Donald Trump and his band of brainless supporters on January 6 will try to overthrow the election and return the defeated president to the White House in an attempted coup d'état that should result in charges of treason.
Much has been written about the expected effort by a small group of Trump's Republican loyalists to use what usually is a pro forma official counting of the Electoral College votes as a way to invalidate Joe Biden's election.
The focus has been on who would do what?
Which House Republicans will join Reps. Mo Brooks (AL) and Jim Jordan (OH) in objecting to the electors from a given state? Will they have the support of at least one Republican senator, required to force debate and an ultimate vote by Congress? Likely suspects are incoming Sens. Tommy Tuberville (AL), Rand Paul (KY) and Ron Johnson (WI).
What will Vice President Mike Pence do as he chairs that session? Will he shut down this hopeless gambit, or will he let it continue until it plays out in defeat, thus extending the trauma for the nation?
(Washington Post explanation of how this session will work)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has discouraged GOP senators from joining the revolt and giving the House Republicans the support needed to advance their effort in Congress. A number of other GOP senators have said they will oppose any effort to overturn the election, including Mitt Romney and Mike Lee (UT), Mike Braun (IN), Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK).
But most of their arguments have been based on the political ramifications of being caught in the crosshairs of such a vote. Should they support Trump's last ditch scheme and avoid the consequences of his wrath? Or should they oppose it, recognizing that it is hopeless, and support the sanctity of the electoral process while preserving the Constitution of the United States?
Unfortunately, it seems that bald political considerations are what primarily are at play here. What are the "optics"? How would it look to their supporters? Can they afford to incur Trump's wrath and risk being "primaried", as he has promised to do to Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who joined McConnell in urging senators not to join the uprising, saying it will go down "like a shot dog."
Meanwhile, Trump's constant and repeated charges that the election was rigged against him, that there was massive fraud, that Biden stole the election, are being believed by his die hard supporters, and he has encouraged them to come to Washington January 6 to join in a "wild" demonstration in his support.
Who knows what will come of that rally when the ultimate decision is announced and the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris has finally been made official. Trump thrives on such chaos and loves the idea of all those red MAGA hats rallying in his support. Remember his call to the Proud Boys white supremacist group, ""stand back and stand by" in late September? No doubt they will be doing more than standing by in Washington on Jan. 6.
Do all of these supporters — and Trump's backers in Congress — who claim to be America-loving patriots — understand that supporting Trump's coup attempt jeopardizes the independence they claim to cherish?
Do they not understand the consequences of overturning a legitimate election? Do they not realize that Donald Trump, if returned to the presidency after all of this, would be an uncontrollable tyrant, an absolute dictator who would run roughshod over the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution, of which he has no understanding or regard?
And, finally, do they not understand that as they sacrifice and contribute to his so-called election defense fund, they are actually enriching Trump and his crime family — even as many of them face rough times because of the Covid pandemic, which Trump has virtually ignored?
All of this amounts to another giant con that Trump is attempting to perpetrate on the American people. Once it is over, once he is finally gone from the presidency, he needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Trump is a traitor to our country.