NOTE: Trump Republicans had the opportunity to establish an independent commission and turned it down. They also couldn’t pack the House committee with “Big Lie” Trump coup supporters. The hearings would have been a circus.
The attempted coup on January 6, 2021 was treason.
Those that participated are traitors.
Believing the “Big Lie” supports the coup attempt.
Consciousness of guilt
I watched the first hearing of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. It’s obvious why the Trump Republican Party has opposed any investigation of the events that transpired on January 6, 2021. Their complicity in our nation’s first and violent coup attempt is being laid bare. What they will do now is attack and attempt to discredit all those involved with the investigation.
There’s going to be a lot of denial and claims of false accusations in the coming weeks and months. The Trump Republican Party will use the Donald Trump playbook. Make stuff up. Deny. Lie as much as you can as often as you can.
It works for them.
Pardon pardon who’s got the pardon?
The President’s power to pardon for federal crimes is absolute. Accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt.
Trump did give pardons to some of his felon “friends.” What is clear to me about the testimony so far is that Trump Republican members of Congress wanted CYA pardons after the coup attempt to keep Trump in office failed. Trump Republicans knew what they attempted was illegal or they wouldn’t have asked for a pardon. That means that they were conscious of their guilt for possible charges. They didn’t get them. Neither did any of those that attacked our Capitol to overturn the results of the lawful election. Trump could have issued them ALL pardons.
He didn’t.
Transactional
Donald Trump could have also walked to the Capitol with his co-conspirators like he said he would, but he didn’t do that either. The then President of the United States wants his supporters to believe that he couldn’t tell the Secret Service what to do. He didn’t have any problems dealing with crowds when he left his bunker and had the path cleared for his photo op with a bible. The 1/6 crowd were his bros. He had nothing to fear from them. The great draft avoider didn’t have the guts to go even though he would have been surrounded by his Secret Service security detail and a Trump-friendly crowd of co-conspirators.
Donald Trump is transactional (reward/punishment) in his dealings. If he gives something; there must be something back. As an example, when Ukraine wanted weapons Donald Trump asked for an investigation of a political adversary in return. It’s the way he operates.
His MAGA Head supporters failed in their coup attempt. They received no pardons. His Trump Republicans in Congress failed in their attempt to stop the Electoral College proceedings. They received no pardons. Now they must beg for his support.
Trump likes it like that.