More and more this feels like a proper, organized coup. The rioters who were prepared for stronger resistance and had zip ties, the methodical way they went about this, the cops in the crowd. That one cop that's being chased is leading folks to where he thought (and there should have been) a whole bunch of cops. But then he gets up there and finds himself alone at a door that is never unguarded.
This is what I've been saying and feeling since I watched this unfold live on Wednesday... how is it possible they got so far so fast with so little resistance? I also read this morning that rioters breached the House floor at 2:16 pm, one minute after Capitol Police had finished escorting everyone to safety.
Gallows erected outside, reports of people talking about assassinations, chants of "Hang Mike Pence"... not a good look for the MAGA crowd at all.
And why did it take so long for cops or the National Guard to show up? Who was pulling the strings there?
What was Trump doing, like... minute by minute... as this unfolded?
It's such a weird feeling... I feel like we lived through another 9/11 of sorts? That's what it feels like in my guts, anyway. I also feel conflicted... that something needs to be done now and he needs to be removed from office or forced to resign, but I'm also aware that everything needs to be set up for as smooth a transition to Biden's administration as is possible and he needs to be given space to act quickly on his priorities in the first 100 days.
I guess my fear is the longer consequences for this are held off, the more time Trump and his team/apologists/supporters have to change the narrative... although, this one's gonna be mighty tough for them to change, you know, given that they're domestic terrorists at this point.