Allow me to start by taking you back to the beginning: In 2016 Donald Trump repeatedly said the only way he would lose is if Hillary Clinton/Democrats cheated. (Yes, he lost the popular vote by almost 3 million but won the one that counted) From the beginning of his term he began running for a second term. In time we’d hear, and with increasing frequency that the only way Democrats could beat him in 2020 was to cheat. He was truly afraid of losing, especially if he had to run against one specific person – Joe Biden. So he committed impeachable offenses to try and prevent Biden from even becoming a viable candidate! And he continued saying the only way he could lose would be Democrats cheating.
Trump signaled LONG before November 2024 that he wasn’t about to do what every prior President leaving office (he knew in the summer of 2020 he was going to lose) had done and leave quietly and with dignity. Nope, it was well known in DC and especially in GOP circles that he would fight like hell and use every means at his disposal, fair or unfair, legal or illegal and the full weight of the government he headed to keep someone other than him from taking the Oath of Office in January, 2021.  That would begin with putting regular GOP voter suppression on steroids and cheat to win that way. On top of that, he encouraged states not to start counting early and/or mail in ballots until election day. Some like PA were crucial to him. That way when he was likely to be ahead in reported vote totals he could declare himself the winner (that one was Bannon’s brainchild) and cheat that way. But if voter threats/intimidation and the other stuff didn’t work he had a wide-ranging backup plan to stop certification of state’s votes, and if it came down to it even Congress doing so. He even started calling on supporters to come to DC for a massive “Stop the Steal” “rally.” Given some of the groups he was friendly with and spoke well of there was even a likelihood things would get violent to some degree.
This  Was  Not  A  Secret!  Hell, all the signs were there that the rally Trump had called for on the National Mall would turn violent, and even without the kind of support for preparation by National Guard and LE that should have been provided by the WHI there were those who tried to prepare the Capitol just in case.
But Republicans overall did nothing. Sure, only some knew some of the details of what would unfold and in some cases even worked with groups who’d play key roles in the attack, but they ALL knew a riot that would threaten the Capitol was going to happen.
Again, they did NOTHING.
Think about that, and then tell me me the headline is hyperbole.
January 6 happened, and it was at the instigation of Donald J. Trump. HE is the one that called for it, HE was the one who greenlighted it and HE was the one who issued instructions to hamper LE response, and HE was the one who riled up the crowd that day, and lit the fuse leading to the powder keg of insurrectionists he’d summoned. More than anyone else, Trump should be held accountable for what happened that awful day, but without months, even years of help from Republicans who aided and abetted a string of crimes that easily met the “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” standard.  Even his actions after Biden was declared the winner cried out for the GOP to get with Pence and the cabinet and invoke the 25th amendment.  And Republicans did nothing.
Instead, despite all the talk and even evidence floating around that serious trouble was brewing and a sense it would lead to violence in DC Republicans followed McConnell’s lead to “Humor” Trump. Let him blow off steam and take some time to come to terms with his defeat. However, there was nothing, NOTHING to suggest Trump was planning for a post Presidency. On the contrary. The evidence was there he intended to stay in the WH by any means necessary and it didn’t go unnoticed. So Trump got his wish. His big insurrectionist riot. And even for a few hours held up the pro-forma Constitutional process of officially certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the election. For literally hours people asked, begged and even demanded Trump call of his mob. EVERYONE knew he was responsible for it all, and that he could stop it with s single tweet.
Trump was responsible, albeit with way too much help from other Republicans for way too long.
We’ve waited and waited for Merrick Garland’s DOJ to DO something about this. Finally, if too long in coming, Trump has now been formally indicted/charged for his crimes related to the January 6, 2012 insurrection riot. He has to appear in DC for formal arraignment tomorrow. Much has already been written about the indictment and for sure much, much more is to come. This includes discussion of two related aspects of this new federal case – that only Trump has been indicted, and that there are six unindicted co-conspirators noted but not by name. Some have been identified and some, or at least one we aren’t sure about. The government isn’t saying anything. Still, there’s a lot of discussion about these six individuals. Who (for sure) they are, why they haven’t been charged and will they be at some point, and even some talk that some might be cooperating with the govt.
All interesting to consider but it misses a larger point which as I’ve said is that there are FAR more unindicted co-conspirators out there. Almost everyone in the Republican Party in fact. And non Republicans (or former ones) too.  People who deserve to go to prison.
Let’s start with some obvious names who it’s generally agreed aren’t part of the six unnamed people in the indictment. Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Stephen Miller and even Mark Meadows although there are signs he started cooperating with Jack Smith’s team. That’s just off the top of my head as I write this. I’m sure I’ll think of more and you will too. There’s a whole cast of KKKarachters who began even before the election setting up for the fact that Trump was going to lose and lose big. An entire, multi-part plan was set up.  It was clear the day after the election although it would take a few days to formally “call” it that it was clear where the uncounted votes were and that the huge popular vote margin Biden had achieved would also get him the Electoral Votes he needed.
Again, don’t tell me Trump, and others in the GOP apparatus didn’t know what was up even if most didn’t know the details. Trump himself probably didn’t know that many details as he’s not after all one to dig too deeply into anything that isn’t specifically about how much money he’s getting off a scam, but if you want proof he knew ahead of the election that plans were being made for when he LOST, but wanted his “faithful” to keep working he issued the call live on national TV during a Presidential Debate. You remember when Chris Wallace challenged Trump and he didn’t just deflect & project onto “Antifa”:
Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.
It was a Clarion Call. Everyone knew it. Especially GOP politicians and operatives that had been communicating with leaders of some of the groups that were key in what happened at the Capitol.
So, on election night Trump knew while it looked like he might be winning it was a “Red Mirage.” He could have been “Presidential” and talked about the important of counting the votes, and even expressing “concerns” about “reports of irregularities” but no. This is Trump and right away he huffed and puffed and started talking up what’s become known as “The Big Lie.  He refused to allow the transition to take place. (And with grifting being in his DNA fundraising!) As I’ve said, cooler heads in the GOP, McConnell for example talked with each other and even sort of allowed to journalists something along the lines of… Let Trump have his moment, his tantrum even and it will blow itself out. And then the country can move on.
It was obvious Trump wasn’t about to let go of his quest to hold onto power. All those speeches and social media activity. All those ridiculous lawsuits that so epically failed in court, because in court you have to have something called evidence, and there wasn’t even enough to keep cases going. The appeals were denied, all the way in some cases up to/by SCOTUS. There were a lot of TRUMP appointed judges who looked at this stuff and said “Really? Get that crap out of my court!”
All this was national news. So was word of talk of slates of “alternate” (as in fake) electors, Trump pressuring people at the state level not to certify results, demanding recounts (more than one in some cases) and still the GOP leadership from McConnell on down chose to “humor” him. Also, it’s not like GOPers in both the House and Senate weren’t out there trumpeting Trump’s Big Lie. Demanding investigations and so on. And talking to “people” too. That some (Republicans) on the Hill weren’t talking with Team Trump’s J6 organizers was the worst kept secret in DC.
Add up House and Senate Congress Critters and some of their staffers who helped and hundreds were involved, if not over a thousand. Every one SHOULD be indicted, convicted and spend time in prison. Add in legislators at the state and local level who worked to stop legally cast votes from being certified and electors being awarded to Biden and the number grows to several thousand. They too deserve to do time in federal prison.
And while all of this was going on you had that cadre of people working in DC and from around the country planning to assault the Capitol on January 6. Getting encouragement and even help from GOP Congress Critters. EVERYONE knew something was up, if not just what or how bad it would be. It’s possible they hoped it would only be a massive protest that got violent but I don’t buy it. Word was out that mobilization of the usual groups that are well-versed in dealing with massive crowds and even protests in DC weren’t being prepared. And even that some military units might be moved to “take over and restore order” if called upon by then President Trump. Fortunately Gen. Mark Milly put a stop to that, and then took it to the next step. He issued a general order to our armed forces to stay out of politics, and prevented those deployments hastily placed Trump lackeys installed at the Pentagon during those crucial weeks from doing what they wanted to do.
I keep saying it. This was known around DC. And elsewhere. And the GOP did virtually nothing to stop it. When you start thinking in those terms then hell yes the Republican Party at-large were co-conspirators.
However that was preceded by much more enabling of Trump. Of looking the other way or actively supporting his crimes. There’s too much to recount, but let’s look at the first impeachment. Trump was guilty and should have been convicted and removed from office. But wasn’t. The GOP stood by and just as Adam Schiff predicted became even more uncontrollable. GOPers knew it too but from DC and throughout the Party they refused to do their DUTY to the country.
From where I sit there are thousands of Republicans who deserve prison time for helping Trump stay in power to cause what happened on January 6, 2021.  Tens of millions more deserve probation and community service at the very least after their own convictions.
That is how rotten the GOP has become. Maybe not all actively enable Trump but by being f**king cowards and refusing to deal with him they are complicit with their silence and inaction.
Given the entirely predictable reaction of GOPers to the DC indictment of Trump, there is nothing to suggest the Republican Party is willing to clean house of Trump and Trumpism. Instead, they are pretty openly stating their intention to put him back in the WH and give him every bit of support they can provide to allow for him to become our first Dictator.
Greenland is melting. Trump wanted to “buy it.” I say we work with the free world and help it become a U.N territory, and round up every Republican who voiced support for Trump and ship them there. Securing the waters around it should make for good ongoing training for NATO (and other) Navies. Just a thought…
In a list of people, starting with those six stated earlier, where would Ginni Thomas’ name appear?
And what should be done about it?
Well, I ended with a suggestion! Practically speaking however a LOT more people need to be hauled into court. Over fifty of Nixon’s people either pled guilty or were convicted at trial and dozens did time. So it’s not like there isn’t precedent for convicting and jailing Presidential enablers who break the law as they do their enabling. Not as many, but Reaganites and Bushies too got convicted of crimes. Funny how so few who’ve served in Democratic administrations (vs. Republican ones) in my lifetime have been charged with and convicted of federal crimes. It’s like WE make “outrageous” demands like following laws and ethics rules and dumping those who seem like they might start playing fast and loose.
True, and thank you Denis. But what about her husband?
One thing is for sure, if carried out properly, and it surely must be, many senior republicans are going to be serving sentences of one sort or another. This surely must damage their party, maybe it’s time for a new conservative party without all the republican baggage, or do we have to wait for better campaign finance regulation to get the corrupt billionaire’s money out of politics and regulated more like the rest of the world.
How about the members of the house and senate who need to be added to the list? Here are two needing to be on it: rosendale and daines. Let’s see, how about gym bag? MTG and Bobo? Oooh, Oooh, let’s not forget the howler monkey from MO and cancun cruz.
There is an entire slate of ‘pube members of congress needing to be indicted and until we do so, our nation is in grave danger because these slimy f*cks are still there ready to destroy us.
The role of the conservative media has to be scrutinized much more closely. Beyond merely parroting GOP and Trump talking points, it’s likely that Fox, Newsmax, and others were actively coordinating with the conspirators to push Trump’s lies. We know about text messages that Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity exchanged with Mark Meadows on Jan. 6. How many more were sent in the weeks before then? How many other media personalities had direct access to the coup plotters?
Because freedom of the press is protected by the 1st Amendment, it’s unlikely that anyone in the media will be charged. But it certainly appears that some took part in the criminal conspiracy.