This week was chaotic. It was hellacious. Pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building as Congress was certifying the 2020 Electoral College results. Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer. It was mayhem. The Senate chamber was breached. The House floor was almost stormed. Both chambers fled for cover. Guns were drawn. It was not a pretty sight. At the same time, this populist rage was a long time brewing but that's for another time.
It’s probably not going to get better next week when the House will probably vote on impeachment articles against President Trump. Yet, as Leah noted, one protester left a note on Nancy Pelosi’s desk.
“We will not back down.”
Well, that’s true. Joe Biden is going to be the next president of the United States and his inauguration, which Donald Trump will not attend, will have plenty of visitors. I don’t think we can call these people Pro-Trump supporters anymore. It’s just the insane people now, but they’re vowing to return on Inauguration Day, so brace yourselves for a possible round two rumble in the nation’s capital (via NBC News):
In the wake of Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol, Trump supporters with extremist views feel emboldened and are vowing to return to Washington for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, using online platforms to rally each other.
“Many of Us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying Our weapons, in support of Our nation's resolve, towhich [sic] the world will never forget!!! We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match,” wrote a popular Parler user who frequently posts about QAnon, and is being tracked by the Anti-Defamation League.
Parler, Telegram chat rooms and the platform TheDonald.win were all used to plan and coordinate the Jan. 6 rally that turned into a riot. Posters explicitly stated their intentions to “occupy” the Capitol. QAnon conspiracy theorists and people associated with militia groups had a visible presence in Wednesday’s crowd.
“Round 2 on January 20th. This time no mercy. I don’t even care about keeping Trump in power. I care about war,” an anonymous person posted on the platform TheDonald.win, which is filled with comments posted by people who lauded those who rioted Wednesday as “heroes.”
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It’s going to be a very tense month, isn’t it? Now, talk is cheap. This might not be a big event. Remember the storming of Area 51 event that had hundreds of thousands of people saying they would attend. It was anything but that—at the same time, it was highly entertaining. With this, it could be a dud or scores of people could flock to DC again. Never doubt the motivations of a passionate movement. Forget whether you think they’re crazy or not. A group of determined, passionate, and vocal folks can lead to the unpredictable. And as we saw, can lead to disastrous and terrifying results.
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