure the guys on the lawn are bad but I don't think the ones inside the building planned for this to happen
posted by invitapriore at 3:47 PM on January 6, 2021


The officers in charge of Capitol security should be replaced. I can't help but think that if the police had used their weapons appropriately, to dissuade the attack on the Capitol, that woman would still be alive; and we wouldn't have seen unelected racists and traitors in control of the building. (*)


(*) “But what about –”
Unelected, I said.”
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


~ Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time.
~ I'm not fully convinced he will be out of office on the 21st.


This.

This was not a one-and-done, especially if Congress goes ahead and ratifies the electoral count even after this major tantrum of Trump’s. He’s going to go full-angry-toddler-with-a-gun on the country. When the 20th rolls around, I expect the US to be neck-deep in a true constitutional crisis, the likes of which no one would have ever thought possible four years ago.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


I’ve already debunked a “false flag” post I saw in my town FB group. No, dude, that’s not a BLM infiltrator, that’s a well known QAnon infiltrator. Maybe pick someone a little less distinct than furry horned man for your disinformation campaign. The OP has ignored me, but at least my comment is the first one on the post and may, MAY, shine some light for people who might have believed it.
posted by Ruki at 3:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Smart. It minimizes them in a way they loathe.

Call them "looters and thugs."
posted by BungaDunga at 3:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


If it was a false flag, why did Trump himself speak to them and encourage them?
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]


It has been _0_ days since the last Trump disaster.
posted by Melismata at 3:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


"No one could have seen this coming unless they happened to be awake for the last several years." -- Frank Conniff
posted by valkane at 3:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]


Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution

I saw a tweet pointing out that she appears to have an onion in her towel? Or else something that looks crazily like one. What else could it be?
posted by knapah at 3:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I know he only has 14 days left, but that Orange motherfucker needs to be impeached.

TOMORROW.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 3:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


You know, we’ve seen so much stochastic terrorism where there is a thin veneer of plausible deniability. But that’s not what happened today.

The incitement by Trump was clear-throated and immediately connected to the very people that then engaged in the violent insurrection. We have video of Trumpists at his speech afterward calling for people to breach the Capitol, saying they were inspired by Trump, who had explicitly called on them to March down to the Capitol and “get wild”.

We have Trump today condemning his VP for not having the courage to overturn the election vote count. We have Rudy Giuliani and other speakers today using even more inflammatory and inciteful language.

And the deceitful and cynical behaviors and statements of the elected members of the Sedition Caucus are directly connected with setting the stage for these hostilities.

We had a violent, criminal assault on our national Capitol today. We also came very, very close to having members of Congress harmed or worse. And there is no doubt, no doubt, that this insurgency can be laid at the feet of Trump and his Republican collaborators.
posted by darkstar at 3:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [39 favorites]


I saw a tweet pointing out that she appears to have an onion in her towel?

It was the style at the time.
posted by Ragged Richard at 3:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [96 favorites]


Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution

I saw a tweet pointing out that she appears to have an onion in her towel? Or else something that looks crazily like one. What else could it be?


Wait, is she pretending to have been maced?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 3:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


More likely an ice cube.
posted by lazugod at 3:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


The State Department has instituted a social media freeze

From the linked article:

"US diplomats overseas have been told to suspend all social media posts..."
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


"I’m okay." -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
posted by valkane at 3:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [65 favorites]


Yes! Wolf Blitzer called them terrorists!
posted by Ruki at 3:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


I mostly stay off of facebook but I still have my account. Yesterday, just out of curiosity, I went and checked in on a guy I grew up with in Georgia who has always been very vocally republican since middle school and works in politics.

Yesterday his profile picture was him standing with Kelly Loeffler. Historically all of his profile pictures are of him with GOP leaders and always have some blurb about go vote for so and so in the such and such and help us defeat socialism!!

Today his profile picture changed very quietly to a selfie of him alone on his boat.
posted by phunniemee at 3:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [60 favorites]


phunniemee:

Your friend will be back. Tomorrow he will post proof that Antifa staged the whole thing.
posted by argybarg at 4:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Robert Evans:

a protester in the Capitol with what appears to be a handgun on his hip and zipties, to take congressional hostages. hundreds of people were talking about doing this openly, online in places like http://thedonald.win

They were also talking about executing elected Democrats

People keep giving me credit for "predicting" this.

I predicted nothing. I read what these people wrote online about what they PLANNED TO DO and I tried to warn people.

This was not prediction. It was basic reading comprehension.

posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [144 favorites]


I've run out of favorites, so if you wrote something smart, consider yourself favorited.

You know, we’ve seen so much stochastic terrorism where there is a thin veneer of plausible deniability. But that’s not what happened today.

We've known this would happen for days, and discussed it in earlier threads. While I think MetaFilter is the smartest space on the internet, I'm pretty sure a lot of other people have known this as well, including the Secret Service, the D.C. police, the FBI and the National Guard. And all the media. I probably forgot someone, but you get the point. So the lack of preparedness is in itself a scandal.
posted by mumimor at 4:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Does anyone know whether Trump is still President at this time?

There were a couple of tweets about various officials referring to Pence authorizing use of the national guard, and a few people wondered if he had that authority, and why these officials were not mentioning Trump himself at all, and whether that meant the 25th had already been invoked, and since then... nothing.

Has anyone seen anything more on this? Would we even know if they had invoked the 25th?
posted by schadenfrau at 4:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


When do Senator Warnock and Senator Ossoff get sworn in?

Counting impeachment votes . . .
posted by jointhedance at 4:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


@schadenfrau - That's what prompted my questions, specifically reports that Pence authorized the guard deployment and that he is coordinating security overall with the SecDef.
posted by sindark at 4:04 PM on January 6, 2021


attempts haven't used an instrument of the government (e.g., the military) to make their attempt.

usps, census bureau, doj...
posted by j_curiouser at 4:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


I'm English and I don't understand but it looks scary.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 4:06 PM on January 6, 2021


How coincidental is it that the KLF are releasing this?

(I'm going to pirate it.)
posted by not_on_display at 4:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


My supervisor just emailed me to list my achievements for 2020 for my annual performance review and I'm just, can we maybe revisit the topic when there's not a fascist coup in progress ma'am
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 4:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [66 favorites]


The pictures of the Republican base invading congressional offices look really similar to when CPD officers took over Bobby Rush's office in Chicago during the summer so they could nap while unchecked looters cleaned out the stores on the South Side of Chicago.

I never heard anything about any consequences for that...
posted by srboisvert at 4:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]




Trumps Twitter account has been locked for 12 hours.

317 hours too few but I'll take it.
posted by saturday_morning at 4:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


(decade long lurker checking in again. last time was election night/week. thank you all, and thank you mods. i just donated some more to fund MeFi here, seems like the least i can do)
posted by stumbling at 4:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [41 favorites]


If Trump is in the secured location as I assume he is, they can later claim that Trump authorized Pence to take whatever actions. This is what the bush admin. claimed when Cheney gave orders on 9/11.
posted by muddgirl at 4:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


His account isn't just locked for 12 hours, Twitter says it will remain locked until he deletes the tweets. What are the chances he refuses to back down and delete them on "principle"?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


such narrow definitions of a coup d'etat would seem to exclude events such as, for instance, the wilmington coup. like, i'm not sure what the point is of splitting hairs over whether "official" forces are directly leading the insurrection attempt, when the end goal/result is still forcibly overturning an elected government. it seems to me like some people really just don't want to define a coup attempt as anything that might occur in the united states.

for what it's worth, the coup project at uillinois states, “We define a coup d’état as the sudden and irregular (i.e., illegal or extra-legal) removal, or displacement, of the executive authority of an independent government." that sure sounds to me like what was attempted today. specifically, it sounds like the "dissident actions" category of coup attempt that they describe, assuming there was nothing more organized going on behind the scenes w/law enforcement (which we can't yet know, but let's say there wasn't).

(sorry for no caps, having keyboard troubles)
posted by desert outpost at 4:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Like the rest of the world, I’m just sitting here in Canada wondering how the hell this happens in “the land of the free”. Good luck to you all. And I’m worried because this brand of toxic, hateful stupidity has found a foothold in Canada as well — although it may be a little harder to fly across the ocean to topple our Queen. So far our morons seem content to complain about masks and vaccines and Trudeau’s drama teacher credentials.

Sorry if I sound glib. I’m just in shock to see this coup happening.
posted by The Hyacinth Girl at 4:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Would we even know if they had invoked the 25th?

The procedure specified in the 25th Amendment involves sending a letter to Congress. It doesn't take effect until it's transmitted to the Speaker and the Senate President pro tempore:
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of... the principal officers of the executive departments... transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
posted by BungaDunga at 4:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


saturday_morning: And a little over 35,000 hours too late
posted by SansPoint at 4:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


CBS reporting that Pelosi statement just released: The House will reconvene tonight to complete the vote count.

jedicus posted the relevant Electoral Count Act bit above (the count is required to take place in the Hall of the House of Representatives), but this is a joint session of Congress. Is there any mechanism which allows them to agree to meet somewhere safer than the Hall? A less-formal joint meeting -- held virtually, if they're holed up separately -- to settle on a location for tonight, with an emergency resolution allowing the completion of the count outside the Hall? An emergency congressional power? Because, NBC: Law enforcement found at least one improvised explosive device on the grounds of the Capitol building; attackers were roaming around, rummaging in desks... one guy with a backpack was parkouring up to the balcony (image from WSJ).

on preview: "I’m okay." -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Oh, thank Christ, and thank you, valkane
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Does anyone know whether Trump is still President at this time?

I can’t imagine it staying a secret if he wasn’t. That’s just too big a thing to not leak out, even if security and safety demanded it stay secret.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The poor woman who was shot and who died was not sensible enough to get out of the way when she knew guns were drawn on the other side of the door she was trying to break through. Unlike the rest of the mob she was with. I saw a comment on twitter just now saying she was a teen. This is just totally awful and that ... trump creature did this.
posted by glasseyes at 4:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Good luck today to anyone who was trying that Dry January thing.

I've been sober since mid-October, attending meetings every morning. This morning's actually involved a suprise appearance by a semi-famous face I recognized, which I thought would be the most interesting part of my day (spoiler: no, no it wasn't the most interesting part of my day.)

Sobriety has been surprisingly easy for me. I know that's far from always the case. Today was the first time I had to leave the room because my wife was having a glass of wine. (she offered to pour it out, of course. I insisted on leaving the room, because fucked if I'm gonna take that away from her right now.) I'm having what I can only describe as "emotional flashbacks" to being in Manhattan on 9/11. I'm so tired and stressed and full of energy and nothing to do with it, like fuel burning with no engine...

I have a Slack with three friends always open. One of those friends will likely be the House Historian in the next decade or so, so watching history as it's being literally written is a wild-ass ride. I'm taking a lot of breaks from it, hiding in Pokémon and Duolingo and anything else that only requires the vaguest sense of attention and has bright flashy colors. There's nothing I can do and man, before mid-October I always had an answer for that.

Biden scored very highly on the "presidential" and "calming" meters, which is what we needed, for sure. He scored very low on the "bring the fucking sledgehammer of justice down" meter, which is definitely what I wanted, and which we probably also need, but maybe not today? I want it today. I might even need it today. I don't know.

I know that we need justice, though. Reconciliation can come later. First things first, we need to see justice served on Trump, all of his enablers, the complicit cops letting the terrorists through the doors and taking selfies with them, and anyone we can find who stormed the gates. A democracy cannot function which does not defend its machinations. Full stop.

Reconciliation can come later. One day at a time.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [76 favorites]


It seems like they are going to show the courage to retake the legislative chambers and resume the constitutionally-mandated meeting which has been unlawfully disrupted.
posted by sindark at 4:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Like the rest of the world, I’m just sitting here in Canada

Can't wait to hear how Julie Nolke explains this one to her December self.
posted by phunniemee at 4:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [64 favorites]


Chuck Todd is taliking 25th.
Micheal Beschloss is stunned.

Ok, I can see 'incite to riot' as a charge resulting from indirect and direct challenge, involving the vice president, to a orderly process.

in theory Trump could be president and Pence acting president.
I have little doubt it's been discussed. it would leak with in an hour I would think if he's been warned or even replaced. The potential for pardons, give any secret away, yeah, and the stock market is of concern.

Twitter locked his account is something.

going to reconvine tonight is another.

watch live, as his power melts away.
posted by clavdivs at 4:11 PM on January 6, 2021


@The Hyacinth Girl - Feeling this from Toronto. I have been reaching out to people who I care about in the US, just to try to be in touch while this is happening.
posted by sindark at 4:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


AOC: "I'm okay."
posted by mrjohnmuller at 4:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Hey everyone. I’m trying to maintain calm, but as someone who’s seen a lot of this kind of violence over here, if you live in a capitol city, please stay safe tonight and stay inside whether there is a curfew or not. These people and their frustrated violence are often looking for targets, including people of color, LGBT people, and anyone else they view as outside their idea of the citizenry.
posted by corb at 4:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [73 favorites]


"Was barricaded in for several hours. I’ll tell y’all about it later.

For now, we must focus on task at hand: to preserve the integrity of our democracy, hold accountable those responsible for their attempts to subvert our nation’s elections and shred our Constitution apart." - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
posted by valkane at 4:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


something something Oxford comma
posted by Mchelly at 4:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau:
Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be.

posted by Mitheral at 4:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


"I spoke with Jake Angeli, the QAnon guy who got inside the Senate chamber. He said police eventually gave up trying to stop him and other Trump supporters, and let them in. After a while, he said police politely asked him to leave and let him go without arrest" -- Adrian Morrow, Globe and Mail
posted by valkane at 4:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]




CBS reporting that George W. Bush just released a statement rebuking “elected leaders” for their part in fomenting this riot. Says that this kind of thing happens in a “banana republic”. Looking for actual text...

Well, ol' W would certainly know a thing or two about using mob violence to interrupt the electoral process.


To be fair though that was probably the work of Cheney and his Dad and their buddies. George was probably watching Bob Ross at the time.
posted by srboisvert at 4:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Mchelly, if you click-thru she apologizes for the comma mistake. Been a rough day, I reckon.
posted by valkane at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


BBC News had an interview with Robyn Kelly where she called 45 "full of crap". Also the BBC seems to have settled on "slavish" as the adjective of choice for Mike Pence, which I find hilarious.

Stay safe, US peeps.
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Arguably the way security forces have worked to deescalate things has been a success, especially since many of those who illegally entered the Capital were likely armed. Having them walk out is way better than handling them holding rooms or the building by force.
posted by sindark at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


The Lincoln Project already has a video up about this.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


It seems like they are going to show the courage to retake the legislative chambers and resume the constitutionally-mandated meeting which has been unlawfully disrupted.

And what are the chances that every Republican incumbent will now be reminding us about this 'courage,' ad infinitum, in two years?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Like the rest of the world, I’m just sitting here in Canada wondering how the hell this happens in “the land of the free”.

Because some people have been taught that freedom means *their* freedom. Freedom from accountability to others or to the law. Freedom from having their side lose. Freedom to privilege their group, and bind the outgroup. Freedom to engage in violence in the name of all those freedoms.
posted by wildblueyonder at 4:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [42 favorites]


@srboisvert

I retyped and verified G. W. Bush's statement. I got the graphic from Twitter.
posted by sindark at 4:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


"This is the day that Vladimir Putin has waited for since he had to leave East Germany as a young KGB officer at the end of the Cold War." -- Ben Rhodes
posted by valkane at 4:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [38 favorites]


he said police politely asked him to leave and let him go without arrest"

Happily for us, and perhaps sadly for him, his not being arrested on the spot does not preclude charges being brought or his being arrested later.
posted by wierdo at 4:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


One tries not to forget, even for a moment, that we are in the worst throes of a pandemic that has killed 350,000 US Americans and is predicted to kill at least a couple of hundred thousand more over the next few months. But, you know: SUDDENLY, INSURRECTION and all.
posted by darkstar at 4:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


thank you sindark but please reconsider your usage of the Oxford 6.
posted by brambleboy at 4:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Could you please explain what that means?
posted by sindark at 4:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Sorry but can someone post a working link to whatever we were supposed to see upon clicking "Elizabeth was not expecting the revolution"? Is this the woman who was shot? Whatever media was linked seems to be gone.
posted by MiraK at 4:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


These people are just itching to hurt others. And that man is responsible. The tweet explains how this particular bit of violence occurred after he called the media "enemies of the people" shortly beforehand, and they parroted him in their rampage. What are we gonna do, y'all?
posted by droplet at 4:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Arguably the way security forces have worked to deescalate things has been a success, especially since many of those who illegally entered the Capital were likely armed. Having them walk out is way better than handling them holding rooms or the building by force.

Yes, it arguably is. And I can get that on some remote intellectual level.

At the same time: How amazing is it that this group of white folks was met by successful de-escalation techniques. The utter lack of consequences for today's actions is surely the right and just thing to do.
posted by nubs at 4:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Freedom to engage in violence in the name of all those freedoms.

Annuit cœptis.
today, a thug climbed the Senate floor above said motto.
posted by clavdivs at 4:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Assault on democracy: Sen. Josh Hawley has blood on his hands in Capitol coup attempt -- Kansas City Star

"No one other than President Donald Trump himself is more responsible for Wednesday’s coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol than one Joshua David Hawley, the 41-year-old junior senator from Missouri, who put out a fundraising appeal while the siege was underway.

This, Sen. Hawley, is what law-breaking and destruction look like. This is what mobs do. This is not a protest, but a riot. One woman was shot and has died, The Washington Post reported, while lawmakers were sheltering in place."
posted by valkane at 4:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau: Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be.

If you think you can just send Mounties down here for extensive wagon repair, I'm telling you, sir, that'll happen over our flushed, quivering bodies.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


Very good editorial via the Guardian:
I call it a coup attempt because, though I assume it will not prevent the Biden presidency, it certainly intended to, and is part of a campaign to delegitimize and thereby weaken the incoming administration. It was a long time coming, building up for years with white rage, especially white male rage fueled by everyone from Trump himself to the National Rifle Association, Fox News and the various rightwing pundits, the Republican party, the various faces of white supremacy, and the far-right groups such as the Proud Boys. It is a rage against the fact that other people might be equal under the law, that women and people of color might also govern as power begins to be distributed more equally, the same rage that attempted to delegitimize a black president with birtherism and obstruction. It is a rage against equality.
posted by Acey at 4:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


Sorry but can someone post a working link to whatever we were supposed to see upon clicking "Elizabeth was not expecting the revolution"? Is this the woman who was shot? Whatever media was linked seems to be gone.

Twitter video of a woman rubbing her eyes with what appeared to be an onion wrapped in a towel saying she got maced, all she was trying to do was walk into the Capitol for the revolution and they maced her.
posted by phunniemee at 4:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Also, some Miami Cubans are calling for the military to keep Trump in office while one of their popular talk radio stations (owned by Univision) spreads the antifa false flag narrative.
posted by wierdo at 4:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


The "Elizabeth" thing is about a woman who was complaining to a reporter about having been maced for trying to break into the Capitol. Nothing to do with the woman who was shot.
posted by cortex at 4:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Looking for names for this failed facist coup... Make Putsches Great Again?
posted by dazed_one at 4:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Desert Outpost: such narrow definitions of a coup d'etat would seem to exclude events such as, for instance, the wilmington coup. like, i'm not sure what the point is of splitting hairs over whether "official" forces are directly leading the insurrection attempt, when the end goal/result is still forcibly overturning an elected government. it seems to me like some people really just don't want to define a coup attempt as anything that might occur in the united states.

I do take issue with this because I do believe "official" forces are needed. No amount of people holding flags know where the keys are. The man shouted that Trump won the election from the podium - but nobody was there to make it so.

If this mob burns down the building, if there is fighting in the streets, that doesn't change the government. The only thing that does is the congress. The behavior I saw this morning from that snake from texas was the coup attempt. And this mob seems to be scaring the conservatives into finishing out the vote already, right?

It reminds me of when this bloody mess started a little less than four years ago, with the travel ban. I remember thinking "The government apparatus isn't going to enforce this, right?" But, lawyers fought and lawyers won and lost.

Lawyers and soldiers are the "official" forces that are needed to pull off a coup, and I see neither.
posted by rebent at 4:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Is there any way to send mods pizza, liquor or any other helpful thing? This shit blew up out of nowhere and y'all have been on top of things!
posted by kaiseki at 4:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


wtf are the guardian doing by interviewing the leader of the proud boys about this?

As someone who lived through BBC reporting of IRA/Sinn Fein folks having to be voiced by actors, I feel that any interview with a pb representative must include the question "do you still have those rules about only having a wank next to your girlfriend?" and an affirmative answer before it can be recorded.
posted by scruss at 4:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


I imagine that, right now in the White House, Trump has a giant fly head and somewhere in the Rose Garden there's a pale-headed fly crying "Help me!"
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


dances_with_sneetches: Nah, that fly would be crying "Fake news! The spider will just go away! I don't need help!"
posted by SansPoint at 4:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


My Republican governor. "Make no mistake, the President of the United States is responsible for this event."

(yes we have suggested he consider leaving the party)
posted by jessamyn at 4:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Today was quite the Epiphany for me.
posted by srboisvert at 4:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Sorry sindark. Riffing obscurely on AOC's Oxford comma (which seemed an odd thing to focus on at the moment) while pointing out your typo "since t6he election". It is strange to take solace in grammatical and syntactic irregularities at a time like this...
posted by brambleboy at 4:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]




Is there any way to send mods pizza, liquor or any other helpful thing? This shit blew up out of nowhere and y'all have been on top of things!

I believe that GrubHub gift "cards" can be sent via email. Similar services probably offer similar things.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 4:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I thought you were saying I was being rude for responding to people directly. I can't handle the flood of tw1tter or f4cebook right now, but one thread on MF is comforting.
posted by sindark at 4:29 PM on January 6, 2021


Today was quite the Epiphany for me.

Zing!
posted by sideshow at 4:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Mod note: GrubHub doesn't work out here. Feel free to drop a note via the contact form but I think we're okay. Thanks for the thought.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [22 favorites]


So sindark, if I understand you correctly, because they were armed and ready to kill people we should go softer on them?

Fuck that, a violent armed mob, invading the capitol building should have been tear gassed into submission and arrested on the spot. And if people had wanted to play warrior and shoot back I can't believe the local forces don't have to ability to handle some day warriors.

Frankly this is one of the few cases where police violence makes sense and is reasonable. Letting these idiots walk away peacefully just says "if you are white and armed you can do what you want" and everyone involved is going to understand that.
posted by aspo at 4:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


Metafilter: Forget someone is storming the Capitol and AOC being barricaded in her office, what about the Oxford comma?
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


[on seeing the mods comment

Thank goodness. I'm glad to see _someone_ is in charge. Please tell the aliens and sentient AIs that humanity is just having a brief freak-out moment and we will settle soon with a feeling of relief and catastrophe averted.]
posted by sindark at 4:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


@aspo

I was speculating on the strategy used by the security forces, not arguing whether it was just or the best thing to do.
posted by sindark at 4:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


CNN: House and Senate chambers are being cleaned for session tonight. Has pics of debris.

Session could resume as soon as half an hour from now (at 8 pm Eastern)
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Why are y’all still so into Vampire Weekend?
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 4:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Armed seiges are their nightmare, from bitter bloody experience from Mecca to Moscow to Waco and Ruby Ridge.
posted by sindark at 4:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Metafilter: Forget someone is storming the Capitol and AOC being barricaded in her office, what about the Oxford comma?

That we can handle both is further proof that Metafilter is my kind of people.
posted by The Potate at 4:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [37 favorites]


Way back on Nov 5, while waiting for Biden’s win to be called, someone posted, “My god, please call it for Biden and let us get on with living.” I replied:

Unfortunately, I fear you skipped some steps: My god, please call it for Biden and let us get on with...
- Waiting for the recounts
- Waiting for the lawsuit results
- Worrying about the possibility of faithless electors
- Worrying about the possibility of tweet-encouraged civil violence
- Worrying about the possibility of government-led violence

THEN get on with living. Including GOTV etc. for the GA special elections.


Well, we made it to the fourth one...
posted by daisyace at 4:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Spare a thought for those heroic cleaners. Hopefully there has been a thorough sweep for IEDs.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 4:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


So sindark, if I understand you correctly, because they were armed and ready to kill people we should go softer on them?

Like, I would think it would be super sweet if those who have been "fucking around" got to the "found out" part, but the FBI HRT getting into firefight inside the Capitol Building and massacring dozens (if not hundreds) of people isn't going to have the desired long term effect.
posted by sideshow at 4:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


> Congressional leaders are in the undisclosed location and focusing on the 25th Amendment [...]

I'm not that familiar with the 25th Amendment—how does the process work? Instead of having the Cabinet declare Trump unfit, are they instead going down the path of defining "such other body as Congress may by law provide" to do it instead?

Either way, the 25th Amendment ends (to my reading), in a contested situation, with a 2/3rds majority vote in both houses in order to make the declaration of unfitness stick. Even with today's debacle, assembling a 2/3rds majority in the Senate to put Trump down seems like a stretch.
posted by Kadin2048 at 4:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


From the CNN update link: Melania Trump's chief of staff submits resignation in wake of violent protests
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


They weren't fucking around, they were invading the capitol building with guns.

Honestly they should have never gotten within 100 yards of the place. We know that the white house has plenty of crowd munitions, they didn't hesitate to use them all fucking summer long.
posted by aspo at 4:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


I really hope this isn't coming across as hyperbolic -- these people survived a terrorist attack at their workplace earlier today. They fled that chamber and barricaded themselves in their offices and in other parts of the building. I don't think they should go back in there tonight, deep-cleaning / bomb-sweeping / de-lousing be damned.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


I do take issue with this because I do believe "official" forces are needed. No amount of people holding flags know where the keys are. The man shouted that Trump won the election from the podium - but nobody was there to make it so.

Given the amount of support both leading up to and during this attempt from various elected officials at federal, state, and local levels, as well as from various prominent members of the police and administrations, I'm not sure that's wholly applicable here. These guys could reasonably expect senior members of government to pick up where they left off.
posted by trig at 4:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"This is the day that Vladimir Putin has waited for since he had to leave East Germany as a young KGB officer at the end of the Cold War."

Oh, no doubt. You can bet there's champagne and promotions and bonuses flying around the HQ of the Russian psy ops group assigned to America right now.

I've read several Civil Rights era historians theorize that one thing that spurred change in the USA was the footage shared around the world of the American police violently suppressing peaceful protesters. The Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and others were able to play that footage and say "Wow, so much for the shining beacon of freedom, justice, and democracy, huh?"

I imagine footage of current events is being used similarly.

For the young woman who was killed and whose blood is on Trump, Cruz et al's hands:

.
posted by lord_wolf at 4:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Thank goodness. I'm glad to see _someone_ is in charge. Please tell the aliens and sentient AIs that humanity is just having a brief freak-out moment and we will settle soon with a feeling of relief and catastrophe averted.

I believe the current thinking is reptilian overlords.

Is there any way to send mods pizza, liquor or any other helpful thing? This shit blew up out of nowhere and y'all have been on top of things!

That's the job! Like Jess said, we're doing okay for provisions in the moment. Serious answer is MeFi is largely community funded, so throwing something in the kitty there is always welcome.
posted by cortex at 4:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [22 favorites]


@Iris Gambol

I would say continuing as soon as the room is physically safe is essential for demonstrating that the constitutional order of power remains in force in America. Doing this right will be as important as any act in US history.
posted by sindark at 4:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [40 favorites]


Fuck that, a violent armed mob, invading the capitol building should have been tear gassed into submission and arrested on the spot

Well, no, that should have happened before they made it up the steps. After they were already in there is no fucking way the Secret Service or any other law enforcement is gonna allow some kind of Michael Bay running battle through the halls and rooms of government offices full of officials and staff.
posted by soundguy99 at 4:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


And with AOC: she has been a main target of terrorist threats for the last 2 years.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


If this mob burns down the building, if there is fighting in the streets, that doesn't change the government.

As I and others have pointed out mob behavior has altered the course of elections in the past. GWB's first term was as a result of the Supreme Court ruling that haste was important due to election related violence. That it was Republican political operatives, "unofficials" by your standard, scaring a Republican Supreme Court with staged violence into doing what Republicans wanted is precisely the kind of play Trump is trying right now.
posted by srboisvert at 4:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


" these people survived a terrorist attack at their workplace earlier today. They fled that chamber and barricaded themselves in their offices and in other parts of the building"

I mean, kids and teachers all over America survive that on the regular and go back to school the next day.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [87 favorites]


I don't think they should go back in there tonight, deep-cleaning / bomb-sweeping / de-lousing be damned.

OTOH, there seems to be lots of "FUCK these assholes, they ain't gonna scare us away from doing our jobs" energy coming from multiple members of Congress, both R & D.
posted by soundguy99 at 4:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


I really hope this isn't coming across as hyperbolic -- these people survived a terrorist attack at their workplace earlier today. They fled that chamber and barricaded themselves in their offices and in other parts of the building. I don't think they should go back in there tonight, deep-cleaning / bomb-sweeping / de-lousing be damned.

It's not hyperbolic. I wouldn't blame them for pausing. However, I'm grateful they're returning - it's an important and courageous gesture against Trump and his mob. To paraphrase that one representative, "fuck those guys."
posted by Emily's Fist at 4:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


scaring a Republican Supreme Court with staged violence into doing what Republicans wanted is precisely the kind of play Trump is trying right now.

So, you expect Pelosi to say "Welp, guess we still have Trump!" in 17 mins?
posted by sideshow at 4:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


sindark, it's not like they didn't have time to see the cops who were supposed to protect them opening gates, taking selfies with the attackers and so on. I am not saying put the count on hold, I'm saying it is an emergency situation and they shouldn't be made to return to a crime scene for the sake of tradition.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


MrGuilt: I suspect "rebels" plays into their world view. Could we call them terrorists, insurgents, or just Trump Supporters?

OHenryPacey: I think Sore Losers sums it up


White-wing Warmongers. Wackos. Whiners.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 4:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


...from the UK this looks like an attempted coup and is being described as such by the Guardian.

Welcome to Planet Earth, American Exceptionalism.


Planet Earth, welcome to Donald Trump's vision of what Makes America Great Again.

When speaking at his Charlotte, NC rally shortly before his 2016 election, Trump promised: "In this journey, I will never lie to you. I will never tell you something I do not believe. I will never put anyone's interests ahead of yours. And, I will never, ever stop fighting for you."

Let us remember that after giving his Save America Marching orders today, Trump didn't lead anyone. He left the podium, got into his armored SUV (surrounded by a caravan of security vehicles filled with bodyguards and defensive measures), went back to the unmatched safety of the White House, and waited to see what happened to his followers at the Capitol. Talk about leading from the bunker...
posted by cenoxo at 4:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Frankly, I'm afraid of what happens if they don't go back in there tonight and certify the hell out of this ASAP.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


> To every single GOP elected official loudly calling for the madness and hate to end: Where the fuck were you two weeks ago? Two months ago? For the past 4 years?

Consider the turtle: When upright, its movements very slow and deliberate. But when flipped, it becomes quite frantic and ingratiating in its desire not to be left alone or forgotten.
posted by Arson Lupine at 4:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


@Iris Gambol

The American republic is wavering right now, as GW Bush's statement makes clear. These legislators have no higher duty than to demonstrate that the constitution is the document binding their conduct and continue as it prescribes.
posted by sindark at 4:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Congress should get back to work, certify the results, call it a night, come back tomorrow and ITMFA. That is, if the 25th doesn't get invoked after the certification.
posted by SansPoint at 4:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


+1 to what sideshow said. Yeah, an armed standoff would have ultimately been counterproductive and probably would have led to this becoming a rallying point similar to Waco and Ruby Ridge. Better to let them walk out, then knock on their doors with a shitload of charges a week later (with said cases being helped by all the selfies and whatnot that’ll be posted within the next few days).

Not to say that the police couldn’t have been better prepared or that things wouldn’t have ended differently if this had been a BLM protest. But all things considered it was probably the best move to make at the time.
posted by gtrwolf at 4:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


My report from the wilds of Facebook Trump supporters: It was Antifa. Viking-horn guy was at a BLM rally. All fake news.
posted by argybarg at 4:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Either way, the 25th Amendment ends (to my reading), in a contested situation, with a 2/3rds majority vote in both houses in order to make the declaration of unfitness stick. Even with today's debacle, assembling a 2/3rds majority in the Senate to put Trump down seems like a stretch.

The goal will be to irrevocably tie the electeds who don't support the 25th to Trump and today's awful events.
posted by srboisvert at 4:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


White. Armed. Radical. Terrorists.

WARTS.
posted by jeanmari at 4:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [69 favorites]




Two minute CBS Video: Senators are heading back to the Capitol now

That is super surreal. Senators headed down a narrow hallway, with seemingly every kind of law enforcement presence there. Wow.
posted by cashman at 4:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Guy on PBS right now is blaming this on "postmodernism" and I just want to fucking SCREAM
posted by SansPoint at 4:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


(As mentioned upthread, the 25th amendment provides a 4+21 day timetable for congress to act, during which the VP remains acting president. If invoked now, congress can just sit on it until Biden's inauguration day.)
posted by nobody at 4:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


"My report from the wilds of Facebook Trump supporters: It was Antifa. Viking-horn guy was at a BLM rally. All fake news."

Wow, this country has been split into two realities.

Information Literacy needs to be the number 1 goal in education going forward because holy crap we have a problem.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [57 favorites]


Meanwhile, in Washington State: Roughly 200 protesters broke through the gate at the Governor's mansion, carrying Trump flags and signs and chanting "USA".

I am pretty sure former gubernatorial candidate C. Davis was in attendance at the protest at the Governor's mansion.

Also, because the right wing in Washington is stupid.

Much like their recent attempt to thwart the legislature meeting was stymied because the legislature was meeting remotely and doing their first, in-person vote at St. Martins, a local college.

Secondly, the Governor doesn't actually live at the Governors mansion.

So kudos to dipshits on always wasting their time.
posted by deadaluspark at 4:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Iris Gambol: I hear you and understand, but damned if seeing them walk back to chambers just now wasn't exactly what I needed.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]




Better to let them walk out, then knock on their doors with a shitload of charges a week later

I am not always a fan of this tactic, but this is absolutely what they're going to do. This was possibly the most videoed incident in American history given the amount of surveillance in the Capitol. They'll find out who these people are, and they're going to take them in when they're away from the crowds.
posted by corb at 4:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


Rand Paul is saying they're just gonna vote and be done, and all the objection malarkey is by the wayside. I guess we'll see.
posted by valkane at 4:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"Better to let them walk out, then knock on their doors with a shitload of charges a week later"

"I am not always a fan of this tactic, but this is absolutely what they're going to do. This was possibly the most videoed incident in American history given the amount of surveillance in the Capitol. They'll find out who these people are, and they're going to take them in when they're away from the crowds."


And I'm sure a ton of them have been posting selfies on social media under their real names.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 4:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I saw a woman in a “Pizzagate is Real” sweatshirt in a feed earlier. The idea that a not-insignificant number of these folks are “Bill Gates is putting a tracking chip in my COVID vaccine” people, who spent the day taking selfies of their crimes *with their cellphones* is kind of delicious.
posted by another zebra at 4:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


That is super surreal. Senators headed down a narrow hallway, with seemingly every kind of law enforcement presence there. Wow.

I prefer it this way. Getting back to work after a few hours of cowardly disruption is the sort of optics I like to see. It's the equivalent of Luke Skywalker brushing off every gun the Empire has. Really Trump? That's all you got? A bunch of fucking white losers wearing capes and viking hats. Fuck this, we have work to do.
posted by jeremias at 4:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Considering all the Viking imagery, has Norway made any official statements denouncing these fools?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


I am the farthest thing from a mod but if you want to be nice to them I think its relatively safe to suggest that they would accept any and/or all of the following:

Be mindful, kind and chill..
Signing up for dues or membership directly to the MeFi LLC.
Sponsoring another user you like for membership just because it's nice.
Donations in kind to your nearest food bank, shelter or other benevolent social NGO.

Of course the mods totally deserve all of the pizza and whisky, but I suspect they're entirely human like the rest of us and have been doing plenty of all of that over past year, if allowed or able.

There are so many excellent ways to take this very kind sentiment and energy and apply it all around you. Volunteer. Donate. Take direct positive action. Look around you with open eyes - there's someone in your neighborhood or on your block that could use some help.

Volunteering is super good for the soul. It can really help if you're feeling helpless about the state of the world, and its work that matters.

I spent today volunteering at a food bank. I don't say this to humblebrag or be weird, superior or shitty - but entirely in thanks, because it made me feel less helpless and more distracted about the raging dumpster fire that was today.

Because it reminded of me of what we're fighting for, and why. And that I can do something. That I can fight back with kindness.

Stay strong. Keep fighting. Be kind.
posted by loquacious at 5:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [52 favorites]


I want to take a totally different stance on the police handling of this.

This is what we want. DC's response has been exactly what is necessary with all protests. The police back up. They de-escalate the situation. There is not an immediate need to strike first or fast. This should be held up as the blueprint for future protest law enforcement responses.

Moreover. Terrorists and vandals who entered the capitol illegally were viewed on multiple cameras. The arrests don't have to happen tonight because the violence didn't need to occur and minimal damage needed to be done. Instead, these protestors can be visited in the weeks to come by the FBI and NSA after evidence has been cleanly and clearly gathered - and this can be handled as a quiet and thorough affair. No glitz. No glamour. No Martyrs.

There are opportunities for results here, without fanning the flames of our opponents.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [42 favorites]


Oh my gods, fucking journalists and talking about how this is “shocking” or “stunning” or “remarkable”... no it is not, and if your audience finds it to be in any way whatsoever, you have not been doing your job during at least the last half-decade. A mob of militant American white supremacists busting through the doors of the Capitol Building and carrying the symbol of mid-nineteenth-century members of the US military who en masse betrayed their oath of enlistment to “defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”, and the symbol of an ISIS-like American terrorist culture that caused a mass refugee movement in the twentieth century, while a member of the mob reclines in Nancy Pelosi's chair with the modern US flag taken down and lying on some filing cabinets nearby, is pretty much the logical progression of every event since Donald Trump started talking about rounding up immigrants into camps by the tens of millions in 2015 and the crowds and television audiences watching him cheered and screamed in delight and demanded more.

It's breaking my brain so much, to hear the news coverage since the election speaking as if everything was going back to normal, that I've started to develop an appreciation for the way Trump talks.

It's like... from the perspective of the Trump supporter, they're swimming in bullshit like a fish swims in water, so the way Trump talks is sort of an emotional Realpolitik that does not involve literally actually talking about reality at all. Trump's argument about the election translated into plain speech is something like, “Come on white people and other white-supremacy-positive people, you disenfranchised all those people of color, why not just disenfranchise just a few more to give me a technical election win, now that we've all firmly decided the popular vote doesn't really matter and we're not really a democracy in a bunch of other ways either?”

Treating that subtext as invalid nonsense rather than dealing with its meaning (I noted that my local news station finally got on the bandwagon of explicitly calling Trump's election claims “baseless” tonight, now that it's way too late and Trump supporters are, from their point of view, 1776ing the US capitol) at the same time they're taking seriously and playing without comment a clip of Mitch McConnell talking about how important it supposedly is to not disenfranchise Americans—because he thinks he's milked the Trump-cow for all it's worth to him—is exactly the wrong approach for any serious “healing America” effort. It's maintaining the traditional assent of electoral screwing-over of PoC while still managing to appear as dēmiurgós bullshit to the Trump-QAnon world.

I think there's actually quite alot of low-hanging fruit for making some progress with real Realpolitik talk if we were to actually openly speak about the things that happened during the past few years, Truth and Reconciliation Commission style, but it's all so horrible and tied to so much other American mythology going all the way back to Cold War propaganda that no one seems to have the courage, even most staunchly anti-Trump outlets.

BTW, I'm trying to save pages in the Internet Archive and the current queue time it's giving me is that my jobs will start 2½ hours from now. The longest wait I've ever seen before was three minutes, and it usually begins archiving instantaneously for me.
posted by XMLicious at 5:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]


Cori Bush is still at work:

Just noted to my wife: "Holy shit, how awesome is it that we're represented by Cori Bush, a genuine badass?"
posted by notsnot at 5:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [22 favorites]


Rand Paul is saying they're just gonna vote and be done, and all the objection malarkey is by the wayside. I guess we'll see.

Thing about that is, if their concerns were real in the first place - which we know they aren't, but if they were - then the idea of preventing a "fraudulent" election would be important enough to the survival of the Republic to keep objecting.

I know the message is obvious to most people and lost to those who need to hear it the most, but this is Rand Paul stating outright that they did all of this for nothing.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]



That is super surreal. Senators headed down a narrow hallway, with seemingly every kind of law enforcement presence there. Wow.

I prefer it this way. Getting back to work after a few hours of cowardly disruption is the sort of optics I like to see. It's the equivalent of Luke Skywalker brushing off every gun the Empire has. Really Trump? That's all you got? A bunch of fucking white losers wearing capes and viking hats. Fuck this, we have work to do.


but luke is a force ghost because he is about to die
posted by lalochezia at 5:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Does Sweden count?

"Deeply worrying developments in Washington, D.C. This is an assault on democracy. President Trump and several members of Congress bear substantial responsibility for developments. The democratic election process must be respected." -- SwedishPM
posted by valkane at 5:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Rand Paul is saying they're just gonna vote and be done, and all the objection malarkey is by the wayside. I guess we'll see.

"And that brings us to Georgia, do any of you assholes DARE object to the votes in Georgia?"
"Well actually I-"
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, TED, READ THE ROOM"
posted by taquito sunrise at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


No Martyrs.

Except the woman who got shot and died.
posted by SansPoint at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


De-escalating is the only possible response when one maniac with an automatic weapon could inflame the already-febrile situation for millions around the country.
posted by sindark at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021


If Mr. Viking Horns is BLM Antifa he's operating under very deep cover
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Either way, the 25th Amendment ends (to my reading), in a contested situation, with a 2/3rds majority vote in both houses in order to make the declaration of unfitness stick. Even with today's debacle, assembling a 2/3rds majority in the Senate to put Trump down seems like a stretch.

If I'm reading it correctly, Congress has 21 days to take that 2/3 vote. Conceivably, they could just sit on their hands and let the clock run out on Jan. 20th--Pelosi, for one example, could just refuse to bring it to a vote on the House side.
posted by gimonca at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021


Unfortunately, I’m also seeing posts from the Left saying this was a CIA and/or FBI false flag operation.
posted by Ian A.T. at 5:02 PM on January 6, 2021


Maybe we could stop amplifying the disinformation campaigns?
posted by Celsius1414 at 5:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [80 favorites]


I don't have the words to describe how much I hate these conspiracy theories.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


McClatchy editorial boards across the country are expressing their extreme displeasure.
posted by wierdo at 5:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


The problem with teaching "media literacy" and "critical thinking" is that, in my experience, they teach people to spot the flaws in their opponents' arguments.
posted by argybarg at 5:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Watching the news earlier, I saw a bunch of scruffy, youngish, hippie-looking guys getting in the faces of a line of riot cops in full black, armored stormtrooper gear. The hippie-looking guys were flipping off the cops, screaming furiously... and I was rooting for the cops and wishing they'd break out their tear gas.

What kind of looking glass world do I find myself in?
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [29 favorites]


Yeah, let's choose to believe what has literally been in front of our eyes on live video for these X hours
posted by sindark at 5:06 PM on January 6, 2021


I can't believe we've come this far and no-one has cracked a "Have fun storming the Capitol!" joke.
posted by valkane at 5:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Hey everyone I'm in Twitter Jail for telling a congressperson to "get fucked" while President Trump is in Twitter Jail for violent sedition so I guess they're the same ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by tzikeh at 5:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [59 favorites]


I think there's actually quite alot of low-hanging fruit for making some progress with real Realpolitik talk if we were to actually openly speak about the things that happened during the past few years, Truth and Reconciliation Commission style

I would favorite this a million times if I could.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


This is the final act of the Trollification of American politics. Republicans who opposed the certification of Biden's win are claiming that they didn't actually mean to prevent him from being certified, they were just grandstanding, and thus bear no responsibility for today's events, which is basically just the political version of "I did it for the lulz."
posted by googly at 5:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [45 favorites]


I prefer it this way. Getting back to work after a few hours of cowardly disruption is the sort of optics I like to see. It's the equivalent of Luke Skywalker brushing off every gun the Empire has. Really Trump? That's all you got? A bunch of fucking white losers wearing capes and viking hats. Fuck this, we have work to do.

Nah. Our legislators had to be escorted by a ton of 5 or 6 types of armed law enforcement through a narrow hallway just to certify our votes and make sure we have free and fair elections. Someone was shot dead earlier in that building. No, it's not good and it's not nothing. I saw the FBI, state police, guys in fatigues, riot helmets, huge guns and a tension, since I'm sure by now they've heard that some among them were suspected to have taken part in it themselves. Some of them were laying on the floor, scared for their lives, hours earlier. No, I do not prefer it this way.
posted by cashman at 5:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Is Trump live on any media or social media platform?
posted by sindark at 5:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Also, Pence has started speaking, and the proceedings have reconvened.
posted by cashman at 5:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


This is what we want. DC's response has been exactly what is necessary with all protests. The police back up. They de-escalate the situation. There is not an immediate need to strike first or fast. This should be held up as the blueprint for future protest law enforcement responses.

I mostly agree, but people stealing mail off Pelosi's desk is terrible optics. This isn't a CVS, where cops breaking heads is a total overreaction. But there is definitely a line between what happened with the summer protests and people literally standing on the dais in the Senate chamber because all the Senators had to evacuate.
posted by sideshow at 5:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Hey, like anybody with sense, I trust Rand Paul as far as his neighbor can throw him.
posted by valkane at 5:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


valkane: I don't trust Rand Paul as far as a toddler can throw him.
posted by SansPoint at 5:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"I want to say to the American People that the United States Senate will not be intimidated" - McConnell speaking now
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Is Trump live on any media or social media platform?

Parler?
posted by MattWPBS at 5:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


This should be held up as the blueprint for future protest law enforcement responses.

No.

I am in full agreement that starting shooting would have been terrible once they lost control. But poor planning for something that was obviously a risk led to a really bad situation that could have gotten much, much worse, has permanently stained the image of the US, and will cost a fortune to clean up after.
posted by Candleman at 5:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]



This is what we want. DC's response has been exactly what is necessary with all protests. The police back up. They de-escalate the situation. There is not an immediate need to strike first or fast. This should be held up as the blueprint for future protest law enforcement responses.


No, it's not what we want. If things had gone very little differently we could be looking at a bunch of dead congresspeople and staff. Those people broke into the capitol egging each other on and hoping that somehow they'd be able to egg each other on to murder - they probably didn't go in thinking "I individually am seriously planning to shoot someone dead", they were probably thinking "wouldn't it be awesome if someone started shooting".

Like, we are a series of bad breaks away from...I mean, what do you think would happen if the police had totally abandoned the capitol, which they were pretty much inches from doing? There wouldn't just be mobs at some statehouses right now, there'd be shooting at many of them. What would it be like in this country if this were a national bloodbath?

It would be very, very, very bad and it would kick off a period of instability which makes the current instability look like amateur hour.

Right now we're at a point where the police and the national guard are about 95% willing to turn the democrats over to the mob. This is insanely dangerous and bad. It is not the way to any kind of better things nationally from any standpoint other than that of the far, far right.

If the police were just ordinary authoritarian police they should have pushed the protesters back as soon as they crossed the boundary. That would have made things merely average Trump-era bad instead of "they practically murdered congress" bad.
posted by Frowner at 5:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [82 favorites]


The thing about expelling seditious Senators from the Senate: almost all of them would end up being replaced by the Republican governors of their states anyway. McConnell could throw them all collectively under the bus and maybe only lose one body from his caucus when it all works out. I'm sure some of them have sneezed in his chicken salad at the Senate cafeteria, or called him turtleneck or something.

One possible exception would be Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who'd be replaced by Gov. Evers. I wonder what Russ Feingold is up to these days?
posted by gimonca at 5:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Heh, Obama: "...a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise"
posted by aramaic at 5:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [42 favorites]


I rarely get a question so decisively answered so quickly. On #2 — No
posted by sindark at 5:12 PM on January 6, 2021


I am not saying put the count on hold, I'm saying it is an emergency situation and they shouldn't be made to return to a crime scene for the sake of tradition.

Every single congressperson I heard getting interviewed during the furor expressed rock-solid determination to get back into the chamber as soon as possible and pick up where they left off. They aren't being made to return, they want to.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Talking about the insurrection (his words)

"They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed" - McConnell.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


This is the final act of the Trollification of American politics. Republicans who opposed the certification of Biden's win are claiming that they didn't actually mean to prevent him from being certified, they were just grandstanding, and thus bear no responsibility for today's events, which is basically just the political version of "I did it for the lulz."

Your lips to god's ears, it would be damn nice if it is the final act of all that. There are few things that have infuriated me so much over the last few years as the whole "if it doesn't work we were just kidding but if it does work everybody else gets a boot on their necks" mentality. One of the few things more infuriating is the benefit of the doubt the Chuck Todds of the world extend to that paper thin disingenuous bullshit.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Has anyone reported how many Trumpists there were at the Capitol today?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:13 PM on January 6, 2021


Information Literacy needs to be the number 1 goal in education going forward because holy crap we have a problem.

They know, on some level, that this stuff is bullshit. They just don't care about objective truth. They care about being in power. They will "believe" whatever is necessary in order to justify and rationalize actions which further that power.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Both Pence and McConnell have referred to today's events as an Insurrection. That's something I didn't expect. No minimizing language at all.
posted by wierdo at 5:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [29 favorites]


I took a couple hours to get food and such. 252 new comments. Read new comments. There are now 72 new comments. I may change my username to Tehhund2.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [67 favorites]


“Criminal behavior will never dominate the United States Congress” - Mitch McConnell

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Tell me another one, Turtle boy.
posted by SansPoint at 5:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [27 favorites]


To translate obama just now: Trump has always been the guy who would do a coup if he could. He has always been this guy who would coup if he could, and it's always been totally clear that he's this guy.

The one calming thought for me over the past election year is that he didn't have the juice for a coup.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 5:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Talking about the insurrection (his words)

"They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed" - McConnell.


...

THEY?!?!
posted by jason_steakums at 5:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [37 favorites]


googly: Republicans who opposed the certification of Biden's win are claiming that they didn't actually mean to prevent him from being certified, they were just grandstanding, and thus bear no responsibility for today's events, which is basically just the political version of "I did it for the lulz."

Yeah and every snowflake in an avalanche pleads "not guilty." it's how all of them keep getting away with it.
posted by tzikeh at 5:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Schumer speaking now about the events.

"This will be a stain on our country not so easily washed away."

Calling them domestic terrorists and other names.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Also, at least one Republican Congressperson (Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma) was on NBC earlier saying he was going to continue his objections. So not everyone is on the page of the "for the lulz" explanation.
posted by wierdo at 5:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"I want to say to the American People that the United States Senate will not be intimidated" - McConnell speaking now

And what do you call all the sycophant bowing and scraping you and your fellow Republicans have done for the the last four years in fearful deference to Trump's twitter stream.
posted by JackFlash at 5:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


ErisLordFreedom: I took a couple hours to get food and such. 252 new comments. Read new comments. There are now 72 new comments. I may change my username to Tehhund2.

That is a deep cut and I salute you.
posted by tzikeh at 5:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [45 favorites]


Congress should get back to work, certify the results, call it a night, come back tomorrow and ITMFA. That is, if the 25th doesn't get invoked after the certification.

Surely relieving Trump of the power to cause more mayhem should take priority over matters of ceremony?
posted by acb at 5:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Pence and McConnell seemed like they were close to tears, though McConnell recovered during his speech.
Shumer is adult and calm, and angry.
posted by mumimor at 5:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I've never seen a political shift this fast.
posted by clavdivs at 5:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


"Today's events did not happen spontaneously" - Schumer calling out Trump's incitement
"This President bears a great deal of the blame"
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


Guy on PBS right now is blaming this on "postmodernism" and I just want to fucking SCREAM

It obviously has Foucault to do with postmodernism.

I'll get my coat...
posted by Chairboy at 5:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [185 favorites]


Oh, man, Schumer steps to the plate and sends one over the top of the stadium.
posted by y2karl at 5:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


“We took a picture with Mike Pence’s Bible and put it back on the desk,” he said. After that, he said, they left at the direction of the police.

They left at the direction of the police.

Just.

They left. They stormed the Capitol building, entered the Senate chambers, fucked around, and then... left.

At the direction of the police.

I'm sorry; I can't stop looking at these words.
posted by tzikeh at 5:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [64 favorites]


If Mr. Viking Horns is BLM Antifa he's operating under very deep cover

Every timeline gets the Jamiroquai it deserves.
posted by acb at 5:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [41 favorites]


As part of the cleanup after all this, I really really hope they replace EVERY SINGLE ITEM of computer hardware in the complex. I don't want so much as a mouse left over.
posted by The Librarian at 5:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


Every so often Chuck Schumer finds his spine. But he tends to lose it just as easily.
posted by SansPoint at 5:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Surely relieving Trump of the power to cause more mayhem should take priority over matters of ceremony?

It's more than ceremony, Congress officially accepting the votes of the electors is a crucial part of the election, and I'm 99.999% sure that the Electoral Count Act actually prevents them from doing any other business until it's completed.
posted by soundguy99 at 5:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


As part of the cleanup after all this, I really really hope they replace EVERY SINGLE ITEM of computer hardware in the complex. I don't want so much as a mouse left over.

Come on... PC parts have exploded in price as-is over the last 9 months. The likelihood of this happening is low due to extremely low stock.
posted by deadaluspark at 5:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Rep. Gosar: "I am proceeding with my objections on behalf of Arizona with @tedcruz and @RepAndyBiggsAZ

Leftist violence—or any violence— will not deter our mission for truth and transparency. The people need and deserve the truth."

Leftist violence. Fuck these people.
posted by Roommate at 5:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [87 favorites]


Nothing from Trump in hours and Pence taking over presidential orders plus the use of 'insurrection' on the vote floor? Surely something is in the works to transfer power from the "President". What possible reason could there be for the GOP containing/shielding 45 otherwise? It's not like he's in any danger from the mob.
posted by freya_lamb at 5:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Keep in mind that if DC were a state, the DC governor could have called up the DC National Guard without the mayor having to beg the president or vice-president to give the order.
posted by JackFlash at 5:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Candleman: I am in full agreement that starting shooting would have been terrible once they lost control. But poor planning for something that was obviously a risk led to a really bad situation that could have gotten much, much worse, has permanently stained the image of the US, and will cost a fortune to clean up after.

This wasn't poor planning. This was the plan.
posted by tzikeh at 5:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


Good speeches. Can you imagine being a staffer and writing something like this in the middle of what must be one of the most frightening and stressful days of your professional life? I can't even manage to answer emails right now.
posted by Emily's Fist at 5:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


To quote "The Thing", I know we're all very tired and under a lot of stress, but if it's not too much to ask, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING CHAIR!

Like can you certify the election first and then give all these speeches afterward?
posted by cashman at 5:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


Information Literacy needs to be the number 1 goal in education going forward because holy crap we have a problem.

Can't hurt but won't help. Facts won't get in the way of deep-seated desires.
posted by pwnguin at 5:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


It's more than ceremony, Congress officially accepting the votes of the electors is a crucial part of the election, and I'm 99.999% sure that the Electoral Count Act actually prevents them from doing any other business until it's completed.

And it's the projection of strength Congress needs to show right now. ITMFA take 2 could be an even more dramatic demonstration of strength but if it was tried and failed again? Reeeaaally not sure about rolling those dice unless we absolutely have to.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


So the senator from OK had been in the process of objecting when the events occurred and has now said that he will no longer object? Pundits are also questioning this on my live stream.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Keep in mind that if DC were a state, the DC governor could have called up the DC National Guard without the mayor having to beg the president or vice-president to give the order.

The plans for DC to become a state actually still carve out the Capitol, White House, and many other places of federal business to not be within that state, so in this particular case, it would not have been so clear cut.
posted by tclark at 5:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


I actually appreciated the fact of Lankford's speech, especially the fact that he had to say out loud that they were dropping the fucking "commission." It was better to have him say it than to have it just happen silently.
posted by argybarg at 5:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


We are on the fourth speaker so far and I am dearly hoping that we are not going to get the personal reflections of every single Senator on this event. Save it for your constituents and get the show on the road.
posted by jackbishop at 5:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


@cashman the Senators are obligated to finish the debate over the Arizona objection under the rules.
posted by interogative mood at 5:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"Information Literacy needs to be the number 1 goal in education going forward because holy crap we have a problem."

"Can't hurt but won't help. Facts won't get in the way of deep-seated desires."


I had meant teach information literacy at younger ages before these become deep-seated desires.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Venezuala's Foreign Minister has expressed concern over the violence in the Capitol. He condemns political polarisation and hopes your country can forge a new path towards peace and social justice.

I'm 90% sure he's trolling but …
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Both Pence and McConnell have referred to today's events as an Insurrection.

Like we saw with all the Covid denier politicians who suddenly got science after becoming infected there is nothing like your chestnuts being in the fire to inspire clarity.
posted by Mitheral at 5:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Can you imagine being a staffer and writing something like this in the middle of what must be one of the most frightening and stressful days of your professional life?

I am a Canadian government staffer who often writes this kind of stuff. I have never been in a situation like this of course, but attacks on government would only make me want to do my job more. It's a real adrenaline rush.
posted by aclevername at 5:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [26 favorites]


I've never seen a political shift this fast.

What the hell did these people think they were fucking with when they were declaring an election invalid?

I hope they are all expelled from their various governmental bodies.
posted by corb at 5:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [54 favorites]


Gosar is such a hack.
posted by valkane at 5:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Teaching information literacy can, like therapy for a narcissist or abuser, actually make things worse. It just arms people with rhetorical tricks to attack their opponents with. The real trick is to teach people not just to rigorously question their own certainty, but to want to do so. Kind of a tough sell.
posted by argybarg at 5:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


Kind of a tough sell.

Eh, just need to kinda steer the QAnon ARG into substantially more harmless shoals, and let them gamble their lives away on a pointless grid of pixels. Seriously. These people are straight-up begging to be taken advantage of and neutralized at their own expense.
posted by aramaic at 5:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Pence taking over presidential orders plus the use of 'insurrection' on the vote floor?
The vice president is president of the Senate and is addressed as " Mr. President" but it's not required.

I'm thinking Pence is going to couch it in his Senate office tonight.
posted by clavdivs at 5:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Congress needs to form a 1/6 Commission to figure out why $50 billion a year for DHS didn't protect them against a mob of yokels.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [50 favorites]


What the hell did these people think they were fucking with when they were declaring an election invalid?

Like, 50+ years of experience of being Republicans who periodically crank up the rubes for votes and then never bother to follow through? (Repealing Obamacare and Roe v. Wade being two examples.)
posted by soundguy99 at 5:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


The "Elizabeth was not ready for the revolution" video is in a few spots on YouTube; I expect it may be taken down. It's a short exchange filmed on a phone. Transcript:

REPORTER: What happened to you?
ELIZABETH: I got maced.
R: You got maced?
E: (mumble)
R: And what happened? You were trying to go inside the capitol?
E: Yeah, I made it like a foot inside, and they pushed me out and they maced me.
R: What's your name? Where are you from?
E: My name is Elizabeth. I'm from Knoxville, Tennessee.
R: And why did you want to go in?
E: We're storming the capitol! It's a revolution!
R: Thank you.

Apparently onions to cut tear gas fumes is a thing. It shows up on several "protest tips" sites, and on a few "debunk protest tips" sites. I can't confirm the value, just the fact that yes, that is almost certainly an onion she's holding.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


aramaic:

Let's give thanks, then, for the energetic and financial drain that MLMs tax people with.
posted by argybarg at 5:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I am never going to stop recommending that everyone follow scholar Ruth Ben Ghiat: "Historian of coups and right-wing authoritarians here. If there are not severe consequences for every lawmaker & Trump govt official who backed this, every member of the Capitol Police who collaborated with them, this 'strategy of disruption' will escalate in 2021."
posted by PhineasGage at 5:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [78 favorites]


I wonder who at CNN has the job of deciding when someone in Congress becomes interesting enough to cut to again
posted by sindark at 5:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


They left at the direction of the police.

Just.

They left. They stormed the Capitol building, entered the Senate chambers, fucked around, and then... left.

At the direction of the police.

I'm sorry; I can't stop looking at these words.


To be fair, they also entered at the direction of the police.
posted by rodlymight at 5:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


sindark: Look for the person with the caffeine IV drip
posted by SansPoint at 5:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I think we're expected to believe that "Mike Pence's heart grew 3 sizes that day." :/
posted by sexyrobot at 5:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Onion works on tear gas (CS), but has no effect on pepper spray (OC). Nothing really works as an antidote to pepper spray.
posted by bonehead at 5:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Unlike BLM, there’s no vandalism other than breaking into the Capitol.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

. for the dead lady...

posted by notsnot at 5:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I accept that the topic of information literacy is a derail at this point but I'm kind of fuming at the supposed arguments that it shouldn't even be taught. I'm gonna need to bail on this thread for awhile.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 5:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I had to work, could only get the briefest glimpses of news as this happened. This thread is sprawling. Please increase your signal:noise ratio, add supporting links to comments, try hard to make useful, informative, thoughtful comments. It's very difficult to slog though this.

That said. Thank you for being here. I am deeply shaken by this. Watching today's video from Heather Cox Richardson, who labels this an Attempted Coup very deliberately. This is one of the I remember where I was when events. I rely on my MeFi community in times like this. and bourbon, tbh.
posted by theora55 at 5:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


awkward question: did any of the coup supporters fire guns in/around the capitol? (i haven't been able to find anything conclusive either way, but i haven't searched all that hard either)
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 5:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation

If anyone has waited until now to feel dishonor and shame, you're feeling dishonored and ashamed for the wrong reasons.
posted by XMLicious at 5:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


Will the security cordon around the Capital now be removed before President-Elect Biden's inauguration? Or will the place look like the Green Zone in Iraq for the rest of Trump's time in office?
posted by sindark at 5:40 PM on January 6, 2021


Loeffler now saying that she was going to object, but she has changed her mind.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


OK, so Loeffler is backing down. Kind of graciously.
posted by mumimor at 5:41 PM on January 6, 2021


iirc Pence was originally planning on taking a trip out of the country after today? He'd better be keeping his ass in DC with a pre-written 25th letter instead now.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I can't confirm the value, just the fact that yes, that is almost certainly an onion she's holding.

Well, it's the style at the time.
posted by mightygodking at 5:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


They'd better all back down.
posted by cashman at 5:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Why is Loeffler even there?
posted by mikelieman at 5:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


This coup business appears to be contagious. My cat has just seized control of key communication infrastructure in my apartment..
posted by srboisvert at 5:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


I suspect Loeffler's backing down has as much to do with her losing her re-election as it does with the attack today/
posted by SansPoint at 5:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Is anyone reporting what's actually happening in the session?
posted by desuetude at 5:43 PM on January 6, 2021


Loeffler is a billionaire she doesn't want to see the country burn to the ground, that's where her stuff is.
posted by interogative mood at 5:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


It’s live on PBS here.
posted by TedW at 5:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Live on CSpan - already someone is talking about a "massive disenfranchisement of American voters".
posted by sindark at 5:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


OK, so Loeffler is backing down. Kind of graciously.

From NYT coverage:

Reid J. Epstein National Politics Reporter:
Loeffler announced her objection hours before Trump came to Georgia to rally for her. Now that she’s lost her re-election, she took it back. A true profile in courage.

posted by skewed at 5:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Is anyone reporting what's actually happening in the session?
NYT has a realtime commentary stream.
posted by beagle at 5:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Is anyone reporting what's actually happening in the session?

It's being broadcast live on most news stations and C-SPAN.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 5:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Might Donnie be preparing to head to Moscow?
posted by PhineasGage at 5:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Holy shit: the dude from New Jersey!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 5:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


The guy currently speaking sounds like a drunk guy ranting at the bar.
posted by flamk at 5:47 PM on January 6, 2021




Nothing is happening in the session. There were Republican plans to make a long and boring assault on democracy, and then stuff happened and I'm still awake and wondering why. Some people have spent their time in the basement writing new five minute speeches, others can't let go of the fight they had planned for.
posted by mumimor at 5:48 PM on January 6, 2021


OH yes, and some spent the time drinking
posted by mumimor at 5:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Why is Loeffler even there?

Kelly Loeffler will retain her seat in the Senate until Raphael Warnock's victory is certified. Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has until January 22 to certify the results.
posted by RichardP at 5:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Loeffler just realized that she'll be unemployed next week after the vote is certified, and all her old friends in Atlanta hate her.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]




ABC News is reporting now on TV, contra earlier reports, that it was Trump authorized the National Guard, not Pence, but only after hours of WH officials intervening and convincing him to do it for the good of the country. Since "the good of the country" is "the good of Trump" in his mind, I have to think someone at least floated the idea of taking the decision out of his hands.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


"Nothing formal yet presented to VP Pence."

Admittedly, Pence is a little preoccupied at the moment.
posted by SansPoint at 5:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Sasse is thirsty for 2024
posted by fluttering hellfire at 5:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


If the 25th Amendment fails, maybe we can call on Justice Roberts to perform an exorcism.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Fucking Christ, watching Tim Kaine do his hokey dad shtick and Ben Sasse doing his up-talking bro telling a cool history story thing is infuriating. the condescension is just... they don't take this seriously at all

especially compared to Cory Booker, who was righteously angry and freaked the fuck out. Fuck even Kelly fucking Loeffler seemed to understand the gravity of the moment, and Ben Sasse is telling jokes about the election of 1801 as a fucking history lesson? Fuuuuuuuck you.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [64 favorites]


“Shovel your neighbor.”

Sasse 2024
posted by glaucon at 5:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Holy shit: the dude from New Jersey!

Cory Booker telling it like it is.

Followed by rhapsodic exceptionalist harebrainery.
posted by y2karl at 5:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


For fuck's sake, we have GOT to reform the Constitutional calendar. These ballots don't have to travel by horseback and rowboat any more. We could be done with this shit way faster.
posted by ocschwar at 5:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


God, some speechwriter thought "kicking Hitler's ass" should be included in the allotted five minutes. I'm surprised they paused reconvening so long to let second-order figures write speeches.
posted by sindark at 5:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


What’s the plan? Everyone talks?
posted by glaucon at 5:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Up to 2 hours of debate total, with each member limited to one 5 minute speech.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Loeffler just realized that she'll be unemployed next week after the vote is certified, and all her old friends in Atlanta hate her.

Lucky for her, she will be eligible for the extra $300 a week that the Democrats forced through in the covid relief bill.
posted by JackFlash at 5:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


What’s the plan? Everyone talks?

I think after what they've been through, whoever wants to talk should be allowed to do so, even if all they have to say is just "what in the love of fuck" over and over for five minutes.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Apologies for my poor framing of Sasse's speech episode of Drunk History.
posted by basalganglia at 5:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Does anyone know where Trump is right now? I know he's in Twitter jail, but it's surprising that he hasn't found another way to get his seditionist brain diarrhea into the news cycle.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


What’s the plan? Everyone talks?

Welcome to the Senate.
posted by Sockdown at 5:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [30 favorites]


You can nitpick the words, but this is actually turning into an extraordinary political conversation.
posted by beagle at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


I noticed at some point CNN started putting their party affiliations beside their names again
posted by sindark at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


We could be done with this shit way faster

So glad they moved it from March
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I can’t help but be reminded of how they had to sneak Abraham Lincoln into Washington so he could be inaugurated before the assassins got to him.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


The have 2 hours of time to debate under the rules and every Senator is going to want to get their time.
posted by interogative mood at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The plan presumably is to have the two hour debate triggered by the House objection to the Arizona results that happened before the Insurrection so they can get on with it.
posted by wierdo at 6:00 PM on January 6, 2021


Does anyone know where Trump is right now? I know he's in Twitter jail, but it's surprising that he hasn't found another way to get his seditionist brain diarrhea into the news cycle.

En route to Florida. If not Moscow.
posted by Sockdown at 6:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Up to 2 hours of debate total, with each member limited to one 5 minute speech.

I don't think they're going to go the distance. I think the House is waiting for them to wrap up, before they resume for debate, then when they return to the joint session, 20 minutes of opening envelopes and counting votes. Worst case, it's all done before midnight on Jan 6.
posted by mikelieman at 6:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


> Does anyone know where Trump is right now?

6 min ago: President Trump is urging senators to push ahead with the protest on the certification of Joe Biden as President, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
posted by glonous keming at 6:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


did Sasse mention Aarron Burr?
posted by clavdivs at 6:01 PM on January 6, 2021


Everyone talks?

This is what would have happened anyway. Only (some) of the speeches have changed.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Durbin rocks.
posted by ocschwar at 6:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Based on that oligarch plane thing and the 25th stuff, I wonder what the actual, betting odds are on Trump being in Russia in 24 hrs
posted by schadenfrau at 6:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


En route to Florida. If not Moscow.

Please use [real]/[fake] tags if you're going to joke around.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


En route to Florida. If not Moscow.

Strong chance: crying uncontrollably in a ball
posted by sindark at 6:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Everyone talks?

TBH I'm not opposed to Dick Durbin spending his five minutes calling Trump out for today's fuckery.
posted by freya_lamb at 6:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Facebook has suspended Trump as well, for the next 24 hours. It is a start....
posted by rambling wanderlust at 6:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


I despise this horseshit. Can just one Senator have the balls to get up and say that what happened today was not just caused by Trump, but by scum like Cruz who cynically echo his lies and spineless cowards like...almost every single Republican everywhere who aided and abetted the lies by humoring Trump and not immediately acknowledging Biden's win? Maybe someone who's retiring? Must we pretend that decorum still exists?
posted by star gentle uterus at 6:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Who the FUCK is this creep talking about his gynecological patients? what the ever loving fuck?
posted by schadenfrau at 6:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Sometimes just upsticking to go and live in a bog is a very tempting option.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 6:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Durbin for the prosecution: named name. As will any Democrat tonight. Republicans are all verbal reaction shots.
posted by y2karl at 6:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Geez, Roger Marshall, read the fucking room.
posted by mikelieman at 6:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Who would go to a Republican gynecologist? It should be one of those things you can filter out on the form
posted by Countess Elena at 6:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [51 favorites]


Whops. House is back now.
posted by mikelieman at 6:04 PM on January 6, 2021


Literal crosstalk has begun on the floor, as an aural representation of the country's divisions
posted by sindark at 6:04 PM on January 6, 2021


there a like 147 variations on the "what did you think i was" fable, i will not be accepting epiphanies at this time
posted by Caxton1476 at 6:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


How do these assholes have the gall to continue on with this farce and actually carry on with these objections that they themselves acknowledge are pointless? This is what true cowardice and subservience look like. They are so afraid of Trump that even after his rioters literally siege the Capitol building they still can do nothing but prostrate themselves before him.
posted by star gentle uterus at 6:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


They are so afraid of Trump that even after his rioters literally siege the Capitol building they still can do nothing but prostrate themselves before him.

I’d say they got the message he sent, no?
posted by Thorzdad at 6:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Can just one Senator have the balls

Duckworth reporting for duty..
posted by ocschwar at 6:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]


sexyrobot: I think we're expected to believe that "Mike Pence's heart grew 3 sizes that day." :/

I think it was his spleen that grew three sizes today. I'm a little fuzzy on the anatomy, though.
posted by clawsoon at 6:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Shiiit, Duckworth not only calling out Trump big time, but also invoking the wrath of Reddit. Get it.
posted by phunniemee at 6:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Ben Sasse owes me a new laptop because I barfed on mine during his fucking speech.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Yesterday and today in the West Wing.

Statement from the (US) Press Secretary
LAW & JUSTICE

Issued on: January 5, 2021

ALL NEWS
?????activists have brutally attacked our law-abiding friends, neighbors, and business owners, and destroyed historic landmarks that our communities have cherished for decades. This violence and lawlessness has no place in the United States and will be called out for the domestic terrorism that it is. Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum to ensure that Federal officials assess actions of ???? activists in light of Federal laws that restrict the entry of aliens associated with terrorist organizations and aliens intent on criminal activity. President Trump will not allow Antifa, or any terrorist organization, to destroy our great country."
posted by clavdivs at 6:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]




(I went outside for a while, but it didn't help.) No, this is theater, and bluster, and it's part of what's so ruinously fucked up about this country. We're hooked on spectacle.

When J. Q. Public survives a shootout at their place of business, any variation on a well done, you! return to work, immediately response is dehumanizing. Yeah, I get that some politicians were saying they're champing at the bit to go back. I think it's part cultural conditioning, and part courtesy of the incredible adrenaline rush from surviving a siege this afternoon. These people are workers in need of support services. Given COVID risk, and death threats, and everything else up to and including today's horror, Congress is ... I don't even know how to put it. It's an extraordinarily trying workplace.

If we expect our representatives to risk grievous bodily harm, while being 'brave' and 'strong' as well, the best-case scenario is that the smart, capable, talented people we need the most are going to take themselves and their considerable talents elsewhere. Particularly the ones who a) truly represent this diverse country, and b) are very recently in office. The US government is under attack, at the federal and local level. For the second time today, we've gathered all our congressional representatives in the same place, after the start of the emergency curfew put in place after the attack targeting them only a few hours ago. This is absurd.

I apologize - I'm not expressing myself well, doves, and I'm taking a time-out. I do appreciate this community and all of you.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


These ballots don't have to travel by horseback and rowboat any more. We could be done with this shit way faster.

The 20th Amendment, which moved the Inauguration from March to January, was ratified in 1933, long after horses and rowboats were involved.
posted by sideshow at 6:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


So, I'm keeping count: Melania's COS has resigned, The WH Social Secretary has resigned, and now the Deputy Press Sec has resigned. I mean, it's late days, but still, the rats are leaving the sinking ship.
posted by valkane at 6:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Stenny, pull your mask back up, please.
posted by SansPoint at 6:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"National security adviser Robert O'Brien, deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, and deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell are all considering resigning, according to multiple sources familiar. Pottinger's resignation appears to be imminent while others could sleep on it. "
posted by glonous keming at 6:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


45% of Republicans approve of today's events, according to a snap poll by YouGov.
posted by argybarg at 6:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Wow, Steny Hoyer just said he didn't believe GWB won in 2000 in an attempt to shame the Republican caucus.
posted by wierdo at 6:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


The tens of thousands of white people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol were reclaiming white supremacy, Shree Paradkar, The Toronto Star:
When the rioters chanted “Whose capitol? Our capitol?” they were staking a claim to a fundamental truth in America: that the direction of violence has always flowed from white to Black and all the shades in between.

White supremacy has been the continuous thread weaving through the history of democracy in the U.S. (and Canada) from its founding to the present. It’s ever present and its proponents — whether overt or sheathed in politeness — know it is theirs to evoke.

And still there is that tone of surprise among media commentators. “This is not America” “This is not how we function” “This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic.” That last statement from former president George W. Bush, the man who butchered Iraq in the name of democracy.

The violence of white innocence continually excels itself — and exhausts the rest of us.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [45 favorites]


55% of Republicans believe anti-fa is in favor of a seven note musical scale.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [22 favorites]


Rand Paul just knows if the electoral college is gone, there will never be another Republican president.
posted by valkane at 6:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Spending your five minutes talking about history rather than just what happened is such transparent cowardice I can picture the Veep scene perfectly
posted by schadenfrau at 6:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Josh "Blood On His Hands" Hawley is up and pretending he abhors violence while Mitt Romney glares a hole through his skull. Doesn't sound like he's going to stop objecting to the vote-counting.
posted by theodolite at 6:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


Do not miss: Regardless of what he says, Hawley looking straight into the camera, not addressing the room. This is a very highly coached performer.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


Hawley objecting now in the Senate.
posted by glonous keming at 6:19 PM on January 6, 2021


With the resignations starting to roll in, what impact would they have on what it would take to invoke the 25th? Is what's needed a majority of who's left, or what? (And would they be leaving so as not to have to weigh in on whether to invoke the 25th?)
posted by daisyace at 6:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Rand Paul just knows if the electoral college is gone, there will never be another Republican president.

So hyperbolic. They would just have to change their entire platform and act like an entirely different party with an entirely different set of values.
posted by mrgoat at 6:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


And the Miami Herald editorial board has just explicitly called for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump immediately.

And fuck Josh Hawley. Seditious asshole.
posted by wierdo at 6:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [22 favorites]


Josh Hawley, among the other terrible things he's done, just used the word "irregardless".

Lock him up.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [61 favorites]


Is anyone still reporting on the crowds outside?
posted by sindark at 6:20 PM on January 6, 2021


45% of Republicans approve of today's events, according to a snap poll by YouGov.

With only 43% disapproving.

The whirlwind is being reaped, and it will still have to win a Republican primary.
posted by saturday_morning at 6:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Hawley yet another dangerous, power hungry narcissist I’ll be worrying about.
posted by glaucon at 6:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


"Affirmative action"? Fuck this guy.
posted by droplet at 6:21 PM on January 6, 2021


Hawley still against democracy.
posted by ctmf at 6:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


the cabinet should not resign, they may be needed to envoke the 25th. If Trump fires them then Pence can further prove instability thus preventing an Archibald Cox situation.
posted by clavdivs at 6:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


When the rioters chanted “Whose capitol? Our capitol?” they were staking a claim to a fundamental truth in America: that the direction of violence has always flowed from white to Black and all the shades in between.

I checked in on the C-SPAN livestream of the Statuary Hall just before it was breached this afternoon, heard a woman among the first group through screaming "WE OWN YOU!" and decided for my health and safety to turn it off. Anyone paying attention knows this has always been about an attempt to "reclaim white supremacy."
posted by Navelgazer at 6:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Senator Casey from Pennsylvania is defending his Commonwealth's honor, and sounds like he's ready for pistols at dawn if someone crosses him.
posted by mikelieman at 6:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Holy shit, Casey, this passive voice fuckery. just say Hawley lied. Look right at the camera, and go "that guy just lied to you."
posted by schadenfrau at 6:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


Hawley is such a tool. Does he seriously believe anything he's saying right now?
posted by freya_lamb at 6:24 PM on January 6, 2021


Remember when that fella landed a plane in Red Square?
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 6:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


It was always going to come to this (Threadreader Walter Shaub)
posted by lalochezia at 6:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Admiral Mike Mullen on Newshour: We have 14 more days. A thought we have all had ten times every ten minutes today. No surprise he mentioned the 25th amendment immediately thereafter. Also morbidly ruminated regarding Iran.
posted by y2karl at 6:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


The tens of thousands of white people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol were reclaiming white supremacy, Shree Paradkar, The Toronto Star

Were there really anything like tens of thousands involved? I've mostly been getting my news here, but I haven't been any photos with crowds that looks like more than hundreds to a few thousand. Am I missing something?
posted by bcd at 6:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I am allowing myself one silver-lining thought, which is that the Trump 2024 campaign might have ended today.
posted by saturday_morning at 6:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


"Some Cabinet members are holding preliminary discussions about invoking the 25th Amendment to force President Trump’s removal from office, a GOP source said.

The discussions are ongoing but it’s unclear if there will be enough Cabinet members to result in Trump’s removal.

The conversations have reached the Hill where some senators have been made aware of the discussions, the source said."

Everything I've been quoting is from the CNN live update stream. I don't see an easy way to link to it but that's my source for the stuff I've been pasting in this thread.
posted by glonous keming at 6:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Why are people behaving like nothing happened and like their own colleagues — not just Donald Trump — had no role in inciting it? “My colleagues, it’s time to move on,” says Pelosi. This JUST HAPPENED. Not just within the day, within the past six hours! - Rebecca Traister on Twitter
posted by rambling wanderlust at 6:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


"Hawley's argument is that Congress is the venue for objecting to the election. It is not. Concerns about specific state elections should and were raised in the courts. They were rejected. There is no venue for Congress to adjudicate and resolve those issues." -- Abby D. Phillip, CNN
posted by valkane at 6:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


And it isn’t even over yet!
posted by rambling wanderlust at 6:28 PM on January 6, 2021


Proposal: start calling it the Republican Insurrectionist Party. If that's too long, RIP for short.
posted by vverse23 at 6:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Romney: “We gather here today because of a selfish man’s injured pride.” Says those elected officials who continue with objection to vote count are complicit, and their legacy will forever reflect it.
posted by darkstar at 6:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [64 favorites]


Romney: "The best we can show respect to the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth."

MetaFilter, I just clapped so loud for Willard Mitt Romney that I scared the shit out of my dog. Please send help.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [107 favorites]


Republicans seem to be going with a team strategy of "America's disappointed sitcom stepdad"*

Not sure that gaslighting is going to work out for you this time, guys.

*although I can also totally imagine each and every one of these dudes using the same tone of voice to mansplain things to the women they screw over professionally.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


A sad fucking day when Mitt Romney is the voice of reason.
posted by deadaluspark at 6:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [54 favorites]


We have 14 more days

So I guess the question after the Capitol was made into unknown players' battleground today, is who among us will be the fall guys for the next fortnite?
posted by Riki tiki at 6:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


This coup business appears to be contagious. My cat has just seized control of key communication infrastructure in my apartment..

That cat is clearly asking "Why are you doing this to yourself? I think you should drink more wine instead. Get cat treats while you're up?"
posted by sexyrobot at 6:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


unknown ... players ... battleground ... fall guys ...fortnite.

Did I just... accidentally walk into a gaming thread mid-Insurrection thread?
posted by deadaluspark at 6:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


45% of Republicans approve of today's events, according to a snap poll by YouGov.

Why does that sound so familiar? To be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 6:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


Oh, the oratory!
posted by y2karl at 6:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


A sad fucking day when Mitt Romney is the voice of reason.

Lots of Democrats have also been voices of reason. Romney just gets cookies for saying something vaguely reasonable despite having an R next to his name.
posted by saturday_morning at 6:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


MetaFilter, I just clapped so loud for Willard Mitt Romney that I scared the shit out of my dog. Please send help.

Was your dog on the roof of your car as you drove away?
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 6:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [59 favorites]


While I'll give a pass to Booker for being rattled by today's events, he really sounded like he had no clue what he was talking about. The best I can figure is that he scrambled up the events of the War of 1812 and the US Revolutionary War. As a Canadian, I get that you guys south of the border got taught an alternative viewpoint about what the War of 1812 was all about (if you learned about it all in school), but Booker was even further off base in his interpretation about the event than is traditional in American tellings. Plus even if his interpretation was 100 per cent true, he concluded with the bit how dare a foreign nation CHALLENGE the United States of America. Excuse me, but every nation on this earth has the right to challenge the USA on any given topic. If your country is as all fired great as you guys like to think it is, then the country should be able to withstand any challenges and soundly defeat them (whether that's via military might or economic dominance or political example, etc.)

You know, maybe today wasn't the day to hold the US up as the shiny example of a country that does everything perfectly and should never be challenged on anything. I think he would have had more impact if he had just stuck with focusing on the actions of the terrorists bringing a Confederate flag into the Capital and what that symbolizes about the state of the country.
posted by sardonyx at 6:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is now speaking, talking about her experience doing election monitoring in Georgia (the country).

This even as tabulation in Fulton County, Georgia (the state) has been paused out of concern for the safety of people working on the vote count.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Mike Pence dramatically throwing his bottle of kanar at the mirror
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


Is that someone's phone or did they just add a soundtrack to this thing?
posted by pracowity at 6:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Can just one Senator have the balls to get up and say that what happened today was not just caused by Trump, but by scum like Cruz who cynically echo his lies

I don't think this was on the official record, but:
"This is what you've gotten, guys," Romney was heard yelling as "mayhem unfolded in the Senate chamber, apparently addressing his colleagues who were leading the charge to press Mr. Trump's false claims of a stolen election," The New York Times reports.
posted by clawsoon at 6:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Wow. All that happens and Elise Stefanik just rolls with her planned recitation of the lies that were debunked, most recently by the prior speakers.
posted by mikelieman at 6:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Is that someone's phone or did they just add a soundtrack to this thing?

It was an iPhone ring tone ("By the seaside," to be exact). I know because that's my alarm tone right now and I reached for my phone when that happened.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


wikipedia did not protect elise stefanik's page
"Elise Marie Stefanik (/stəˈfɑːnɪk/; born July 2, 1984) is an American coward serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 21st congressional district since 20"
posted by lalochezia at 6:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Chip Roy: "...turning America into a socialist welfare state...we can't even agree there is man and woman..."

Fuck this guy.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Chip Roy: "...turning America into a socialist welfare state...we can't even agree there is man and woman..."

Fuck him, but also thank him for standing up for the actual fucking Constitution.
posted by wierdo at 6:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


> "Elise Marie Stefanik (/stəˈfɑːnɪk/; born July 2, 1984) is an American coward serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 21st congressional district since 20"

She's not a coward. She wants this. (Source: she represents my parents' district in deep-red upstate NY, which has the highest population of Trump flags, confederate flags, and combination Trump/confederate flags that I've seen anywhere.)
posted by tonycpsu at 6:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Regarding the 25th Amendment I think there is an open legal question of who is currently a member of the Cabinet for purposes of taking action under the 25th Amendment given that many of them are just temporary, acting and are not confirmed by the Senate.
posted by interogative mood at 6:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Romney had harsher words for the Republicans than any Democrat save Duckworth. He's a rat bastard and he's definitely running in 2024.
posted by Room 101 at 6:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I hope someone gets to the bottom of who guided the police to respond as they did. New York Times has a take. I am assuming there are orders that can be traced back up to Trump, and I hope they are. An officer saying “We’ve just got to let them do their thing now” is so beyond the pale.
posted by brambleboy at 6:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


MetaFilter, I just clapped so loud for Willard Mitt Romney that I scared the shit out of my dog. Please send help.

At this point we need a term for the mirror-universe version of the door in the face technique, wherein being a humongous asshole and then a slightly reasonable asshole earns you undeserved good will.
posted by invitapriore at 6:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Mo Brooks is the Mo Brookiest Mo Brooks he can possibly be tonight.
posted by mikelieman at 6:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Romney had harsher words for the Republicans than any Democrat save Duckworth. He's a rat bastard and he's definitely running in 2024.

Possibly against Josh Hawley.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


"The thing is, if we ever arrived at a point where our government had actually been unlawfully seized by dangerous authoritarians and all legal and political remedies had been exhausted, and patriots were needed to restore order, Senator Josh Hawley wouldn’t go near that shit." -- Jason Kander
posted by valkane at 6:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


THOSE AREN'T EXHIBITS, MO.
posted by desuetude at 6:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Regarding the 25th Amendment I think there is an open legal question ... given that many of them are just temporary, acting and are not confirmed by the Senate.

By design then, apparently.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Washington Post's livestream cut away from Mo Brooks "illegal alien" conspiracy theorizing saying "He's now saying things that are not true, so we'll cut away..."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [21 favorites]


I can’t watch this, but, has AOC spoken yet? Will she speak? I would love to hear her rip it up after today.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Holy shit all this speechifying in the Senate.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


What a week, huh?

Nobody who was planning to object deserves credit for changing their minds now. It just proves what we all knew: They never believed in their own reasons for objecting. They just thought it was a game they could play to their advantage. And they’re only changing gears because the advantage isn’t there anymore.
posted by mbrubeck at 6:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [43 favorites]


Lindsey Graham turns a prudent coat.
posted by y2karl at 6:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Lindsay Graham on the floor of the Senate, appears to be absolutely hammered.
posted by skewed at 6:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


And everyone's clapping and laughing at the jokes because hey, we're all friends here.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Lindsey Fucking Graham attempting to claim the legacy of fighting Jim Crow is PISSING ME THE FUCK OFF.

(Mitt Romney is making me like him a little bit with his angry laser eyes at Hawley and his self-deprecating billionaire jokes and I'm mad about it.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [35 favorites]


i can't unravel what the fuck kander's point is, what a shitty writer
posted by Caxton1476 at 6:55 PM on January 6, 2021


Graham looks like he is having the time of his life... which is weird thing to be having today.
posted by piyushnz at 6:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


And this is law, I will maintain,
Until my dying day, Sir,
That whatsoever king shall reign,
I'll be the Vicar of Bray, Sir.

posted by ocschwar at 6:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


It's like everything today never happens to people like Graham. All the fucking laughing.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 6:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


"Mitt Romney just strapped Josh Hawley to the roof of his car and drove to Canada" -- David Freedlander
posted by valkane at 6:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [19 favorites]


Each statement like Brook’s and Hawley’s should be used as evidence of violations of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 6:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Lindsay Graham on the floor of the Senate, appears to be absolutely hammered.

Some strong Jim Lahey energy there. Except Randy never had to sign an NDA.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


I literally can’t understand Lindsey. I mean it’s words and numbers and name dropping. Oh wait it’s an abstract love poem to Mike Pence....?
posted by inflatablekiwi at 6:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Oh Lindsey, okay, you got to do your stand up routine.
posted by desuetude at 6:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Graham is like Bruce Willis in 12 Monkeys after he pulled his tooth out in the bathroom to remove the tracking device
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Lindsey tiptoes up to 25th Amendment and stops, then endorses Biden’s election. Then they vote.
posted by y2karl at 6:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


You know, Lindsey's putting on a good act. If I'd never heard him before, I'd be convinced he's a reasonable person (for being a Republican).

Turns out I have heard him before and he's an opportunistic coward
posted by ctmf at 6:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [41 favorites]


I can't remember, on 9/11 were members of congress giving hot takes about skyscrapers being a blight on the skyline, or that buildings should have fewer than five sides? Because what in the infinite fuck is anyone doing talking about issues other than today's attack at this point?
posted by Riki tiki at 6:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [46 favorites]


> Lindsey Fucking Graham attempting to claim the legacy of fighting Jim Crow is PISSING ME THE FUCK OFF.

He gave a history lesson that the mess of 1876 wasn't a good thing & shouldn't be held as a model for resolving these disputes now. I'm no fan of G., but people listen to him & needed to hear that.
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 6:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


What's this vote for?
posted by Catblack at 7:00 PM on January 6, 2021


Can anyone tell me what order they're going in? Is it alphabetical by state?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:01 PM on January 6, 2021


I think "Count me out" actually is the official motto of opportunistic cowards.
posted by valkane at 7:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Alphabetical by member.
posted by jeanmari at 7:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Cruz votes for his own damnation.
posted by ocschwar at 7:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Lindsey Graham's epitaph will read "I never actually wanted to be alive. This was my position all along."
posted by Room 101 at 7:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


It’s the vote on whether to sustain the objection to the Arizona electors
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Some possible good news, regarding accountability:

The top House appropriator charged with funding the Capitol Police vowed Wednesday to investigate the law enforcement response to the violent mob that overtook the Capitol building and alluded to firings to come among the force.
posted by gimonca at 7:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [29 favorites]


Catblack - I think they're voting as to whether they think Arizona's objection to the electoral college votes are worth pursuing.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The whole reason they're talking is to agree or disagree that they should object to the legitimacy of the Arizona electoral votes, which was as far as they got today before the insurgents busted up the party.
posted by phunniemee at 7:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


What's this vote for?

Putting Rutherford B. Hayes on the $3 bill.
posted by y2karl at 7:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]


Hyde-Smith. Kennedy, yea.

Loeffler: nay
posted by ocschwar at 7:03 PM on January 6, 2021


This is the money shot
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 7:03 PM on January 6, 2021


This isn't great, but knowing that Graham is so stressed out he needed to go get hammered before his speech brings me a little bit of joy
posted by schadenfrau at 7:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


So....almost done with States starting with A then.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Elaine Chao rumors: she would only resign so she doesn't have to sign onto the 25th.
posted by Dashy at 7:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Does anyone know if transcripts of tonight's Senate proceedings will eventually be available somewhere? I would love to excerpt some of these speeches for a class on Friday.
posted by lilac girl at 7:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Graham tweeted in 2016, “If we nominate Trump, it will destroy us. And we will deserve it.” He’s likely experiencing greatly delayed Cassandra syndrome as all his chickens come home to roost. They just lost everything (house, senate, presidency) AND the moral high ground of being the “law and order” party...and likely have a split electorate/third party situation from here on out.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 7:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Tangentially, master trolls Laibach just released this video today (probably produced many years earlier).

Predictably, consider avoiding the comments.
posted by Slothrup at 7:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


"That man will leave. Your soul will stay with you the rest of your life" - D Arizona (I missed his name)
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


2020: "2021, you're much too young to be drinking a beer!

Oh, what's that?

You want me to hold it?"
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


Anonymous Tumblr ask:
What just happened in your country???

wuxian-vs-wangji: The Republican Party’s symbolic attempted coup was interrupted by the Republican Party’s actual attempted coup.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 7:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [130 favorites]


I am having so much trouble with the feed. Who is currently speaking? Dan Bishop from North Carolina?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Elaine Chao rumors: she would only resign so she doesn't have to sign onto the 25th.

Sounds like a lot of rats have already shot down the S.S. Whitehouse anchor chain ahead of her.
posted by y2karl at 7:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Re: Senate - Aren't you supposed to do both the mask wearing and the physical distancing?
posted by piyushnz at 7:09 PM on January 6, 2021


That man will leave. Your soul will stay with you the rest of your life

Actually I think that man is taking a number of their souls with him, in exchange for services rendered.
posted by Riki tiki at 7:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


The US doesn't have any banned political parties, but several other countries do, and some of them have higher standards of living than the US. The Republican party is illegitimate, and should have consequences.
posted by rhizome at 7:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Hawley plans to object to PA still (CNN)

gonna be a long night
posted by joeyh at 7:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Laleh Khalili on Twitter:
A few quick thoughts:
1) This was a coordinated, nationwide effort (see the break-ins & protests at various state houses ).
2) This was a massive recruiting success for fascists in the US. They don't see themselves as defeated. This was to them a charivari, a rehearsal. 1/

3) The international dimension of the rise of the fascists was on display with all the international flags being flown in the protests. 2/

And most alarmingly,

4) The police stood aside, let them in, didn't arrest but a dozen people. They helped them by inaction. Next time they will help with coordinated action.

Good night. /fin
posted by non canadian guy at 7:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [64 favorites]


Yes, that's Dan Bishop, starting to go off the rails with his crackpot conspiracy theories, name-checking Marc Elias, and relying on dissenting Judges. It's sad.
posted by mikelieman at 7:10 PM on January 6, 2021


can we...can we do that
posted by schadenfrau at 7:11 PM on January 6, 2021


Lilac Girl: "Does anyone know if transcripts of tonight's Senate proceedings will eventually be available somewhere? I would love to excerpt some of these speeches for a class on Friday."

Try here and click on the button that says Text at the bottom:
https://live.house.gov/
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Senate feed on CNN appears to have paused briefly as aides take everybody's drink orders.

(I don't actually know why they have paused, but it's irritating me that Pence took off his mask for no particular reason several minutes ago and shows no interest in putting it back on.)

edit: ah spoke too soon here we go
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 7:11 PM on January 6, 2021


93-6. Fuck you, Hawley.
posted by PhineasGage at 7:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


How has Fox News covered the day's events?
posted by at by at 7:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


> Does anyone know if transcripts of tonight's Senate proceedings will eventually be available somewhere?

The Congressional Record will have everything. Oops- Senate. Not sure where it is exactly, but they're very good about publishing everything. The only thing lacking tends to be search-ability of pre-electronic transcription.
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 7:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Where are you all watching the House feed?
posted by eviemath at 7:13 PM on January 6, 2021


CNN
posted by jeanmari at 7:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Watching House on C-SPAN.
posted by non canadian guy at 7:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]




Thank you so much NotTheRedBaron! You have saved me so much time -- it' will be nice to pull excerpts as they arise rather than later.
posted by lilac girl at 7:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


House is on C-SPAN
posted by PhineasGage at 7:14 PM on January 6, 2021


The US doesn't have any banned political parties, but several other countries do, and some of them have higher standards of living than the US.

We have evolved cockroaches that don't fear broad daylight.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


C'mon Madam Speaker. let's wrap up the debate in the House, take the vote, get the Senate back in, and get this signed, sealed, and delivered before midnight, ok? "All that shit, and we STILL did it on Jan 6"
posted by mikelieman at 7:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


How has Fox News covered the day's events?

Not the usual proctological anilingus, I should hope.
posted by y2karl at 7:16 PM on January 6, 2021


Yeah, eventually you’ll be able to click on this link to the Congressional Record by date, click on the Senate link for January 6, and access a PDF for all the actions and speeches for the day.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Meanwhile, the DC Police crackdown on the real enemy: /s

With @wleaming, still rolling the camera while we were being arrested for filming protests outside the Capitol. - Zoeann Murphy on Twitter (with video)
posted by rambling wanderlust at 7:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Does anyone know if Ron Johnson has spoken yet?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:18 PM on January 6, 2021


"If anybody had been hurt today" fuck you Gaetz, someone DIED TODAY
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


Is Toomey preemptively defending against a potential objection when they return to the House?
posted by mikelieman at 7:19 PM on January 6, 2021






So do they do this two hours of remarks thing every time there is an objection to one of the states' votes?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Thanks, Huffy Puffy! I just poked around and saw they have yesterday's transcripts for today, so fingers crossed they stay so timely...

I'll stop cluttering up the larger discussion now. Thanks for the help, y'all!
posted by lilac girl at 7:20 PM on January 6, 2021


Gaetz just lying, lying, lying.
posted by valkane at 7:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


mbrubeck: Nobody who was planning to object deserves credit for changing their minds now. It just proves what we all knew: They never believed in their own reasons for objecting. They just thought it was a game they could play to their advantage. And they’re only changing gears because the advantage isn’t there anymore.

Some would think poorly of this state of affairs. Others might see it as an optimistic sign that the way a people get good governance is by ensuring that, in fact, there is no advantage to mealy-mouthed hypocritical scum spewing lies and verbal poison. I'd like to see more of it.
posted by brambleboy at 7:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Matt Gaetz is lying through his teeth, claiming "antifa did it".
posted by wierdo at 7:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Watched most of the Senate, had to nope on the House when Gaetz spoke.
posted by perhapses at 7:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Gaetz going all in on the it-was-really-antifa stuff is making me physically wince, the standing ovation from republicans behind him is making me physically retch.
posted by Riki tiki at 7:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Meanwhile, hundreds of folks still wandering Capitol grounds in defiance of curfew in full view of law enforcement.

Hey, lighten up! They arrested 13 people!
posted by y2karl at 7:22 PM on January 6, 2021


Matt Gaetz is Patrick Bateman
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Not the usual proctological anilingus

Is there any other kind?
posted by rhizome at 7:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Matt Gaetz is Patrick Bateman

He wishes.
posted by valkane at 7:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Control F "freikorps"
posted by latkes at 7:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Washington Post's video coverage is actually pretty good. They aren't letting the lies go unremarked upon.

Thankfully, it seems that while there are still plenty of nutters in the House, very few in the Senate are having any of it at this point. The votes will be counted, but it may take all goddamn night if any of the six fools who voted to sustain the Arizona objection in the Senate sign on to further House objections. It will still get done, though.
posted by wierdo at 7:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Matt Gaetz is Butthead
posted by HyperBlue at 7:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I can't remember, on 9/11 were members of congress giving hot takes about...

Don't think so. They were so rattled, their only response was singing "God Bless America".
posted by Rash at 7:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


"93-6 in the Senate to ratify the illegal certification in Arizona.
The Republican Party is officially over today." -- Jenna Ellis
posted by valkane at 7:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Very loud NOs! in the vote.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:28 PM on January 6, 2021


Video and CC text of Mitt Romney's response to the Senate is at C-SPAN > JANUARY 6, 2021 | PART OF U.S. SENATE RESUMES AFTER DAY OF VIOLENT PROTESTS, U.S. Senate Session, Part 2. Here's his raw CC text after running it through a case converter (he starts at 01:19:49 in the video stream):
...now we gather due to a selfish man's injured pride, and the outrage of supporters who he has deliberately misinformed for the past two months and stirred to action this very morning. What happened here today was an insurrection incited by the president of the united states. Those who choose to continue to support his dangerous gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate democratic election will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy.

Fairly or not, they will be remembered for their role in this shameful episode in american history. That will be their legacy. I salute senator lankford, loeffler, braun, and daines and i'm sure others who, in the light of the day's outrage, have withdrawn their objection. For any who remain insistent on an audit in order to satisfy the many people who believe that the election was stolen, i'd offer this perspective -- no congressional audit is ever going to convince these voters, particularly when the president will continue to say that the election was stolen. The best way we could show respect for the voters who were upset is by telling them the truth.

That's the burden, that's the duty of leadership. The truth is that president-elect biden won the election, president trump lost. I have had that experience myself. It's no fun. Scores of courts, the president's own attorneys general, state election officials, both republican and democrat, have reached that unequivocal decision. And in light of today's sad circumstances, i ask my colleagues, do we weigh our own political fortunes more heavily than we weigh the strength of our republic, the strength of our democracy, and the cause of freedom? What's the weight of personal acclaim compared to the weight of conscience?

Leader mcconnell said that the vote today is the most important in his 36 years of public service. Think of that. Authorizing two wars, voting in two impeachments. He said that not because the vote reveals something about the election, it's because this vote reveals something about us. I urge my colleagues to move forward with completing the electoral count, to refrain from further objections, and to unanimously affirm the legitimacy of the presidential election.
Good advice and well-spoken, hopefully it will change the minds of Republican objectors.
posted by cenoxo at 7:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [31 favorites]


mandolin conspiracy: Some strong Jim Lahey energy there. Except Randy never had to sign an NDA.

There's some well-deserved Ricky energy around today, too.
posted by clawsoon at 7:29 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Very loud NOs! in the vote.

To recess. It was procedural.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Is there any other kind?

A lot of anteaters at Fox.
posted by y2karl at 7:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Where can I watch a livestream of the after hours rioting? I'm curious to see what's going on because it looks like they all crawled back up onto the Capitol building after being led away.
posted by yueliang at 7:33 PM on January 6, 2021


How has Fox News covered the day's events?

You made me curious, so I just made myself watch Tucker Carlson. He blames that woman's death ("Imagine, for a second, getting the call and learning that was your daughter.") on the root cause of the "rally," as he calls it, and the cause of the "rally" was that millions of Americans believe that the election was rigged, and... excuse me, I lost his chain of reasoning here, but it's somehow the fault of the Democrats that millions of Americans believe that the election was rigged. "It is not your fault," he reassures his audience, "it is their fault."
posted by pracowity at 7:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Good advice and well-spoken, hopefully it will change the minds of Republican objectors.

Josh Hawley is clearly unmoved, so this shit is going to drag on through tomorrow morning.
posted by wierdo at 7:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]




I think we can confidently say that "cordiality" assumptions for this congress are DOA. It's one thing to have to compromise with someone you disagree with when it's all part of the game.

But people like Brooks and Gaetz, who were at risk from this same attack, yet at the literal end of the day still chose to play up Democrats as the villains? Those are not people that can be safely negotiated with, at any time, for any reason.
posted by Riki tiki at 7:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]


How does Giuliani somehow keep getting less competent? I thought he'd already scraped the bottom of the barrel but evidently he broke through and is now digging a hold underneath the barrel.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


The crowds in Washington were like the student body of a large high school, in size. There were not tens of thousands there. Grahams speech was blunt, and needed. They moved right along after that.
posted by Oyéah at 7:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


millions of Americans believe that the election was rigged, and... excuse me, I lost his chain of reasoning here

The Republicans keep using what I call the "50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong" argument, which states that if millions of americans believe there was voter fraud, that makes it true.
posted by mmoncur at 7:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


OVERTURN THE TURTLE is what the Dems should do next: figure out how to reform the obstructionism in government processes and the flaws in The Electoral College. Impossible: yes, unless you try. They have 2 years or so to try to pass some bills, then who who knows?
posted by ovvl at 7:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


romney is paving exactly one road, the one to 24

honor this shitheel's rhetoric at your peril
posted by Caxton1476 at 7:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


Who's this guy who claims members of "the violent terrorist group Antifa" were among the people who invaded the Capitol?
posted by pracowity at 7:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Mental Health Tip: pausing the livestream for breaks is helpful for dealing with these whack-ass political stunts we've been having lately. (Of course, it makes this thread spoilertown, but whatevs.) For the president himself I just turn him off. Animal Crossing helps too.

*sigh*
surely this?
posted by sexyrobot at 7:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Just to ensure the day gets weirder, the Dead Kennedys have publicly thanked Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham for their services to the country.
posted by at by at 7:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


All these bands popping up. What has RATM said?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:39 PM on January 6, 2021


at by: The Dead Kennedys haven't been worth a shit since they reformed without Jello Biafra.
posted by SansPoint at 7:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Not really the Dead Kennedys though.
posted by Beardman at 7:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


"Per source, White House counsel Pat Cipollone told west wing staffers today not to help Trump stage a coup or else they could be prosecuted for treason." -- Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair
posted by valkane at 7:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


A majority of the Repunlicans in the House voted to sustain the objection.

The GOP must be destroyed.
posted by ocschwar at 7:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [38 favorites]


lilac girl > Does anyone know if transcripts of tonight's Senate proceedings will eventually be available somewhere? I would love to excerpt some of these speeches for a class on Friday.

Check out C-Span's live video stream in my comment above. You can browse through the CC text and filter it by speakers, drag & copy the upper case text, then run it through an online case converter.
posted by cenoxo at 7:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Yeah, I know they're the Dead Kennedys In Name Only, but they control the Twitter account, and they used to stand for something, so forgive the cognitive dissonance.
posted by at by at 7:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The Dead Kennedys haven't been worth a shit since they reformed without Jello Biafra.

Klaus Flouride is the biological dad of a MeFite! (not me, tho he's super nice) I think they're OK and Jello's a jerk.
posted by jessamyn at 7:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


I think Jello was the one who stood for something. The rest just wanted to get paid.
posted by SansPoint at 7:43 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Pistols at dawn, sir!
posted by jessamyn at 7:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Please, let's not use this thread to relitigate the Dead Kennedys.
posted by Crane Shot at 7:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [89 favorites]


I think someone on the WaPo video feed just said "and it's looking like Lindsey Graham may take his old form" like some sort of retreating eldritch creature and no one thought it was weird at all
posted by schadenfrau at 7:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


Mod note: I swear to god if you all start fighting about punk I'm gonna blast Starland Vocal Band until everybody goes to bed
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [144 favorites]


This is the perfect time and place to relitigate the Dead Kennedys, nothing much else is happening.
posted by axiom at 7:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


This was a massive recruiting success for fascists in the US. They don't see themselves as defeated. This was to them a charivari, a rehearsal.

Okay so... I said some stuff above about the importance of openly discussing what's happened and what's happening. Then another comment of mine with some references to what's happened historically in the US in regards to marching on Washington got deleted, though as far as I can see I said nothing even as harsh as the “punching Nazis” enthusiasms of recent years.

I just wanted to say, clearly: what's basically occurred in the course of the Trumpocalypse is that the United States decided to not be a democracy any more, but to be even more merely democracy-esque than we've been in the past, by embracing a leader who openly adores dictatorships. And by essentially deciding that the Cold War thing where we temporarily pretended to be nice to Black people and be the good guys of the world, so as to look superior in comparison with the Soviets, is over. And then we intentionally threw away any fig leaf that it was accidental by failing to decisively reject all of it last November. We're the baddies now. Which sucks, and should not have happened, but unfortunately like electing a President such a change does not require a popular majority of We The People.

So, we really can't solve this by being indignant about our country not functioning like a democracy any more, nor by expecting that if we just explain things the right way or appeal to American values enough our countrymen and countrywomen and countrypersons will see the light and start behaving like citizens of a democracy... what they're exhibiting are American values, in 2021 especially, though we've always kind of known it as a society on some level. Nor can we expect Biden fulfilling the duties of a normal President to fix this. The 25th Amendment can't do anything more than a short-term increase in safety, albeit an important one, while Trump's KFC-greasy fingers are still in reach of all the buttons.

What we need is our own 1776 stuff, even if only in the nonviolent perhaps-Nazi-hugging color revolution sense, to found a society from which white supremacy has been extirpated and which doesn't even consider 1776 the beginning of the nation any more, because Indigenous people, because Plymouth Rock landed on enslaved people, etc. Or at the very least some kind of Gettysburgaddressian re-dedication of the Union.
posted by XMLicious at 7:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Alternative Tentacles would have won
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


A majority of the Repunlicans in the House voted to sustain the objection.

That's the votes in Maricopa county? I used to live there. It's depressing to me that they would want to disenfranchise the votes of so many people I know who live there.
posted by Catblack at 7:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I’m stupid, will the electoral vote finish tonight or not?
posted by geoff. at 7:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Merrick Garland, This Morning: Finally, it's Merrick's day to shine!
posted by Navelgazer at 7:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Valkane: "Per source, White House counsel Pat Cipollone told west wing staffers today not to help Trump stage a coup or else they could be prosecuted for treason." -- Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair

Contains what I hope and expect will be the final use of a once-common phrase that has never yet been dispositive:
"As staff quit or steer clear, Trump is increasingly isolated and alone."
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


They're still tallying the votes on the objection. So I don't know but I think so? Do they have a requirement to finish by midnight?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:52 PM on January 6, 2021


Also what time are we talking an all nighter?
posted by geoff. at 7:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Mitt Romney did not look well this evening. I doubt there will be a run in 2024 after this. He doesn't look like a natural leftie, but he used that hand only except at the end.
posted by Oyéah at 7:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


> They were never gonna go down without a fight. Ever since they were in the streets in Charlottesville yelling about blood and soil and Trump gave them a wink and talked about very fine people on both sides.

And today one of the people Trump described as "very special" was wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" hoodie.

You can draw a straight line from today back to Charlottesville, where the neo-Nazis proclaimed: “Next stop Charlottesville. Final stop, Auschwitz."
posted by homunculus at 7:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


I actually yelled "drink" to my wife when I heard the words "increasingly isolated" on tv earlier tonight.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [16 favorites]


They don't have to finish by midnight.
posted by SansPoint at 7:54 PM on January 6, 2021


All nighter baby. I'm staying up as long as it takes.
posted by vrakatar at 7:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Where was Trump? Its almost as if this was after Caligula was assassinated and the military was running around looking for a leader, anyone to lead, and we know they choose Claudius. But what were all these Trump people looking to do? What did they want? Their leader was no where to be seen. He made his speech and than slithered out of sight leaving the mob running around demanding whatever without a visible leader.
posted by robbyrobs at 7:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I can't stop wondering if the certification of the College of Electors is also going to turn into a unprecedented super-spreader event.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


I swear to god if you all start fighting about punk I'm gonna blast Starland Vocal Band until everybody goes to bed

Stop the violators!
posted by Sockdown at 7:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


There are people who will sleep easy tonight who shouldn't. There are many who will lay awake haunted, who by rights should have been able to sleep soundly tonight.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


About 30 reps still left to vote.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:57 PM on January 6, 2021


woo-hoo!

hey now
posted by clavdivs at 7:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


"White House officials were shaken by Trump's reaction to a mob of his supporters descending on the Capitol today. He was described to me as borderline enthusiastic because it meant the certification was being derailed. It has genuinely freaked people out." -- Kaitlan Collins
posted by valkane at 7:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


So what's the next step? They reconvene the Senate to certify?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 7:59 PM on January 6, 2021


Apparently at least six DC police officers were injured during the insurrection according to the chief of police during the ongoing press conference. Tucker Carlson can go fuck himself with his "our people are peaceful" bullshit.
posted by wierdo at 8:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


I dunno, but did everybody see those pictures of the Trumpsters posing in the big chair in the chamber? They all have a really weird Mad Max/Escape from New York vibe.
posted by valkane at 8:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


the consortium of presidential historians have just up voted the Grant administration.
posted by clavdivs at 8:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


Imagine the movie that Lindsay Graham's journey tonight will make. He's sitting in a toilet stall in sub-basement 6 of the Capitol building working on his speech, bottle of whisky in hand. He has flashbacks to the increasingly complex humiliations Trump put him through, including some really weird secret ones I'll make up later, shown in a succession of flashbacks in between his disintegration in the bathroom. He stands up, drops the bottle and strides out of the stall. The last shot is of him from behind as he steps into the light of the hall. He staggers a little and throws the speech over his shoulder. FIN.
Call it Compromised.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 8:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Senate is still shooting the breeze five minutes at a time, and I heard the conversation in which McConnell was told there would be no break. Senate is speaking until the House is ready.
posted by Oyéah at 8:03 PM on January 6, 2021


White House officials were shaken by Trump's reaction to a mob of his supporters descending on the Capitol today. He was described to me as borderline enthusiastic because it meant the certification was being derailed. It has genuinely freaked people out.

I find this incomprehensible. You can’t possibly work in any capacity of this White House and be surprised by Trump being happy with this. It’s entirely consistent with his words, deeds, and personality.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [34 favorites]


> "White House officials were shaken by Trump's reaction to a mob of his supporters descending on the Capitol today. He was described to me as borderline enthusiastic because it meant the certification was being derailed. It has genuinely freaked people out." -- Kaitlan Collins

"The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand."
posted by tonycpsu at 8:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]


So I imagine Gaetz just walks up to other Republicans in the chamber at breaks like these and says "Dude, you shoulda been down with us at Mar-a-Lago! Shit was kickin' and I got ripped to the tits!" And they just kinda nod and look away.
posted by valkane at 8:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Got Damn, whoever is talking in the Senate now is going off. Sedition, Treason, Donald Trump in an orange jumpsuit, Abolish the Electoral College...
posted by ctmf at 8:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Markley's "Kabuki theater" reference was gross.
posted by desuetude at 8:10 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I got to work today as this was unfolding, between 2 and 3 pm. I turned the audio on and two of our 8 tv screens were on msnbc so i tuned that in and watched in horror as I got the place set up. shortly after 4 we got our first guests so I had to switch to music.

Watched the footage out of the corners of my eyes as we had a slightly busy night. Got home and skimmed this thread and took it all in. It is rather amazing only one person died. The security people in the building, once it was breached, essentially had to do a holding action against vastly superior numbers while the entire house, senate, and the veep were put in a safe place, then not kill anyone while they waited for reinforcements.

I didn't have time to be freaked out now I'm freaked out. This was a close call and the wingnut rage behind it is not going to go away.

On a lighter note my money on him getting 25th'd has been rising steadily over the last few weeks.
posted by vrakatar at 8:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Some Republican changed their vote.
posted by valkane at 8:11 PM on January 6, 2021


Here's lookin' at you kid
Missing all the things we did
We can find it once again, I know
Just like they did in Mar-a-Lago
posted by clavdivs at 8:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


121 Republican House members voted for the Arizona objection, proving they are irredeemably insane, since it was an election run by Republicans without even the slightest hint of irregularity. It's even less defensible than objecting to Pennsylvania, which itself would be a complete rejection of reality given the results of all of Trump's lawsuits.

At least the traitors in government are making it very clear who they are.
posted by wierdo at 8:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]


At least the traitors in government are making it very clear who they are.

Indeed. We have their names. We can coalesce to vote them out. Or if possible, recall them. But we must come together to do that.

Edited to add: obv gerrymandering...
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 8:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Oh yeah, that little Elvis impersonator from Florida who spouted that some private security company has facial recognition tech and recognised Antifas at the Capitol today, what the ever loving almighty makes people like him tick? You have to know some private security companies he tunes into surely have to be empty talking heads picking up big money for the sounds they make. His lack of reasoning skills and lack of responsibly discharging the duties of his office, are appalling.
posted by Oyéah at 8:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I'm not sure why but Warren is making me cry. I think the day is just finally breaking me.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 8:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The votes will be counted, but it may take all goddamn night if any of the six fools who voted to sustain the Arizona objection in the Senate sign on to further House objections.

Has anybody seen a list of the six? I want names.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:24 PM on January 6, 2021


I joked above about an exorcism, but maybe some protesters could go in front of the White House and make theater out of the ritual, chanting: the power of Christ compels thee.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Never mind, I found 'em on CNN:

Sen. Ted Cruz
Sen. Josh Hawley
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith
Sen. Roger Marshall
Sen. John Kennedy
Sen. Tommy Tuberville
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Has anybody seen a list of the six? I want names.

Copy-pasted from the NYT feed: Cruz of Texas, Hawley of Missouri, Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Kennedy of Louisiana, Marshall of Kansas, and Tuberville of Alabama
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 8:26 PM on January 6, 2021


Here are the six Republican senators who voted to sustain the objection:
Sen. Ted Cruz
Sen. Josh Hawley
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith
Sen. Roger Marshall
Sen. John Kennedy
Sen. Tommy Tuberville
posted by glonous keming at 8:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Heard Josh Hawley's speech and got deep cold chills. If he cannot be stopped now, I believe he could be the Trump successor we fear. I'm certainly not the first to say that, but that man is very dangerous.
posted by blue shadows at 8:27 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


We cannot recall them. There is no mechanism for recall elections for Federal office.
posted by absalom at 8:27 PM on January 6, 2021


Heard Josh Hawley's speech and got deep cold chills. If he cannot be stopped now, I believe he could be the Trump successor we fear. I'm certainly not the first to say that, but that man is very dangerous.

Yep.

He'll announce his run for 2024 as soon as he can.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Might I someone here be able to outline exactly what steps (and opportunities for obstruction) now remain between here and certification?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 8:30 PM on January 6, 2021


Where was Trump? Its almost as if this was after Caligula was assassinated and the military was running around looking for a leader, anyone to lead, and we know they choose Claudius. But what were all these Trump people looking to do?

I would hope the staffers are chasing Trump around the White House with a tranq gun loaded with Thorazine.
posted by JackFlash at 8:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


clawsoon > From Jay Nordlinger, a never-Trumper from the start: Yeah, enough's enough, say Lindsey and others. In January 2021. Great. Just great. Thx, guys. Towers of jello.

Another zinger from Jay Nordlinger: Bill Barr sure got out of Dodge, didn't he?
posted by cenoxo at 8:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


NBC News on Twitter

"JUST IN: Washington, D.C., Mayor Bowser extends public emergency for 15 days, through the end of President Trump's time in office."
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 8:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [47 favorites]


Note all these 2024 fascists and start ratfucking them YESTERDAY
posted by lalochezia at 8:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


> "JUST IN: Washington, D.C., Mayor Bowser extends public emergency for 15 days, through the end of President Trump's time in office."

Representing about 1.027% of the actual duration of the Trump emergency, but I'll take it.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


He'll announce his run for 2024 as soon as he can.

I think he just did.
posted by susiswimmer at 8:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Here are the six Republican senators who voted to sustain the objection.

Sadly, there are over 100 in the House.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 8:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


As we speak, CNN > Breaking News > Congress reconvenes to certify Biden's Win...
posted by cenoxo at 8:38 PM on January 6, 2021


Hawley definitely feels like he could become The Smart Or At Least Semi-Competent Trump that folks have been worried about.
posted by Ian A.T. at 8:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


We cannot recall them. There is no mechanism for recall elections for Federal office.

Senators can be expelled, but it takes a 2/3 vote to do so. I don't see that happening.

If we had any chance of a 2/3 vote in the Senate, I'd want the ERA and a constitutional right-to-privacy amendment passed. I consider both of those more likely than evicting trumpists.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 8:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I swear to god if you all start fighting about punk I'm gonna blast Starland Vocal Band until everybody goes to bed

Stop the violators!


Why stop the Violators? They had some good tunes (though this admittedly might not be the best time to blast songs about rioting, even if they're anti-fascist).
posted by gtrwolf at 8:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


This is the best thing that ever happened to bean dad.
posted by hypnogogue at 8:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [65 favorites]


I joked above about an exorcism, but maybe some protesters could go in front of the White House and make theater out of the ritual, chanting: the power of Christ compels thee.

Yes! This is what the world needs. Vade retro satana!

Even better would be to publicize it as a Christian blessing by Christofascists, to get Trump to publicly praise it, but subsequently release the recording in some ratfucking way and the Latin wording is that of an exorcism.
posted by XMLicious at 8:43 PM on January 6, 2021


BBC is now reporting 4 people died.
posted by oulipian at 8:45 PM on January 6, 2021


So let me get this clarified. They run through the states in alpha order and if a senator and house member object to a state's electoral votes, they take 2 hours to speechify and then vote on the objection before moving back to the list.
We've done Arizona, so how many states are in the mix to extend the session?
posted by perhapses at 8:45 PM on January 6, 2021


Arkansas certified. California certified. Colorado certified. Connecticut certified. Delaware certified.

I guess they're going to focus their nonsense on PA, MI, Georgia, etc.
posted by mmoncur at 8:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


> BBC is now reporting 4 people died.

"All three involved unspecified, separate medical emergencies."

The Trump base is, shall we say, not comprised of spring chickens.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


As a Kiwi, I'd never heard of Hawley until today but this brief twitter thread is enlightening from someone who was a few years behind him on a London teaching fellowship -


I was two years behind Josh Hawley in that fancy post-college teaching fellowship at an elite 500-year-old London high school.

The first thing one teacher asked me when I showed up?

"You're not a fascist like that Joshua Hawley, are you?"

posted by phigmov at 8:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [39 favorites]


What we need is an amendment to reduce the repetition.
posted by valkane at 8:48 PM on January 6, 2021


Well in the leaked Ghouliani mis-dialed voicemail, he mentions 10 states, so this may take a while, still.
posted by Catblack at 8:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


they take 2 hours to speechify and then vote on the objection

yes. But I think the Senate has agreed going forward just a vote, no speeches.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


So let me get this clarified. They run through the states in alpha order and if a senator and house member object to a state's electoral votes, they take 2 hours to speechify and then vote on the objection before moving back to the list.
We've done Arizona, so how many states are in the mix to extend the session?


According to the CNN live blog, the Senate leadership has indicated that they will not hear debate on any future objections and will just have a roll call. The house leadership hasn't indicated what they will do. It's possible that Pennsylvania will be the only other objection.
posted by muddgirl at 8:48 PM on January 6, 2021


[I swear to god if you all start fighting about punk I'm gonna blast Starland Vocal Band until everybody goes to bed]

Bring.It.On.
posted by y2karl at 8:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Where's Pence's mask? He's got a fucking microphone.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Fucking slime cowards just withdrew their objection to Georgia. Which is awesome.
posted by Room 101 at 8:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


objection to georgia from house. senators' signature(s) withdrawn after events of today.
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


now D.C. mayor got the street, Trump can't go against that unless he pulls out his military card, which he's lost. That's a reason why D.C. is not a state as it cannot be bent as easy by the will of the president.

Perhaps we could slowly re-decorate starting with the two Fasces on the house wall. I'm tired and wired.

"There is one Thing, my dear sir, that must be attempted and most Sacredly observed or We are all undone. There must be a Decency, and Respect, and Veneration introduced for Persons in Authority, of every Rank, or We are undone. In a popular Government, this is the only Way of Supporting order—and in our Circumstances, as our People have been so long without any Government att all, it is more necessary than, in any other. The United Provinces, were So sensible of this that they carried it to a burlesque Extreame."

-John Adams. April, 22.1776.
posted by clavdivs at 8:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Fuck yeah! Georgia goes through!
posted by valkane at 8:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Washington DC, Florida certified.

Georgia: objection from a senator but when asked if he has objections from the Senate and House in writing, he said "we did, but after the events of today it looks like some senators have withdrawn their objections." Cheers from the chamber.

Hawaii certified.
posted by mmoncur at 8:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]




Where would one look for a record of how House members voted on the objections? (I recognize it might not be online yet...)
posted by nickmark at 8:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


The Trump base is, shall we say, not comprised of spring chickens.

WTF? Like Elizabeth? I take it you weren't watching TV.

However all those unmasked young people enmass makes for the superspeadingest event of 2020.
posted by y2karl at 8:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Christ, it’s not still 2020 is it?
posted by inflatablekiwi at 8:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


However all those unmasked young people enmass makes for the superspeadingest event of 2020.

The first superspreader event of 2021, surely.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I'd like to declare that I am regular in form and authentic.
posted by wordless reply at 8:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [29 favorites]


See, they should give the clerks who are reading these things some dogs to run around the chamber with, like in Best of Show, and this would be captivating.
posted by valkane at 8:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


"Christ it’s not still 2020 is it?"

We prematurely declared yesterday to be the true start of 2021. Perhaps the true first day of 2021 will be Jan 21.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 8:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


They really need to hire one of those process efficiency experts to refine this thing to the 30 minutes it deserves. Waste of tax dollars.
posted by perhapses at 8:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Christ, it’s not still 2020 is it?

Somebody whack the carriage return, we're stuck at the end of the line
posted by Sockdown at 8:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [14 favorites]


Christ it’s not still 2020 is it?

It's always 2020 at zombo.com.
posted by loquacious at 8:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [28 favorites]


Agreed. As long as Trump is President, we are still in the off-gassing of 2020.

2021 begins in two weeks.
posted by darkstar at 8:58 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


END OF LINE
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Today's date is March 312, 2020.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 8:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [42 favorites]


Objection raised to votes from Michigan.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:00 PM on January 6, 2021


"The objection is writing" -- some R
posted by joeyh at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021


Michigan. Not signed by a senator.
posted by Catblack at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021


michigan... objection by house. no senator cosign. on edit: fuckyeah.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Objection to Michigan just failed—no Senate support. (Can't find a list of the House members who supported it yet, though.)
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Michigan!!!!!!
posted by valkane at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Whoohoo! the objection had not been signed and has been thrown out! Loud cheers!
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts certified.

Objection for Michigan.

Do you have it in writing from a Senator and House member? "Umm, it's in writing but not signed by a senator."

Minnesota certified.
posted by mmoncur at 9:01 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Michigan't!
posted by perhapses at 9:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Who are these two objector ringleaders? A guy, and a woman from Georgia? (Sedition party).
posted by ctmf at 9:02 PM on January 6, 2021


At this point, I'm glad there's no state named Xenu, or Yuengling, or Zedonia.
posted by valkane at 9:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


"The objection is writing" -- some R

Pretty sure that was erstwhile Q supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 9:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


I kinda like the formal recitation thing.

Hearing GA and MI's objections get dismissed is giving me life. Bracing for my home state of PA though.
posted by desuetude at 9:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


at this rate at what state do we surpass 270?
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:03 PM on January 6, 2021


I like to think that her thought process was, "oh shit, I was supposed to get it signed?"
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Okay I must be insane now cuz I'm starting to like Mike Pence. Too little to late sure, but he knows donnie shitstain is watching, and he's enjoying every stab. Also "regular in form and authentic" is the new term for hot sexy in this house.
posted by vrakatar at 9:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


i just want you to imagine - if he's not sedated - trump watching this screaming at the tv and looking for somewhere to blather on social media and finding the usual place for his bilious froth blocked.

if he isnt on the phone to one of his old chums or trying to call oann newsmax or fox, i'll eat my hat
posted by lalochezia at 9:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I kinda like the formal recitation thing.

Now if they could only find a way to do this with calamari.
posted by Mchelly at 9:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


NEVADA.
posted by vrakatar at 9:06 PM on January 6, 2021


Objection to Nevada
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:06 PM on January 6, 2021


No signature!
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, certified.

Alabama representative objects to Nevada.

Is it in writing? "It is in writing but no US Senator has joined in this effort."

Nevada certified.
posted by mmoncur at 9:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


No senator sign-off. NEVA-NYET.
posted by onehalfjunco at 9:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


I would like to object to the State of Nebraksa. I drove through one Memorial Day weekend and all that was open was an Arby’s for lunch. That meal did not leave me in form or regular.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 9:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [53 favorites]


I do worry about Wisconsin as I'm sure Ron Johnson would be willing to sign...
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


“This objection cannot be entertained” might be the best thing Pence has ever said.
posted by rp at 9:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


at this rate at what state do we surpass 270

I think it’s PA. Just RI, VT, VA, WA, and WI after that.
posted by Buy Sockpuppet Bonds! at 9:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


What I find a little scary+interesting is how it was only Trump's loss of the election which prompted media outlets to call his lies lies, social media to flag his posts as "disputed", and other lawmakers in his party to stand up to him. The simple fact of power, as long as he had it, was enough for all of them to deny seeing what was right in front of their face the whole time. As soon as that power was gone, the spell was broken. Presidential power was all it took, in the nation that thinks of itself as the world's great beacon of free speech, to tie their tongues.
posted by clawsoon at 9:08 PM on January 6, 2021 [115 favorites]


The only objection we might see slow things down is Pennsylvania. Unclear if Hawley’s arm is twisted enough yet.
posted by interogative mood at 9:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I wonder if Pence gets chills up his spine whenever he hears he got votes from a state.
posted by perhapses at 9:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


They really need to hire one of those process efficiency experts to refine this thing to the 30 minutes it deserves. Waste of tax dollars.

It seriously usually is about 30 minutes, because usually there are no objections and they just run down the states.
posted by soundguy99 at 9:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I know I feel chills, but probably not the same kind as he does.
posted by ChrisR at 9:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


"I wonder if Pence gets chills up his spine whenever he hears he got votes from a state."

That's inappropriate. Only mother is allowed to give him chills.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


need a spine for that. also: it is way past his bedtime. he's just thinking about that warm glass of milk.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I think Pennsylvania only gets Biden to 264. Rhode Island should put him at exactly 270, if my math is correct.
posted by Chanther at 9:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Why isn't Pence wearing a mask? Aren't masks required in the chamber? How is this allowed? ALso, why does a different person read each result? This seems dangerous, given the maskless man behind them.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I bet we'll see a slew of presidential pardons before the week is out, unless they invoke the 25th tomorrow. But here comes PA...
posted by Catblack at 9:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


(Actually, my math IS wrong. Vermont should put him over.)
posted by Chanther at 9:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I mean, Pence was a politician before this, he knows more about how it works than Trump knows who washes his socks. So I kinda feel like he's just doing his job at this point, and even though I hate to admit it, unlike his boss, he's actually doing the job.
posted by valkane at 9:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Objection to PA
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021


Wouldn't be the first time Pence has tried to kill people by ignoring evidence-based epidemiology.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon certified.

Pennsylvania: Objection from PA Congressman, written and signed by a senator and 80 representatives. Here comes the circus.

We are at 244 (Biden) to 157 (Trump) electoral votes.
posted by mmoncur at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


here we go.
posted by valkane at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021


pennsylvania. cosigned.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021


Has a written objection with signatures
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021


clawsoon - I thought media outlets started naming his lies as lies sometime before November, when he was so obviously lying about covid?
posted by kristi at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2021


I think everyone just assumes he already had it, considering the company that he keeps. (Pence, covid)
I thought I was going to be productive today. Oh well. Mondays!
posted by sexyrobot at 9:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


This is the last objection though. After this it’s over.
posted by interogative mood at 9:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Hawley was the Senator that signed into PA objection.

Time for bed.
posted by mcstayinskool at 9:16 PM on January 6, 2021


Senate retires to chambers. They have to make a decision.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:16 PM on January 6, 2021


Well here we go and the liquor stores are all closed where I live. Fuck.
posted by vrakatar at 9:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I... really don't get the point? If the objection goes through and they manage to nullify enough votes... there's no president to be inaugurated and Pelosi takes office, right?

Removing Biden's votes doesn't give them to Trump.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 9:17 PM on January 6, 2021


What a weasel.
posted by Catblack at 9:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


The security hearings following this clusterfuck better make the Benghazi hearings look like a long weekend.
posted by cyndigo at 9:17 PM on January 6, 2021 [37 favorites]


man the coke speed coffee in congress must be strong
posted by lalochezia at 9:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Oh, hell. It's 6AM+. I give up. I hope I wake up to something peaceful and final.
posted by pracowity at 9:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


It doesn’t matter anymore. Assuming that only PA is still being objected to, worst case Biden only gets 286 votes, which goes over the line.

This is just grandstanding.
posted by Buy Sockpuppet Bonds! at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


The point is to show devotion to Dear Leader.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Removing Biden's votes doesn't give them to Trump.

They think they can have PA electors 'revote' so that Trump gets the votes.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021


This is like when you're in a long meeting at work and everybody's about to leave but that one fucker has a question.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [53 favorites]


The point is to show devotion to Dear Leader.

The point is for Hawley to set himself up as the avatar heir-apparent to the MAGA personality cult.
posted by tclark at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


it seems the DC police are not the Capitol Police

Many flavors of police in DC - the Park Police, Capitol Police, city cops (the Metropolitan Police Dept), Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police, Homeland Security -- more here.
posted by Rash at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021


(on masks - here in relatively covid low Australia you can take off your mask for the purpose of clear communication. )

The look on Pence's face with that objection though. Almost eye rolly.
posted by freethefeet at 9:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Removing Biden's votes doesn't give them to Trump.

It would, I imagine, open whole new vistas of legal landscape. The camel is looking for a space in the tent for its nose.
posted by rhizome at 9:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


So how soon after the inauguration does it get renamed Harrissylvania
posted by oulipian at 9:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Wait...Pelosi is letting them have the 2 hours to discuss PA?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:24 PM on January 6, 2021


They don’t want a legal path forward. They want anarchy so they can fill the power vacuum. They know, like Solomon, that the mother won’t kill her child. So they hope to benefit from that.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 9:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Hey remember a million years ago when we won the Georgia runoffs? That was nice.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [98 favorites]


Of course this asshole from Pennsylvania has his mask below his nose while blathering into the mic.
posted by TwoStride at 9:24 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Motion to declare GOP nostrils a private part for the duration? I’m tired of looking at them.
posted by armeowda at 9:25 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


The 2 hours are built into the law. Rep. Perry is leading with debunked lies, to be followed by more debunked lies, and concluding with yet more debunked lies.

TBH, I sorta wish that we still had a Legislature where another Rep. would call out his bullshit and challenge him to a duel.
posted by mikelieman at 9:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Yeah Hawley can't let Cruz usurp his Trump sycophant crown.
posted by ctmf at 9:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Bottom line is, to Republicans, no one should be allowed to vote except them.
posted by valkane at 9:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


All I feel right now is, "flames...on the side of my face"

I hate so much about today.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 9:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


As always, thanks to Metafilter for being the sanest place to keep up on the news (and thank you mods!) After some group texts with family members today (my aunt: “I don't watch CNN. It's a brainwashing arm of the CIA. I'm watching NewsMax”), I need a big dose of kindness and logic. So, thank you. Hope everyone can get some sleep!
posted by sucre at 9:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [32 favorites]


Senate, no debate.
posted by ctmf at 9:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The first superspreader event of 2021, surely.

Oh, right. Duh. Well, I would still be dating my checks 2020, were I still writing checks.
posted by y2karl at 9:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Senate voting on the objection now after McConnell cut off debate. Lots of "No" votes. "Aye" from Ted Cruz and Hawley and whoever Mrs Hyde-Smith is, also "Mrs Loomis". An Aye from Marshall.

I believe I heard Mike Lee (UT) vote "Hell No" but I might be insane at this point.
posted by mmoncur at 9:33 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Okay I must be insane now cuz I'm starting to like Mike Pence.

very unfair to those of us who are actually insane IMO. Legally this can only be deemed “sparkling moral cowardice”
posted by invitapriore at 9:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


that creature is a Mississippi senator
posted by Countess Elena at 9:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Many flavors of police in DC - the Park Police, Capitol Police, city cops (the Metropolitan Police Dept), Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police, Homeland Security

yes, it's a division of power most needed. but the flaw is weak centralization in say a civil crisis. In that case president can declare martial law as the military, believe or not can have supreme power over everything. National guards can be national ized and told to occupy or stand down in this case, leaving who to retake the capital?

He attacked all of us by directly pointing to the capital. what, last week making millions to wait for unemployment. I, have a pint of stoli and Glenmoragie (hic-sp) and watch something on BBC.

that's not working.
posted by clavdivs at 9:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


One glorious consequence of the Georgia wins: I was fully expecting the next two years to be wall-to-wall Senate hearings on fraud in the 2020 election. Tonight drives home exactly how painful those would be.
posted by argybarg at 9:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Geez, who the hell still says "Mrs." and "Miss"?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


So, is this where Palpatine throws the senate at Biden? The whole senate!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 9:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Why do they keep saying "more votes than voters" by the thousands when it's so trivial to check? Regardless of what they say, the media would run with it if they had any point, and they would have won at least one lawsuit. It's so insane they can just lie forever.
posted by netowl at 9:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Every time someone says "Pennsylvania voters" I've just been saying after it "... who vote Republican"
posted by ChrisR at 9:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Senate vote: Objection fails, Yay 7 Nay 92
posted by mmoncur at 9:40 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


Why do they keep saying "more votes than voters" by the thousands when it's so trivial to check?

It's the Republican playbook (via Goebbels). If you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes the same as true.
posted by Mchelly at 9:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


Perhaps the true first day of 2021 will be Jan 21.

It sure feels like it's still 2020 today, that's all I can say.
posted by y2karl at 9:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


The vote on the objection failed in the Senate so you would think that the continuing debate in the House would be moot. But I guess logic fails in politics.
posted by JackFlash at 9:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


So, is this where Palpatine throws the senate at Biden? The whole senate!

Great. Now I'm imagining Pence in Darth Maul makeup. With his Judy Dench wig resting on top of all the little horns.
posted by sexyrobot at 9:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Return of the Judi
posted by oulipian at 9:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]




However all those unmasked young people enmass makes for the superspeadingest event of 2020.


I live 2 blocks from the Capitol, and they’ve been here for a few days breathing all over. It’s scary.
posted by jgirl at 9:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Misha Collins has a point: "The guy we don’t currently trust to be responsible with a Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account still has access to the nuclear codes. We need Trump removed NOW."
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [56 favorites]


I haven't had a lot of time to think about this yet because we're still kind of in the middle of weird shit but I feel like a large enough part of the Republican political talent pool just got slapped with unforgivable grudges from large parts of the Trump base that will continue as long as Trump lives to stoke the hate, and I don't see how either side of that split can cobble together a cohesive party out of the situation.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


Why don't these guys just look across at the yappy Repugs and ask them, "Does this mean you weren't legally elected as well?"
posted by valkane at 9:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


I've been saying what Misha Collins has been saying since day one of his presidency. I'm seriously thinking his secret service detail are all thinking about what they're gonna do if he asks for the football.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


I would like to think if there are any sane (for military values of sane) people left in the chain that Trump's football would be under the same scrutiny that Nixon's football was in the waning days of his presidency. But who knows.
posted by maxwelton at 9:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Up to 52 arrests now. (Source - Australian ABC blog)
posted by freethefeet at 9:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Marjorie QTaylor Greene. She's got all the Alfie Davids.
posted by valkane at 9:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


mikelieman > I sorta wish that we still had a Legislature where another Rep. would call out his bullshit and challenge him to a duel.

United States House of Representatives > History, Art & Archives > A Fatal Duel Between Members in 1838, February 24, 1838:
PortraitElected to the 25th Congress (1837–1839), Jonathan Cilley of Maine served less than one year in Congress before being killed in a duel with a fellow Member.

On this date, Jonathan Cilley of Maine was killed by Representative William Graves of Kentucky in a duel on the outskirts of D.C., in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Graves approached Cilley with a letter at the behest of a newspaper editor, James Webb, who was incensed about a bribery accusation Cilley had made on the House Floor. Cilley refused to accept the letter; Graves interpreted the refusal as a direct insult to his character and challenged Cilley to a duel. In an ironic twist, neither man had any known grievance with the other prior to the incident.

With two other Members of the House present, Henry Wise of Virginia and Delegate George Jones of Wisconsin (the dueling seconds for both men), the duel went beyond the customary two rounds, resulting in Cilley’s death in the third round. After the ensuing House investigation, Graves, along with Wise and Jones, were recommended for censure after Cilley’s death. Although the House refused to impose the censure recommendation it offered a bill to “prohibit the giving or accepting within the District of Columbia, of a challenge to fight a duel, and for the punishment thereof.” On February 27, 1838, the House Chamber hosted a funeral, attended by the President Martin Van Buren and other statesmen, to honor Cilley.
T'would be a fast way to settle disagreements these days and draw a bigger media audience. The Donald would probably want to be the sole Executive Producer and demand exorbitant advertising fees, though.
posted by cenoxo at 9:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


Worth contrasting this video with the relatively restrained shots we've seen elsewhere:
Matt Jones @KySportsRadio
This video of the siege of the Capitol on TikTok is crazy and different than I had seen

posted by Joe in Australia at 10:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Mitch fucking McConnell finally used his powers for good for once. He refused to allow debate, the Senate voted. The liars in the house are wasting their time since their objection has already failed regardless of how the House actually votes.
posted by wierdo at 10:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


I have a dumb question but I get why people are expressing fear about the nuclear football but I also want to know...who would he be attacking with it? Is there a particular country he's been threatening lately? Or just fear that he'll do Putin's bidding? Or just general fear because he's unhinged?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 10:02 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


I would like to think if there are any sane (for military values of sane) people left in the chain that Trump's football would be under the same scrutiny that Nixon's football was in the waning days of his presidency. But who knows.

yeah, I would've said the same thing about security and crowd control in the vicinity of the Capitol Building before today.
posted by philip-random at 10:03 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


who would he be attacking with it?

Well, at this point, I figure he would just nuke Twitter.
posted by valkane at 10:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


I've been afraid for years he'll just nuke one of the states if it pisses him off. Pretty sure CA would be around the top of his list if he decides to go really bonkers.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


I have a dumb question but I get why people are expressing fear about the nuclear football but I also want to know...who would he be attacking with it?

California?
posted by one for the books at 10:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Or just general fear because he's unhinged?

yes. but think less...internationally.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 10:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Is there a particular country he's been threatening lately?

Iran
posted by eviemath at 10:05 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Oh, and not only did he refuse to allow debate on PA, but went ahead and asked the chair for a "recess" (not actually a recess since they will be having pro forma sessions) after the joint session finishes. His motion was granted, so the Senate is pretty much done until the 19th. Apparently he isn't expecting the calls for impeachment to go anywhere.

I still think there's a decent chance of Trump getting 25thed once he gets his Twitter account back.
posted by wierdo at 10:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Iran.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:06 PM on January 6, 2021


Or Portland.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Après lui, le déluge.
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 10:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


.who would he be attacking with it?

Yemen, or Iran. Maybe not with nukes, but this asshole is exactly the kind of asshole that might start a war on the way out just to fuck with Biden.
posted by vrakatar at 10:07 PM on January 6, 2021


I have a dumb question but I get why people are expressing fear about the nuclear football but I also want to know...who would he be attacking with it? Is there a particular country he's been threatening lately? Or just fear that he'll do Putin's bidding? Or just general fear because he's unhinged?

Most likely the last option. Whether he'd fire them at Iran, Georgia (or some other state with republicans that won't bend over and do his bidding), or just everywhere in general is the question.

That said, I'm not sure if this week's military aide would be that willing to give him the nuclear football at this point.
posted by gtrwolf at 10:09 PM on January 6, 2021


What it actually takes to launch a nuclear strike, CNN, Zachary Cohen & Brian Todd, CNN, January 4, 2018:
Contrary to popular belief, the “nuclear football” which always accompanies a President does not contain a button but instead has the equipment and the decision-making papers that Trump would use to authenticate his orders and launch a strike.

“The President by himself cannot press a button and cause missiles to fly. He can only give an authenticated order which others would follow and then missiles would fly,” Dr. Peter Feaver, a professor of public policy and political science at Duke University, told congressional lawmakers last year....
More details in the article. There's a large military and intelligence chain of command that would have to first decide if any threat was existential enough to use nuclear weapons.
posted by cenoxo at 10:11 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Why are Democrats debating the Republicans? Why not just go on break and let the Republicans talk to an empty chamber for two hours, then come back in to vote. Why play their stupid game?
posted by JackFlash at 10:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


All they have to do to keep him from launching nukes is not help him.
There is a black book listing a menu of strike options; a three-by-five-inch card with authentication codes for the President to confirm his identity; a list of secure bunkers where the President can be sheltered; and instructions for using the Emergency Broadcast System.
Paper with strike codes. Laminated ID card (called "the Biscuit") that he needs to verify the codes. Mr. "Powerpoint graphs for my security briefings, thanks" is not going to have an easy time with a book full of codes. Accurately reading ID codes off a small card may be hard for him. And figuring out all the instructions from printed text without help will at least take enough time for his assistants to research "who do I call when the President has gone totally unhinged?"

A cooperative aide and military contacts would slide past that. An uncooperative military just has to say, "I'm sorry, that doesn't match what I have on file. Can you repeat?" every time he slurs a word or repeats himself.

It's not a big comfort, but it's all I've got, so I'm holding on to it.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 10:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [18 favorites]


Nuking a US state isn't gonna happen. No bomber crew would actually do it, so it would have to be a missile crew, but retargeting them isn't easy. There is a predetermined list of targets, as I understand it. Sending the missiles anywhere else would require the cooperation of people who knew what was going on.
posted by wierdo at 10:14 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Yeah I mean all these speeches aren't for each other. They already all know how they're voting. Just enter all their notes pages in the record and move on. We'll all agree they "said" their speeches.
posted by ctmf at 10:15 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


CNN just had a report from a reporter that suggested many who broke in wanted to do two things: use the bathroom and/or smoke pot. I'm not making this up.
posted by vrakatar at 10:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


speaking of Josh f***ing Hawley ...

Missouri senator's home-state paper: Hawley has 'blood on his hands'

Hawley, 41, elected to the Senate in 2018, was the first member of his chamber to announce he would join an effort launched by House conservatives to challenge the normally ceremonial process of certifying the electoral vote tally.

“That action, motivated by ambition, set off much that followed” as Trump’s allies rushed “to put a show of loyalty to the president above all else,” the editorial said.

“Hawley’s actions in the last week had such impact that he deserves an impressive share of the blame for the blood that’s been shed,” the Star’s board wrote.

posted by philip-random at 10:16 PM on January 6, 2021 [20 favorites]




Is anyone trying to find geotagged photos and video from the area around the Capital in DC since the curfew began? Are there credible reports of what is happening?
posted by sindark at 10:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I've been saying what Misha Collins has been saying since day one of his presidency. I'm seriously thinking his secret service detail are all thinking about what they're gonna do if he asks for the football.

Since day one -- given that everyone has known that Trump is compromised, least by his outstanding debt to Russian "bankers" -- I've sincerely believed they've been operating under a 60's-era RAND dual-use study on "How to subvert a leader in control of a nuclear arsenal/What to do if your leader in charge of a nuclear arsenal is subverted", and the codes in the biscuit are fake, and secret service has a sealed set of orders, "Open only in case of nuclear war"
posted by mikelieman at 10:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Nuking a US state isn't gonna happen.

Over the past 4 years I've gone from reading "Trump's Election isn't going to happen" to "Trump getting away with crimes isn't going to happen" to "400 pickup trucks with Trump flags and people carrying automatic rifles parading down the street of my city isn't going to happen" to "Congress working with Trump to try to steal an election isn't going to happen" to "Armies of Trump supporters crashing through the White House doors isn't going to happen".

So you'll forgive me if I keep worrying until Trump is out of the building and off the air.
posted by mmoncur at 10:20 PM on January 6, 2021 [73 favorites]


So you'll forgive me if I keep worrying until Trump is out of the building and off the air.

Today's breaking the sound barrier doesn't mean we're going to go faster than the speed of light before January 20th.
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Congressional Correspondent Phil Mattingly at CNN says "The Objectors are in their final death throes" and "Both parties in both chambers just want this to end".
posted by mmoncur at 10:26 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


And the worst part of this is that EVERY complaint about Pennsylvania that these blankety-blanks bring up has been thoroughly debunked in the many court records.

Well, the Messenger From The Senate just showed up.
posted by mikelieman at 10:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


WP Nuclear football, the Operation section has the process.

Basically the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs Chairman walk the President through the options, the Joint Chiefs are notified of incoming launch orders, and the Secretary is required to authenticate that the order is coming from the President. The Secretary does not technically hold veto power, but in a worst-case scenario it would amount to the same thing. Trump could, in that event, Saturday Night Massacre his way into a Saturday Night Apocalypse.

Point is: there are a lot of human layers involved (many of which Trump has pissed off), the President doesn’t just push a button to end all civilization...though they do in theory have unfettered launch authority.

As I understand it, the Saturday Night Apocalypse scenario is *not* possible with UK launch authorization, as the confirming official in their system can be fired by the Prime Minister but their replacement must be approved by the Queen. Like many Americans I find the idea of a Monarchy ridiculous but I actually really like that little quirk: they are given the opportunity to stop a worst-case scenario along those lines.

Apologies for the slight derail, this is just something I became very interested in after Mattis resigned.
posted by Ryvar at 10:32 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Weirdly Glenn Greenwald has been relatively quiet today. No musings on how Democrats are the actual authoritarians. . . What a joke.
posted by flamk at 10:34 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


This is what we get for spending more money on the military than we do on education.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [44 favorites]


If people are wondering what the short-fingered vulgarian will do without access to Twitter and Facebook, I'd point that his official MySpace page is active, thought it has been more than five years since the last update.

Possibly he will put aside plans for 2024 and instead run in 2008.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:37 PM on January 6, 2021 [36 favorites]


(Parenthetically, the Republican problem of their masks sliding off their nose is some passive-aggressive bullshit, right? Just watched another on repeating lies debunked by the courts)
posted by mikelieman at 10:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


I can't find the earlier speculation this thread as to the identity of the woman who was shot, but there seems to be fairly reliable confirmation that is was Ashli Babbit, an air force Veteran from San Diego. [people magazine link} sounds like she was not just a dedicated trump supporter, as described by her family, but deep into the qanon stuff.
posted by CostcoCultist at 10:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


How much longer, at this point, until this is all wrapped up? I want to know if I should just go to sleep, or if I should continue listening to Republicans lie dangerously and cravenly.
posted by meese at 10:39 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Rep. Lamb, paraphrasing, "These objections don't deserve respect"
posted by mikelieman at 10:41 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Good luck today to anyone who was trying that Dry January thing.

I consider this to be December 37th 2020 for this reason.
posted by adept256 at 10:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


Is there some kind of social media filtering ongoing? Can people find photos on sites like Flickr and Twitter that are tagged as located around Washington tonight? Is there live traffic from sources you trust?
posted by sindark at 10:45 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


What's everyone want stricken now? I missed it with the sound low.
posted by ctmf at 10:45 PM on January 6, 2021


Rep. Lamb called lies lies.
posted by meese at 10:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Pretty sure they want stricken the claim that other Reps repeated lies.
posted by pwnguin at 10:47 PM on January 6, 2021


the Republican problem of their masks sliding off their nose is some passive-aggressive bullshit, right?

It's just the tell of lack of practice and figuring out how to make the mask thing work for your head and face. Which, 9 months into this virus, is saying something.
posted by ctmf at 10:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


What's everyone want stricken now? I missed it with the sound low.

Lamb said they were lying. The GOP wanted that struck, claiming I guess that they're not lying.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 10:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


What's everyone want stricken now? I missed it with the sound low.

Rep. Lamb, on fire, said that lies were being told in the chamber while looking in the general direction of the lying Republicans. They eventually called a point of order and requested the words be taken down, but Speaker Pelosi shut them down BEAUTIFULLY, with "you needed to object when the words were spoken, you were too late".

Arguable worth being up for at 1:45 AM
posted by mikelieman at 10:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [33 favorites]


Lol, Pelosi had to eject a Republican who was throwing a temper tantrum over being told they were lying about Pennsylvania after he failed to object in a timely manner. Dumbasses can't even get procedure right.
posted by wierdo at 10:48 PM on January 6, 2021 [12 favorites]


Republicans are shouting over Conor Lamb after he responds to a bevy of fresh new congresspeople (Kat Cammack, etc) who were objecting to the Pennsylvania certification. Lamb pointed out that the Republican state legislature of Pennsylvania had set the rules under which its election was conducted. Someone tried to raise a point of order to have some words stricken from the record for god knows why, and then a bunch of Republicans just started shouting over Lamb as Pelosi tried to restore order. All this while Lamb noted that a woman had just been killed outside. How do these people bring the words they scream to their mouths without some visceral bodily response preventing it -- I swear I don't understand.
posted by Theiform at 10:49 PM on January 6, 2021 [13 favorites]


Leading up to today, lots of Republican congressional representatives have written and said that they would vote based on the "evidence" presented in Congress on Jan. 6th.

Now we can see what that "evidence" consists of: just other Republicans standing up and making claims. Wild, unsupported, already debunked claims straight outta Facebook.

So with no need for proof, no expert testimony, and no analysis, how exactly would they make decisions based on it? It was a cover story for avoiding criticism in advance while then voting however they'd already decided.
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 10:50 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


and the next guy up was 'hey it's a difference of opinion we're not lying'. These people. I can't.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 10:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


It occurs to me that all of this pandering to trump's delusions by (some of) the right is in service of one thing :

They - like offspring of billionaires - want to inherit his base. They figure the biggest suck-up wins. Since there's no actual way for these objections to bear fruit, they're in no danger of actually making a coup.

However, they do each hope that enough of the base notices them making a stink about things and sticks with them long after the big dumb orange one fades from the public discourse.

Yes, that means Hawley, Cruz, et al are actively hoping to court nazis who would storm the nation's capitol because you can both lie to them about whatever fits your narrative and they will apparently defend your lies in the face of literally overwhelming objective truth and go to actual civil war for you.
posted by revmitcz at 10:51 PM on January 6, 2021 [25 favorites]


Come to think about it, what set off the tizzy was probably less being called a liar and more having it pointed out on the floor that the reason so few were arrested because of the color of their skin.
posted by wierdo at 10:52 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Pretty sure they were also mad at watching Connor Lamb's star rise higher.
posted by desuetude at 10:53 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Conor Lamb. And I'm loving Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon's delivery.
Congresswoman Scanlon previously served as national pro bono counsel at a major US law firm, where she directed and supervised over 600 lawyers in 15 offices in providing more than 50,000 hours of pro bono legal services annually
Oh.
posted by mikelieman at 10:55 PM on January 6, 2021 [11 favorites]


I don't know if it matters so much in the age of YouTube rather than broadcast TV, but I'd like to think that the fact they're stuck making their bullshit speeches at 2:00 in the morning takes a lot of the spotlights out of their showboating.
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 10:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [8 favorites]


Not sure why Clay Higgins went with "my, my my" instead of the far superior "well, I do declare."
posted by evidenceofabsence at 10:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


rep. scanlon again fails to disappoint.
unlike her counterparts across the aisle, who succeed at disappointing no matter how low regard for them may start.

it is frightening how poorly many of these reps understand the constitution and the structure of the government they pretend to revere.
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:57 PM on January 6, 2021


Rep. Lamb called lies lies.

I'm glad I rolled that back... he did and minutes later one of those assholes objected to it. Lamb's the guy who represents me. I voted for him. He's gonna get my vote from here on out.
posted by Catblack at 10:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [17 favorites]


I'm a little confused about the narrative regarding the person who died. Was she a Qanon martyr or was she an antifa crisis actor? I'm hearing both from the right.
posted by Joey Michaels at 10:59 PM on January 6, 2021


hey that asshole (not sure his name, new guy) was at the pre-insurrection rally winding the crowd up. pretty sure he pledged to fight and urged his audience to.
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:00 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Good luck today to anyone who was trying that Dry January thing.

I consider this to be December 37th 2020 for this reason.


according to my mom who's been hip to this drinking stuff for at least sixty years, January 6th is Epiphany, either the twelfth day of Christmas or the day after the twelfth day of Christmas -- a time for gift giving and celebration, of course. The three wise men have arrived, the stars are aligned, the baby is smiling. It's all good.
posted by philip-random at 11:04 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


The ox and lamb got all groovy on base and drums.
posted by vrakatar at 11:06 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


Hey all, thanks for staying up and making me feel that I'm not the only one being thrashed on the tidal shoals of an unforgiving congressional session. While we endure the latest bout of interstate grand-standing, may I suggest visiting your local https://login.metafilter.com/funding.mefi . It's the only thing that's let me feel that today wasn't spent in vain. Happy Life Day~
posted by damo at 11:07 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


For folks getting tired, just a reminder that 80-year-old Pelosi has been at it for some 20 hours now and still in charge and going strong. She puts the little man-baby in the White House to shame.
posted by JackFlash at 11:09 PM on January 6, 2021 [76 favorites]


"The gaaaad almighty that ordained our nation into being..."

Theocracy, you mean. You want theocracy.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:12 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


I'm a little confused about the narrative regarding the person who died. Was she a Qanon martyr or was she an antifa crisis actor? I'm hearing both from the right.

Law and Crime blog has more on Ashli Babbit.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


I for one am still awaiting the arrival of three wise folks of any description, really.
posted by susiswimmer at 11:13 PM on January 6, 2021 [5 favorites]


Matt Cartwright was pretty great.
posted by desuetude at 11:18 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


"BUBBA WALLACE'S GARAGE DOOR."

*stamps bingo card*
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:19 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Toddlers with a perilously full diaper wear them better than these Republican dudes wear their masks.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:21 PM on January 6, 2021 [9 favorites]


("that asshole" new guy is madison cawthorn. here he is - at 1:15:30 - at the "save america rally.")
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:22 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Mike Kelly, shut uppppppp.
posted by desuetude at 11:23 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]




Did they give Adam Schiff the closing spot?
posted by mikelieman at 11:24 PM on January 6, 2021


We should be close to the 2 hour mark for the PA objection, right?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:26 PM on January 6, 2021


hey that asshole (not sure his name, new guy) was at the pre-insurrection rally winding the crowd up. pretty sure he pledged to fight and urged his audience to.

Maybe Madison Cawthorn (R, NC), who addressed the crowd before the breach? Here's a Jezebel profile, and here are his smiling Insta photos from when he visited Hitler's vacation home.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 11:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [4 favorites]


Pelosi announcing that time for debate has expired
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:28 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Chin-diaper boy wants a recorded vote.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:28 PM on January 6, 2021


All done. Off to record votes now, but the noes pretty strongly had it, verbally.
posted by Imperfect at 11:29 PM on January 6, 2021


What's the word for the asshole who, after a clear voice vote, moves for a roll call?
posted by mikelieman at 11:30 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


Even though the roll call takes time, I like having these assholes put their names on record.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:31 PM on January 6, 2021 [15 favorites]


Even though the roll call takes time, I like have these assholes put their names on record.

I strongly suspect it's the same assholes as the Arizona vote.
posted by mikelieman at 11:32 PM on January 6, 2021


So, there are no more objections expected at this point or do we know what's going to happen with the rest of the states?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:32 PM on January 6, 2021


what is the point of the roll call vote at this point when the senate has already rejected the objection? is it just to better target party members who maybe aren't members enough in the future? won't it surely be the same 122 as on the last objection, and aren't they surely among the 126 signatories to that supreme court amicus brief in the texas case? and is there any chance we'll forgive and forget those other 4?
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:33 PM on January 6, 2021


There aren't many states left. This is probably the last stand.
posted by netowl at 11:34 PM on January 6, 2021


No more are expected. One could imagine that there would have been a Wisconsin protest, but Vermont will put Biden over 270 before that anyways.
posted by janewman at 11:34 PM on January 6, 2021


THE VOTENING is happening, about half done.

64 YEA 98 NAY so far

No further objections expected but we are in crazyland so anything can happen
posted by mmoncur at 11:35 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I think I heard the announcers say there were 7 recorded in the Senate for PA so an additional person voted yay to the objection in PA that hadn't in AZ?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:35 PM on January 6, 2021


THE VOTENING is happening, about half done.

The clock is a lie.
posted by mikelieman at 11:36 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


Y'all there were nearly fisticuffs off-camera during Lamb's speech! "You sit down. No, you sit down!"
posted by desuetude at 11:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


valkane> I mean, Pence was a politician before this, he knows more about how it works than Trump knows who washes his socks.

Citation needed, that Trump or anyone else in his social class re-uses socks.

Took a brief look at the television coverage earlier and enjoyed Pence being spoken of in the third person to his face while presiding over the senate.

I still just can't get over the fact that many of the journalists and pundits appearing on national networks appear to genuinely be surprised by Wednesday's events. I have become the stereotypical old man shouting at the television... it's like, do you guys not watch your own coverage? You know he's been calling you the “enemies of the people” for the past few years, right? But you expected his supporters to be, like, gracious losers or something?

And... journalists have been murdered repeatedly during the past several years. Particularly, the best buddy of Trump's son-in-law—the son-in-law who became a White House official and was given top security clearance by overriding the advice of national defense officials—chopped up a Washington Post reporter. And these people who stormed the national capitol didn't object; like, the Christian religious leaders among them thought it was fine and dandy.

But super surprising that the same people, who cheered the Malheur Wildlife Refuge standoff too (related pardons), many of whom previously participated in “Tea Party” organizations named after property-destruction protests against government, and after years of talk about race war and renewed civil war, would bust down some doors and sit in Nancy Pelosi's chair while her guards with guns aren't around, like they imagine they're a cowboy spitting tobacco juice on her shoes or something. Just World Theory is a hell of a drug.

revmitcz> Hawley, Cruz, et al are actively hoping to court nazis who would storm the nation's capitol because you can both lie to them about whatever fits your narrative and they will apparently defend your lies in the face of literally overwhelming objective truth

I really don't think we should regard them in these terms because to do so is to dangerously underestimate what's going on. Sure, some of them literally believe everything, but as has been pointed out repeatedly in MeFi threads during the past few years, the people who went along with the twentieth-century Nazis didn't literally believe every anti-Semitic story; it was a don't-talk-about-Fight-Club way of saying “we're going to kill lots of Jews”.

Similarly, all of these specific claims about vote counts and error rates and things, from the partisans of a man who obviously constantly makes up “numbers people have never even heard of” out of thin air, aren't literally believed. It's the same thing as the Lady of the Lake story—even most illiterate English peasants didn't believe that there was literally a woman who hung out underwater in the few-square-miles-at-most bottom of an English lake and then handed King Arthur a sword when he was passing by: it was simply an elaborate way of saying “King Arthur was the one true king of England” dressed up in the power-granting authority of the day, divine favor.

Trump supporters telling stories of what really happened with him “winning the election” may or may not half-heartedly believe the particular detail they're literally talking about in the moment, but the actual meaning of what they're saying is “Trump is the one true President For Life of America, anointed by We The People”.
posted by XMLicious at 11:38 PM on January 6, 2021 [43 favorites]


Some indignant guy who was present describes the events that allegedly occurred when Ashli Babbitt allegedly engaged with a bullet associated with an officer-involved shooting.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [6 favorites]


yeah that's him, evidenceofabsence. yeech, that profile.
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:42 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


I think I heard the announcers say there were 7 recorded in the Senate for PA so an additional person voted yay to the objection in PA that hadn't in AZ?

From the lists on CNN, one for the Arizona objection did not vote for the Pennsylvania objection (John Kennedy), but they picked up two more (Cynthia Lummis and Rick Scott).
posted by ktkt at 11:44 PM on January 6, 2021 [1 favorite]


what is the point of the roll call vote at this point

It's been demanded by a Republican who wants to record, in print, the names of all the Republican congressmen who aren't supporting President Trump, so this fact can be used against them in their next primary-election fight.
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 11:46 PM on January 6, 2021 [10 favorites]


More about the attack on the Capitol and the law enforcement/National Guard response at the U.S. Capitol Under Siege (Updated) — Pro-Trump protestors have stormed America's seat of power and law enforcement is trying to control the dire situation., The War Zone, Staff, January 6, 2021. The article's source links and their dates are plain text, non-highlighted URLs: just hover over them and click. (There also a "Conversation" comments section below the article.)
posted by cenoxo at 11:47 PM on January 6, 2021 [2 favorites]


well, more than those 126 amici, it appears, with 62 votes to be tallied
posted by 20 year lurk at 11:49 PM on January 6, 2021


Some indignant guy who was present describes the events that allegedly occurred when Ashli Babbitt...

The amazing privilege on display, as he calmly gives a video interview to recount his involvement in a raft of felonies that led to the death of a fellow insurgent (plus three others).
posted by darkstar at 11:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [23 favorites]


I want to know who voted Yea and who voted Nay. (We all heard the voice vote, so it's not going to be a surprise when they tally them up.)
I want the people who support the objection to put their name on it so I can see it and remember it.
posted by ButteryMales at 11:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [3 favorites]


Others have said similar things but I'm so glad to have had mefi to help process this day and to help sort through the flood of information as it was coming in.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:54 PM on January 6, 2021 [7 favorites]


So far 133 have voted yea. 40 left to vote.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:55 PM on January 6, 2021


It occurs to me that all the FBI/NSA need to do is track the three thousand or so cell phones that were on the Capitol premises at the time, because these idiots have no concept of OPSEC.
posted by darkstar at 11:56 PM on January 6, 2021 [24 favorites]


"It occurs to me that all the FBI/NSA need to do is track the three thousand or so cell phones that were on the Capitol premises at the time, because these idiots have no concept of OPSEC."

"But we didn't get the vaccine. How could they track us?"
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 11:57 PM on January 6, 2021 [48 favorites]


XMLicious: I still just can't get over the fact that many of the journalists and pundits appearing on national networks appear to genuinely be surprised by Wednesday's events. I have become the stereotypical old man shouting at the television... it's like, do you guys not watch your own coverage? You know he's been calling you the “enemies of the people” for the past few years, right? But you expected his supporters to be, like, gracious losers or something?

While we're waiting...just to go back through the timeline further...I'm old enough and was close enough to Michigan to have been able to access Michigan Militia radio. When the Oklahoma City bombing happened in 1995, and only two people were arrested, it was like "You realize this was a whole network of people, right?" But Elohim City was never raided, despite being part of the network that was the provenance of the training and materiel that the not-too-bright Timothy McVeigh needed to carry out the attack that he couldn't have mustered on his own, and the white people got to keep building their compounds and arsenals and such...

...and here we are again.

And plenty of people who cover the pretty wide-open chatter of the far right have been warning about this for ages. And here we are again.

So yeah, not a mystery. The wringing of hands over "How could this possibly happen?" is horseshit.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:59 PM on January 6, 2021 [52 favorites]


By now the spooks have gone through the facial recognition and movement tracking data from all of the video from around and inside the capitol and have already made a list.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:00 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


Heard Josh Hawley's speech and got deep cold chills. If he cannot be stopped now, I believe he could be the Trump successor we fear. I'm certainly not the first to say that, but that man is very dangerous.

He is dangerous in that he will vote for evil things, but honestly: I'm not worried about his Presidential ambitions, and I say that for one reason: this is Trump's party now, and Trump does not share power. If Trump is in fact impeached again and prevented from running for further office - and let's be honest, there are a whole heap of Democrats who are entirely willing to say "let's look forward and not worry about the sins of the past" most of the time so it is entirely possible and I would say more than likely that he isn't - or if he dies, then it will be Donald Junior or Ivanka or Eric who gets the nod in 2024 (okay, let's be serious, it's not gonna be Eric), and it'll be whoever of them wins the messy and very public slapfight they're going to have to see who gets to be the heir apparent.

The majority of the Republican House are Trumpists now. The Senate, not so much, but wait for those primaries in 2022 - they're coming for anybody who didn't support Trump today. It's Trump's party, and his voters want him. A lot of people who worry about Hawley or Tom Cotton because they're smoother and more well-spoken and smartly tempered than Trump miss the point: Trump voters like that Trump is a classless dumbfuck asshole who can barely string together a sentence. They don't particularly want Josh Hawley - Hawley is just the shittiest incarnation of a long line of Ivy League better-than-yous who happens to be on their side. They want the guy who fucks porn stars and plates everything in gold and hates minorities openly. He's the guy they want.
posted by mightygodking at 12:03 AM on January 7, 2021 [44 favorites]


Yeah, it's really a cult of personality for the Trump followers.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:04 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


280 to 137 now, just waiting on the last 14 votes.
posted by desuetude at 12:05 AM on January 7, 2021


Maybe they'd rationalize it in some way as deflecting heat away from their movement or whatnot, but you gotta wonder how today's rioters would/will react to being labeled "antifa/BLM" by various politicians and bloggers on the right. (I can't see Ashli Babbitt's fellow Qanonists being thrilled will their "fallen comrade" being labeled a "crisis actor").
posted by gtrwolf at 12:10 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


11 votes left to count. Why is the final few so slow?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:11 AM on January 7, 2021


Nathan Bernard on Twitter:
Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and neo-nazi loser Baked Alaska both live-streamed from Pelosi's office after storming the capitol. Neither have been arrested.
posted by non canadian guy at 12:14 AM on January 7, 2021 [21 favorites]


As a European I grew up conscious that there were European countries that were not democracies and / or suffered coups or attempted coups (off the top of my head Portugal, Spain and Greece, plus France had a close shave) in my lifetime.

I am more scared by this Keystone Cops coup than anything I have seen before, mostly because sections of the US news media don’t seem to be aware of how much trouble the country is in.
posted by dudleian at 12:15 AM on January 7, 2021 [32 favorites]




By now the spooks ... have already made a list.

Of who they can trust. Recognizable people were pictured in very illegal acts. There is no justice until they are arrested.
posted by netowl at 12:18 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


darkstar — There's an interesting note in the "UPDATE: 5:20 PM EST" section of the aforementioned War Zone article:
...an E-4B national airborne command post aircraft sortied out of nearby Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. These aircraft are essential tools when it comes to continuity of government and in assuring the resiliency of the nuclear deterrent. We do not know if the E-4B's mission is related to what is ongoing in nearby Washington, D.C., but they are supposed to launch under certain circumstances from their forward operating location at Andrews. They famously did so during the events of 9/11, for instance.

E-4 NAOC - NIGHT 76 off of Andrews
AFB #potn pic.twitter.com/mg8NE5sxkt
Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) January 6, 2021
There may have been other government/military surveillance aircraft orbiting high over Washington during this time.
posted by cenoxo at 12:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


Quick question - did the Senate stop for the night? I think I saw a comment awhile back that said they'd run through everything and called it. So it's just the House that's working right now, right?
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:22 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


Argh, just heard CSpan say the senators were coming in now. Ignore my previous question.

Also, they're saying unlikely to be any more debates.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:22 AM on January 7, 2021


Resuming certification soon. 12 states left by my count.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:25 AM on January 7, 2021


Ok, the Georgia tape now makes some sense. The plan was to interrupt and invalidate the electoral ballot count:

- Sieze and destroy the ballots themselves in their sexy treasure chests. Thwarted.
- Take hostages and force them at gunpoint to declare the ballots invalid. Thwarted.
- Prevent the ballot count by occupying the Capitol for the 6th. Thwarted.

The whole crazy caper required state legislatures to send their phoney baloney electoral ballots from shadow electors to replace the legit ones they previously sent, and using local muscle to put the fear of Trump in them to make sure the replacement electors voted the right way. It all went hilariously bad for the coup. To the point where they stormed Utah's Capitol.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:26 AM on January 7, 2021 [15 favorites]


Senate is back in session.

Pennsylvania has been confirmed.
posted by mmoncur at 12:27 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


I know there are real complaints to be made, but why does she keep saying "electorial" votes?
posted by ktkt at 12:27 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


10 left after South Carolina! I have no idea why I'm still watching this!
posted by Anonymous Function at 12:29 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


I'm watching because at this point I just want to see it through.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:29 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Also, I'm waiting for my home state WI to get called.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:30 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


Confirming Tennessee atm, with Biden/Harris at 268. If I remember my "Fifty Nifty United States" song correctly, we'll have to wait for Vermont to put him over the top.

edit: C-SPAN live stream
posted by Rhaomi at 12:30 AM on January 7, 2021


strong language is being deployed against this bullshit

If things get much worse, I might need to write a stiffly worded letter to The Times.

Heather Cox Richardson does not believe Trump will still be in office in about 24 hours time

Surely this?

Guy on PBS right now is blaming this on "postmodernism" and I just want to fucking SCREAM

Like Jordan Peterson, that guy understands that the real threat to democracy is not armed thugs breaking into the legislature to disrupt the certification of election results after being directly incited to do so by a fascist wannabe dictator. The real threat is pushback against the assumed right of wilfully ignorant bigots to spread any deluded hateful crap they want, no matter who is listening and no matter who is hurt, because "free speech".

Cognitive closure is a hell of a thing.

I am allowing myself one silver-lining thought, which is that the Trump 2024 campaign might have ended today.

Surely this?

Soundtrack for the thread
posted by flabdablet at 12:30 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


Rhode Island confirmed. 268 electoral votes for Biden.

South Carolina confirmed.
South Dakota confirmed.
Tennessee confirmed.
Texas confirmed.
Utah confirmed.
Vermont confirmed. 271 electoral votes for Biden. WE WIN.
posted by mmoncur at 12:33 AM on January 7, 2021 [35 favorites]


Vermont, here it comes!
posted by Catblack at 12:33 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Vermont has been certified.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:33 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


271! That's it, it's done.

Until Inauguration Day, y'all. Good luck.
posted by Imperfect at 12:33 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


thank goodness. good night.
posted by 20 year lurk at 12:33 AM on January 7, 2021


These votes are electoral college votes, so that's why they're saying "electorial" votes.
posted by netowl at 12:34 AM on January 7, 2021


So, after being released from his DC police arrest on Monday, where was Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio (WP bio) today?
posted by cenoxo at 12:34 AM on January 7, 2021


You know he's been calling you the “enemies of the people” for the past few years, right? But you expected his supporters to be, like, gracious losers or something?

He put reporters in cages to be jeered at during his rallies, called them the enemy, and most of their coverage was "Trump sure fired up the crowd!". If a reporter didn't understand this was a possibility during 2016, they have bothsides rocks for brains.
posted by benzenedream at 12:35 AM on January 7, 2021 [21 favorites]


This is out of line, but fuck yeah, Washington. Regular in form, and authentic.
posted by netowl at 12:36 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Wisconsin, here we go!
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:36 AM on January 7, 2021


Objection to Wisconsin
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:37 AM on January 7, 2021


Oh come on...
posted by Catblack at 12:37 AM on January 7, 2021


What's made Milwaukee famous
Has made a loser out of me

posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:37 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


No senator.
posted by the Real Dan at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021


No senator, you grandstanding idiot.
posted by Catblack at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


They objected with a senator who had withdrawn their objection.

Not signed by a senator.

Thrown out.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Wisconson: "we object...with a senator...who has now withdrawn their objection" - had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
posted by onehalfjunco at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


Are you not entertained.
posted by polymodus at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021


No worries, no Senator for the Wisconsin objection. Nothingburger.
posted by Imperfect at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021


FINAL STATE
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:38 AM on January 7, 2021


Virginia confirmed. 284.
Washington confirmed. 296.
West Virginia confirmed.

Wisconsin: Objection from Louis Gohmer from Texas. Blah blah illegal votes "along with a senator who has now withdrawn his objection." Sad voice. Is it signed? "It is not signed by a senator."

Wisconsin confirmed. 306.
Wyoming confirmed.
posted by mmoncur at 12:39 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


🥛🍪🍪?
posted by bcd at 12:40 AM on January 7, 2021 [12 favorites]


Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the President and the Vice President!
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:40 AM on January 7, 2021 [32 favorites]


(And thank you all for sticking around and making the stressful nonsense more tolerable.)
posted by bcd at 12:41 AM on January 7, 2021 [6 favorites]


It's over and confirmed. Time for fuckin' bed.

What a day, y'all.
posted by Imperfect at 12:42 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


Closing prayer time
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:42 AM on January 7, 2021


Klobuchar gets to read the final result. "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the President and Vice President."

Pence reads the final tally, 306 to 232.

Closing prayer.

I'm weirdly proud of Pence for doing his job efficiently and professionally. I'll go back to hating him in the morning.

EVERYONE START EATING THEIR CAKE NOW!
posted by mmoncur at 12:43 AM on January 7, 2021 [15 favorites]


It ain't over. Trump is still President and — as far as we know — still incommunicado in the White House. What's his next move (apart, hopefully, from exiling himself to Mar-a-Lago or another refuge)?
posted by cenoxo at 12:43 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Prayer focusing on the terrible events of today.

"These tragedies remind us that words matter."
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:43 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


cspan just cut to pence during the closing prayer to see it he was going to burst into flame.
posted by Catblack at 12:43 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]




The power of life and death is in the tongue.
Well said.
posted by The Potate at 12:44 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


Unnf prayer.
posted by desuetude at 12:44 AM on January 7, 2021


Biden made him lose. He made himself a loser.
posted by sexyrobot at 12:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [16 favorites]


IT IS FINALLY DONE
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 12:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


> It's Trump's party, and his voters want him.

Yeah, it's really a cult of personality for the Trump followers.

Trump supporters really like Trump specifically, but the thing is that the Trumpocalypse “broke the seal” (the seventh seal?) on Americans pretending to not be Nazis. There's a bunch of attitudes which were in abeyance in our national character for the latter part of the twentieth century due to first having O.G. Nazis as opponents in WWII and then competing with the Soviet Union for soft and hard power influence globally.

It's kind of hard to believe, but we were in a sense on our best behavior during the apex of our imperialism while we were bombing the shit out of non-European, non-settler-ruled countries all over the world and putting the Shah of Iran in power and overthrowing Latin American governments and our School of the Americas was training the guys assassinating Catholic priests and carrying out the Mayan genocide, et cetera.

Now, it's all coming back and coming home with a vengeance, at the same time whites are on track to become a demographic minority in the US.

So all of the dangers of the Trump era will persist well beyond his lifetime and his base will be a kaleidescopic spectrum of horribleness overflowing with voters for every deplorable politician to tap into. (And foreign espionage services to usefully idiot.) Note that immediate, rampant sectarianism didn't prevent Mohammed's heirs from taking over the world and these guys only want the US—so far they haven't started thinking about Lebensraum yet.

Canada, hold on to your tar sands. And Mexico, hold on to your... um... Pemex? There's lots of oil in Mexico too.
posted by XMLicious at 12:46 AM on January 7, 2021 [46 favorites]


One of the perks of having a baby that wakes you up for a feed in the middle of the night - I got to witness this moment with you. Now back to sleep for me.
posted by peacheater at 12:46 AM on January 7, 2021 [14 favorites]


I'm not a religious person, but that was an alright prayer from the chaplain.

Also, he can rock a bow tie.

And wear a mask correctly.

Good night all. It's been a day.

Canada, hold on to your tar sands.

Nah. Take 'em.

We'll call it a consolation prize.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:47 AM on January 7, 2021 [10 favorites]


I guess on top of rebuilding what the GoP broke, resolving or stabilising foreign policy, attempting a token effort of progressiveness and addressing a pandemic, the Dems will have to face what will amount to an internal insurrection fueled by the GoP, media and white-supremacist elements within law-enforcement & the military. Should make for an interesting few years ahead.
posted by phigmov at 12:48 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


One more bonus "objection" from the fine Republicans in the House:

GOP Rep. Jake LaTurner of Kansas has announced via Twitter that he has Covid-19, four hours after voting on the house floor.
posted by mmoncur at 12:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [36 favorites]


Now we will have to deal with the invocation of the Insurrection Act, and guess which armed services will actually arrest political enemies for a nice show trial. Or maybe he will literally nuke Iran. Gonna be a fun coupla weeks!
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Trump just released a statement that sounds almost like a concession speech, saying he disagrees with the results but "There will be an orderly transition of power." The 25th-amendment talk must have got to him.

CNN just called him "Increasingly Isolated". DRINK!
posted by mmoncur at 12:52 AM on January 7, 2021 [16 favorites]


We'll call it a consolation prize.

Eh...sorry, before I log off. You also have to keep Ted Cruz.

Again, sorry.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:53 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


I guess on top of rebuilding what the GoP broke, resolving or stabilising foreign policy, attempting a token effort of progressiveness and addressing a pandemic, the Dems will have to face what will amount to an internal insurrection fueled by the GoP, media and white-supremacist elements within law-enforcement & the military. Should make for an interesting few years ahead.

The demographic shifts leading to a minority-majority US population by mid-century or so are going to lead to an increase in white supremacist violence. Racism is America's original sin; it's also still the rock on which the Republic is most likely to founder (again). Increasing balkanisation and regional secession movements are likely; the USA as we know it probably won't survive another 20 years (but then with an accelerating climate crisis and societal breakdown being a thing in a lot of places, neither will the world as we've known it).
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 12:54 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


Countdown to Biden-Harris Inauguration on January 20, 2021 at 9am Eastern.

An inauspicious 13 days left.
posted by cenoxo at 12:54 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


whew.
posted by vrakatar at 12:56 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


Sen. Tommy Tuberville

Mr. Potato Head's Christian name.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:00 AM on January 7, 2021 [64 favorites]


The cavalcade of late-night hosts opening their shows with grave, unambiguous statements about America and democracy being under direct symbolic and physical attack is giving me strong 9/11 vibes. I thought Seth Meyers was particularly stark in targeting the Republican politicians enabling all this and calling for their immediate removal and prosecution:
“I think it’s important as the first draft of history is being written and as we’re all processing what we witnessed today to be as plainspoken and clear-eyed as possible. What we saw today was a violent insurgency and an attempt to overthrow the legitimately-elected government of the United States. And it was incited, directed, and encouraged by the president, Donald Trump, and more than a few members of the Republican Party and right-wing media.”

“Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and the rest of the ‘Sedition Caucus’ in the House and Senate goaded this on. They’re responsible for this, they should wear this shame and disgrace for the rest of their lives. No one who aided and abetted today’s actions should ever be allowed to serve in a democracy they so clearly detest. There must be consequences for stoking violence and sedition. Otherwise, we’re going to see it again.”

“As for Trump: The only way, the only way, our democracy will survive this harrowing moment is if he is immediately removed from office by either the Cabinet or the Congress and prosecuted. Anything less is tacit permission to continue to use his office and his influence after he leaves office to foment sedition and dismantle democracy. And if our government fails to act, they’ll be assenting to the violent destruction of the democracy they claim to care so much about.”
posted by Rhaomi at 1:01 AM on January 7, 2021 [56 favorites]


Trump just released a statement that sounds almost like a concession speech

Source, pls. Do not trust anything Trump says, only what he actually does (or doesn't do).
posted by cenoxo at 1:01 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


Lots of politicians on the late night shows tonight. I'm watching the youtube clip of Klobuchar on Colbert. At the time she was speaking with him, she'd just voted nay on the objection to the AZ election. She's talking about her experience inside the Capitol today.
posted by NotTheRedBaron at 1:04 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]




Yesterday, as I was about to tune in to watch the certification process, I wanted to comment that you were in a sweet place, the sheer Hybrys of Trump having secured an edge for Democrats for the next few years. I'm happy I didn't ! I've watched the proceedings on the senate floor, though, and the least I can say is : you've got a peculiar certification process, mates ! I especially appreciated the gentle but insistent elbow nudge from Pelosi trying to share a few words with Pence after all was said and done. I'd really would have liked to eavesdrop on that conversation. Congrats !
posted by nicolin at 1:14 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


I realise these GOP Senators and others who went on the record calling for the Biden/Harris confirmation to go through without objections—to "put this ugliness behind us" and what not—are trying desperately to wash themselves of the stain of the day, but I can't help but marvel at how openly and brazenly they're effectively admitting that all their rhetoric since November 3rd about voter fraud had been complete bullshit.

They were more than happy to wreak havoc on the country when the Trump Train was politically useful for their careers, carrying that over into grandstanding about voter fraud on election day, and then just like that, they're trying to Lady Macbeth the whole thing away. What a bunch of absolute shitbishops.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 1:15 AM on January 7, 2021 [47 favorites]


The emperor was hiding a bomb under his new clothes, and the courtiers were shocked when he brought it out.

This was a long time coming, and it will be a long time going. Get ready for America's abusive ex.
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 1:26 AM on January 7, 2021 [21 favorites]


Guardian live blog:
At a daily press briefing in Beijing this afternoon, China’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said - inaccurately - that the Chinese people have the right and freedom to express their views and comments on the Internet.

“Many people are thinking about this: (this is) a scene of deja vu, but the response of some people in the United States, including some media, is quite different. In July 2019, radical protestors violently attacked the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong... and surrounded the police with toxic powder and liquid, even bit off the police’s fingers and stabbed the police with knives. However, the Hong Kong police maintained a high degree of restraint and professionalism, and none of them died. But while the degree of violence and destruction in Washington is not as serious as what happened in Hong Kong, four people have died...”

Hua’s comments came after the Global Times quoted unnamed netizens gleefully revelling in the scenes, reportedly describing it as “karma”, “revenge”, and “deserved”.

“It was like watching a thrilling action movie!” they quoted one saying.

Across editorials and social media posts, the hawkish tabloid repeatedly drew crude comparisons between the footage of Capitol Hill and footage from the Hong Kong protests, ignoring the diametrically opposed motivations behind the two groups.
See, dear amerikans, this is what you got. This is proof in writing that the united states of america is an existential threat to liberty anywhere on the earth.

No one will be free until you free yourselves.
posted by runcifex at 1:29 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


Biden made him lose. He made himself a loser.

The poor Donald cannot ever see himself as a loser due to his own behavior. Instead, he will always portray himself as the victim of someone else’s behavior.
posted by cenoxo at 1:39 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


I guess on top of rebuilding what the GoP broke, resolving or stabilising foreign policy, attempting a token effort of progressiveness and addressing a pandemic, the Dems will have to face what will amount to an internal insurrection fueled by the GoP, media and white-supremacist elements within law-enforcement & the military. Should make for an interesting few years ahead.

Been thinking about this. With the combined impacts of the damage done to the machinery of civil governance and other general mismanagement, and the economic and social impacts of the pandemic: the next four years are going to be hard.

Unless Biden performs miracles (which seems spectacularly unlikely) then the media will lay that at his feet and the Republican party will probably have a fairly easy win in 4 years time. Next time they may play their hand a little better.

It wasn't the checks and balances stopped them this time so much as Trump's narcissism and incompetence.
posted by Buntix at 1:42 AM on January 7, 2021 [10 favorites]




Also, not that this excuses the complete failure of site security, but I love this tweet from Crooked Media's Jon Lovett:

The U.S. Capitol isn't a fortress. It's a big rambling open building befitting a great democracy.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:48 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


So the GOP senate wound up only backing challenges to 31 electoral votes (20PA+11AZ) out of the 36+ needed to swing the election? Can we hammer over and over the fact that the GOP senate alone effectively blocked Trump's election shenanigans before it even got to a floor vote? Because that seems like the kind of thing that will split the Trump supporters out of the party or disillusion them enough to suppress turnout.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:50 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]




WHAT A DAY!!!!
posted by gucci mane at 1:58 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


gucci, I expected to see you in DC news videos today, battling the Imperial Trumpian Forces of Evil. What’s your take on things?
posted by cenoxo at 2:06 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


"Christ it’s not still 2020 is it?"
We have already started calling it "2020 (Season 2)"
posted by fullerine at 2:06 AM on January 7, 2021 [10 favorites]


Been thinking about this. With the combined impacts of the damage done to the machinery of civil governance and other general mismanagement, and the economic and social impacts of the pandemic: the next four years are going to be hard.

Unless Biden performs miracles (which seems spectacularly unlikely) then the media will lay that at his feet and the Republican party will probably have a
fairly easy win in 4 years time. Next time they may play their hand a little better.

I’ve been saying this since primary season when everybody was banging on about Joe not being the best candidate. We could have run a Superman/Batman ticket, and the amount of stuff the new administration could get done in four years would still have serious limits. We need to think about the long game here.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:09 AM on January 7, 2021 [14 favorites]


Nah, it’s a nasty hangover from 2020. 2021 has seen the USA easily dispatch a coup, Georgia turning to a blue state, and you can build virtual Macintoshes on AWS. Gonna be a good year.
posted by Slap*Happy at 2:15 AM on January 7, 2021 [15 favorites]


I have an important work call with people I haven’t met. Bad idea to stay up watching the strangest election in modern history.
posted by geoff. at 2:16 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


> 2021 has seen the USA easily dispatch a coup
The USA has not yet convincingly demonstrated that it has dispatched the Confederacy.
posted by runcifex at 2:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [105 favorites]


One of the greatest mistakes the US ever made was not hanging Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and the rest of the Confederate traitors.
posted by PenDevil at 2:26 AM on January 7, 2021 [73 favorites]


The U.S. Capitol isn't a fortress. It's a big rambling open building befitting a great democracy.

(Scene: some hearing, about 14 days from now)
Cop: "It's not our fault, mam. Unlike with BLM insurgents, white-skinned protesters are almost impossible to spot against the white marble of the Capitol Building. They have what amounts to an innate natural camouflage in that environment. And we were helpless, helpless to do anything, I tell you." *breaks down sobbing*
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [17 favorites]


FBI asks for help identifying people involved with violence at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday

Is there any kind of reward if I can identify their leader?
posted by justkevin at 3:01 AM on January 7, 2021 [79 favorites]


mmoncur > CNN source for 'Orderly Transition' statement

Thanks for the tip. However, this is not necessarily a direct quote from Trump himself. Per this Daniel Dale tweet, it’s a conciliatory press statement released by (and probably written by) Dan Scavino, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Social Media, and Trump’s former general manager of Trump National Golf Club Westchester, and director of social media for the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign.

As evidenced by Trump’s actions, speech, and incitement to violence yesterday, words like ‘orderly transition’, ‘legal votes’, and ‘end of the greatest first term’ from him and/or his loyalists have entirely different meanings than we think (or hope) they do.

He has not changed, and will continue to say anything to anyone at any time to stall or gain an advantage. He remains an enemy of the United States.
posted by cenoxo at 3:24 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


where was Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio (WP bio) today?

I linked to a Guardian interview with that terrorist upthread yesterday, but the link has either changed or been removed. It was the kind of whiny, veiled-threat blather with so much "Biden is failing to reach out to the ‘majority’ of US voters who don't support him, any violence is his fault" shite that we've been hearing a lot of recently. Oddly, that kind of talk STFU for a while (apart from That Guy in Chief) from yesterday evening.
posted by scruss at 3:35 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


As I write, I hear a Republican leader on TV say “Remember we are the party of law and order,” and, of course, the riot going on in the Capitol is technically lawless, but “law and order” as a rightwing slogan means that they are the law and they impose their version of order.
 → Call it what it was: a coup attempt — Rebecca Solnit, The Guardian
posted by scruss at 3:39 AM on January 7, 2021 [17 favorites]


Thanks for the tip. However, this is not necessarily a direct quote from Trump himself.

Yes, I know Trump doesn't even write half of his own tweets, and presidential statements are often written by speechwriters. But the fact remains this was a statement released by Trump's staff and presented as a statement from the President.

That doesn't make him less of an enemy, and I didn't say that. CNN and I were just telling you what the White House said. Do with it what you will.
posted by mmoncur at 3:40 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


> 2021 has seen the USA easily dispatch a coup
The USA has not yet convincingly demonstrated that it has dispatched the Confederacy.


One could say the United States did in fact dispatch a coup. From Trump's speech location to the Capital Building.

dis·patch
/dəˈspaCH/
verb
1.
send off to a destination or for a purpose.
"he dispatched messages back to base"
posted by srboisvert at 3:42 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


Somewhere in Russia there must be some very happy operatives seeing their schemes working out beyond their wildest expectations. I trust Comrade Trump's bonus will be especially generous this year.
posted by epo at 3:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


Mmoncur, I’m not accusing you of any lack of awareness whatsoever. Your CNN tip led me to Daniel Dale’s tweet, and I apologize for not being general enough in my comment.
posted by cenoxo at 3:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Alright so. Waaaay way up earlier, I said that I think that this is the appropriate level of force levied against protestors. I stand by that statement. That is now *the gold standard* by which violence from police should be measured. I did not say that the police force was sufficient, I said that the response was appropriate for de-escalation and minimizing protestor violence. Similarly, I 100% believe the urgency with which law enforcement was deployed was unacceptable.

And when I say this is the gold standard - Now is the time to prosecute. All those idiots who wandered the halls on security footage? Probably identifiable. I mean, they took selfies - on smart phones which geotag their photos and have find my phone apps built into them. Those phones were tethered to wifi and cell tower installations within congress. Their pictures are likely instantly uploaded to the cloud of their phone provider of choice. My phone says '52 feet' but I can tell you the tolerance of the 'find my phone' app can spot when I've left my phone 3 rooms away.

So. It is not particularly hard to get a list of every device that paired to the towers and the routers yesterday. It is not particularly hard to get a list of all photos uploaded that were geotagged within the confines of congress or even those at the edge. There are cross referential selfies that can be matched with security footage. I'm not saying that the work of the FBI is easy, but I'm saying that there is a clear breadcrumb trail of those who at a minimum violated 18 U.S. Code § 2383.
posted by Nanukthedog at 3:50 AM on January 7, 2021 [33 favorites]


And one last thing... the next time violence is done to protestors in a BLM protest - prosecute the officers that act differently than the officers during this insurrection.
posted by Nanukthedog at 3:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [49 favorites]


... But whatever happens with the president, we must never forget the responsibility of his enablers for the ugly events of Wednesday. This would never have happened if Fox “News,” OAN, Newsmax, Mark Levin, the Daily Wire and all the rest had not been spreading poisonous lies to allege that the election was stolen. This would never have happened if more than 100 members of the House and at least 13 senators had not endorsed those theories by announcing that they would not certify the election results in battleground states that Trump lost. Members of the Sedition Caucus such as Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Josh Hawley (Mo.) should see their careers crash and burn, as Sen. Joe McCarthy’s did, for their shameful and cynical assault on the Constitution.
Trump is guilty of sedition. Impeach him again
posted by y2karl at 3:52 AM on January 7, 2021 [24 favorites]


Ominously, for totally unrelated reason, I was searching for information about Brandenburg v. Ohio 395 U.S. 444 (1969) and the meaning of "imminent lawless action". It never occurred to me that we were about to witness a textbook case for that on such scale.
posted by runcifex at 3:59 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


scruss, your link to the Guardian’s Henry Tarrio interview works OK for me.
posted by cenoxo at 4:00 AM on January 7, 2021


We don't want the police to shoot these guys like they shoot POCs.

We want them to treat POCs with the same deference and respect they gave these neo-nazis.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 4:03 AM on January 7, 2021 [109 favorites]


After January 20th, Trump supporters will shift to a fantasy that he is still president.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:12 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


If it wasn’t appropriate to use teargas, rubber bullets, and choke holds against these terrorists, then it’s never appropriate to use them at all.

But we all know why they weren’t used here when they’re used on others.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:20 AM on January 7, 2021 [35 favorites]


(Parenthetically, the Republican problem of their masks sliding off their nose is some passive-aggressive bullshit, right? Just watched another on repeating lies debunked by the courts)

It is but not quite in the way you think. I'm an extremely dedicated mask wearer and have started even double masking with a medical mask like they have beneath a cloth mask and I am also over 50 so my experience may be relevant to these men.

First, as you age your cartilage continues to grow. Your ears bigger and most notably here so does your nose. Old men have big noses (I have always had a big nose so I am now well on my way to a huge nose).

The fabric of the medical masks is slippery and the ear loop elastics are not very strong and the nose clamping wire is pretty thin.

I found that when I started wearing a medical mask beneath my cloth mask that the mask combo would slid either up or down while being worn. In my case usually up into my eyes because I have a big beard but also sometimes down. Because I want my masks to be effective and because I wear them all the time when I am out I was forced to find a solution (adhesive stick on nose clamping metal stripes that are strong enough to hold both masks in place).

So I guess what I am saying is that by now, day 301 or so of most people's lockdown, most people who wear masks have gotten good at wearing masks. The people who are not good at wearing masks by now probably haven't been wearing them very much at all. So it is a combination of continual passive aggression and covid denial mixed with the incompetence of the inexperienced. I'd also throw a large dose of the stupids in there too because where there are Republican politicians there are absolutely going to be infecteds.
posted by srboisvert at 4:21 AM on January 7, 2021 [20 favorites]


After January 20th, Trump supporters will shift to a fantasy that he is still president.

...and they can all make unannounced drive-in visits to Mar-a-Lago Trump’s new Presidential Palace for free non-alcoholic beer, tables full of McDonalds Big Macs and fries, I Did It My Way singalongs in the dining room, rounds of drunken golf (with cart races on the greens), and generally trash the place. He’ll like that.
posted by cenoxo at 4:39 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


Pinocchio can't manage a mask either.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:43 AM on January 7, 2021 [21 favorites]


Then a friend said this over email: "I'm out here trying to sell some fucking videogames and people will not stop trying to overthrow the government for like 5​ fucking minutes."

Considering where this particular flavour of far-right hatemongering started to slither into the mainstream in the first place, this is extremely ironic.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 4:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


I still just can't get over the fact that many of the journalists and pundits appearing on national networks appear to genuinely be surprised by Wednesday's events. I have become the stereotypical old man shouting at the television... it's like, do you guys not watch your own coverage? You know he's been calling you the “enemies of the people” for the past few years, right? But you expected his supporters to be, like, gracious losers or something?

At least some people are addressing this. Dahlia Lithwick, Slate: The inevitable conclusion to a sickening presidency
posted by Mchelly at 4:54 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


Pretty sure that was erstwhile Q supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Broken hearts are for erstwhiles.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 5:01 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


Seeing all those Trump 2020 flags on display, in the year 2021, was like watching 2020 have a hangover on live TV — I just hope that the vomiting is over.
posted by romanb at 5:12 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


~the Republican problem of their masks sliding off their nose is some passive-aggressive bullshit, right?

~It's just the tell of lack of practice and figuring out how to make the mask thing work for your head and face. Which, 9 months into this virus, is saying something.


No. It's actually a fairly wide-spread protest symbol by the "Mah Freedumz!" crowd. It's purposeful, not an accident.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]




I still just can't get over the fact that many of the journalists and pundits appearing on national networks appear to genuinely be surprised by Wednesday's events.

The arrogance embodied by the phase "it can't happen here" is astounding.
posted by vitout at 5:41 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


You know... a pretty permanent memory of the news was the failed Romainian coup of Ceausescu... I remember the instability and the eventual fall of the iron curtain - and I remember thinking: Wow! Coups are hard and I'm glad I don't live in a place like that...

There is no rescue coming for Trump once he is prosecuted, but his sentence will be likely more lenient than that of Ceausescu.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:42 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


I Tried To Violently Overthrow The US Government And All I Got Was This Lousy Twitter Ban

Seriously though, I remember back in the day portscanning* a US university and getting a suspension and a talking to from the network admin of our college. That consequence was greater and more prompt than 45 has experienced for attempting to destroy the country. Every day 45 is out of court or prison makes it more likely that this will be attempted by someone else with nothing to lose but their soul and 12 hours of Twitter time. The consequences have to be high enough to deter people from doing it even with the massive payoff for success.

* Making a bunch of attempts to connect to a server and seeing what you get a reply from. Useful for checking what is exposed and also for inquisitive yoofs
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 5:44 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


I wonder how much of the spine we saw in a few Republican politicians yesterday came because Trump helped lose them the Senate in Georgia. How different would today be if they had won Georgia?
posted by clawsoon at 5:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [25 favorites]


Can we finally stop assuming good intentions from these people? (Including but not limited to their mask wearing abilities)
posted by rikschell at 5:47 AM on January 7, 2021 [19 favorites]


Good morning! It's March 313, 2020. The time is 32:47 and it's sunny with a slight chance of overthrow.

> Arieh Kovler predicts the entire thing in chilling detail on Twitter, two weeks ago

As has been mentioned upthread, everything that happened yesterday was plotted openly on publicly accessible web forums. With a little awareness about how the far right wing has been using the web for the past dozen years, you could predict this with the reliability you could predict going to a dentist's appointment.
posted by at by at 5:47 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


I wonder how much of the spine we saw in a few Republican politicians yesterday came because Trump helped lose them the Senate in Georgia. How different would today be if they had won Georgia?

I keep coming back to this. There are so many ways Trump and Republicans could have sailed right to complete victory in all three branches, but they were stymied because of just as many factors.

It's terrifying to think how close they were to winning, even after helping kill hundreds of thousands of Americans and immiserating a hundred million more.

One hopes that defeating the fascists in the future won't rely on the incompetence and venality of said fascists.
posted by Ouverture at 5:49 AM on January 7, 2021 [17 favorites]


Yesterday was Three Kings Day in much of the Latin world, nearly as important as Christmas. (Three Wise Men?) I don't know how that fits symbolically into things.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:53 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Hey America why can't your home grown media do this?
The Guardian: - Maga v BLM: how police handled the Capitol mob and George Floyd activists
posted by adamvasco at 5:58 AM on January 7, 2021 [15 favorites]


I think a lot of people assumed this would be like the Naruto Run on Area 51: cooler heads would prevail, even among supreme dumbasses. Score one for the dumbasses, I guess.

But really it just proves whose side the cops are on. Democracy will get no protection from them. The national guard was only called in because Pence personally called them. If he hadn't been in the building this could have ended in the mass execution of congress.

Dems need to hunt these people down and prosecute them all. Dems need to prosecute the cops who failed to do their jobs. Dems need to make the 121 House members who supported this bullshit pariahs. But I fear we will "look forward and not back" and just act like this never happened because it's too embarrassing to contemplate.

There's a slim chance that the personal fear politicians went through here will spur them to act with real consequences. Please call your Reps and Sens if they are even semi-reasonable people. Sadly, I am "represented" by Madison Cawthorn, the Naziest Nazi in the chamber.
posted by rikschell at 5:58 AM on January 7, 2021 [16 favorites]


Hey America why can't your home grown media do this?

CNN has something similar: Rioters breached US Capitol security on Wednesday. This was the police response when it was Black protesters on DC streets last year.
posted by RichardP at 6:02 AM on January 7, 2021 [13 favorites]


> We don't want the police to shoot these guys like they shoot POCs.

We want them to treat POCs with the same deference and respect they gave these neo-nazis.


Generally speaking, yeah, we want less (hopefully zero) shooting of anyone by cops. The problem with trying to use this event as a teachable moment is that these neo-Nazis conducted an armed invasion of a center of American democracy, and POCs aren't doing that. Equal treatment under law and "nobody enters the goddamn Capitol building to threaten and intimidate lawmakers" are not incompatible beliefs.

I'll put a fine point on it here -- if a large group of BLM protesters with guns and tactical gear on started advancing toward the Capitol to threaten lawmakers and started pushing cops out of the way to get into the building, then I would want them stopped by whatever means is necessary, and I certainly wouldn't want cops opening the fucking gate for them.

There is, unfortunately, no shortage of evidence that cops are racist as fuck, and no question that the result yesterday if the protesters were PoC would have been a bloodbath. But it does not follow that what the cops were doing yesterday is what we want them to do for POC in a similar situation. The reason for their protest was to disrupt American democracy, and the target of their protest was the United States Congress. Save these comparisons for when the situations are at least remotely compatible.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:03 AM on January 7, 2021 [30 favorites]


I stayed up way too late last night. This morning I'm yawning and rubbing coup out of my eyes.
posted by clawsoon at 6:10 AM on January 7, 2021 [28 favorites]


I'll put a fine point on it here -- if a large group of BLM protesters with guns and tactical gear on started advancing toward the Capitol to threaten lawmakers and started pushing cops out of the way to get into the building, then I would want them stopped by whatever means is necessary, and I certainly wouldn't want cops opening the fucking gate for them.

There is, unfortunately, no shortage of evidence that cops are racist as fuck, and no question that the result yesterday if the protesters were PoC would have been a bloodbath. But it does not follow that what the cops were doing yesterday is what we want them to do for POC in a similar situation. The reason for their protest was to disrupt American democracy, and the target of their protest was the United States Congress. Save these comparisons for when the situations are at least remotely compatible.


My desires run counter to yours however.. what I would like to say is that if an armed group of brown people were storming the halls of power they would do so with the expectation that many of them would be killed in the attempt. What I see in the videos from yesterday are white people brazenly gallivanting about with zero sense that they are in any kind of danger. In the videos where that woman was shot in the neck trying to crawl into the chamber, they were shocked that their actions precipitated a lethal response.
posted by yonega at 6:13 AM on January 7, 2021 [27 favorites]


There's an interesting "Archiving the Capitol Hill Riots" effort going on at r/DataHorder. Bellingcat is also collecting footage and social media with the goal of eventually IDing insurrectionists in the Capitol yesterday.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:16 AM on January 7, 2021 [16 favorites]




> My desires run counter to yours however.. what I would like to say is that if an armed group of brown people were storming the halls of power they would do so with the expectation that many of them would be killed in the attempt. What I see in the videos from yesterday are white people brazenly gallivanting about with zero sense that they are in any kind of danger. In the videos where that woman was shot in the neck trying to crawl into the chamber, they were shocked that their actions precipitated a lethal response.

I don't see how our desires are in tension, then. My view of how peaceful protestors should be treated after shootings of unarmed POC does not have to equate to my view for how armed insurrectionists are treated on the steps of the Capitol. Obviously, white Americans have for the most part enjoyed a lifetime of being protected by the police in ways that will make some of them recoil at the idea that there are criminal and perhaps lethal consequences to their actions, but that doesn't mean we should minimize the differences between what they did yesterday and the circumstances that lead mostly white cops to terrorize mostly non-white communities.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:24 AM on January 7, 2021 [6 favorites]


In re theoretical armed POC-led groups with admirable goals:

The thing is, the start-up costs for white racist militias, socially speaking, are very low. They have money and free time and face few social constraints, so they can organize over self-interested bullshit. The rewards are very high - they get a lot of deference, they have a lot of fun, it's even more of an exciting hobby than fishing and the gear is more expensive. These people are morally dead inside - the prospect of murdering people is exciting.

In our theoretical future, we simply aren't going to get an armed POC-led group storming Congress unless there is already a revolutionary situation. That theoretical group would be responding to an even greater erosion of life than has already happened - that is, if things got even worse and even harder and even crueler, events might precipitate a left wing revolution with armed groups. This would not happen because the people involved imagine that bloodily murdering their opposition would be fun and morally cost-free.

What isn't going to happen is, like, 1000 community organizers arming themselves to the teeth and storming congress in the hopes of killing people with total impunity in order to feed their egos. No matter whether people are social workers, tankies, anarchists, etc, they exhaust all easier methods before moving on. Like, I've been around protests a long time, and people don't even move to "let's block the street" until asking nicely and staying on the sidewalk has failed and failed and failed*.

My larger point being that we should consider how events come about when considering our response to them.

*This has become truer and truer and truer in the past twenty years. In the nineties, when things were a lot better and nothing was as serious, there was a lot more of the "oh exciting and fun we're fighting the cops today let's gooooooo" mentality. In the same social milieu among similar people now, you just don't get that.
posted by Frowner at 6:26 AM on January 7, 2021 [42 favorites]


If there is a response to preventing this in the future, history tends to show that such a response will most impact leftist people of color.

If the FBI, NSA, and local police markedly expand their scope even further in response to this, I do not have hope that they will actually use those powers to primarily surveil white supremacist terrorists.

As mentioned earlier, I don't see Miley calling out Hannah.
posted by Ouverture at 6:31 AM on January 7, 2021 [13 favorites]


Concerning the performative "we never saw this coming" from many corners in the public sphere... I hardly ever use Twitter these days, and was logging in maybe 2-3 times a week for about 10 minutes each over the holidays when I had little else going on. From that modest exposure I was aware of a "#J6" hashtag, and activists making efforts to disrupt hotel reservations for Proud Boys and the like. I'm not a low-information citizen, but I also wasn't trying very hard, and I knew something was coming.
posted by sockshaveholes at 6:32 AM on January 7, 2021 [12 favorites]


"Less than a day before she joined the Trump loyalist protest, (Ashli) Babbitt, an avowed and public Trump supporter as well as a subscriber to a number of alt-right conspiracy theories, had vowed the insurrectionist movement could never be halted. “Nothing will stop us … they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours … dark to light!” she wrote on Twitter."

The 35-year-old was shot by a Capitol security officer as a crowd tried to break through a barricaded door.

In a certain kind of society, her needless death would prompt reflection on what led Babbitt to that door to die after surviving four overseas tours as a soldier. Perhaps even the rejection of what led her there, after reflection.

I'm not sure USA 2021 is that society. Donald Trump lost the election, but the rest of this is just beginning. The Martyrdom of Ashli Babbitt will be rightist scripture in 24 hours, but somehow never get half the GOP scrutiny of Benghazi.
posted by Andrew Galarneau at 6:32 AM on January 7, 2021 [18 favorites]


Why did it take police so long to get to Capital Hill yesterday?

A1. Because they had to leave, go home, change and return.
A2. Because they couldn't 'beat' the crowd.
posted by rozcakj at 6:33 AM on January 7, 2021 [17 favorites]


Yascha Mounk and Bari Weiss, have somehow found a way to blame this on the "woke" left.
YES! I can fill another blank on my Viking LARPer application form because I thought up that line of argument my very own self this a.m.! "Heartsick from all the gross desecration of Target stores in BLM protests this summer, we decided to present the nation with an object lesson. Look, we didn't spraypaint anything or burn anything, just hung off the crown molding in the chamber and peed in Pelosi's file cabinet: this is how Patriots protest."
posted by Don Pepino at 6:34 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


And when I say this is the gold standard - Now is the time to prosecute. All those idiots who wandered the halls on security footage? Probably identifiable. I mean, they took selfies - on smart phones which geotag their photos and have find my phone apps built into them.

The entire nation was singularly transfixed on live scenes of violent rioters invading the Capital while the police stood by and watched them. How can thousands of hours of dry procedural hearings playing out in hundreds of courtrooms months from now even compete with that?

It really annoys me that the House is now in recess until after the inauguration. I want them to be voting on Cori Bush's resolution to expel the traitors. I want them to be taking up articles of impeachment. Republicans would never deprive Democrats the opportunity to have to act on the hottest of takes, so why should we give them time to cool off and get their alt-right narratives straight?
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:35 AM on January 7, 2021 [12 favorites]


Yesterday, I wrote about the Capitol Police's failure to defend the building: " I know that many here will ascribe this to bias, and that may well be a contributing factor - perhaps they didn't anticipate violence because of bias - but my gut feeling is that it's primarily incompetence."

The failure to plan was clearly crucial, but the evidence of bias is overwhelming and horrifying. In 1983, Irving Kristol said, "[A neoconservative is] a liberal who has been mugged by reality." In 2021, a radical is a moderate who's been mugged by reality.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:38 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


why should we give them time to cool off and get their alt-right narratives straight?

Because while Republican leadership desires to be the party in power, Democratic leadership desires to be the power in the party.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 6:38 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


I wonder how many Capitol Police officers are about to lose their jobs.
posted by all about eevee at 6:38 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


If they were to prosecute key players and put them in jail, they'd do a lot to break up the networks that make this stuff happen. It's not magic; these people don't have a psychic connection. It would be easy to identify the organizers and big names who were there, arrest them and jail them. If we lived in a different sort of society [this would not have happened in the first place] the coordinated arrests of fifty or sixty people would knock back the incidence here quite a lot. Not everyone has the time, charisma, connections and will to be very involved in any political project. New leaders would undoubtedly arise, but it takes time and there is a limited pool.

Of course they won't actually do this, because they'd have to be, like, anti-nazi to do it. Instead they're all white supremacists or else so rich as to be totally indifferent.
posted by Frowner at 6:40 AM on January 7, 2021 [20 favorites]


I think we need some confirmation that John Roberts intends to swear Biden/Harris in on 1/20.

I'm trying very hard to unclench but I don't think I fully will be able to until after he is sworn in and the miltary ignores Trump.
posted by archimago at 6:42 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


When is the cabinet/Pence going to invoke the 25th amendment? The man with the nuclear codes is deemed too unsafe to have a twitter/FB/Instagram account
posted by bluesky43 at 6:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


the evidence of bias is overwhelming and horrifying

Yep - as has probably been noted elsewhere in this thread, they are on camera letting rioters into the Capitol. At least in the case of certain elements of the Capitol Police, there was very clear collusion.

Anyone on the DC left that has faced the Capitol Police or Secret Service in recent years will tell you this is not surprising - they're notorious for their unprofessional, thuggish tactics, and I am certain, esp. after the last 4 years, that their ranks are shot through w/fascist sympathizers.

I have no confidence that they will effectively protect Biden and Harris.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:49 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


Calls to deny Donald Trump entry to UK as Nicola Sturgeon slams US President for Washington violence that left four dead -- The Scotsman

"Scotland’s Justice Minister has called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to deny President Donald Trump entry to the UK once he leaves office."
posted by valkane at 6:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [29 favorites]


...has called on Home Secretary Priti Patel..

So, that will go nowhere then.
posted by vacapinta at 7:00 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


That poor Ashli Babbit woman clearly fell down some dangerous rabbit holes, and she's about to get memorialized as some sort of latter-day, more modestly-dressed Liberty Leading the People.
posted by St. Oops at 7:00 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


‘I can’t stay here’ — Mick Mulvaney resigns from Trump administration, expects others to follow -- CNBC

“I called [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo last night to let him know I was resigning from that. I can’t do it. I can’t stay,” Mick Mulvaney said in an exclusive interview on “Squawk Box.”

“Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in,” Mulvaney said. But he said other officials may resign after Wednesday’s riot at the U.S. Capitol."
posted by valkane at 7:02 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


Gee Mick, if only there were something Trump’s cabinet could do...
posted by leotrotsky at 7:05 AM on January 7, 2021 [29 favorites]


> So, that will go nowhere then.

Twitter says "This is not available to you." What does or did it say?
posted by at by at 7:06 AM on January 7, 2021


Joe Scarborough live on MSNBC: "You opened the fucking doors for em!"
posted by neroli at 7:10 AM on January 7, 2021 [13 favorites]


Seems really pointless to resign with two weeks to go. At this point, these people are all tainted anyway, might as well hold on or at least try to save your reputation by being part of invoking the 25th.
posted by all about eevee at 7:11 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


Watching the Hawleys and other Rs with their little speeches last night all I could think was that opening dialogue of The Godfather:

"I believe in America."

You say this but you are also here asking the guy to do violence in your name.
posted by phunniemee at 7:11 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


How Black Americans are able to live in the US with all the racism and discrimination they experience on a daily basis and not arm themselves and take to the streets in a violent revolution is honestly a miracle. What we witnessed yesterday is once again systemic racism in action. Rule of law does not apply to white Americans. I hope what we witnessed yesterday proves that once and for all.
posted by photoslob at 7:11 AM on January 7, 2021 [19 favorites]


> Joe Scarborough live on MSNBC: "You opened the fucking doors for em!"

Joe Scarborough, two minutes later: "And I've been saying this about Portland for weeks!"

Eat shit, Joe.
posted by tonycpsu at 7:12 AM on January 7, 2021 [15 favorites]


What does or did it say?

It's a story about Priti Patel refusing to condemn Trump.
posted by valkane at 7:12 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


I called [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo last night to let him know I was resigning from that. I can’t do it. I can’t stay

It's like he thought Trump was just joshing-around all this time. WTF, Mick?
posted by Thorzdad at 7:13 AM on January 7, 2021 [6 favorites]




Twitter says "This is not available to you." What does or did it say?

It’s often a glitch. If you refresh, the tweet will usually show up.
posted by mochapickle at 7:17 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


Heartsick from all the gross desecration of Target stores in BLM protests this summer, we decided to present the nation with an object lesson.

It's right from the abuser's play book: "Why did you make me hurt you?"
posted by Mitheral at 7:17 AM on January 7, 2021 [12 favorites]


"A WH official says this AM that Trump still plans to award the Medal of Freedom to 3 golfers today during an 11:30a East Room ceremony.

He'll award the medal to Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player, and Babe Zaharias (posthumously), the official said.

It's not open to the press." -- Ben Gittleson, ABC
posted by valkane at 7:18 AM on January 7, 2021 [4 favorites]


Our brave leaders, everyone!
The House isn't coming back into session until after the inauguration.

The Senate has adjourned until Jan. 19.

Surreal cap to yesterday.
Of course, to the violent insurrectionists, this will be seen as their foes agreeing to something between unilateral disarmament and surrender.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 7:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


How Black Americans are able to live in the US with all the racism and discrimination they experience on a daily basis and not arm themselves and take to the streets in a violent revolution is honestly a miracle. What we witnessed yesterday is once again systemic racism in action. Rule of law does not apply to white Americans. I hope what we witnessed yesterday proves that once and for all.

To be fair, they did. And despite doing nothing at all close to what happened yesterday, they were so brutally repressed and wiped out that even otherwise very informed people forgot about this critical history.

It is only more perverse when one accounts for the fact that the Black Panthers were fighting for the most basic of human rights instead of a gigantic terrorist temper tantrum.
posted by Ouverture at 7:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [31 favorites]


For those interested in a historical perspective, r/AskHistorians has an interesting write-up about US and non-US coups and coup attempts. They do not mention it, but yesterday's events share a number of traits with the 6 February 1934 riots in Paris, when far-right demonstrators - about 30000-50000 people - tried to storm the Chamber of Deputies. They could not get into the Chamber because the cops did not mind shooting at them, causing 15-16 deaths and 2000 casualties, mostly among the rioters. Still, it was a close call and apparently resulted in the doctrine of never - ever - let demonstrators approach the Parliament buildings and the Elysée presidential palace (the Yellow Vests tried and failed in 2018-2019). Like yesterday, the rioters of the 6 February 1934 were egged on by right wing politicians and newspapers, but they were not really coordinated with no plan beyond "let's riot and storm official buildings", even though their ideal goal was to overthrow the government. More importantly, they lacked the single universal ingredient of any successful coup, ie. the support from armed forces. In Spain, Lieutenant Colonel Tejero learned this the hard way when he stormed the Congress of Deputies on 23 February 1981 with 200 Guardias Civiles and found that he had no support in the Spanish military, except from that one general in Valencia.
posted by elgilito at 7:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [22 favorites]


How Black Americans are able to live in the US with all the racism and discrimination they experience on a daily basis and not arm themselves and take to the streets in a violent revolution is honestly a miracle.

Maybe it's because most people (of all races) actually have good moral compasses and know that violent insurrection is actually a bad thing?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:20 AM on January 7, 2021 [13 favorites]


For those of you still engaging with the "HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!" crowd, here's a writeup that covers it pretty well.

You can Google for other sources if you don't like The Daily Beast but the tldr is the FBI and law enforcement apparatus have been obsessed with "black identity extremists" (what remains of the Black Panthers and weirdos like the Black Hebrew Israelites) and chasing antifa--as in the right's fever dream of a large and well-organized lefty insurrectionist organization--while they ignore right wing violence. The fact that they haven't found antifa just proves how good their opsec is.

(I have friends in local leftist groups and every few weeks a youngish dude ((it's usually a dude)) with close cropped hair and cargo shorts shows up to a meeting like "GREETINGS FELLOW RADICAL LEFTISTS, WHO WANTS TO MAKE AN ACTIONABLE PLAN TO BLOW UP CITY HALL WITH THESE BLUEPRINTS I GOT ON THE INTERNET?" 90% of the time when they're called out as Feds, they leave and never come back, but sometimes they pull a gun and start screaming for extract).

And, of course, there's a long-standing white supremacist project to infiltrate the military and police.

The reason it took the cops so long to show up is they had to go home and change, basically.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 7:21 AM on January 7, 2021 [59 favorites]


And when I say this is the gold standard - Now is the time to prosecute. All those idiots who wandered the halls on security footage? Probably identifiable. I mean, they took selfies - on smart phones which geotag their photos and have find my phone apps built into them.

FYI IntelligenceX is maintaining an FTP upload site if you have relevant footage or wish to browse through the collected media so far (click on "tree view" to browse the archive). Reddit's /r/DataHorder is on the case too.

The FBI has created a page for tips.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:22 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


Because we could all stand a bit of humor, I think -

Someone on Twitter shared a photo he'd found of one of the rioters; a dude walking through the rotunda, with a podium he'd stolen out of one of the chambers under his arm, and a shit-eating grin. Because the photo wasn't his own, the Tweeter began by saying the photo was "Via Getty".

....A handful of people either responded or retweeted it rejoicing that "yay we know this guy's name" and urging the FBI to track down and arrest "Mr. Via Getty".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:24 AM on January 7, 2021 [37 favorites]


Good article by ProPublica on the failure of the capitol police:
https://www.propublica.org/article/capitol-rioters-planned-for-weeks-in-plain-sight-the-police-werent-ready

The one part that really pissed me off was this at the end:
“I go back to the 9/11 commission report,” Carter said. “It was a failure of imagination. They didn’t imagine something like this. Would you imagine people were going to break into the Capitol and go into the chambers? That failure of imagination sometimes makes us drop the ball.”

Really? You couldn't imagine this group of extremely angry (some armed) right-wing people who refuse to accept the results of the election might try and advance into the Capitol? But somehow they could imagine that the BLM protestors might try and do the same, and made sure to prevent it from happening over the summer. Here in Chicago, the police have always been very quick and thorough in making sure they defend Trump tower every time a protest threatens to come near it. And it isn't like they came up with some innovative new way to get into the capitol (slingshotting people hundreds of meters in an inflatable ball or something?) - they literally just pushed the police out of the way (or in some cases, the police just walked away) and they entered the building. And the fact that I literally personally saw multiple articles, and heard from many people I know, about the potential for violence at the capitol on Jan. 6 makes this "failure of imagination" excuse ridiculous.

I'm just so angry. I should have seen this coming, and I know many police departments are themselves infiltrated with right wing sympathists, but I just didn't imagine this level of complicity in such a large-scale predictable domestic terrorist attack.
posted by unid41 at 7:26 AM on January 7, 2021 [31 favorites]




Canada, hold on to your tar sands. And Mexico, hold on to your... um... Pemex? There's lots of oil in Mexico too.

The geopolitics of oil pricing is well outside of scope here, but I think it's very safe to say that Trump's straight up incompetence in in many sectors, not just energy, will very likely lead to the collapse of one or more US oil firms in the near future. COVID-driven demand collapse, the Saudi-Russian price war, and the fact that both Canada and Mexico are turning away from being captive to the US major buyers. His legacy is going to be lasting in the oil patch at least in the medium term, which ironically may turn out to be a major driver of the Democrat's GND.
posted by bonehead at 7:29 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


It's like he thought Trump was just joshing-around all this time. WTF, Mick?

I've been flabbergasted at the last-minute defection of bootlickers from Camp Trump recently, from people who have readily gone along with all his madness for the last four years.

To see so many of them abandon ship now really says something about the die-hard scumbags like Hawley.
posted by Foosnark at 7:30 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


>To see so many of them abandon ship now really says something about the die-hard scumbags like Hawley.

Not really. Cabinet officials aren't politicans, they don't have any need for a public following, they need to base their career on actual job performance. Hawley and his fellow travelers, on the other hand, need to cultivate a base, and pandering to extremists is the quick and easy route.
posted by at by at 7:37 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


A friend shared this, and I thought it might be appreciated here.

Wage Peace, by Judith Hill, written September 11 2001
Wage peace with your breath.
Breathe in firemen and rubble,
breathe out whole buildings
and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children
and freshly mown fields.
Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
Breathe in the fallen
and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening:
hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools:
flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.
Play music, learn the word for thank you in three languages.
Learn to knit, and make a hat.
Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.
Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.
Have a cup of tea and rejoice.
Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Don't wait another minute.
posted by medusa at 7:37 AM on January 7, 2021 [50 favorites]


> Cabinet officials aren't politicans, they don't have any need for a public following, they need to base their career on actual job performance.

...and to clarify that, when you're hired to destroy the thing you supervise, your next employer wants to know your job performance there was appropriately ruinous.
posted by at by at 7:41 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


>geopolitics of oil pricing

plus TSLA's current $755B market cap is predicated on them taking 30-50% market share in the fleet.

That can't be good for the oil majors . . .

posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 7:43 AM on January 7, 2021


> The one part that really pissed me off was this at the end:
“I go back to the 9/11 commission report,” Carter said. “It was a failure of imagination. They didn’t imagine something like this. Would you imagine people were going to break into the Capitol and go into the chambers? That failure of imagination sometimes makes us drop the ball.”


Back in fucking May:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52496514
"Coronavirus: Armed protesters enter Michigan statehouse - 1 May 2020"

And then a different set of domestic terrorists in fucking October:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/08/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-kidnap-plot
posted by sebastienbailard at 7:43 AM on January 7, 2021 [26 favorites]


This thread is getting wobbly.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:45 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


The FBI has created a page for tips.

One of the neo-Nazi chuckleheads got gladhandled by the NYTimes. Maybe the FBI could start there, ffs.

Trump has nuclear codes and 13 days left in office. There doesn't seem to be a serious push to bring the ringleader into custody. This is serious. When will law enforcement take this seriously?
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 7:47 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


And then a different set of domestic terrorists in fucking October:

And it goes back even further.

It is a failure of imagination, but specifically the failure to imagine that some of the most coddled people on this planet would keep escalating their performance of racial capitalist grievance.
posted by Ouverture at 7:48 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


"The Trump campaign lawyer who said there were a “non-zero number” of Republicans observing Philly vote count asks to withdraw:

“client has used the lawyer’s services to perpetrate a crime and the client insists upon taking action that the lawyer considers repugnant”" -- Jonathan Lai, Philadelphia Inquirer
posted by valkane at 7:49 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]



Trump has nuclear codes and 13 days left in office. There doesn't seem to be a serious push to bring the ringleader into custody. This is serious. When will law enforcement take this seriously?


Exactly. Is anyone talking seriously about removing trump and charging him? I know it's almost impossible and republicans have no spines, but there must be people trying to prevent further mayhem.. I hope.
posted by Liquidwolf at 7:51 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


A 12.4GB collection of Capitol breach related video and images collected by /r/datahoarder is currently maxing out my Internet connection, torrenting from hundreds of seeders. If you would like to join the swarm and make sure that none of this shit ever goes away, the info hash value you need is c91aa813f2ad2d982e0d760bfce62deefc9d9b5d .

Content warning: includes footage of the participant who was shot and killed.
posted by flabdablet at 7:57 AM on January 7, 2021 [22 favorites]


Serious question. I've done some counter-protesting against extreme right groups. I don't see any references to counter-protestors. Was there some decision against it or ban on it? E.g. the curfew that I hear about?
posted by TheophileEscargot at 7:59 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


FaceBook bans Trump Permanently! (The Verge)

It's about fucking time!
posted by rambling wanderlust at 8:00 AM on January 7, 2021 [37 favorites]


How a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol – visual guide — A detailed recap of the six hours in Washington DC that shook US democracy; The Guardian; Peter Beaumont, Matt Fidler, Nikhita Chulani, Paul Scruton, Paul Torpey, Chris Watson, Finbarr Sheehy; 1/7/2021.

A condensed, nicely done timeline with video, photos, maps, and diagrams for anyone without much time to read.
posted by cenoxo at 8:01 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


Some among America's military allies believe Trump deliberately attempted a coup and may have had help from federal law enforcement officials
Insider spoke with three officials on Thursday morning: a French police official responsible for public security in key section of central Paris and two intelligence officials from NATO countries who directly work in counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence operations involving the US, terrorism, and Russia.

They said the circumstantial evidence available pointed to what would be openly called a coup attempt in any other nation. None were willing to speak on the record because of the absolutely dire nature of the subject.

While they were unwilling publish proof that federal agency officials facilitated the chaos, Insider is reporting this information because it illustrates the scale and seriousness of yesterday's events: America's international military and security allies are now willing to give serious credence to the idea that President Trump deliberately tried to violently cancel an election, and that some federal law enforcement agents — by omission or otherwise — facilitated the attempt.

The NATO source set the stage, describing it in terms more commonly used to describe unrest in developing countries:

"The defeated president gives a speech to a group of supporters where he tells them he was robbed of the election, denounces his own administration's members and party as traitors, and tells his supporters to storm the building where the voting is being held," said the NATO intelligence official. "The supporters, many dressed in military attire and waving revolutionary style flags, then storm the building where the federal law enforcement agencies controlled by the current president do not establish a security cordon and the protesters quickly overwhelm the last line of police."

"The president then makes a public statement to the supporters attacking the Capitol that he loves them but doesn't really tell them to stop," the official said. "Today I am briefing my government that we believe with a reasonable level of certainty that Donald Trump attempted a coup that failed when the system did not buckle."

"I can't believe this happened."
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 8:03 AM on January 7, 2021 [70 favorites]


Twitter and Facebook banning Trump after his defeat is certified has real strong Telling Off the Bully from the Bus Window After the Last Day of School Energy.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:07 AM on January 7, 2021 [129 favorites]


Serious question. I've done some counter-protesting against extreme right groups. I don't see any references to counter-protestors. Was there some decision against it or ban on it? E.g. the curfew that I hear about?

There was a LOT of Twitter chatter in the previous few weeks - including from some prominent leftists & organizers & (I believe) some Dem politicians - asking people to stay home, stay off the streets, do not engage with the MAGAhats in order to deprive them of any opportunity to credibly claim that they were provoked or defending themselves.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:07 AM on January 7, 2021 [46 favorites]


I don't see any references to counter-protestors. Was there some decision against it or ban on it? E.g. the curfew that I hear about?

There were skirmishes with counter-protestors in Eugene, OR. But, I don't think there was anything in DC.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:07 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


Is there a reliable source for real-time info on what’s happening on the ground in DC this morning? Are most of the Trump supporters quietly going home now that Biden’s victory has been certified, or is more trouble brewing?
posted by Epixonti at 8:08 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


Slate: This was the coup:
In the meantime, the National Guard was called in for additional security—but not on the president’s orders. By the account of the secretary of defense (or the acting secretary, in the preexisting shambles of the Trump administration), the decision to deploy the guard was made in consultation with Vice President Mike Pence and the leaders of Congress.

This was not a minor distinction. Earlier in the day, Trump denounced Pence to his followers after the vice president, preparing to oversee the Electoral College count, publicly denied that he had the power to personally reject the votes, as the president claimed he did, because he wanted him to do it. Trump kept attacking Pence on Twitter even after the vice president had been taken underground by the Secret Service to escape the president’s mob.

That is: Confronted with this split between the president and the vice president, the military rejected its constitutional commander in chief and sided with Pence. It was the reasonable thing to do, with political violence spinning out of control in the nation’s capital.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:10 AM on January 7, 2021 [23 favorites]


Donald Trump attempted a coup that failed when the system did not buckle."

People are overthinking this. There was obviously no plan behind the mob rush. They just wandered around, stole shit, vandalized, and took pictures of themselves. They didn't even know if they'd get inside and didn't know what do to when they got there.
If this were any sort of planned coup they would've been even more heavily armed and organized and moved into overtaking and holding the building, making demands, etc etc.
posted by Liquidwolf at 8:11 AM on January 7, 2021 [23 favorites]


"Today I am briefing my government that we believe with a reasonable level of certainty that Donald Trump attempted a coup that failed when the system did not buckle."

Today I am reporting something easily predictable which I saw on TV as military intelligence
posted by benzenedream at 8:12 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


"Breaking on @MSNBC: Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked and for Trump to be removed from office." -- Kyle Griffin
posted by valkane at 8:12 AM on January 7, 2021 [30 favorites]


People are overthinking this. There was obviously no plan behind the mob rush.

Yep, here's what I wrote on Facebook:
It looks like Jan 6th. was lazy insurrection/trolling by somewhat serious people who decided to have a photo op and get souvenirs.

Next time will be worst.
This wasn't a well planned military like attempt, but we may not be so lucky next time. Note that there's no "if" about next time.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:15 AM on January 7, 2021 [10 favorites]




> "Breaking on @MSNBC: Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked and for Trump to be removed from office." -- Kyle Griffin

If only Rep. Kinzinger and 217 of his colleagues had some means to formally begin the process of removing Trump from office via some other means, thereby providing political cover for any Cabinet members who may be on the fence.

Alas.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:17 AM on January 7, 2021 [15 favorites]


I'm trying very hard to unclench but I don't think I fully will be able to until after he is sworn in and the miltary ignores Trump.

ask.metafilter: Can I go two weeks without pooping?
posted by srboisvert at 8:18 AM on January 7, 2021 [13 favorites]


>People are overthinking this. There was obviously no plan behind the mob rush

Say hello to the Beer Hall Putsch
posted by Morpeth at 8:18 AM on January 7, 2021 [9 favorites]


Just because they’re fucking incompetent doesn’t make it not a coup attempt.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:18 AM on January 7, 2021 [41 favorites]


Liquidwolf: People are overthinking this. There was obviously no plan behind the mob rush.

The problem is that with Trump, I don't believe that there's every really been any plan. Things have just been working out for rich old "common man" him. The fact that this (and the lawsuits) haven't just magically made things better are probably world-shaking for him.

And as other's are saying, in the future; almost anyone else would have some sort of plan beyond "I'll tweet a bit and people will flock to me and 4. Profit!" Given how well this worked; that's scary.
posted by nobeagle at 8:19 AM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]




"Breaking on @MSNBC: Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked and for Trump to be removed from office." -- Kyle Griffin

Meanwhile, his newly minted co-republican-rep from Illinois was all "Hitler youth were a great idea" at the insurrection solicitation rally.
posted by srboisvert at 8:21 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


What I want more than anything right now in any reporting on this is open discussion in the media of their own sins of coddling the right wing by going above and beyond time after time to extend the benefit of the doubt to dangerous bad faith actors. We've been slow boiled like frogs since the 90s getting acclimatized to this culture of kid gloves and dangerous amplification of an ideology that long passed the point of being an existential threat to democracy.

The electoral power the right has flat out would not exist in anything resembling its current form if it was not continually framed as socially acceptable by people who have vast sway over the shape and limits of mainstream discourse in our society.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:22 AM on January 7, 2021 [14 favorites]



Just because they’re fucking incompetent doesn’t make it not a coup attempt.


If you define "coup" as an organized attempt to overthrow a government then it was not a coup. But if you define "coup" as violent reaction by a mob then yeah it was.
I'm thinking the former definition.

And of course that doesn't mean it shouldn't be taken less seriously. If anything it should show how easy it is to pull off if they had tried anything more serious.
posted by Liquidwolf at 8:29 AM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


Any view that dismisses what happened yesterday as a disorganized mob, I mean.. Seems like you're missing some obvious trends. A lot of people dismissed the Trump candidacy, it was all a joke up until it wasn't. Then we pooh-poohed the weirdly inflated numbers at the inauguration, the bombast and 'covfefe' etc.

You say this (some of you) almost with satisfaction.. like, "if it was organized, it would look like this").

This was a coup attempt, 2021 Trump style. It failed only in the sense we see the elected people in the capital largely demonstrating solidarity on the ostensible articles of democracy that ought to prevail in this situation. If you think for one second that's the end of it, you are far more sanguine than I think you should be.
posted by elkevelvet at 8:31 AM on January 7, 2021 [32 favorites]


the problem is that with Trump, I don't believe that there's every really been any plan

Well - increase "brand awareness", stay in the media eye, pander to self-interest and the interests of his handlers and erode trust in government... Basically sow chaos and get all the attention.

As for an actual, coherent plan - no... just look at the "Four Seasons" debacle...

This was a trial-run by imbeciles who never actually expected to get into power. Now that they have programmed their base, someone smart will come along to take up the lead...
posted by rozcakj at 8:32 AM on January 7, 2021


NEW THREAD----->




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posted by lalochezia at 8:34 AM on January 7, 2021 [10 favorites]


Trump's modus operandi for at least the last couple decades has just been to present his desired reality as actual reality and dare anyone to call him out on it while grifting for all he's worth. In the past it resulted in such sterling successes as Trump airline/university/casino/steaks and yesterday in resulted in a failed coup. The lack of a coherent or any plan doesn't mean it wasn't an attempt.
posted by Mitheral at 8:46 AM on January 7, 2021 [11 favorites]


Last!
posted by freecellwizard at 8:58 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


The emperor was hiding a bomb under his new clothes, and the courtiers were shocked when he brought it out.

Well, both in keeping with the original story and the general *cough* shittiness of whom we're discussing, perhaps the bomb wasn't "under his clothes" so much as in his "prison purse"...
posted by notsnot at 9:03 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


🥛🍪🍪
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 9:10 AM on January 7, 2021 [7 favorites]


"The defeated president gives a speech to a group of supporters where he tells them he was robbed of the election, denounces his own administration's members and party as traitors, and tells his supporters to storm the building where the voting is being held," said the NATO intelligence official. "The supporters, many dressed in military attire and waving revolutionary style flags, then storm the building where the federal law enforcement agencies controlled by the current president do not establish a security cordon and the protesters quickly overwhelm the last line of police."

historically, this is consistent with stuff that has happened elsewhere. Certainly, one of my first impressions yesterday was that we'll eventually discover that some key police or security units were conveniently assigned elsewhere or otherwise unavailable at the right time. And that a "money trail" will be found connecting such to directives from Trump (or one of his inner circle). I mean, I usually buy the incompetence argument against conspiracy* but every now and then, you've gotta be open to the evidence of your senses.

* the notion that we shouldn't be in a hurry to claim "conspiracy" when basic human incompetence offers at least as likely an explanation for how something has gone horribly wrong.
posted by philip-random at 9:24 AM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


In addition to the necessary interventions with the police, I’m looking forward, in the weeks and months to come, to hearing about how dozens of participants in the insurrection were quietly scooped up by the FBI in the aftermath, and are facing serious felony indictments.

Everyone from the dumbass in the Buffalo hat, to the choad who took a selfie sitting in Pelosi’s office with his feet on the desk, to the moron who busted through a window using a police riot shield, and every person who set foot in the Capitol after forcing entry and live-blogged it.

Those folks really wanted to see the inside of a government facility so bad, I’m hoping they get their chance to spend a few years in one.
posted by darkstar at 10:08 AM on January 7, 2021 [13 favorites]


"Well that escalated steadily for four years."
(overheard on the internet)

posted by philip-random at 10:23 AM on January 7, 2021 [18 favorites]


NEW THREAD----->
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posted by cooker girl at 11:01 AM on January 7, 2021 [3 favorites]


For anybody listening, Twitter is really twitchy right now, so I recommend not calling people pieces of shit or the c-word, at least until things settle down.
posted by rhizome at 11:09 AM on January 7, 2021 [1 favorite]


I recommend not calling people pieces of shit or the c-word


...conservative?
posted by phunniemee at 11:33 AM on January 7, 2021 [18 favorites]


Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in

Turns out in my case there aren't any so...
posted by ctmf at 11:58 AM on January 7, 2021


MetaFilter: Seen from the outside, it is really strange that such a small group of idiots can get this far.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:41 PM on January 7, 2021 [8 favorites]


NOBODY FORCES ME TO A NEW THREAD!
posted by Pendragon at 2:24 PM on January 7, 2021 [5 favorites]


ask.metafilter: Can I go two weeks without pooping?

This happened to me when I hiked Parea for a week. It's strange how your body just makes up its own mind sometimes.
posted by mecran01 at 5:40 PM on January 7, 2021 [2 favorites]


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