The enormity of what happened at the Capitol on Wednesday became clearer on Thursday, which spread and deepened the epiphany. Now eyewitness accounts begin to suggest the violence not seen in those absurd images, as the narrative timeline begins to take shape. Though accounts still conflict, it seems clear that the entire US Congress--and the top three officials in direct line of succession for the presidency--were in danger for hours, while those in the federal government tasked with protecting them dithered and disappeared.
Consequences have begun. The House and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms were asked to resign and did, and under fire from his own rank and file, the chief of the Capitol Police resigned effective January 16. Meanwhile the suspicion of collusion with the rioters grew. More people pointed out the obvious racism that was a factor. Attention presumably turns to the Defense Department, Homeland Security, FBI and Secret Service.
Epiphany reveals the enormity of the sedition by Trump and others in his orbit, as well as the legislators whose seditious lies led to the violence--and then continued after it. The metaphor of the day at the NY Times was the fever (David Brooks) or the spell (Michelle Goldberg) breaking. So such previously synchophantic outlets as the Wall Street Journal joined the Times, Washington Post and today's USA Today in calling for Trump's immediate ouster. (The Journal begged for resignation, the others for the 25th amendment or impeachment.) Speaker of the House Pelosi and Senate minority Leader Schumer both called for the 25th amendment, but failing that, started the wheels in motion for impeachment.
Out of the long list of congressional co-conspirators, Thursday's fire was focused on the two most prominent: Ted Cruz, the Texas Opportunist, and especially Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, whose announced intention to dispute the integrity of the vote jumpstarted the sedition in Congress. In one day, Hawley had one of his biggest supporters (former Senator Danforth) say that backing him had been the worst mistake of his long life, and one of his biggest funders call on the Senate to censure him for "provoking yesterday's riot." His state's two largest and most influential newspapers--the Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, called for his resignation. "Trumpism must die before it morphs into Hitlerism," the Post-Dispatch wrote. Plus Hawley lost his major New York publisher and book contract. The Missouri newspapers echoed conservative columnist George Will who called for the political obliteration of Cruz and Hawley. Together with Trump, Will wrote: "Each will wear a scarlet S as a seditionist."
Morning Joe's epic rant also called for the immediate arrest of Trump, Guliani and Trump, Jr. for inciting violence at the rally that directly preceded the terrorist invasion. Meanwhile, another folk metaphor suggested itself--rats leaving a sinking ship--as two cabinet secretaries resigned in protest, and nobody cared. Several national security officials who had let it be known they were considering quitting, let it be known that their retired counterparts begged them to stay, lest the national security of the United States fall into the hands of the equivalent of AlwaysTrump cabin boys, like the teenage appointees Trump installed elsewhere in the government as loyalty bots.
The list of formerly complicit Republicans jumping off the bandwagon and calling for accountability also grew--Peggy Noonan (calling for Trump's removal), Nikki Haley, John Kelly, Mike Mulveny, even Lindsey Graham.
Trump awoke long enough to issue a hostage video in which he acknowledged a new administration (he couldn't say whose) would take office on January 20, and he would work for a peaceful transition. This attempt to short circuit efforts to oust him didn't work as well as it did in confusing and angering his mob of true believers.
Besides ongoing questions about what really happened on Wednesday, two questions about the immediate future surfaced Thursday: first, will Trump try to pardon himself (probably yes), and will that stick (probably no)? The compelling constitutional argument--and current Justice Department guidance--says that he can't, because no one can be a judge in their own case. A more thorough and practical analysis in the Atlantic is pretty persuasive that if Trump tries to use it to evade giving prosecutors information or to quash an indictment, it will be challenged and ultimately lose in the Supreme Court. Yes, betrayed again!
The second question is can either the 25th amendment or, more likely now, impeachment be accomplished in time to matter? That's what will be the topic of the day behind the scenes on Friday, with the core question: will impeachment and conviction at least legally prevent Trump from running again?
Meanwhile, more than 3800 Americans died as a result of the covid crisis on Wednesday, setting yet another new one day record. And it was broken on Thursday, when officially more than 4,000 died. Vaccine supplies continue to be hung up by the federal government. Here in Humboldt, our public health officer said that the county has the capacity to vaccinate many more people in a short time if more vaccine made its way here. Getting through the next two weeks until the new administration takes dramatic action--and however long it takes for that action to result in more vaccine--is the task and the challenge we all face.
All of this will put to the test what Rep. Conor Lamb of Allegheny County PA said in his fiery speech on the House floor Wednesday night (in which he called out Republican lies, which so enraged one of the Republican liars that he was escorted off the floor): "We want this government to work more than they want it to fail."
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