Is there a consensus on why the militias and white supremacists came to the Capitol on January 6th?

[kentuck]

Did they get an email?

Who was it from?

Did they then organize in numbers to come to the Capitol?

Did they plan violence beforehand?

Did they bring weapons with them?

Were they just "following orders"?

Were they given "legitimacy" by the former president?

I think it would be good information to have about why they decided to come to Washington on January 6th?

Or do we already know?

[TwilightZone]

1. Trump called for a "big protest" on December 19th on Twitter.

"On Dec. 19, five days after the electoral votes had been cast in all 50 states, Trump first drew the public’s attention to the day those votes would be counted.

There would be a “big protest in D.C. on January 6th,” he wrote on Twitter. “Be there, will be wild!”

The next day, someone registered the domain WildProtest.com, leveraging Trump’s tweet to promote an event that does not appear to have existed previously. It appears to have been the brainchild of Ali Alexander, a far-right provocateur who was also the driving force behind StopTheSteal.com, a lucrative group leveraging Trump’s claims about voter fraud."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/10/when-did-jan-6-rally-become-march-capitol/

I'm not sure why some still seem to insist that it was some kind of secret. It was quite public and garnered much media attention at the time, just like everything else Trump bleats out.

[bottomofthehill]

4. The be wild part was telegraphing his intent

[bucolic_frolic]

2. That's a good point, despite serendipity, the 4 corners, diversity, rag tag attire

they all seemed to arrive at the same time on the same day with impromptu desire to destroy the property and institutions of the United States, the country that raised them, gave them opportunity and freedom, and to which they had pledged allegiance countless times.

Was it something in the air?

[bottomofthehill]

3. I will take a shot at answering

Did they get an email?

There was no one email, communications were through a variety of different ways, in person, email, text, phone conversation, what’s app, other secure methods of comms.

Who was it from?

First from then president trump

Then the direction came from militia and hate groups, campaign organizations, PACs, stop the steal and other Trump aligned groups and a variety of others

Did they then organize in numbers to come to the Capitol?

They clearly organized in numbers, pulling permits in various locations.

Did they plan violence beforehand?

There is little doubt from much of the uncovered information including the bringing of tactical gear, weapons, maps, the materials to build a gallows.

Did they bring weapons with them?

They came with all sorts of weapons, fire arms, Molotov cocktails, bats, clubs, chemical sprays including CS, Pepper Spray, Bear Spray, insect repellent ( long range wasp and hornet and the like) crowbars, axes, one asshole even had home made napalm.

Were they just "following orders"?

That one is a little tougher. Many of them were looking for the reason to act out. Others were acting on orders or at least thought they had the blessing of the then president.

Were they given "legitimacy" by the former president?

In my opinion, in many of their minds, they were given legitimacy by trump and the cast of governmental characters that spoke to them prior to their storming of the capitol.

[abqtommy]

5. I'm satisfied that I and many others know. Now it's time for me and these others to

focus on making sure these Cultists pay a very heavy price for their crimes.

[OldBaldy1701E]

9. With all due respect, it is almost past time for that. (n/t)

[Effete Snob]

6. It was obvious to me ahead of time

There was one image that was circulating on social media ahead of time, which struck me as a signal. It was a dark storm cloud over the Capitol dome. It was intended to resonate with the “storm” fantasy of the Q nonsense.

There were a lot of coded messages like that image, which suggested “storm the Capitol”.

Also, try to remember the apparent absurdity of the whole thing. Why? Why is the losing incumbent President seeking it have a mass demonstration on that day in particular in the first place?

There was also some confusion about the events. It wasn’t just the rally at the White House. The evening before, they had some initial gathering at Freedom Plaza, like the earlier one in December which Trump had flown over in his helicopter to inspect the troops. Then, on the day, the organizers had also planned another demonstration at the northeast corner of the Capitol. There was no “march” planned, but they had set up these two locations with that obvious idea that people would go from one to the other.

It seemed obvious that was the plan - come on down and go “wild”.

[48656c6c6f20]

7. Isn't that the base?

I fully expected the base of the republiQan party to have been there

[brooklynite]

8. Lets be clear about what there IS and IS NOT evidence for....

("we know what Trump" wanted is unprovable and irrelevant)

Trump and his campaign staff and his WH staff wanted to delay/prevent approval of the electoral votes by Congress, in the hope that Republican controlled States would then rescind their appointments of electors. However, all documentation indicates that this process would be by legal means (eg pressuring Republicans to object to certification and delay the approval process). Trump stated at the protest rally that people should go to the Capitol to pressure the Republican members to do this. He did NOT say to enter the Capitol building, to threaten violence or to physically stop the certification process.

Trump's campaign organized and promoted his "Stop the Steal" protest rally at the Washington Monument. It was fully permitted and my all accounts non-violent. There is no evidence that his "Will be Wild" tweet was intended as more than his usual over-the-top hype./

Members of the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, 3%ers etc have confessed to planning an organized effort after the rally to enter the Capitol and brought equipment and weapons to force a stop to the certification process. There is no evidence to date of PLANS to kidnap, assault or kill anyone inside. (The "gallows" that everyone points to was too small to be a functional device, and "hanging in effigy" has been a protest form for over a century).

Some of the participants who entered the Capitol said they "believed" that Trump was telling them to do so through his language. However there is NO evidence that Trump, his staff or his campaign team OR Republican members of Congress knew of such plans, supported them, encouraged them or assisted them.

[bottomofthehill]

11. Couple of points.

The Parks police were forced to take shelter inside the Washington monument by the peaceful stop the steal protestors heading to the ellipse, yes, the crowd that was inside the mags were peaceful because they were hearing what they wanted to hear and then the president closed his remarks as follows. This is a direct quote from his speech on the eclipse.

I have bolded the take away instructions from his speech. Who do you think the crowd was going to fight like hell with when told to March to the capitol.

And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.

Our exciting adventures and boldest endeavors have not yet begun. My fellow Americans, for our movement, for our children, and for our beloved country.

And I say this despite all that's happened. The best is yet to come.

So we're going to, we're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. I love Pennsylvania Avenue. And we're going to the Capitol, and we're going to try and give.

The Democrats are hopeless — they never vote for anything. Not even one vote. But we're going to try and give our Republicans, the weak ones because the strong ones don't need any of our help. We're going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.

So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.

I want to thank you all. God bless you and God Bless America.

Thank you all for being here. This is incredible. Thank you very much. Thank you.

[brooklynite]

14. Political people use "fight" all the time.

"Fight for $15"

"The fight for equality"

[bottomofthehill]

15. Yes, but when pointing them to a target and the actual fight breaks out

It is very different.

Saying “We are going to fight for a minimum wage increase” is different than telling people dressed and armed for battle to go off and fight the fight.


And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. . This is a call to action.


It is even more damning because we now know there was an effort to delay the vote count and the actual fight was one of the vehicles used to try to delay the count and kick it into the House.

This was a direct call to action by those who have used violence in the past.

[brooklynite]

20. Most of the people at the rally were not "dressed and armed for battle"

And many that were had already left for the Capitol by the time Trump spoke.

[bottomofthehill]

29. Most inside the screening were not most outside the screening were

The Secret Service does not let people dressed in Kevlar, ballistic helmets and gas masks, armed with chemical sprays, bats, clubs, tasers, firearms and other items that can be used as weapons inside their secure perimeter. Trump was pissed that there were so many people that were outside the rally area telling the Service to let them in but the Service did not bend.

[bottomofthehill]

30. This is a partial list of what the Service keeps out.

It is clear that many came armed and dressed for battle.


Aerosols
Ammunition
Animals (other than service/guide animals)
Backpacks, bags exceeding size restrictions Bicycles
Balloons
Coolers
Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems
Explosives of any kind (including fireworks)
Firearms
Glass, thermal, or metal containers
Knives (of any kind)
Laser pointers
Mace and/or pepper spray
Packages
Selfie sticks
Structures
Signs exceeding the size restrictions (20’ x 3’ x 1/4”)
Supports for signs/placards
Toy guns
Recreational motorized mobility devices
Weapons of any kind
And any other items determined to be potential safety hazards

[gab13by13]

17. The gallows was meant to intimidate Pence,

the insurrection was meant to intimidate Pence and Speaker Pelosi who were in charge of the counting of the votes. If someone made a gallows,(non functional) and said it was made for you and then the mob chanted to hang you, would you just dismiss it?

No way in hell these Magats were not told what to do. They had a freaking command center at the Willard Hotel.

Maybe DOJ should get busy and find the missing communications that was going on with the White House during the attempted coup?

Can't get proof of criminal intent without investigating and I am not OK with that. DOJ is aware of people who called the White House, trace it back from their phones.

[brooklynite]

21. There is no evidence that the people at the Willard discussed anything other than the rally.

[harumph]

19. Fake electors?

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/10/1079835695/how-trump-sought-to-use-fake-electors-conspiracy-theories-to-remain-in-power

[Effete Snob]

26. Intent is frequently subjective

That’s what juries are for.

[Novara]

31. Right.

The ONLY skill that criminal motherfucker has is getting others to do his crimes for him without explicitly saying so, without putting himself on the hook legally.

All he did was get the ball rolling. Then he sat back and watched others commit the crime of insurrection. He did not explicitly direct them. He only did so with innuendo, and innuendo isn't proof in a court of law.

It's the only skill that motherfucker has - getting others to commit his crimes without being legally responsible. It's why he evades prosecution again and again.

The other groups who THEN sent emails, texts, etc are responsible for seditious conspiracy because they organized the insurrection. Hence, the convictions of at least two of them (three now?) for seditious conspiracy.

However, even after being told the schemes to steal the presidency of Joe Biden were illegal, the motherfucker kept on with scheme after scheme - elector impostors, etc. Here, they may be able to pin something on him. Maybe. He was told plenty of times these actions were not legal and he persisted. it has to be proven that he knew this shit wal illegal. He was told plenty of times it was but I don't know if there's enough solid evidence to prove it.

But inciting the insurrection? I'm afraid there just isn't proof.

[wiggs]

32. What's clear is that the public doesn't 'know' much about the

planning effort and the intent of individuals. I imagine there are investigators that do. But just because I don't personally have that information doesn't mean I'm going to give this lifelong crime outfit the benefit of the doubt and therefore assume their innocence for Jan 6 and all the planning before and after.

[mercuryblues]

10. They were tourists

simply wanting to visit the Capitol. When the guards took offense to their American flags and tried to impale themselves on them. Any weapons found surely fell from the sky or were left there after a BLM protest. The tourists were just practicing their civic duty and cleaning them up, as a good citizen would.

That guillotine? Ask Hunter Biden about that, the plans for it were found on his laptop. He built it back better.

[bottomofthehill]

12. It was a gallows but I am with you.

[mercuryblues]

13. ah yes. You are right.

I think I need more caffeine.

[bottomofthehill]

16. Totally with you on the comments though.

💯

[mercuryblues]

18. Thank you

[gibraltar72]

22. Because Ginni Thomas arranged a road trip!!

[Swede]

23. Facebook enters the conversation.

nt

[spinbaby]

33. Yes, Facebook

I used to belong to a local Facebook group that was all about stuff like potholes, restaurant recommendations, and lost dogs. It devolved into a right wing cesspool that was actively promoting free bus rides to DC on January 6. I’d love to know who was paying for those buses.

[hydrolastic]

24. It seems like there were a minimum of guns

who told them not to bring guns? The gun nuts at work will tell you that the reason they have them in the first place is in case they have to use them on a tyrannical government. Was there a legal issue if there were guns? or were the organizers just not wanting it to get out of control?

[kentuck]

25. I think I read that they left them in their hotel rooms...

...and were going back across the river to get them if they were needed?

[bottomofthehill]

27. We will never know how many had firearms

There were many who did not go into the Trump rally as they had to go through screening.

Those who attacked the capitol on the other hand did not go through any screening.

Many were armed with weapons other than firearms, but plenty were armed with them.

[bottomofthehill]

28. Not only across the River. Some drove them into town and left them in their cars.

This nut had HOME MADE NAPALM along with his M-4 and other weapons

two United States Capitol Police officers observed the handle of what appeared to be a firearm on the front right passenger seat of a red GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck …

officers proceeded to search the rest of the pickup truck, including the bed of the truck, which was secured under a fabric top. During the search of the cab of the truck, officers recovered, among other things, one M4 Carbine assault rifle along with rifle magazines loaded with ammunition.

… In addition, officers recovered the following items in the bed of the pickup truck in close proximity to one another: (i) eleven mason jars containing an unknown liquid with a golf tee in the top of each jar, (ii) cloth rags, and (iii) lighters. …

At approximately 6:30 p.m., a blue sedan with a female driver and a male front passenger, approached law enforcement officers in the 400 block of First Street, Southeast. …

Upon exiting the vehicle, the officers asked the male passenger if he had any weapons on his person, and he responded that he had a gun in his right front pants pocket. The officers then detained the male passenger—later confirmed to be Lonnie L. COFFMAN—and officers conducted a search of the right pocket which revealed a handgun, later fully identified as a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun with serial number LFN2577, and a set of GMC vehicle keys.

After securing the 9mm Smith & Wesson, officers conducted a further search of COFFMAN and recovered a 22 caliber derringer style handgun from his front left pocket along with another set of GMC vehicle keys. …

COFFMAN stated that the mason jars contained “melted Styrofoam and gasoline.” An explosive enforcement officer with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives has advised that melted Styrofoam and gasoline are an explosive mixture that has the effect of napalm insofar as it causes the flammable liquid to better stick to objects that it hits upon detonation.