by Oui
Mon Jan 11th, 2021 at 01:05:23 PM EST
The "yes" man for four years was confronted with a constitutional dilemma: he needed to stand up and once say a crucial "no" to his boss.
Pence stayed silent and wished he could stay loyal to Trumpism and dogma. Too many reasonable advisers had left or got booted out by a madman and tyrant. Key politicians in the Republican party too were cowards and hid behind the cape of a delusional, but powerful person in the highest Office of the US Government.
Many Presidents before him too failed the test of leadership and courage in a moment of crisis. A tyrant will always fall short in a position where decisions need thorough vetting and support of his Cabinet and NSC.
Trump blew it and Pence failed to stand up and be counted. Even under attack, Republicans stayed loyal to its leader.
It's difficult to find a good analysis how the deterioration between Trump and Pence unfolded. Undoubtedly a journalist will be succesful and write a bestsellers over the last days of Trump's presidency that shook American trust in democracy.
A poor man's choice "Quid pro Quo"
Mike Pence's Loyalty Test | US News - Jan. 5, 2021 |
Donald Trump believes Mike Pence can stop Congress from certifying his election loss. It's not true, but there could still be hell to pay when he doesn't.
"I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you," Trump said to thousands of cheering supporters at a rally in Georgia. "Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him as much."
...
The president laughed off the threat, but it hung in the air - the only newsy comment to come out of his campaign speech supporting Republicans in Tuesday's Georgia Senate runoff - and it generated thundering applause from a crowd that intermittently broke out into a "Stop the steal" chant. The president had been dancing around the idea for weeks, but his words made it canon: Pence, he explained to the crowd, could overturn the election results on Wednesday if he wanted to. And he should - or else.
Tuesday
Trump doubled down on the false and futile message Tuesday: "The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," he said.
...
But now, in what seems to be Trump's last-ditch effort - albeit one that constitutional law experts say has no validity or chance of succeeding - the president, in calling on Pence directly, places him on a pedestal before throngs of MAGA supporters, claiming he has the ability to give them what they want: four more years.
Wednesday
Georgia Turns Blue, Insurrection @Capitol
What should have been an celebration of Democracy has turned into America's nightmare and was heard and seen around the world.
The perfect storm, all elements had gathered for decades leading to the Tea Party, a coalition of domestic terror, FBI and US Congress looking the other way, and a president who figures it's all about him and not the safety of others. Disregard for the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and his primary task to preserve the Nation. Just as in history all tyrants and fascist leaders were supported by the few in his administration. Radicalization in Washington DC has it's price - even the Capitol is left insecure until the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and VP Kamilla Harris.
At 02:21 Eastern Standard Time on election night, President Trump walked onto a stage set up in the East Room of the White House and declared victory.
"We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election."
His speech came an hour after he'd tweeted: "They are trying to steal the election".
He hadn't won. There was no victory to steal. But to many of his most fervent supporters, these facts didn't matter, and still don't.
Sixty five days later, a motley coalition of rioters stormed the US Capitol building. They included believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory, members of "Stop the Steal" groups, far-right activists, online trolls and others.
On Friday 8 January - some 48 hours after the Washington riots - Twitter began a purge of some of the most influential pro-Trump accounts that had been pushing conspiracies and urging direct action to overturn the election result.
With Donald Trump in the Oval Office the coming days, America is not safe for foreign adversaries, nor does he have the mentality to keep Americans safe. US Congress is rightly extremely disturbed and worried. The President arguably has to stand down one way or another.
STOP THE PRESIDENT NOW!!
So long, farewell, I tweet tweet tweet, goodbye! | The Guardian |
Additional reading ...
Donald Trump: Aggressive Rhetoric and Political Violence | Publication Leiden University |
During Donald Trump's presidential candidacy and presidency political discourse in the United States became more hateful and divisive. Threats and actual violence against groups and individuals singled out and demonized by Trump increased.
The targets of his verbal attacks were most of all racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, the news media collectively and individual journalists, and well-known politicians, mostly Democrats.
There was a rise in bullying incidents in schools against minority students. Assuming that aggressive rhetoric by influential political leaders affect their supporters' words and deeds, we examined Trump's online and offline hate speech, the rhetorical reactions of his followers, and the violent consequences suffered by their declared enemies.
We found that contrary to an old children's rhyme ("Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me") Trump's aggressive, divisive, and dehumanizing language was seconded by his followers and inflicted directly or indirectly psychological and physical harm to Trump's declared enemies.
Keywords: violent speech, leaders, political violence, demagoguery, bullying, media
Europe's leaders cannot expect a free ride from the incoming Biden presidency | Institute Clingendael |
It was started as a Peace Institute located in The Hague, the city of Peace and Carnegie. Very unfortunately, Clingendael has become a mirror of rightwing Conservatives, quite similar to the Atlantic Council. The EU needs to fight for its sovereignty made easier by the choice of Great Britain to leave the union.