The consequences of events on Capitol Hill today will be grave and far reaching. Even if all the rioters went home right now, massive damage has been done. Unless the poisonous influence of President Trump can be reigned in, peace and democracy in the USA is under real and growing threat. Congress will not forget how it was humiliated and forced to flee a violent mob. A mob enraged and incited by the President himself.
Wiser voices in the Republican party will hopefully be heard above those who have supported Trump's lies.
It's almost impossible to imagine senior Republican politicians continuing to support Trump's accusations of a rigged election after the President's army of far-right fanatics have been allowed to take over and ransack the Congress building while Congress was in session, forcing them to flee for their lives. But I suppose a few will. There has been no chance yet to guess at the backlash there will be from the American People at this redneck outrage. About 200 million moderate, decent folk. Are they just going to stand by meekly while this shocking assault on their country just carries on happening? Are the DC Police even going to try to remove the army of Trump fanatics from the Capitol building tonight? Or are the mob of white supremacists just going to be allowed to keep their prize for as long as they feel like it... ...Ah! A little good news. Perhaps the beginning of the end of this shameful sequence of events.
I am glad to see that overnight Congress reconvened. Incredibly there are still objections being tabled by several Republicans, this just hours after the entire parliament was violently attacked and they were forced to evacuate their chamber. Just hours after four people died in the chaos. The objections are not supported, and there was applause from other members of Congress as some objections were rejected. Also, there is talk of possibly invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution... I think this should be seriously looked into as a response to the direct attack on democracy and due process seen yesterday. President Trump incited that violence. There can be no doubt of that. Moreover, he brazenly said that he loved the rioters, and that they were very special, even as they continued to ransack the parliament building. The messages he sent as the occupation and desecration of Capitol Hill by his army of thugs was going on, clearly show that Donald Trump is not only unfit to hold the office of President of the United States, but also that his continued abuse of that office is a direct and immediate threat to the peace and life of American people. This time Trump has really crossed the line. He cannot be allowed to continue to destroy the peaceful transition of power.
President Trump has been blocked by Facebook and Twitter https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55569604 This in the wake of messages of support he sent to the rioters in Washington DC. Telling the violent, lawless mob that he loved them and they were very special. A staggering message from the President of the United States, who claims to represent the side of Law and Order in his nation. Four people are dead, and dozens seriously injured after last night - including Police Officers hurt while trying to defend Capitol Hill. Solely because of mass violence aimed at changing the result of a free and fair election. Violence incited by the continuing lies of President himself. Trump should never be allowed near a social media platform ever again.
Watching footage of some Trump supporters it's clear he has brainwashed them over the last few months to the point where they are totally in thrall to his every utterance. They believe therefore that he won by a landslide, and the evil democrats are criminals. Their sense of self-righteousness will not go away, they believe Trump is the good guy.
As was mentioned on the radio this morning, it's clearer than ever now that Donald Trump is suffering from a personality disorder. Unfortunately the manifestations of this disorder - a pathological denial of personal failure and defeat, and the perpetual blaming of these on cheating by others - is aligned to some degree with what some people in the US see as American values. Defiance, freedom against federal interference, that kind of thing. Like many people who have personality disorders, Trump is very clever and adept at manipulating others to see things the way he does. His disorder can almost be regarded as infectious in this respect. The more other people believe in him, the less likely they ever are to back-track and admit they are wrong. Add to that the devious politicians who support him because they see advantage in it (rather than genuinely believing in him) and you've got a very dangerous combination. One thing this awful event in Washington (and Trump's reaction to it) has done, is expose much more starkly the depth of the President's disorder. More than ample evidence in my view to invoke the 25th Amendment. In order to prevent further violence on the streets of the USA and further needless loss of life, Mike Pence - who has now apparently seen the light - should become acting President until January 20th.
Trump has totally lost it. The man is dragging down the USA. I truly believe that he is mentally ill. His followers remind me of a brainwashed cult. When you lose the ability to think rationally and just blindly follow someone it makes you a dangerous person. Just think of Waco and. People like Manson.
There is a book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump which contains the writings of over 100 psychologists who have been predicting this day based on their studies of the way a Narcissistic person behaves when they start to feel things turn against them. His niece predicted it too in a chilling interview immediately after the election. The forensic psychologist who compiled the book believes he should be removed from office immediately before he starts a civil war or a nuclear war. I have limited experience of working beside pathological liars, and I can tell you they are dangerous when confronted about their lies.
He’s going in 13 days, and Mike Pence did the right thing. The boot will be on the other foot in 4 years time I guarantee. Watch out for Ilhan Omar and A O-C, amongst others. What you are seeing is the start of a long Cultural War in the US.
Trump is in a position to hurt or kill a lot more people between now and January 20th. I very much hope that his senior military staff will be willing to refuse to obey any irrational orders. The same should be true of the security services too. I still think the 25th amendment should be used to transfer authority to Mike Pence until January 20th. What happens in 4 years time is for Joe Biden to influence, by his actions as President. He will probably only get 2 years of control of both houses of Congress. Mid term elections may well return control of one or both to the Republicans. Unless of course Biden's first two years in office make America a better place than it is right now, and people feel the benefits of it.
Trump has already been talked out of declaring war on Iran. I agree that Mike Pence should be made President for the next few days. The world would be safer.
- I think this is right, there are now two polar extremes and neither will give way to the other. I think we are headed in the same direction in this country.
I thought Biden spoke very well last night. There is no comparison between him and Trump. One is a fully paid up member of the human race, the other is a pathological liar and narcissist who is playing to the white supremacists.
The Trump-ites remind me a lot of ultra - Remainers in this country. Both couldn’t accept that they lost a democratic vote. Both were willing to use extreme means to thwart democracy.
I agree that some radical remainers tried to use the law to overturn the decision of the Referendum, and then they tried to use Parliament to reverse it. But there any similarity ends I think. Remainers never showed any of the raw violence that Trump supporters resorted to. And remainers never claimed the referendum was rigged. The furthest they went was to say the Leave campaign lied to the electorate. Hardly unusual for an acrimonious voting campaign. Comparing Trump's racist thugs to hard-line remainers is I suspect some cheekiness on your part @The Punter’s Pal Most remainers were Guardian reading professional types or hippies. Unlikely to park on a double yellow line, never mind ransack Parliament. Four people died yesterday in that disorder in Washington DC. Nobody died during our transition out of the EU.
I am depressed to read that in a survey of nearly 2,000 American voters, 45% of Republicans and even 25% of neutrals thought that the attack on Capitol Hill was a good thing. This must mean there is massive disillusionment with Politics in the USA. If such a substantial minority is really OK with the vandalism, looting, violence and killings, then the United States is no longer the admirable nation I thought it was. It has already fallen far into despair and hatred of all kinds. Joe Biden has a massive task, to convince so many people that rioting and lawlessness is not a good way to live.
That is absolute nonsense. I didn't notice remainers breaking into the House of Commons with guns. Trump is a dangerous man and the quicker he is replaced the better. As a remainer I really take offence to your simile. Comments like that stopped me posting on here for a while.
I had a sudden vision of hundreds of blood-crazed Lib Dems swinging off the chandeliers in the House of Commons screaming "We want Swinson". Might have to go for a bit of a lie down now...