The January 6th Hearing last night was powerful and very informative. What I found most enlightening was how the committee showed us Trump’s deliberate choice—not inaction, deliberate choice— to do nothing for three hours during the seige on the Capitol. He sat in the WH dining room and watched on television as the violent mob that he set in motion continued to rampage, destroy and kill.
The committee laid it out very clearly. For many of us, this is not a complete surprise, but when you see it in the facts shown last night, along with the careful layout of the timeline, and in the words of many people in the White House on January 6th (some of whom resigned there and then), it’s beyond alarming. Alarming in that we elected this maniac (demagog, narcissist, etc), and that our system “allowed” him to get as far as he did. Alarming in how close we got to a constitutional crisis and/or coup. Some, like Trump’s lawyer Cipillone, wanted to resign that night but did not out of fear of who would be put in their place (Giullinai and the other crazies was the implication).
I did some drawings of key moments. Some of those key moments were not visual, but audible: like when we heard secret service detail fearing for their lives and wanting to call family. We also witnessed even more clearing how his followers follow ever single word that comes out of Trump’s mouth. Scary.
What also was so powerful about last night was the eloquent summaries and steady passion coming from Reps Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. I admire these two individuals so much (I am not a Republican, in case you didn’t know) for their leadership and for putting themselves out there.
The Elephant In The Room
So important to reveal all that happened. No matter how ugly. It's vitally important to get it in the record so future generations don't make the same mistake when the next one comes along. What bugs me most about him and his followers is their blind obedience to an angry malcontent with deep seated daddy issues.
However, we live in a society where 2/3 of the population can't even name the three branches of our government. So, there's that too.
I agree with you Liza, and very much like the drawings. Although the hearings have involved a lot of info that has been out there a while, and there's a lot of repetition--necessarily--I think they've done a clear, concise job, and have told the story in a memorable and effective way. (I think they've benefited from a Hollywood director helping them with the storytellling?) I too am a Democrat, but admire the courage of Cheney and Kitzinger. Not an easy thing when your life and the lives of your family, are constantly being threatened. I think Kitzinger's expressive voice was especially helpful last night.