J6

It was so much worse than we thought. That is all I can think of as I watch the previously unreleased video of the attack on the Capitol. I haven’t been so firmly glued to a TV set since Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. That was absolutely riveting. Sadly, I know that there are many people who will refuse to watch or listen to any of this testimony; and I know that there are more people who will watch or listen and refuse to be convinced. Rather, I think that they’ll claim to remain unconvinced. I think–rather, I hope–that there must be many former Trump supporters who know the truth now, but they’re afraid to admit that they know. No one likes to admit that they were wrong, especially if they were monstrously wrong in a very public way, and I hope that people will be kind enough to allow people to admit their mistake in supporting Trump, without recriminations or mockery. Well, without too many recriminations or too much mockery. 

But the hardcore supporters remain, and they’re more dug in than ever. They still support this man who danced a happy little dance at a gun worshiper convention days after the mass shooting that killed 19 children. If they didn’t turn their back on Trump after that little performance, they are pretty much willing to follow him to hell at this point. 

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It’s Tuesday now. The Monday hearings took place during the work day, so I was able to listen a little bit, but I had a lot of work to do and couldn’t give the broadcast my full attention. I’m very interested to learn which Republican members of Congress, other than Rep. Scott Perry, pre-emptively asked for pardons. Because innocent people don’t ask for pardons before they’re even charged with a crime, or at least that’s how it seems to me. 

What I’m not interested in is giving Mike Pence one single shred of credit for doing the right thing on January 6, 2021. He did the right thing because he couldn’t figure out how to get away with doing the wrong thing. And even if that wasn’t true, but it is, he still enabled Donald Trump for four-plus years. He knew who Trump was. They all knew who he was and no one more so than Bill Barr, who might be trying to salvage what remains of his reputation OR who might be trying to help Donald Trump make a credible insanity plea. Both Pence and Barr (and McConnell and McCarthy and the rest of them) knew that Donald Trump was a lying, thieving, grifting traitor and they stood aside and did nothing about it because Trump was a conduit to power for them. I only hope that they feel one tiny bit of the shame that they have all earned. But they probably don’t. 

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It’s Wednesday now, and I had been looking forward to Day 3, now postponed until next week. Instead, I’m watching the evening news coverage of Rep. Loudermilk’s “tour group,” including the scary Hitler-hair dude who took photos of architectural features and historical artifacts such as security cameras and stairways and underground tunnels and passageways. Was the Capitol building not closed to tourists altogether in January 2021, because of COVID? I think it was. And I think that if Rep. Loudermilk really didn’t know the people who appear in this appalling video, then he would not have denied actually leading this little group through the building when initially questioned, rather than now acknowledging that he did in fact lead the group but claiming that they’re just a bunch of randos from his district, no one special, no one he’s ever met before. 

I don’t know, Congressman. That doesn’t sound right to me. I just don’t know. 

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It’s Thursday now. I listened to the hearings from my desk for a little bit, but I had some meetings and some deadlines and I missed most of the live testimony. I caught up later, and I’m now even less impressed with Mike Pence’s actions than I was before. And I wasn’t impressed at all before. The thing is, despite claims from his staff members (and why didn’t he testify himself, btw) that his “first instinct” was to stand up for democracy and the rule of law, that was not his first instinct at all. His first instinct was to wait it all out. His first instinct was to call Dan Quayle (not the FBI) and ask if there was any way that he could pacify and indulge Donald Trump, and still remain within the law. His first instinct was to figure out how to avoid a sedition rap yet still remain a viable candidate for future office. His first instinct was self-preservation. In his way, he’s worse than the trumped-up trumpity trumpster lunatics like MTG and the rest of those nuts. At least they’re coming from a place of integrity. At least they believe their own lies. 

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But you know what? I’m still glad that the mob didn’t get to Pence. Because they absolutely 100 percent would have killed him. 

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This week kind of reminds me of the days immediately following January 6 or September 11. Everyone was glued to their radios or TVs or (now) their phones, not knowing if the worst was over or if the attacks would continue in some form. Now I’m obsessively checking the news, anticipating the next revelation. Who’s coming forward with some new bombshell? Who’s going to spill some hot tea all over the place? Maybe it’ll be Ginni Thomas, who claims to be “eager” to cooperate. Let’s see if she’s just as eager to raise her right hand, place her left hand on the Bible that she claims to love, and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Because under oath is the only way I want to hear any words coming out of any of their mouths. 

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My younger son, who is 17, is finishing up his junior year in the IB program at Rockville High School. Unlike his older brother, he is non-political. He cares about his family and friends and his schoolwork and sports (as both a participant and a fan). He loves movies and (to a lesser extent) music. He doesn’t care at all about current events or partisan politics or public policy; and up until yesterday, I think he was heartily sick of me and my J6 obsession. Then last night, he told me that he learned about the Beer Hall Putsch in his history class. “I get why January 6 is such a big deal now.” 

A big deal indeed. And if there are no consequences, the Reichstag fire is next.