Probably his daughter.
BTW I’ve read that Trump and Pence are not speaking to each other.
Not if he is in jail for tax evasion, fraud, sexual assault etc etc!
Oh yes?
Apart from this…
(as reported in the Washington Post , including sad comments by Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) who started to pick up rubbish when he went to look at the aftermath. )
Doors with bashed-out glass windows.
American flags and splinters of historic furniture scattered with gloves and cigarette butts and the powdery residue left behind by fire extinguishers.
Garbage and debris everywhere, all of it all over the statues, all over the floor, including alarming items such as body armor.
Metal benches that were just broken to pieces.
A lot of things were broken to pieces, or pilfered, or defaced. Windows and door frames, a photo of the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis that had stood on an easel outside of the office of House Majority Leader.
The office of the Senate parliamentarian was ransacked. A bust of President Zachary Taylor was smeared with what appeared to be blood.
Seven pieces of historically significant art were covered in “corrosive gas agent residue
A 19th-century gold mirror in Speaker Pelosi’s office was smashed.
Graffiti on the building near the Inaugural Stands and two broken Olmsted light fixtures
A Florida man in a ski cap made off with the House speaker’s lectern.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-capitol-mob-desecrated-a-historical-workplace--and-left-behind-some-disturbing-artifacts/2021/01/08/e67b3c88-51d1-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html
and they stole computers and other items…
I guess you’ve never had your house or office ransacked or violated in this way (not have I thankfully) but I know people who have and their devastation at being abused in such a way is not something to pass off lightly 
4 Likes
Speaker Pelosi’s laptop was stolen: believe that this was not the only device removed.
The files from that were posted onto Google a few hours ago.
Now reported to the FBI and Google.
2 Likes
So you don’t think multiple prosecutions and lawsuits won’t do that?
Since when did being in jail stop anything! Firstly, it will take YEARS to get him there. Secondly, among his disciples that will only be further confirmation of his martyrdom.
I’m not saying that he shouldn’t be pursued for everything, but I think we are being naïve if we think this dreadful man is going to somehow disappear over these next four years.
This may sound harsh, but I think the best possible thing that could happen to Trump is that he deteriorates very fast, like Weinstein. An enfeebled Trump will not be credible to his followers - they need him strong and blustering, not old and decrepit - here’s hoping!
1 Like
Malcom Nance - Counter terrorism expert - disagrees - Malcolm Nance: Capitol insurrection start of 'paramilitary' Trump insurgency - On top of Philly news
As does a French expert in the field - Some among America's military allies believe Trump deliberately attempted a coup and may have had help from federal law enforcement officials
And here are some of the folks who showed up - https://forward.com/news/461612/a-guide-to-the-extremists-and-hate-groups-that-invaded-the-capitol/
4 Likes
Interesting links Sam. There’s a long history of US police and security forces handling right-wing protests with kid gloves, but the left extremely aggressively. I certainly think there was complicity between the Capitol police and the mob - but not sure if it just reflected individual officers’ right-wing sympathies, or those of some minor supervising officer - or planning higher up the chain of command. No doubt there will be an investigation.
I also found this profile of the woman that was sadly shot in the furore interesting, It seems she was very typical of right-wing and religious violent extremists - although it is scary that somebody so out of touch with reality - and who obviously had anger management issues - was in the military for 14 years…
An impressively lucid commentary on a desperately worrying incident, for which I offer my sincere congratulations to you @Robert_Hodge
2 Likes
Too true. I’ve subsequently read more about the invasion.
Yes, I’ve subsequently read more. Lets hope a new administration brings peace.
Perhaps as a result of being in the military? I haven’t read about what service she did, but it could have left her with PTSD to some degree or other?
‘“My sister was a normal Californian,” her brother, Roger Witthoeft, told the New York Times.’
Even if one ignores the obvious oxymoron of there being such a thing as a ‘normal Californian’, it’s still a bit scary as 12% of the US population live in that state!
1 Like
You have to make allowance for the family’s grief - but unless most Californians are active followers of QAnon, have been charged with reckless endangerment, dangerous driving and malicious damage, tweet politics over 50 times a day, etc - I don’t think she could realistically be thought of as ‘normal’.
4 Likes
Happily, 63.5% of ‘normal Californians’ who voted, did so for Joe Biden.
2 Likes
There’s a lot of hysteria over this bunch of mostly white, dumb, paranoid misfits . There was a few thousand protestors gathered, but an estimated 200-300 broke into the Capital building. There was never going to a coup or even attempt at one, most of them didn’t seem to know what they were doing once they got inside. No one, not even the luny President would be thinking of a coup without the support of the armed forces. It was serious but it’s being blown way out of proportion for political purposes and news circulation
It is symptomatic of a state of mind though and it is indicative of intent. I wouldn’t brush it off so easily.
1 Like
‘You shouldn’t take X seriously’ is the misinformation age’s formulation of the pastor’s description of the slide into fascism - ‘When they came for Y, I didn’t speak out.’
The last 5 years of politics have taught us that with each new outrage, the totally implausible is simply the new normal, in hindsight.
3 Likes
Indeed. The history of fascism is replete with examples of ridiculous failures - all fascists are ‘dumb, paranoid misfits’ - but there are circumstances in which that doesn’t stop them eventually gaining power.
2 Likes