Today is January 6, 2021. What should have happened today is the US Congress should have heard the official count of the electoral college following the presidential election, finalizing what we’ve known since November — Donald Trump lost the presidency to Joe Biden.
It is this peaceful transfer of power, decided periodically by the will of the people, which separates the US from dictatorships and banana republics.
However, that isn’t what happened today.
After years of Trump’s incessant fearmongering rhetoric, his supporters don’t trust the media or the government. They only trust his word. The word of a sleazy hotelier, a failed casino owner, a reality star. A man who burned so many bridges, broke so many contracts, screwed so many people over that he could barely even hire a contractor in NYC before playing a billionaire on TV.
Related: Oh, And Trump’s ‘Charity’ Was So Corrupt It Was Shut Down
And after these past few weeks of this man saying over and over again that he won the election and it was being stolen from him, his supporters didn’t believe the news telling them Biden won. They didn’t believe the bipartisan state election boards who said there was no fraud. They believe they’re protecting the true president from a massive conspiracy involving just about everyone else in the world — because he told them that’s what was happening.
Now, on January 6, instead of the election being finalized, a group of these fervent supporters have stormed the Capitol and stopped the vote. Shots have been fired. At least one woman is dead. The extremists have caused all of Congress to go into lockdown mode as so many school children have these past few shameful years.
According to the latest reports, at least one explosive device has been found. The US flag was torn down and replaced with a homemade TRUMP one. We have said many times Trump would burn this country to the ground if it profited him personally. And that is what’s happening.
Related: Trump Caught On Tape Pressuring GA Election Officials To Change Vote Tally
These people are still being called protesters by many in the media, but comparing these people to those peacefully demonstrating in support of women’s rights or Black Lives Matter or gun violence reform is wildly irresponsible.
This isn’t protesting. This is insurrection. This is terrorism. This is treason.
Today is January 6, 2021. A day that will go down as one of the darkest in American history. A day in which our democracy experiment failed.
We don’t know what more to say. We’re just in total shock here. And we aren’t the only ones.
Ch-ch-check out some reactions to the news (below):
https://twitter.com/Pink/status/1346909662151524353
Imagine if this was our side. There would be rivers of our blood in the streets and not a single one of us would be armed. This has been allowed. #CoupAttempt
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 6, 2021
Which do they prefer? https://t.co/JFYwaD5yzB
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 6, 2021
Where the National guards ?
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) January 6, 2021
Just imagine for a second if BLM tried this BS.. Just sayin.
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) January 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/1346925695717437441
https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/1346934626393051137
https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/1346923497629609991
https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/1346927215720734722
https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/1346928070213603329
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) January 6, 2021
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/nGh58y5I1f
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) January 6, 2021
The insurrectionists have REMOVED the American flag from the Capitol building and replaced it with a Trump flag. Trumpism is a domestic terror cult. Period. https://t.co/bXgxo8ypHt
— Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) January 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/DonCheadle/status/1346934162138169346
WHERE IS THE NATIONAL GUARD?!?
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) January 6, 2021
#Trump thinks government, nay, the world itself are just a fake show on #WWE. #FoxNews played its part, but the main perp is the unbelievably vile #DonaldTrump. He wants us to beg him to make it ok again. Tell them to stand down. Only he can save us. #Appalling.
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) January 6, 2021
This is what the President of the United States Donald Trump meant when he said — Stand back, and stand by.
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) January 6, 2021
Arrest this mother fucker and his whole family that “loves” these terrorists and calls them “patriots”. This is treason. https://t.co/goroEvQmAW
— Adam Rippon (@AdamRippon) January 6, 2021
Shame on the news referring to these Domestic Terrorist as ‘Trump Supporters’ as if they are peaceful people supporting a president.
These are terrorist w/ visible guns! Imagine if they were Middle Eastern or Black… they would not be called supporters & they wouldn’t be alive. pic.twitter.com/vIQPKQlC6m— Karamo (@Karamo) January 6, 2021
Fuck you kevin / you and Mc connel allowed this all
– https://t.co/WhIQzmpVAr— John Cusack (@johncusack) January 6, 2021
live view of the capitol police pic.twitter.com/D1jk2xzjqZ
— Desus MF Nice💯 (@desusnice) January 6, 2021
Now…Imagine if they were black.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) January 6, 2021
This is so truly damning I don’t know what to say. This entire incident must be investigated. What happened today is deeply disturbing because it would appear…it was literally ALLOWED to happen. https://t.co/KczGPgpPhc
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) January 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/jelani9/status/1346914987336470528
https://twitter.com/ava/status/1346938170156445699
— jlo (@JLo) January 6, 2021
It is your self serving attempt at sedition that has helped to inspire these terrorists and their attempted coup. https://t.co/AGj44pipsd
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) January 6, 2021
Hey Mark Zuckerberg, @jack, @SusanWojcicki and @sundarpichai — Donald Trump just incited a violent attack on American democracy.
Is that FINALLY enough for you to act?!
It's time to ban Donald Trump from your platforms once and for all! pic.twitter.com/4oWoiMu0eC
— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) January 6, 2021
.@realDonaldTrump should be removed from office now. He incites violence. He lies. He doesn't protect the people of his country. He is a disgrace to everyone who voted for him. His Twitter account should be deactivated.
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) January 6, 2021
[Image via Jaime Espinoza/Apega/WENN/Instar/Avalon.]