The Democrats have the power to act. They should act now, decisively.
The time will come for bipartisanship on some bills in the future.
But first the Democrats need to take firm control of the Senate, and seek bipartisanship in the future when the Republican goals are to solve the country’s problems, and not simply to withhold support for obstructionist and partisan ends.
President Joe Biden, in a new role of news commentator, says it is unlikely 17 Republican Senators will vote to convict Donald Trump at his…
UPDATE: Latest News See, 1) Mike DeBonis, “McConnell relents on Senate rules, signals power-sharing deal with Democrats.” Washington Post, January 25, 2021 (11:14 p.m. EST)….
Anne Applebaum: “Trump’s adventure is over. He will spend the rest of his life in court.”
America seems to be suffering from some kind of collective Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). It is as if the entire nation, having been held captive by a terrorist for four years, cannot believe that the power of the terrorist over them will go away when he is removed from power in two days.
How else can one explain all the speculation in the media about Trump’s continuing political and societal influence after he leaves office at noon on January 20, 2021?
We have witnessed in the last few months numerous acts of political terror, from threats to harm election officials, legislators and their families to the…
Preliminary Draft–sources being checked See, 1) Peggy Noonan, “Liz Cheney Shows What Leadership Looks Like; The sooner Republicans demystify Donald Trump, the better for them…
If any person other than the President of the United States had incited such a riot, with such consequences, he or she would by now have been arrested and put in jail.
Yet Donald Trump is no ordinary criminal. As long as he occupies the office of President of the United States, he poses a uniquely dangerous threat to the country and to American democracy.
Trump is a criminal who is armed and dangerous, and on the loose.
He should be removed from office immediately.
The question remains of when Trump should be arrested.
If he engages in any actions to further his ongoing attempted coup, he should be immediately arrested and brought before a judge.
In any event, an order for his arrest should be issued, in order to prevent him from fleeing the country.
How and when he should be arrested, if before noon on January 20, 2021, is a delicate issue which all potential actors should now consider on an emergency basis.
Trump must be stopped. NOW. Since he is acting outside the Constitution in organizing an attempted coup, limited actions outside the scope of the Constitution narrowly aimed at restoring the constitutional order, and necessary to secure that end, may be viewed as legitimate.
That means that if Vice-President Michael Pence and the top legislative and military officials determine it is necessary, the authority and powers of the Presidency should be transferred to Pence, and even the arrest and detention of Trump would be justified.
The key point is that the constitutional order has been breached, and even extraordinary measures such as the arrest of Donald Trump would be justified if necessary to re-establish the constitutional order.
A coup d’état is by its very nature a fast-moving event. Those who would defend democracy need to be nimble on their feet and in their thinking, and prepared to act quickly and decisively.
THE HOUSE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, AND IMPEACH TRUMP WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR HOURS.
This is real. The is what the 10 former Secretaries of Defense warned against in their recent Washington Post Op-Ed piece.
Democrats should engage with amateur radio operators in order to guarantee critical communications in the event President Trump uses his secret, classified Emergency Powers to seize communications systems and/or shut down the Internet.
Anyone who watched Trump’s speech to his followers this morning can understand that he is operating in a world of illusions that is totally divorced from reality.
This is not a joke. This is not funny.
This appears to be the real thing, following a carefully scripted plan.
If the demonstrations lead to violence and Trump sends troops or other federal forces in to restore law and order, perhaps invoking the Insurrection Act, who knows what could happen amid the ensuing chaos?
If Trump reports there is a “terrorist threat” to e.g., blow up the Capitol, or undertakes military action against Iran, a military coup could be well underway.
Trump is desperate and unhinged, surrounded by lunatic advisers who have been talking about imposing martial law for weeks.
Democrats and everyone else should take the threat of a Trump attempted military coup seriously.
It is time to mount a full court defense of American democracy.
Trump might not and probably would not succeed in carrying out a military coup. But he is desperate enough and crazy enough to try.
Developing — Check back for updates Donald Trump is continuing with his attempted coup. A number of Republican Senators have now signed on to efforts…
American democrats, including some courageous Republicans, defeated a fascist threat of enormous power and potential.
That should be reason enough for all of us to celebrate the year of 2020, and the hope it has spawned, this New Year’s Eve, with great joy.
In 2020, American democracy and the Republic were preserved, and the significance of these events will by noted by historians for generations to come.
Americans were sorely tested by the fascist challenge in 2020, and they met the test.
On the risks of a military coup, see David Ignatius, “Until Biden’s win is certified, the U.S. remains vulnerable, Washinbgton Post, December 26, 2020 (4:51…
It is terrifying to realize that you are a passenger on a ship full of stupid and selfish people, who are running the ship while the titular leaders are either indifferent or too afraid to try to lead them.
First, because it is occupied territory it is far from clear that the U.S. extradition treaty with Israel would be held to apply. In any event, if an extradition request were made to Israel, the treaty’s dubious applicability to the occupied territories would offer Trump and his co-conspirators ample opportunity for litigation and delay–and, if need be, escape.
Second, if Trump becomes the object of an extradition request, or an INTERPOL “red ticket” for his arrest, should his West Bank settlement refuge become risky, he can always slip over the border into Saudi Arabia.
…
If Saudi Arabia represents a strong and secure fall-back location for Trump and his co-conspirators, the West Bank represents a huge potential for real-estate and other developments by Trump and his minions.
One can easily imagine one or more West Bank Trump Tower and Golf Resorts in the West Bank. The weather is ideal during the winter months in Europe, which is a relatively short plane ride away (six or seven hours from Paris).
…
But it is time to act. The clock is ticking.
Should we be afraid of what Trump might do in the waning days of his presidency!
ABSOLUTELY. WE SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AFRAID.
This is not a joke.
Trump reportedly discussed with the duo (Michael Lynn and Sidney Powell) Flynn’s idea of declaring martial law and having the military “rerun” the election — or, failing that, appointing Powell as a special counsel to probe (nonexistent) election fraud.
…Never before in U.S. history has there been a record of a president discussing a military coup to stay in office. Is there any doubt that if Trump could find any active-duty generals willing to carry out this plot against America, he would give it the go-ahead? In this instance, all that is preserving the Constitution is the military’s fidelity to the rule of law.
–Max Boot
There is, however, one possible consideration that could have weighed in Austin’s favor in Biden’s thinking. If Biden were concerned about the possibility of Trump’s involving the military in his attempted coup d’état, the choice of Austin would make eminent good sense.
***
By his appointments, Biden is revealing himself to be a transitional President. He wants, and perhaps needs, a trusted coterie of advisers to help him steer his way through the next four years.
By proceeding with these appointments, despite strong criticims and even the potential negative impacts on the Georgia Senate run-off elections, he is showing himself to be what he promised: steady, consistent, and loyal to his principal supporters.
In a transitional administration, that may be enough.
Yet if he waits to depart Washington until after he is no longer President, one extremely important question remains:
Will he make it to the airport?
To gain a fuller understanding of the complex relocation decisions Trump will face after noon on January 20, read our series on “Where can Trump go to escape the law?” These articles, which contain analysis and advice from a serious international lawyer, would cost Trump thousands of dollars were he to pay for them.
Together, they amount to a kind of “Extradition for Dummies” textbook.
Will Trump make it to the airport?
Leaving washington, traveling to Mar-a-Lago?
Leaving Mar-a-Lago, traveling to the Bahamas?
Leaving the Bahamas, traveling to Havana, to transfer to a direct flight to Moscow?
“If Trump is trying to execute a coup d’état and you won’t speak up, what kind of leader can you ever hope to be?”
