Fiona Hill: Yes, It Was a Coup Attempt. Here's Why.

[Nevilledog]

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We all said this over and over before 1/6.

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Opinion | Yes, It Was a Coup Attempt. Here’s Why.
What Trump tried is called a “self-coup,” and he did it in slow motion and in plain sight.
politico.com
5:31 PM · Jul 15, 2021

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/01/11/capitol-riot-self-coup-trump-fiona-hill-457549

Communications: In the old days, coup plotters would seize the Central Telegraph or Post Office, and later, radio and TV towers. Trump put a loyalist in charge of the Post Office. He did not take TV and radio by storm, but he discredited the “mainstream media” that was critical of his actions as the “enemy of the people” and recruited or pressured Fox News, Newsmax, OAN and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook into participants in his efforts to sway public opinion in his favor. Twitter, in essence, was Trump’s equivalent of the TV and radio tower. He directly messaged the 88 million people who “followed” his account. He used social media and cable news to propagate false self-serving narratives, reinforce messages to provide justification for his actions, and mobilize his supporters.

The judiciary: With the help of Republican lawmakers, Trump stacked federal courts with what he kept calling “his judges.” He successfully pushed through the appointments of three new Supreme Court justices ahead of the presidential election. He made his expectation clear that if the Supreme Court had to settle an election dispute, then “his justices” would tilt the verdict in his favor. Erdogan did the same in Turkey, purging the judiciary and installing loyalists who facilitated his rerun of the 2015 election and sentenced political opponents to long prison terms. Trump frequently called for investigations into his opponents and for courts and law enforcement to “lock them all up!”

Government institutions: As in Turkey, Trump purged Cabinet members and career officials who resisted him. He bypassed Congress and installed acting officials in crucial national security positions like the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security, and, briefly, the director of National Intelligence. He made it crystal clear that personal loyalty was the primary factor for candidate selection. He removed Esper after he lost the election. Attorney General William Barr resigned in the same period amid rumors he would be sacked for failing to declare massive election fraud. Trump wanted officials in place in January 2021 who were entirely beholden to him and likely to support his efforts to stay in power.

The legislature: Finally, Trump usurped the Republican Party. He claimed the more than 74 million who voted for him last November as his personal base—his popular support. He threatened to destroy the careers of Republican members of Congress who did not favor overturning the election result. At the January 6 rally preceding the storming of the Capitol, Donald Trump Jr. even referred to the GOP as the “Trump Republican Party.” In the end, even after the Capitol was seized by Trump’s violent mob, 147 Republican members of Congress, led by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, did endorse some of Trump’s efforts to challenge the election results and overturn the constitutional order. So did Senators Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and six other politically ambitious senators who wanted to tap into Trump’s popular support. In this way, Trump’s control of the legislature and a significant popular mandate was almost within his reach.

*snip*

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[littlemissmartypants]

2. I love Fiona Hill. She is a true patriot and a guiding light for us all. ❤

[Poiuyt]

3. K&R

[usaf-vet]

4. \\

[Schmice3]

5. Brutally grim reminder of of what is being forgotten or spun

[onecaliberal]

6. K&R

[burrowowl]

7. Unfortunately, the danger still exists!

[lagomorph777]

9. The coup attempt is not past tense!

[Hotler]

8. Kicking.... nt

[malaise]

10. And that is the truth

Not that he was capable of it - that he attempted said coup and it failed because others refused to submit to his agenda.

Jan 6 was an attempted coup - he told them to go and fight for it.

[Saoirse9]

11. Love her

She couldn't be more right.