Attention to the Unseen

The Guardian reports: Donald Trump’s belated “concession” to a peaceful and orderly transition of power after the storming of the US Capitol has provoked anger and conspiracy theories among some of his most ardent followers. On social media channels and chatrooms like Parler and 4chan, where far-right Trumpists have gravitated as other social media sites have increasingly shut out the president, there were complaints of betrayal. Trump claimed on Thursday that he was “outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem”…

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Military.com reports: Veterans in Congress from both sides of the aisle called the mob that took over the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday “domestic terrorism” and blamed President Donald Trump for promoting it. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger, said he had been prepared to use a pen as a weapon of last resort to defend himself and other House members against attackers. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost both legs in…

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In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal says: [O]n Wednesday the leader of the executive branch incited a crowd to march on the legislative branch. The express goal was to demand that Congress and Vice President Mike Pence reject electors from enough states to deny Mr. Biden an Electoral College victory. When some in the crowd turned violent and occupied the Capitol, the President caviled and declined for far too long to call them off. When he did speak, he…

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Remember what Hawley did:https://t.co/jIAUFdNimD — Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 6, 2021 Tony Messenger writes: Former U.S. Sen. John C. Danforth saw a mob of rioters take over the Senate chamber where he had spent much of his professional life. The dean of the Missouri Republican Party was a member of the Senate between 1976 and 1995. “That place,” he said of the Senate, “is very familiar to me. To see it under attack was awful. It was unimaginable.” Like the…

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YouGov reports: A YouGov Direct poll of 1,397 registered voters who had heard about the event finds that most (62%) voters perceive these actions as a threat to democracy. Democrats (93%) overwhelmingly see it this way, while most (55%) Independents also agree. Among Republicans, however, only a quarter (27%) think this should be considered a threat to democracy, with two-thirds (68%) saying otherwise. In fact, many Republicans (45%) actively support the actions of those at the Capitol, although as many…

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BuzzFeed News reports: A facial recognition company says a viral Washington Times story claiming it identified antifa members among the mob that stormed the Capitol on Wednesday is completely false. XRVision told BuzzFeed News it has asked the conservative outlet for a retraction and apology over the story, which was cited in the House of Representatives after the riot late Wednesday by Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, an ardent Trump supporter. On Wednesday, the Washington Times published a story that…

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Elaine Godfrey writes: The Ellipse was a deep sea of delusion. Thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters drove or bussed or flew from all corners of the United States to meet here, in the treeless space beside the White House, in their quest to overturn the results of the 2020 election with the help of congressional Republicans. “As I live and die, we will never give up until we have a fair-and-square election!” a small child in a rainbow hat…

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BuzzFeed News reports: The supporters of President Donald Trump who rioted in the US Capitol building on Wednesday had been openly planning for weeks on both mainstream social media and the pro-Trump internet. On forums like TheDonald, a niche website formed after Reddit banned the subreddit of the same name, they promised violence against lawmakers, police, and journalists if Congress did not reject the results of the 2020 election. In one interaction four days ago, a person on TheDonald asked,…

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Jeff Flake writes: It is elementary to have to say so, but for democracy to work one side must be prepared to accept defeat. If the only acceptable outcome is for your side to win, and a loser simply refuses to lose, then America is imperiled. I once had a career in public life — six terms in the House of Representatives and another six years in the Senate — and then the rise of a dangerous demagogue, and my…

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The Hill reports: Republican Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.) blamed President Trump for the riots and violence at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, saying the president “cowered behind his keyboard.” “Today, the United States Capitol — the world’s greatest symbol of self-government — was ransacked while the leader of the free world cowered behind his keyboard — tweeting against his Vice President for fulfilling the duties of his oath to the Constitution,” Sasse, who has been a critic of Trump’s in…

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McKay Coppins writes: The Trump-era Republican Party has become a laboratory for innovations in illiberalism. Status flows to those who conjure the most creative defenses of corruption; rising stars prove themselves by smashing democratic norms. And anyone who voices dissent risks swift retribution from the president and his followers. This dynamic has only intensified since the election, as Trump’s allies have scrambled to keep him in power by whatever means necessary—or at least be seen trying. They’ve amplified baseless voter-fraud…

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