As I wrote last month: The House Should Be Ready to Impeach Trump Again.
This Is a Coup
David Graham: “Armed assailants are attacking the seat of American government in an attempted coup, urged on by the president of the United States. Saying that feels melodramatic, ridiculous, and overwrought, but there’s no plainer way to describe what is currently unfolding.”
“Tens of thousands of supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump gathered in Washington, D.C., where he encouraged them to attend a rally as Congress began to ceremonially certify the Electoral College victory of President-elect Joe Biden. After a speech by the president, protesters overran security at the Capitol building, which seemed unprepared for the onslaught. They knocked over barricades, pushed past cordons of officers, and broke windows. Some carried Confederate battle flags as they got much closer to the heart of the U.S. government than any Confederate troops ever did.”
“Certification was halted. The Senate and House chambers were locked down, Vice President Mike Pence was whisked away, and demonstrators roamed the halls of Congress. Tear gas was reportedly released inside the Capitol Rotunda, and members were told to don gas masks under their seats.”
“This attempted coup is Trump’s fault.”
Northam Sends National Guard to D.C.
Romney Blames Cruz for Chaos at the Capitol
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) reportedly yelled at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), “This is what you’ve gotten,” as he was evacuated from the U.S. Senate, Vanity Fair reports.
Pentagon Denies Request for National Guard
A source tells the Washington Post that the Defense Department has just denied a request by Washington, D.C. officials to deploy the National Guard to the U.S. Capitol.
‘This Is a Coup Attempt’
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) tweets: “This is a coup attempt.“
Trump Slams Pence for Not Rejecting Electoral Vote
President Trump on Twitter:
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!”
Lawmakers Evacuated from Their Offices
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) tweets that she was evacuated from her office: “Now we’re seeing protesters assaulting Capitol Police. This is wrong. This is not who we are. I’m heartbroken for our nation today.”
Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) also tweets: “I just had to evacuate my office because of a pipe bomb reported outside. Supporters of the President are trying to force their way into the Capitol and I can hear what sounds like multiple gunshots.”
McConnell Warns Against Rejecting Voters
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) began Senate debate over Arizona’s 11 electoral votes with an emotional plea against rejecting the voters’ will, the Washington Post reports.
Said McConnell: “Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale — the massive scale — that would have tipped the entire election. Nor can public doubt alone justify a radical break when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence.”
He added: “Voters, the courts, and the states have all spoken — they’ve all spoken. If we overrule them, it would damage our republic forever… our democracy would enter a death spiral.”
Trump Supporters Have Stormed the Capitol
Trump supporters broke through fences and are fighting the police on the steps of the Capitol as Congress counts the Electoral College ballots inside, CNN reports.
Pence Says He Has No Power to Reject Electoral Votes
Vice President Pence, in a letter to Congress on Wednesday, said he does not believe he has the “unilateral authority” to reject electoral votes, dealing a final blow to President Trump’s push for Pence to overturn the election result, The Hill reports.
Electoral College Challenge May Backfire on Republicans
Politico: “The entire episode may make a powerful argument for abandoning the institution that makes Republicans competitive in presidential elections in the first place — the Electoral College.”
“Given the stakes, inadvertently delegitimizing the Electoral College would seem counterintuitive. To some Republicans, it’s nuts.”
Trump’s Son Threatens Republican Lawmakers
Donald Trump Jr. threatened Republican lawmakers at a large rally outside the White House on Wednesday, pledging that their family would continue to dispute the results of the 2020 election, Politico reports.
Said Trump: “To those Republicans, many of which may be voting on things in the coming hours: You have an opportunity today. You can be a hero, or you can be a zero. And the choice is yours. But we are all watching. The whole world is watching, folks. Choose wisely.”
He added: “These guys better fight for Trump. Because if they’re not, guess what? I’m going to be in your backyard in a couple of months!”
Biden Looks at Ketanji Brown Jackson to Replace Garland
A source familiar with the discussions tells NBC News that Biden advisers have discussed Ketanji Brown Jackson, currently a judge on the U.S. District Court for DC, to replace Merrick Garland on the DC Circuit after he is confirmed as Attorney General.
Biden Picks Merrick Garland for Attorney General
President-elect Joe Biden to name federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland as attorney general, the AP reports.
New York Times: “The choice of a judge is unusual and may reflect an effort by the president-elect to bring in an apolitical leader to bolster the Justice Department’s independence from politics.”
Politico: “In a Republican-controlled Senate, Doug Jones was viewed as the easiest candidate to get confirmed given his strong relationships across the aisle. Garland was also considered a risk in that it would be difficult to confirm a replacement for him on the appellate court. But with Democrats expected to have won the majority with a pair of upset victories in Georgia, confirmation issues with other candidates largely dissipated.”
Romney Says Trump Has ‘Disgraced’ the Presidency
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) says President Trump’s election “gambit” has “disgraced the office of the presidency,” the AP reports.
Said Romney: “President Trump has disrespected the American voters, has dishonored the election system and has disgraced the office of the presidency.”
What Winning the Senate Means for Joe Biden
Jonathan Chait: “Biden’s majority will be historically narrow. He will not have the chance to pass the full agenda he campaigned on, let alone the agenda of his party’s progressive wing. But the difference between a one-vote majority and a one-vote minority is not trivial. It is everything. It is the difference between impotence and having a presidency.”
“The nature of reporters and commenters on cable news and social media is to overreact to whatever most recent development is playing out on their screen. In this case, we may be under-reacting.”
Trump’s Exclusive Club
Aaron Blake: “When President Trump lost in November, he joined some select and unpleasant company: Presidents who failed to win a second term. Modern presidents most often win reelection, including all three of Trump’s immediate predecessors. Trump became just the 10th elected president to run a second time and lose.”
“And Tuesday’s results in Georgia are now in line to put him among an even-more select group: Presidents who not only lost the reelection, but also lost both chambers of Congress… Trump would become the first elected president since the Great Depression to lose all three in a single term, and he would join just five other presidents in doing so.”
