"Optics." OPTICS?!? They got adverse optics alright...

[Tom Rinaldo]

Police being bludgeoned by American flag poles, glass being shattered with shields ripped from their hands, Confederate flags marched though the halls of Congress while members of that Congress dove for cover under chairs and desks, and an execution platform erected with a noose waiting for the Vice President. Those are the "optics" broadcast to the world during the three hours and nineteen minutes it took Trump appointed leadership at the Department of Defense to authorize use of the National Guard to rescue our nation's legislative branch from violent insurrectionists. All of this AFTER hearing desperate pleas for reinforcements from overwhelmed Capitol police. It took Trump's appointees over three hours to respond because they were concerned about "the optics."

How can anyone believe that crap? I watch dutifully objective reporters parrot pentagon insider talking points blaming "a concern over optics" for the delay in deploying the National Guard at the Capitol, as if that "explanation" might potentially be plausible.

Let's be clear about one thing. That "explanation" is not plausible. That "explanation" is total bullshit. That "explanation" is an attempted coverup and nothing more. I will grant them this and nothing more: The optics of deploying troops to the Capitol was a legitimate issue to deliberate on; for five minutes at the most. When an unexpected blip appears on NORAD early warning radar screens potential responses are pondered, but never for three frigging hours.

The U.S. Military is well trained for and fully capable of assessing national security threats in real time. On January 6th our Capital was under attack, our front line first responder defense forces were begging for reinforcements, reinforcements were on hand and prepared to respond, but were kept waiting for hours while people were killed and our government teetered on the brink. Operational pipe bombs were discovered near both the DNC and RNC headquarters on the night before. How many pipe bombs fit inside one backpack? How many backpacks did the insurrectionists carry into the House chambers and onto the Senate floor? Yet it still took 3 hours and nineteen minutes to authorize the deployment of the National Guard to defend Congress???

This isn't a matter of incompetence. This isn't an incidence of "getting the priorities wrong." This was willful, this was deliberate. No other explanation makes a shred of sense. The only matter remaining to be resolved is the extent of, and degree of, direct complicity Trump Administration officials had in furthering an insurrection.They intentionally sabotaged the rapid deployment of our National Guard, did they know in advance what the insurrectionists had planned?

[JohnSJ]

1. and that the brother of Michael Flynn was one of those holding things up, there really needs to be

a major house cleaning

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Trump's Pentagon and Department of Defense purge after November's election

was the orchestrated prelude for a planned insurrection and/or imposition of martial law. I am convinced that is where the facts will lead if they are pursued. Almost lost in all the dust is the extraordinary joint bipartisan letter released after the election by top former Department of Defense and Pentagon leaders and top command retired military brass urging the military to remain loyal to the United States Constitution. A statement like that is not released without good specific cause.

[JohnSJ]

14. No doubt about it Tom

[lagomorph777]

2. The optics are crystal-clear: Christopher Miller and General Flynn are insurrectionists.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. And yet even speculation about even that being a possibility is notably lacking

not only in the media, but by our elected officials also. I understand that direct accusations can't be made without hard evidence supporting it. Fine. Instead we get talk about "needing to get to the bottom of this." Again, fine. But can't they at least publicly raise the question as one deserving of scrutiny: Did Trump Administration officials deliberately withhold deployment of the National Guard in order to aid the insurrection?

[lagomorph777]

7. Yes, please. This question should be on every Dem's lips.

[redstatebluegirl]

4. This was all planned, I would look at Michael Flynn.

I really believe he owed 45 for giving him the pardon and his helping the insurrectionists was part of his payment for the pardon. He needs to be brought back into the service and then take him to trail in a military tribunal. Take his pension and any freedom he has.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Yes, but he couldn't do it alone. He is active military, under civilian command

The fact that he was placed at the crossroads of the loop raises questions that must be answered.

[redstatebluegirl]

6. His brother is active military.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. We know where his loyalties lie. But again, unless he pursues a literal military junta

...without even the fig leaf of a presidential declaration of martial law, civilian leadership had to be on board.

[UpInArms]

10. I've got your "optics" right here

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. Thanks.

That first photo was in my mind specifically when I wrote this

[GopherGal]

16. One more

[UpInArms]

17. and this one

[mackdaddy]

12. Biden is now the Commander in Chief of the Military. He should ORDER the Brass to testify.

They sent some second person "spokesman" to the Senate committee.

If they want to invoke their 5th amendment rights, so be it, they will then be targets of the investigation.

He should also order every subpoena that Trump ordered them to not show up also be enforced by his order and by the Justice Department.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. The poor optics that they were worried about was due to not wanting to piss off trump

trump was enjoying watching this attempt coup and was hoping to see Pence being lynched.

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. Your second sentence kind of undermines the first (if read literally)

I know you were making a point about Trump enjoying the "poor optics, and actually hoping for worse, but I can accept that Trump set a tone that adversely impacted federal security preparation for the events of January.

I can sort of understand intimidation, the fear of Trump's anger and his instinct to retaliate, as a reason why some non seditious officials might not have adequately beefed up security at the Capitol prior to the invasion of Congress. But it just took glancing at a TV to understand that Pence, and a whole lot of others, was in actual danger of being lynched. A lack of decisive action after the invasion commenced points to complicity.

Trump wanted a disaster so he could impose Martial Law, and there were those who were facilitating exactly that.

[moondust]

18. Nothing about "optics"

ahead of the BLM protests. (Or presumably ahead of the tear-gassing of protestors for Dump's Bible photo op at St. John's church.)

The National Guard commander said the issue of optics was "never discussed" when troops were deployed last summer during the Black Lives Matter protests.