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@thols2 - can't get onto the WP site ( cookies dialog, accept cookies, get taken back to subscription options, choose "free", back to accept cookies dialog) so what's the summary?
David Ignatius is a serious reporter on security matters, not a conspiracy nutter.
Opinion by
David Ignatius
Columnist
Dec. 27, 2020 at 6:51 a.m. GMT+9
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Not to be alarmist, but we should recognize that the United States will be in the danger zone until the formal certification of Joe Biden’s election victory on Jan. 6, because potential domestic and foreign turmoil could give President Trump an excuse to cling to power.This threat, while unlikely to materialize, is concerning senior officials, including Republicans who have supported Trump in the past but believe he is now threatening to overstep the constitutional limits on his power. They described a multifaceted campaign by die-hard Trump supporters to use disruptions at home and perhaps threats abroad to advance his interests.
The big showdown is the Jan. 6 gathering of both houses of Congress to formally count the electoral college vote taken on Dec. 14, which Biden won 306 to 232. The certification should be a pro forma event, but a desperate Trump is demanding that House and Senate Republicans challenge the count and block this final, binding affirmation of Biden’s victory before Inauguration Day.
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Trump’s last-ditch campaign will almost certainly fail in Congress. The greater danger is on the streets, where pro-Trump forces are already threatening chaos. A pro-Trump group called “Women for America First” has requested a permit for a Jan. 6 rally in Washington, and Trump is already beating the drum: “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
Government officials fear that if violence spreads, Trump could invoke the Insurrection Act to mobilize the military. Then Trump might use “military capabilities” to rerun the Nov. 3 election in swing states, as suggested by Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. Trump “could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states and basically rerun an election,” Flynn told Newsmax in a Dec. 17 interview.
The Pentagon would be the locus of any such action, and some unusual recent moves suggest pro-Trump officials might be mobilizing to secure levers of power. Kash Patel, chief of staff to acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller, returned home “abruptly” from an Asia trip in early December, according to Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin. Patel didn’t explain, but in mid-December Trump discussed with colleagues the possibility that Patel might replace Christopher A. Wray as FBI director, one official said. Wray remains in his job.
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Another strange Pentagon machination was the proposal Miller floated in mid-December to separate the code-breaking National Security Agency from U.S. Cyber Command, which are both currently headed by Gen. Paul Nakasone. That proposal collapsed because of bipartisan congressional opposition.
But why did Trump loyalists suggest the NSA-Cyber Command split in the first place? Some officials speculate that the White House may have planned to install a new NSA chief, perhaps Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the young conservative recently installed to oversee Pentagon intelligence activities.
With firm control of the NSA and the FBI, the Trump team might then disclose highly sensitive information about the origins of the 2016 Trump Russia investigation. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe tried to release this sensitive intelligence before the election, despite protests from intelligence chiefs that it would severely damage U.S. national security. Trump retreated under pressure from then-Attorney General William P. Barr, among others.
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Trump’s final weeks in office will also be a tinder box because of the danger of turmoil abroad. Iranian-backed militias fired more than 20 rockets last Sunday at the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, with around nine hitting the compound but inflicting no American casualties. The United States sent intense, high-level messages to Tehran, public and private, warning against any further provocation. The toughest was a Dec. 23 tweet from Trump warning: “If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over.” State Department and Pentagon officials say Trump’s retaliatory threat is real.
Another potential flash point is just a week away. Jan. 3 marks the first anniversary of the U.S. targeted killing of Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani and Iraq militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Any new violence could ignite a quick cycle of escalation that could bring direct conflict between the United States and Iran during Trump’s final weeks in office.
The heroes in preserving the United States’ hopes of a stable democratic transition, perhaps ironically, have been some courageous, principled Republicans: judges in state and federal courts, including Supreme Court justices nominated by Trump; secretaries of state and other election monitors; a disappointingly small handful of GOP senators and members of Congress, and even a few members of Trump’s inner circle like White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who is said to have resisted some of Trump’s disruptive plans. They have all stood up in different ways for the rule of law.
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Trump won’t succeed in subverting the Constitution, but he can do enormous damage over the next weeks. Before Jan. 6, a delegation of senior Republicans should visit him at the White House and insist, emphatically: Biden has won. This must stop.
The news over there seemed to have tagged the car bomb "international" within no time at all.... not sure what evidence they had of that so quickly.
I don't know where you've read that but earlier today I saw the police were checking out the home of a "person of interest" in the Nashville suburbs.
They've confirmed the ID of the bomber, and it seems to be pretty much confirmed that he was a 5G conspiracy theorist- probably more to come on that. (you could definitely tell it was a white guy, just from all the people saying "let's wait and see" "could be a mental health issue" etc)
THis is where I miss r/T_D and the like, it used to be easy to look at what the trumpers and qanon nutters were saying about things like this, these days you need to join parler.
spekkie
Free MemberThe news over there seemed to have tagged the car bomb “international” within no time at all…. not sure what evidence they had of that so quickly.
Are you sure you caught that right? The police announced pretty fast that it was "intentional" ie a bomb not some accident but I didn't see anything saying "international".
I could well have read that wrongly. Cheers.
I kind of want Trump and family to try and implement a proper coup, so he can be put in his rightful place once and for all (a very small prison cell). Unfortunately I expect the true costs would be the lives of others, and he would still walk away relatively unscathed.
This is a good article about whether Trump might be charged - and what with - when he leaves office.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/25/donald-trump-prosecution-post-presidency
As far as I can see he's going to be using all the 'fight the fraud' grift money on lawyers for years to come. The SDNY stuff is piling up..
This has a bit more detail about some of the cases he'll be facing. Those hoping for a long prison sentence may be disappointed. But it'll cost him time and money (lawyers fees and fines) and may destroy his political ambitions. Though given the crazy way of things nowadays, it could all serve to enhance them..
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1247722
"you [pretended] to have some sort of ‘insider’s knowledge’, when in reality you were hired through a staffing agency for one day to clean glass on machines and complete other menial tasks."
Oof, harsh but probably fair. I can't help feeling a certain amount of incredulity that so many of the people propagating Trump's BS will profit the least from him being president.
"I can’t help feeling a certain amount of incredulity that so many of the people propagating Trump’s BS will profit the least from him being president."
They know he's a loser but there's money to be made. The USA version of Brexit.
BTW, thanks @thols2 for pasting these links to various sources, some real insights into what’s going on that’s often a couple of days ahead of the more mainstream sites. Cheers appreciate it 👍
^
Got to love that the extent of the investigation when the police and FBI receive a tip off that someone is building bombs is 'We knocked on the door but he didn't answer'
Well, this makes Rudi seem like a pillar of sanity.
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">2 House Republicans tell me they expect as of now that at least 140 Republican Members of the House will on Jan 6 object to and vote against the Electoral College results showing President-elect Biden won</p>— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 31, 2020
Re. Lin Wood. It's my view that he and people like him (Sidney, Rudy, et al) are doing their best to make themselves appear certifiable. So when the inevitable court cases happen they have a defence on the grounds of insanity.
https://twitter.com/jtlevy/status/1344648195650056193
https://twitter.com/mmucca/status/1344799891487219713
A few weeks back I said, in light of Trumps rush through death sentences
Trump hasn’t only started rushing through executions he’s trying to instate death by firing squad. This is about the story that the other side are traitors. While these aren’t people being executed for their political beliefs but the signal he is sending is that people should be.
And there its is - the idea of 'firing squad' raised by Trump a few weeks back and soon enough his supporters are calling for Death by Firing Squad for the treasonous act of ... not so much being anti-Trump but of not being Pro-Trump enough.
Pence will be in jail for Treason, He will face execution by firing squad.
Ever seen that footage of when Saddam Hussein took power in the Iraqi parliament and called out the 'traitors', who were yanked from their seats and dragged out the back to be shot.
This is the kind of man Trump is.
This is the kind of man Trump is.
It's the kind of man he want's to be, but he isn't actually very good at it. He's just too lazy and easily distracted.
If those pesky libertarian socialists weren't rigging elections then he could get on wit administering real justice to the enemies of the constitution (those who voted against/disagreed with DJT)
'sBestChristian
https://twitter.com/keithedwards/status/1345796238722129923
Happy New Year and have a merry new felony.
**** me they like to drag this shit out don't they.
Our government might be ****wits but at least when we have an election it's done and dusted within days. When was the US election, seems like a looking time ago.....
it's bonkers, it's not going to win him the election it's as if he needs a "win" or something so he can say see told you so! ?
It’s the kind of man he want’s to be, but he isn’t actually very good at it. He’s just too lazy and easily distracted.
Thank god! Saddam etc had a singular purpose and could focus on it for years to achieve their aims. Trump can't focus past the next sentence he hears or reads.
it’s bonkers, it’s not going to win him the election it’s as if he needs a “win” or something so he can say see told you so! ?
If he gets one 'win' that 'proves' that the election was taken away from him it'll be a ticket for him to tour the after-dinner circuit for decades. His supporters will pay handsomely to listen to him for a few hours.
Trump Urges Georgia Secretary Of State To 'Find' Votes In Recorded Phone Call
https://ground.news/article/dff855a7-dd31-47a3-bafe-fefeaeadcaca
Not a great surprise, but having this recording is bound to do him some damage. How much more blatent does this need to get?
TBF it's just pretty beautiful watching him and his leeches continue to harm the party and hurt their odds in the Georgia runoff- all that self-destuctive obsessing and whining about the election they lost and fighting pathetic pointless last stands keeps getting in the way of fighting the actual important fight that hasn't even happened yet. And that takeaway message over and over- "These aren't proper republicans" "Trump voters should punish the GOP" "Hey republicans, your vote won't be counted so why even bother"?
I mean, ****ing Mitch McConnell, right? Literally taking this critical moment to standg up and say "If we control the senate, I'll obstruct everything and laugh- I'll stop the stimulus cheques that both the democrats and Trump both want to send you, because I can, and I'll defend it with excuses that make me sound like a lunatic". All in the weeks before a vote that could take that power away from him. It's proper mental. "Hey, to every floating voter, you will literally get $2000 if you vote Democrat or $600 if you vote Republican, that's my Republican message to you. And not just this time- I'll do the same in every future stimulus round!"
Not a great surprise, but having this recording is bound to do him some damage. How much more blatent does this need to get?
I checked on here https://thedonald.win and apparently the call was Trump being kind enough to give Raffensperger one last chance to come clean and doesn't reflect badly on him at all.
Trump operates just like a mob boss - imagine how many people he must have ripped off and bullied in his lifetime.
NW - I wish I shared your optimism. A we saw in 2016, the more Racist/sexist he gets, the more people worship him. He is normalising the inner hatred of small-town USA.
Our government might be **** but at least when we have an election it’s done and dusted within days. When was the US election, seems like a looking time ago…..
I feel like this is naive. In the USA, elections have previously been decided in a matter of hours. Trump has just used the fascist playbook and got people to believe a stupid narrative with no basis in fact*. It's straight out of George Orwell. And now everyone who reads the news has become an expert in the intricacies of American constitutional law.
Back to here: I'm no expert in UK electoral law but I bet it's a series of formal processes used since the 1700s with plenty of loopholes that rely on people arguing in good faith and follow established norms. This should sound familiar, I have no doubt that a coup would be possible if enough people were complicit or at least did nothing.
Silent republicans are spineless cretins right now and should be destroyed at their next election.
*This time, I'm talking about the baseless election fraud claims, there are many other examples.
Back to here: I’m no expert in UK electoral law but I bet it’s a series of formal processes used since the 1700s with plenty of loopholes that rely on people arguing in good faith and follow established norms.
I think good old fashioned paper ballots being counted in a school gym or suchlike is worth retaining.
It's also odd that he's still on about dominion voting machines in Georgia when the full hand count corroborated their output (to a guy that knows this). From which one can only deduce the recording comes from the Whitehouse.
The whole "didn't they move the machines? I heard they moved the machines" No. "Oh OK then didn't they change the insides of the machines? I heard they changed the insides". Literally goes from "this thing is true" to being told it's not then just invents another contradictory thing and says "this thing is true" in less time than it takes to breathe.
And after all that, it's totally irrelevant because there's been a handcount anyway.
Yeah, but they can't handcount the thousands of shredded ballots blah blah blah.
I love that he instructs him to go and find him exactly the right number of ballots to give him the state by 1 vote. There are still people out there who think he is a genius playing 4D chess with the political elites.
Unless, of course, he's done something even worse and this is just the distraction...makes you think...
That video posted by Klunk nails it and focuses on where the real danger lies, not only with the obvious bad faith actors but with the body politic of the Country and the moral compass (or lack there of) of the people within it.
It's beyond a clash of ideologies or differences of opinion, the threshold for hypocrisy has now reached a high water mark. What we are witnessing is a collective nihilism. Come 2024, Trump would rather a victory for the Democrats then the Republicans without him at the helm.
It's almost like Americans are bored of democracy. Well, not bored necessarily, rather that democracy has now become an obstacle for 'White' America.
I remember when McCain lost in 2008 someone remarked that there simply weren't enough angry white men out there any more. The result in 2016 suggested that somebody had forgotten to count all the angry white women as well. The current, seemingly outrageous shenanigans point to an acknowledgement that come 2024, due to the shifting of the democratic tide there won't be enough angry white men and women combined to win by democratic means. Ergo, for them paths other than democracy must now be pursued.
Ok, seriously.
I'm reminding myself here that we are basically witnessing a failed coup by a president of the United States, aided and abetted my a significant part of his own party (and electorate).
Xi Jinping must be absolutely waking up every morning pinching himself because he can't believe what the West is doing to itself. He might as well decommission his nukes, they are obsolete. A madman/ tv celeb gets into power, throw in a bit of social media (f*ck, I HATE social media) and watch the worlds dominant power tear itself apart. It's incredible really.
An explosion of populism has turned out to be more potent and ultimately far more beneficial to China that an actual armed conflict. Hell, even the UK has done it's bit too damage the West.
It's kind of apt that the UK and USA are spiralling down the plughole given our historical/cultural links.
I'm honestly wondering if there will be a functioning democracy left in the world by the end of this century? Thoughts?
Was it all just a failed attempt at something noble but doomed to fail?
"Was it all just a failed attempt at something noble but doomed to fail?"
Quite possibly. It's the fallacy of moral progress. There is progress in technology and that can have an influence on moral codes but there's no such thing as 'Moral Progress' in itself.
We are all basically animals, monkeys with flamethrowers.