Trump's Chaos

 

Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

The halls of power in the US Capitol are still reverberating with the aftershocks of the Jan 6 riot which has so far left 5 people dead. There is talk of impeaching Trump who only has a handful of days left in the job or getting VP Pence to invoke some arcane section of the US constitution but most likely the architect of the mob invasion will escape. What is perfectly obvious is Trump was clearly at work inciting his loyal followers to invade the place and probably weakening any potential police resistance thus allowing the invasion of the US legislative building.

Consider this pie chart for a moment taken from the hill.com

 "Fifty-nine percent of registered voters in the Jan. 6-7 poll did not support Trump's managing of the situation when his supporters broke into the Capitol building. By contrast, 41 percent of respondents did approve."

41% approve of the invasion! I'm sure if the invaders had been BLM protestors we wouldn't be having this chat. Clearly Trump was confident enough of his loyalists would come to the rally and equally he was certain no matter what the outcome, any invasion or act of insurrection directed at the Congress would not be universally condemned. After all he has spent the last 4 years trashing the joint, dividing americans and empowering the loony right. The proof of his success is reflected in this poll.

Another worrying aspect of the Trump instigated putsch is the ease with which the invaders gained access despite the existence of a 2000 member Capitol Police force dedicated with the sole objective of maintaining the security of the Capitol. Again the comparison with similar actions by the same force with regard to BLM protests is stark. Or the actions of the police and the National Guard who cleared the way for Donnie to hold up a bible in front of a church. 

Then there are reports (like this one from of all places brietbart.com) of authority to call in reinforcements being delayed, crucially until after the invaders were inside the building. 

But perhaps the most telling point about this failed putsch and the role of Trump is provided by Jack Schafer who wrote this in the latest edition of Politico -

Now, Trump didn’t tell his congregants in his speech to fly into the Capitol Dome and disrupt the certification. But he didn’t really have to. He had told them he would never concede and that their voices — his voice — must be heard in Congress. They knew what Trump wanted them to do, and Trump proved they were doing his will by waiting 24 minutes after they broke into Congress before tweeting any displeasure with their lawless. Even then, his chastisement was almost congratulatory. “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!” he tweeted at 2:38 p.m. and “I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence!” at 3:13 p.m. Not until 4:17 p.m. after his people had terrified the nation did he ask his people to “go home.”

The obvious failure of the Capitol police to secure the perimeter and have ample deterrence on call was I suspect no accident. It may well have been a random system wide failure or it could have been something more nefarious. We will probably never be told but the what is obvious is Trump did more than just innocently hold a rally on the day his successor was to be officially endorsed.

The Democrats in the Hose have said “President Trump revealed that he is not mentally sound and is unable to process and accept the results of the 2020 election. [His] willingness to invite violence and social unrest to overturn the election results by force clearly meet this standard" while calling on Trump's cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment. Meanwhile Donnie has announced he's not coming to Joe's party.

Whatever happens until then, what is obvious is the historical significance of the Jan 6 storming of the Capitol is not just just a matter of domestic politics as Snotty from Marketing says. The forces at work and the actors involved have revealed the extent of division in the west's cherished notion of a liberal democracy. They were not decisively defeated, they merely retreated back to their home territories, secure in the knowledge that a large number of amercians sympathise with their chaotic world view.

The real question is did we witness a beer hall putsch?

 A footnote, as it seems others might have their suspicions..