Planning for the January 6 assault on the US Capitol began long before the notorious rally at the Ellipse. Looking at only the Trump presidency we can see the preparation. First, Trump flattered the armed and violent, racist alt-Right. In one of history’s greatest waffles, Donald Trump said of the protesters and counter-protesters at the tragic 2017 Unite the Right demonstrations in Charlottesville that there were “very fine people on both sides.” Wrong: there were only “very fine people” on one side.
The Right took the hint. They were encouraged to protest more boldly. Once the Corona virus hit, armed protesters opposed to masking invaded the state capitol in Lansing and threatened the assembly and the governor of Michigan. In Portland and Kenosha, vigilantes, who claimed to be defending the police, killed marchers protesting the murder of Black suspects such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake. On January 6, extremist rioters entered the U. S. Capitol to disrupt the counting of electoral college votes. With his protesters still inside the building, but hearing widespread condemnation of the action, Trump finally told his supporters to “go home.” Then, echoing the welcome he gave to the violent right in Charlottesville, he added, “We love you, you are very special.” How chastened they must have felt!
On December 20, after the results of the 2020 Presidential election became clear, Donald Trump asked his faithful to gather in Washington precisely on January 6 — the day the electoral votes of all fifty states would be counted. He Tweeted to them: “Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” So it is no surprise that his followers at the Ellipse obeyed when Trump ordered them to march to the Capitol “to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” Everyone knew what January 6 was to be. The Anti-Defamation League sent over a thousand notices to law enforcement itemizing overt statements culled from right-wing social media with plans for the coming violence. Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser requested the National Guard to keep order, but “someone” at the Department of Defense, in an act of criminal negligence, denied her petition. It is as if there was collusion between the invaders of the Capitol and those with authority over the building’s defense and responsibility for keeping the legislators safe. (Why does “collusion” keep cropping up in connection with D. Trump?)
Trump had pressured Pence to reverse the decision of the electoral college. Pence had refused. A mob was marching toward the Capitol. Because of sabotage from above, the Capitol Police were left shorthanded and unprepared for the confrontation. Besides, the marchers were strong advocates of police immunity and, in contrast to the Black Lives Matter protesters, they were white and many belonged to groups long connected to white supremacy. The ingredients for this disaster had brewed for a long time. The stench will linger. It’s imperative that the country not regard the invasion of the Capitol as an isolated, “one-off” incident. We must prepare for similar attacks at the Inauguration (if not in DC, perhaps in many state capitals) and thereafter, for the long term.
Dreams of attacking the government and fomenting civil war have animated right-wing thinking for a long time. Ronald Reagan had declared government “the problem” decades ago. The bombing attack of 1995 that killed 168 people in Oklahoma City was against the Federal Building and destroyed government offices. The NRA has for years argued that citizens need guns not to serve in a militia, but to resist “jack-booted thugs” from the government who would impose Washington’s will on a defenseless, subject population. Belief that there is a Deep State is evidence of a paranoid distrust of the most commonplace bureaucratic resources.
There are formal organizations who monitor the activities of hate groups. I support the Southern Poverty Law Center, but there are several others. The militias and hate groups they expose are no longer just camping in the woods and hiding under rocks. The Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer came out in force this year in Kenosha and Portland. When asked about them during the presidential debate on September 29th, the President told them to “stand by.” Then on December 20, he summoned them to Washington. Since then, theories of non-existent conspiracies spawned by QAnon and similar fantastic propagandists have exacerbated tensions.
Whether Trump leaves office peacefully or not, the point is that he has orchestrated currents in our country that most of us thought were safely beneath the surface. They are not! Anti-Black, anti-immigrant, anti-Sanctuary, Anti-Semitic, Ku Klux Klan bearers of Confederate flags, white nationalist, male supremacy activists have been energized by Trump and his appeasers. These currents go very far back in American history. They will not be stopped by the inauguration of a new administration. Not all of this sentiment is equally extreme. But let’s remember how the word “liberal” has been made into a sneer, thus forcing liberals to call themselves “progressive.” Conservatives use “Democrat” as a slur, adjectivally, when they refer to the “Democrat Party.” Such liberties seep from conversation to ideology to hate and, as we saw on Wednesday, to violence.
The radical right no doubt thinks the left is capable of the same: that those on the left hate America, seek to establish Venezuelan socialism here, disregard racial boundaries, devalue faith, and want open borders. The right has developed a “mirror-reflex” that supports their own echo chamber. It’s the old school-yard taunt: “Oh yeah? Well, you’re one, too.” But it ain’t so. In today’s America, the level of hatred and the proneness to violence is asymmetrical — far greater on the right. It was there before Trump and will be there after he is out of office. We must be prepared for more of the same and not expect a sudden relaxation “just because” our new administration will be more sane. As Seyward Darby has observed, this is not a “last gasp” of Trumpism. The recently elected Republican delegate to the West Virginia House of Delegates, Derrick Evans, posted a video of himself participating in the invasion of the Capitol. He announced on Facebook, “Today’s a test run.”
Dear Alan,
Concerning the murder in Charlottesville, President Trump, when saying that there were good people on both sides, went on to say that he is not referring to white supremacists and racists, whom he strongly condemned. In a later press conference, he clarified his statement further by saying there are people who simply do not think statues should be removed. I am a northerner and hate slavery, like the Chinese slaves who make Nike products…the Uighurs. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/22/world-is-legally-obliged-to-pressure-china-on-uighurs-leading-lawyers-say. I would also remove Lee’s statue, but it should be done through legal actions, such as by a vote or by petitioning the city counsel.
I listened to some of President Trump’s speech on the 6th and heard him tell the crowd to go to the Capitol. Of the thousands of people in attendance, I doubt they took that to mean they should break into the capitol. I did not take it that way. He never told them to do that. There were some lawbreakers, but they should not define the rest of the law abiding citizens any more than a cop killer or arsonist should define a Black Lives Matter march.
Thank you,
Larry
Larry,
It’s difficult to take Trump’s statements literally because his syntax is so haphazard. On Aug 15, 2017, he did try to distinguish between peaceful protesters against removal of the Lee statue and the violent ones. His later statements are often more carefully phrased than his gut reaction, after he’s been coached by his handlers. The similarity between Charlottesville and DC on Jan 6 is the context. We have access to the traffic on social media. The rhetoric of the Unite the Right organizers is very ugly. They were not opposing the removal of a statue, but advocating the removal of Jews and Blacks. They will not “replace us,” they chanted. ** I see no parallel between the Chinese enslavement of the Uighurs and Americans who resist dealing with the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow laws (actual and implicit) in this country. ** The events of Jan 6 resemble those of Charlottesville, again, not as much through the careful parsing of Trump’s words as from the prehistory on social media and the succession of Tweets he issued after losing the election. There may have been peaceful protesters outside the Capitol on January 6, but there were plenty –not just a radical fringe– breaking windows, pushing back police officers, and chanting hateful chants against specific people who were inside. I have protested in the streets several times in my life, but never behind a Confederate flag, nor would I ever. However peaceful such a demonstration might be, that flag disqualifies it for me. ** Killing. It is wrong to kill both for cops and for rioters. Cop killing is wrong. Cops killing suspects to whom due process is owed is also wrong. I think the doctrine that presumes immunity for the police has led to great evil. ** You are right to observe that stigmatizing whole groups on the basis of a few individuals is a horrible tendency among humans. Stereotypes impede critical thinking. People are not wrong or evil just because they are other. Debate is a good way to overcome difference.
You reminded us of the NRA’s argument that citizens need guns not to serve in a militia, but to resist “jack-booted thugs” from the government who would impose Washington’s will on a defenseless, subject population.”
So, the “thugs” turn out to be delusional, violent, and destructive rioters in collusion with the President to overturn an American election. Where is the the Deep State?
Could the Deep State here be authorities in collusion with Trump?
The Donald has always and consistently accused other people of thinking his own thoughts and scheming his own schemes.
My concern with this general Trumpism is that it is often sanitized as another manifestation of the rivalry between the left and the right. I strongly believe that the basis of the over 74 million votes for Trump is racial. Trump always knew the depth and the reality of the racial divide in America and he effectively exploited it to his advantage. I need to be convinced that the majority of the rural uneducated whites are politically sophisticated enough to base their choice to vote for Trump on some conservative political ideas. As Americans, just like Trump, we must admit and confront the fact that racism remains an integral and demonstrative aspect of the American way of life. If we continue to couch the manifest ills of the society as a struggle between liberal or progressive and conservative ideologies, I would not be surprised at the emergence of another form of Trumpism, but this time a smarter, more dangerous and destructive one. The ideology of racism is bound to endure as long as racial stratification persists in our society. By definition, racism is the belief that one race is superior relative to another race and that explains or justifies the inequalities in the society based on race. If we believe that racial inequality exists in the society it would follow that the society is still racially stratified. Racial inequality is clearly demonstrated in the implementation of law enforcement. I think only Americans hesitate to admit to the deep racial divide of our society and its manifest consequences, but this is not lost on outsiders.
Of course you are right. I was assuming white supremacy is a fundamental part of rightwing ideology, but I should make the difference clear. From now on, I will. They are complementary elements.
Dear Alan
Thank you for your clearly defined roll out of events surrounding the assault on the Capital. I agree with the previous comment that you should send it to major publications. Your words reflect honesty and objectivity. This morning I read a very disturbing piece in the NYTimes entitled, “As Trump Reels, Fox News Has a Message for Viewers: Stick With Us” by Michael M Grynbaum. The kind of reporting Fox has been doing since its beginning, I feel, is one of the greatest threats to our democracy. Although the holder of the office of the Presidency of the U.S. is always referred to as, ‘the leader of the free world’, implying that the holder is the one with the greatest power, this in Trump’s case is not true. I think rather, that distinction belongs to Rupert Murdoch. Trump will go, Murdoch his greatest enabler, will stay. We’ve got a deeply serious erosion in our society that is continually, via Fox News, being bombarded daily, hourly, by complete falsehoods — lies of many colors. This broadcast corporation cares about nothing but huge profits and power over the limited capabilities of millions of people who religiously watch this virulent sewage every day. I have, at this time, no idea how we are going to combat this threat, but I feel it must be brought to some kind of comeuppance and exposure for what it truly is. Until then we will continue fighting an uphill battle against this propaganda until this monstrous creator of distortions, this factory of lies pumped from a well of hatred, is put down.
Alan, It is very helpful to chronicle the history of people finding reasons to dislike or abuse other kinds of people and to reflect on the causes. It is especially important to recognize that racism, fascism and bigotry didn’t start with nor will it end with the Trump Administration. See Fiddler on the Roof and recall the actions of the Pharaohs. Your article makes excellent points but ends two paragraphs too soon. Where do we go from here and what actions need to be taken to make this horrible state of the nation ultimately better? What actions can be taken, short and long term? What can be learned or re-learned. How do we reach our neighbors in our communities to find common ground and mutual respect? Most of us know where we are. We just haven’t found the secret sauce to ensure a better future. I think of this week as the start of a long pendulum swing back from the most disheartening toward sanity, empathy and a United States. Kind of a “darkest before the dawn” scenario. The results in Georgia are the new beginning. The actions at the Capital will flush out the dire need for solutions and leadership. Let’s use both these high and low points to build back better the country we wish to be. Thank you for helping move the pendulum forward on its new path.
Rick says my article ends two paragraphs too soon. The question is not “How did we get here?” but “Where do we go from here?” I intend a more complete answer in another post, but for now, here it is. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. From here on out, every policy we implement should be aimed at enhancing equal opportunity. The Declaration of Independence asserts that governments are instituted to promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Fourteenth Amendment promised due process and equal protection under the law to all persons. These statements translate into equal opportunity. Although equal opportunity is not a new phrase or a new goal, it is time to turn our attention anew to that ideal. It is a cure for systemic racism, inequality of wealth, and all that stems from ignorance. [More later]
Hi Alan, A strong and clear piece. Thank you.
I think it was Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend who was the suspect, not Taylor.
Best regards,
Jane
Here is some info from the Louisville Courier Journal’s fact-sheet/blog about the case. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/16/breonna-taylor-fact-check-7-rumors-wrong/5326938002/ “The search warrant for Taylor’s home includes her street address, apartment number and photos of her apartment door, which police later broke using a battering ram. Taylor’s name, birth date and social security number are listed on the warrant, alongside the names of the narcotics investigation’s main targets, Jamarcus Glover and Adrian Walker.” Kenneth Walker, Breonna’s boyfriend was living in the apartment, but not officially a tenant. Perhaps that’s why he’s not named on the warrant. More relevant is Breonna’s connection to a previous boyfriend who was also a suspect.
Very well stated. Thank you
The Capitol police should have been prepared. There were plenty of warnings. All of Congress was there and the Vice President. Their job is to protect them and the building, and they failed mightily. Did Trump or one of his minions tell the National Guard or the Virginia and Maryland police to stay out of the way? This was a massive failure of their duty.
For more detail on what we can only take to be connivance from above, see this post from Heather Cox Richardson.
Alan, again I’m proud of you! I didn’t know in our days commuting to GA that you would be a deep political thinker & publisher.
I am pleased that Twitter & Facebook are showing some courage. But I sure share your concern for the future! Especially worried about Inauguration!
Bless you. Keep at it!
Dick Danehower
You are so right Alan. What a predicament this country finds itself in. I will resume supporting the Southern Poverty Law Center which I believe Ethel Kennedy was involved in. It will take a strong resolve on the part of our government and citizens to turn things around.
Noelle
Dear Alan
This is a thoughtful, I would say magisterial, representations of events. I urge you to send it to the NYT, the WSJ, or somewhere (anywhere) where it can receive greater readership. I am presently composing a letter (along with fellow alums) of my undergraduate college to remove the distinctions they have given to Giuliani who graduated in ’65, three years ahead of me. I feel strongly that we must strike these fascist criminals hard. As many as possible of the thugs who attacked the Capitol must go to jail!