January 6, 2021 WORDS MATTER
(updates are posted at the bottom of the page)
EVENTS of the DAY
===1PM=Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Proceeding in Washington DC Capitol began at 1 p.m. (EST) They came together to count the state’s certified votes and declare the next president of the USA. Senate Majority Leader McConnell gave a factual, solid, future-looking speech about how there is no basis to stop the Electoral College’s vote, or disrupt the Constitution. == Despite pressure by Trump, VP Pence clearly stated that he has no authority or reason to overturn the vote (and was condemned for his statement on the president twitter postings). ==Ted Cruse stood up to protest and got applause. ==No evidence has been provided to prove there were irregularities in the November voting in the US. And, all states certified the results. This session is a ceremonial counting of the Electoral votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
====Shortly after 2p.m. they got word that protestors stormed the Capitol, and they started to remove people and asked others to shelter-in-place. This borders on a coup attempt.
====The U.S. Capitol was put on lockdown after Trump rioting supporter breached the grounds.
====Republican & Democrats BOTH condemn the riot 100%. And they DO want to vote ASAP and accept/certify the votes (and are just waiting for it to be secure/safe) They ARE staying there, into the night.
====3PM: There are “capitol police”–and the mayor has called in the city police–and the 2 neighboring states (Maryland, and VA) have sent their police. –they have requested guard/troops too, but it needs to be approved. == There were reports that Trump “rebuffed” efforts to call in the national guard. Later in the day, various Blacks asked why it was alright for him to immediately jump on wanting to send them out to cities, who did not even want them, when there were “thugs and rioters” in the Black Lives Matter protests.
Trump’s initial tweet talked about the November election fraud and asked the protestors to respect the police; but he also said “We love you” to them. He said they were “very special people” and he backed their cause, they should “go home in peace.” All the Repub & Dem legislators speaking on tv etc.—said that they are strongly condemning it – saying that the President’s words have meaning and incited the rioting.
The city announced a 6 pm curfew, so that is when we may see destructive trouble.
Senator McCarthy reported that he visited the clinic where police were being treated, and that the police said the people who are beating them up have “evil” in their eyes — that they are not protestors, but people out to cause trouble or fights—dozens of police are in the emergency clinic.
Photos show damage inside the Capitol and some have entered House Majority Leader Pelosi’s office… outside the police are beginning to stop more from coming up the some of the stairs.
====3:30PM The anti-defamation league just listed all the terrorist * White Supremist groups that are there (incl. Proud Boys) — similar to the bold SCarolina marchers going right thru town — but this time thru the halls of the Capitol. They have said in the past and today that their goal was to have armed unrest in the streets. *UPDATE* The FBI states that there was no evidence that Antifa was involved in the riot.
====4PM=(6pm-WashDC, EST)= 1100 DC national guards and Virginia 600 national guards bus loads arrive (unarmed). The inside of Capitol building is declared “secure.” All who are still on the street will be arrested. There is a solid perimeter. It was noted that the national guard wore law enforcement gear, and not military uniforms.
==The Electoral College count resumed in the Capitol about two hours later, at 8 pm. Sessions last past midnight, but all matters are resolved and voted on.
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===President Trump’s protest against the election results: Background: Since the election in November, the president spread baseless protests against the US citizens’ voting results in choosing President-Elect Joe Biden and spreading conspiracy theories. VP Pence and other legislators have stood by him, no matter what he said. This may be a bookend to Charlottesville. The president tweeted recently about the election being stolen and that the protest in Washington was going to be “wild.” The day of the riot, he tweeted twice and briefly asked people to be peaceful and leave, but the majority of the message was about how his presidency was unfairly stolen. He also did a brief video, from the Rose Garden, but it was removed because the conspiracies and lies stated were against the two social media’s rules. He later tweeted a brief note again about his loss, and he praised “great patriots” who were at the riot.
*UPDATE* Trump has been banned from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In an effort to stop his supporters from joining him on Parler, the APP can no longer be downloaded from Amazon, Apple,or Google, due to violence inciting content.
===Pres-Elect Biden spoke about the difference of what was happening in Washington vs. what Democracy is. He condemned the riots, and directed to Trump, “I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution and demand an end to this siege,” and that democracy was “under unprecedented assault.”
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Results: The last time a terrorist attack brought all people in America together was the 9/11 attack; will this result in the same “united United States.” ==Reporters are saying that this incident may have broken Trump’s “can’t touch me” myth, and we will probably see most legislators no longer blindly agree with him, in fear of retaliation. ==Many are talking about (1) impeachment (for inciting the attack) (2) Censure, or (3) applying the 25th Amendment (that he is not mentally “fit” to be president). == The mob participants have done constitutional violations, and city and federal violations, and felonies will result. It will take time to track some of them down, but it will be done. Their faces were recorded by many on videos. ==The city was put on lockdown until a day after the Inauguration.
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Trump had a rally in the morning claiming a fraudulent election. He said “We have to show strength and march together” to Washington. Although, later in the day, he watched from his windows in the White House.
Ex-NY mayor and now Trump’s personal attorney Giuliani incited the crowd by saying, It’s time to have trial by combat. That the rioters were “on the right side of history.”
Trump’s son further made threats to the legislators who did not side with Trump by saying “We’re coming for you.”
Trump told people to go and march on Washington, and said it was going to be “wild.”
“The voters, the courts, the states — they’ve all spoken. They’ve all spoken. If we overrule them, it would damage our republic forever,” McConnell said in his first speech in the afternoon. “This election actually was not unusually close. Just in recent history, 1976, 2000 and 2004 were all closer than this one.”
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Comments by legislators at the end of the day: == ‘’In America we overcome rioters and thugs. We talk it out. We disagree. We are fellow Americans.” “Our political opponents are not our enemies.” “This false allegation of voter fraud…this is something you see in “unstable third world countries.” It “threatens lives of public officials.” == They are doing “great criminal acts in the name of patriotism. They desegrated” the constitution. == Republican Senator Mick Romney got the biggest applause with his speech: For any who still insist on an audit… “no congressional audit is ever going to convince these voters, particularly when the president is going to continue to say the election was stolen. The best way we can show respect for the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth.” That Biden won and Trump lost. He said it was caused by “a selfish man’s injured pride.” == Republican Senate Majority Speaker Mitch McConnell said that “the vote today is the most important in my 36 years of service.” (compare that to having voted twice for wars, and twice for impeachments). “We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation.” He continued: “The United States and the United States Congress have faced down much greater threats than the unhinged crowd we saw today. … They tried to disrupt our democracy; they failed. They failed.” … “This institution is resilient. Our democratic republic is strong.” ==Republican Senator Lindsay Graham (4th term) concluded “Trump and I have had a hell of a journey” but, “count me out, enough is enough.” ==Republican House Minority Leader McCarthy: “We are all American first. We should stand together in condemnation of the mob.” “The US Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of the Senate by thugs…unhinged crowd we saw today.” ==Republican House Minority Leader McCarthy, “Now is the moment to show America we can work best together.” “Mobs don’t’ rule America; laws do.” Which got a big applause. ==Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, “We must show to the country and the world” …”To those who strove to deter us from our responsibility, you have failed.” She quoted some Christian hopeful pieces. Her pin quoted one that Lincoln promoted: “One country, One Destiny.” ==Republican VP Mike Pence said that “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today: You did not win.” … “Violence never wins. Freedom wins.” … “We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest terms.” We have “assembled again in the very same day.” This is an act of terrorism. ==Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, said this will be “a day that will live in infamy. ”This temple to democracy was desecrated.” This will be a “legacy of the president of the United States.”
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******UPDATES*****
Deaths: Four people died as a violent mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters occupied the U.S. Capitol Wednesday. One was a woman who was shot by the U.S. Capitol Police, as well as three others who died in “medical emergencies.” Additionally, a police officer was hit with a fire extinguisher, and later died of a heart attack at the hospital.
Weapons Confiscated: 2 functioning pipe bombs, 11 Molotov cocktails; 5 firearms, including an assault rifle.
Arrests: approximately 50. The DC Police and FBI and other authorities are posting images of alleged criminals online for the public to identify, to help in arrests. The FBI field office also posted an image of a suspect who may have placed pipe bombs at both Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters on Wednesday, posting a $50,000 reward. “Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in yesterday’s siege of the Capitol,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement Thursday.
Social Media == Trump’s Accounts: The president used of the social media platforms to spread misinformation, stir grievance and incite violence. Both Twitter and Facebook temporarily blocked Trump for the first time, including SnapChat and Instagram. Facebook blocked him for 15 days, and then later stated it would be indefinitely. “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. On Thursday, when the 12-hour lock on his Twitter account expired, Trump tweeted — giving a written statement criticizing the mob and promising a “smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power.” In a separate tweet, he said that he would not be attending Biden’s inauguration on January 20. *UPDATE* Trump has been banned from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In an effort to stop his supporters from joining him on Parler, the APP can no longer be downloaded from Amazon, Apple,or Google, due to violence inciting content.
Amendment 25: Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent VP Pence a request the next day to remove Trump from office due to his failure of mental capacity to run the office, by using hte Amendment 25.
Impeachment: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is gathering what is needed to file an Impeachment of Trump in the House, and remove him from office, over his role in inciting the violent mob attack on the U S Capitol, unless he resigns immediately. “Today, following the president’s dangerous and seditious acts, Republicans in Congress need to follow that example (Nixon) and call on Trump to depart his office — immediately,” she wrote. “If the president does not leave office imminently and willingly, the Congress will proceed with our action.”
Consensus: News shows, talk shows, political show, newspapers and magazines appear to almost unanimously say that Trump has been inciting his followers to riot against the Capitol since the November Election, and is the reason the attack happened. And, on the day of the event, that he did almost nothing to stop them, or condemn them, but praised them and gave them good greetings. (see above quotes) == *UPDATE* Article in Vanity Fair: In the Wake of Insurrection, the Nation’s Newspapers Excoriate Trump En Masse Across the left and right, editorial boards demanded accountability from Trump—and enablers like Josh Hawley—for the U.S. Capitol siege. “It’s extremely unusual,” says one ex-editorial page editor, to get widespread agreement “both on the outrage of what happened and the causes.”
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Colorado: There were protestors in front of the Colorado capitol building, and Denver Mayor Hancock closed the municipal buildings early. ==New senator from Colorado Lauren Boebert protested the vote count in Washington D.C. today. She was one of the six who continued their protest, out of the original 13. ==Senator Jason Crow was one of six people in the Senate thanked for working with the Capitol Police to keep people safe when the rioters were at the Senate doors. == Many are calling for the resignation of Lauren Boebert, R-Rifle and Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, for their actions in the Capitol on Wednesdays. A Thursday letter signed by state and local Democrats to them demanded their resignation for their role in what took place in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, stating that they “have betrayed the trust of Colorado voters by helping incite violence against the body you were elected to, a body designed to serve us. By endorsing the president’s unsubstantiated and repeatedly debunked, discredited, and false claims of voter fraud, you encouraged and tacitly endorsed the actions of these terrorists and threatened the basic foundation of our democracy.”
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