I couldn't disagree more strongly with the MSNBC's Rick Stengl who said he had the "radical idea"

[pnwmom]

that Trump didn't contact the National Guard, the Pentagon, etc. because he didn't know who or how to call. He was just a know-nothing, an "empty suit."

No, Trump didn't call for military help because the insurrectionists were doing exactly what Trump wanted them to.

But Pence stepped in, started issuing orders, and the military decided to treat Pence as if he were the Acting President -- even though he wasn't.

[LiberalFighter]

1. I agree.

A person even with an ounce of a brain would ask one of his people. Meadows, Pence, etc.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. According to Liz Cheney..a dereliction of duty.

That was mentioned many times.

[Bev54]

3. Agree, he likely never dials any numbers himself, he would ask others to do it for him.

[JohnSJ]

4. Exactly pnwmom. Trump refused to call in the National Guard despite the attack on our

Capital, and the danger poised to Congress, and it became a National Emergency, which required it, and because trump refused or was incapable of performing his duties as a president, it was more than appropriate to order in the National Guard

[pnwmom]

8. Yes, Pence absolutely was justified, and the military was justified in following him.

But legally,. technically, the 25th Amendment hadn't been invoked, so Pence and the military were in uncharted waters.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Yeah, meaningless. trump could have ordered one of his aides to make the call...

[Tetrachloride]

6. "..... to protect against all enemies, foreign or domestic "

[TigressDem]

7. Even IF that were true, that tRump is too stupid to call the DCNG...

He had people in his face telling him to do SOMETHING and they could have dialed for him and handed him the phone.

ALSO he had fired the Secretary of Defense who WOULD NOT issue an order to hamstring the National Guard.

Then found himself a lapdog for Sec of Def and on 1/4/21 had him send a MEMO strictly defining the chain of command so that SEC OF DEF or ABOVE had to make the call.

So tRump MADE SURE the Capitol was as unprotected as possible for his "people who I love" to have their "wild time"

[sop]

9. Stengl wants to let "Mr. I alone can fix it" off the hook for his incompetence and stupidity.

Trump will be trying to assert the insanity defense before these hearings are over.

[brush]

12. Ridiculous. We've all heard him on the phone...

with the Georgia SoS trying steal the Georgia EC votes, and we've all heard the call to Ukrainian President Zelensky trying to get dirt on Joe Biden.

People are not that stupid. trump is that evil though. He wanted the insurrection to continue.

[H2O Man]

10. Recommended.

I agree. Trump could have called. He didn't want to, so he opted not to.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Pence was being treated like a stooge

Failure to get Pence on-board way back in November was a major mistake by TDFG. When you treat people like furniture they don't always cooperate when you need them.

[Novara]

13. Both can be true

I didn't see it as making an excuse for him. He really is too stupid to know anything about how government works AND he was hoping the crowd would find and hang Mike Pence. Both are reasons to disqualify him from ever holding any office ever.

[pnwmom]

19. I don't think so. Stengl was implying that Trump would have done the right thing

if only he knew how to do it.

That's obviously not true. All he had to do was turn to his staffers and ask them to get the right people on a conference call.

[livetohike]

14. I think it was both. Trump only ever wanted to be Pres.

for the attention and money he would make. He had no clue how to do the job. He has always reminded me of a red wing black bird whose song says “Look at meeeeeee.”

[pnwmom]

18. You're' giving him too much credit. He wasn't some hapless idiot. He was malevolent. nt

[we can do it]

15. WTAF, then he had no business being prez in first place.

[mopinko]

16. could be cuz he was never fit for the office to begin w.

but i'm sure he knows how to get gen milley.

[drray23]

17. Indeed its a a ridiculous argument

I am sure most presidents do not pick up their phone and dial the number for the secretary of defense, head of national guard, etc.. themselves. Its not like they look at a rolodex. They ask their chief of staff or aide to get so and so on the line now or else schedule a call. Their staff talk to that other person's staff and then its routed through the white house switchboard for the two officials to actually pick up the phone and talk.

That is why Meadows is resisting further inquiries by the Jan 6 committee. He would be forced to admit that Trump never attempted that.

[BlueIdaho]

20. Simple answer...

He didn’t call anyone because he liked what he was seeing. The weirdo was nursing a hard-on while watching coverage on FOX noise.