The treason has only just begun

 

The FBI has sent out a warning of at least three further acts of political intimidation involving potential violence- perhaps lethal violence-  planned by the lunatic right in the next week. 

One plan involves another attack on the Capitol, this time including the assassination of various members of Congress. Another, scheduled for January 17, is supposed to occur in Washington and all 50 state capitals. Weapons are explicitly mentioned in the publicity for "the LARGEST Armed Protest Ever To Take Place On American Soil... (sic)".

Let's be clear about this: we are not talking about protests at all. This kind of thing is not covered by the First Amendment. This is an armed insurrection, a foreseeable result of the president's lies about the free and fair election we had in November having been stolen. Most Republicans, it seems, believe the lies. Some of them like to play with guns, and a few, it seems, also like Molotov cocktails and IEDs.

The Secretary of the Army reports that at least 25 domestic terrorism investigations are underway at the moment. At least 15,000 National Guard troops are being deployed in the nation's capital in the runup to Joe Biden's inauguration. And it's all because of one man.

We will get through this somehow. Let's all pray that it's without further loss of life. But Donald Trump cannot be allowed to continue to subvert our democratic norms and the rule of law. 

As a nation, we need to confront what so many of us have denied: that Trumpism is an existential threat to America. There have to be consequences for antics like Mr. Trump's.

We don't need to remove Trump from office. But at the very least, we need the Senate to ban him from ever holding public office again. It would take only a simple majority of the Senate. He has only eight days left to serve in his term.  There isn't time to remove him. Nor is there a need.

But there is a need for the rest of us to make it as clear as glass that America will not tolerate this kind of fascist crap. And the cowed, frightened members of the administration need to step up in the next week and confront the greatest threat to public safety and domestic tranquility in a lifetime.