American Carnage
On Wednesday at that very same location, several thousand of his supporters overran barriers, assaulted police, trespassed, destroyed property, and physically threatened the lives and livelihood of hundreds of United States congressmen and women, their staff, and building maintenance and security personnel. They brought with them ropes in hopes of taking hostages. They ransacked House and Senate offices. They paraded around and took pictures on the Senate floor. All while members of Congress were barricaded in their offices and eventually given safe passage to undisclosed locations. But not before several of them called their families, told them they loved them, and offered instructions regarding their last will and testament.
Like everything in his life, Donald Trump's promise to end American carnage was one big lie.
Because Donald Trump doesn't see what happened yesterday as carnage. He sees it a victory. A victory for him. For his supporters. Donald Trump gets off on violence being done in his name. White nationalists. Proud Boys. "Many fine people" he calls them. Nothing excites him more than watching his people go to bat for their lord and savior. Here we have a failed businessman having created what has become his own personal militia. He won't condemn them because he needs them. He needs to fill the exhilaration of adulation. It's his drug, his own personal high. Sure rallies are great, but have you ever had someone break into the Capitol and storm the floor in your name? That is the kind of feeling that Donald Trump lives for. That's why he couldn't help but watch his minions in action.
Fortunately, the Proud Boys are not bright. They are Trump's Bumbling Brownshirts. Given access to the inner sanctum of the 535 most powerful men and women in the world these weekend warriors proudly extracted...podiums and door plaques. Instead of hacking into email servers and private laptops, these two-bit troglodytes instead walked away with items that could have been purchased at your local home decorations store. Which proves they were actually a lot like Trump after all: simply an act. An act designed to threaten and intimidate but not actually follow through. For all their tough guy talk, the Proud Boys largely dispersed after the 6 PM curfew faster than a high school crowd leaving a blowout football game. In and out without a lot of meaningful interaction. Somehow, we get the sense that's not the only time in their lives they experience that sensation.
But as haphazard as Wednesday was, the truth is White nationalism isn't going away. In fact, what we're now seeing is White nationalists who have not only taken off their hoods but who have posted their photos on InstaGram under their own name. But as emboldened as they may have become under Donald Trump, the truth is that these people are not tactical geniuses. Some actually wore their work ID badges to the rally. Others smiled for photographers while exiting the building with stolen property. Others still left their fingerprints all over House and Senate offices. These are not hardened criminals but rather weekend paintballers who celebrate by going to Hardee's. Had they not had a depleted and complicit Capitol Police walk them in through the East Wing, these diminutive minute men would have remained outside and would have given up by nightfall. Insurrection is cool and all but so is spending the night in your posh D.C. hotel. There at least, you don't have to worry about frostbite setting in.
Wednesday's insurrection was no victory, no matter what 8chan message boards might tell you. Joe Biden's victory was certified, albeit a few hours later than anticipated and with much less Republican opposition than existed at the start of the day. Donald Trump is now (temporarily) banned from social media. There are growing calls to enact the 25th amendment or to impeach him, again. Proud Boys have been fired from their jobs and others will be receiving calls shortly from the FBI, which is actively crowdsourcing their photos. White House staffers and administration officials are resigning by the minute. All while Joe Biden was announcing his Attorney General nominee and Georgia's Stacey Abrams was wrapping up the United States Senate control for the Democrats for the next 2 years.
Donald Trump will cease being president in 13 days. Without the power of the office, Trump won't have the kind of allure he currents posses. People are drawn to a cult leader because often times he or she is charismatic in a way that can call others to action. By inciting yesterday's insurrection, Trump felt that power. He saw the kind of results his actions could bring about from his very own words. But power is fleeting. How many Proud Boys will be willing to travel to DC to storm the Capitol for an ex-president? Some? Sure, but not as many. The allure for the Proud Boys has always been that they see Trump as one of them. He's their guy. He shoots from the hip and says out loud what they've been saying for years. The title of his office simply justified their world view. "Trump speaks for us" they say time and time again. But will the Proud Boys listen when it's Citizen Trump speaking rather than President Trump?
Regardless, Trump and his cronies have once again tipped their hand. Knowing what the Proud Boys are capable of, security will be even more heightened for the Inauguration. FBI and Secret Service now have pictures of Proud Boy leaders from Wednesday's escapades. Those that don't receive an FBI visit over the next 2 weeks will surely be hard pressed to find an open hotel room in the capital for the night of January 19th. Joe Biden will more than likely be discussing domestic terrorism at the exact same location where Donald Trump made his fateful speech 4 years ago. But this time around, there will be no mention of of the phrase "American carnage". That phrase now belongs to the ETTD portion of the dustbin of history. Whatever phrases Joe Biden will say on that stage, they will be much more positive and uplifting than any words Donald Trump has uttered over the past 4 years.
And without Trump's incendiary words, the Proud Boys will have nothing to fight for.