Criminal law

The FBI Comes Up Empty-Handed in its Search for an Insurrection

Below is my column in The Hill on the recent reports confirming that the FBI has not been able to establish a planned insurrection on January 6th despite the overwhelming references in the media.  The vast majority of charges concern trespass or unlawful parading. The absence of a major insurrection or sedition prosecution is conspicuous but has done little to temper the characterization of the riot in media accounts or political statements.

Here is the column:

It may be true, as Confucius said, that “the beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name,” but it can also be the end of politics. For politicians, labeling controversies is often more important than addressing them. Even well-defined terms used in legislation must change to fit political needs, like “infrastructure.” When its real meaning stood in the way of real money, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) simply tweeted: “Paid leave is infrastructure. Child care is infrastructure. Caregiving is infrastructure.” Done.

The same is true with labeling political violence. When protests by Black Lives Matter and other groups turned violent last summer, the media was expressly told not to refer to “rioters” but rather “protesters.” Riots causing massive property damage were described by CNN as “fiery but mostly peaceful protests.”

Conversely, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol could not be just a riot, let alone a “fiery” protest, but only an “insurrection.” Many in the media continue to awkwardly refer to “the insurrectionists” rather than the rioters. National Public Radio even ran a running account of the “Capitol Insurrection.” The term was further driven home by House Democrats by impeaching President Trump for “incitement to insurrection” despite undermining any chance for an actual conviction. Members of Congress like Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) are still in federal court claiming a conspiracy of “armed and organized insurrectionists.”

The characterization of the attack as an insurrection served a myriad of political and personal purposes. First, it painted anyone associated with challenging the 2020 election results as supporting sedition and the country’s overthrow. Second, if this was a protest allowed to turn into an uncontrolled riot, there would be more questions about the failure to properly protect the Capitol.

It is easier to excuse a response to an insurrection than a violent protest. That point was expressly made by former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund who insisted “this was not a demonstration. This was not a failure to plan for a demonstration. This was a planned, coordinated attack on the United States Capitol.”

Despite the adoption of the term by many in the media, there has been a growing disconnect with the actual cases in court. Indeed, a new report from Reuters disclosed that the FBI has struggled to support the account of a coordinated “insurrection” on Jan. 6. Reuters’ FBI sources said that, despite months of intense investigation, they could find “scant evidence” of any “organized plot” and instead found that virtually all of the cases are “one-offs.” One agent explained: ”Ninety to 95 percent of these are one-off cases. Then you have 5 percent, maybe, of these militia groups that were more closely organized. But there was no grand scheme with Roger Stone and Alex Jones and all of these people to storm the Capitol and take hostages.”

In other words, they found a protest that became a runaway riot as insufficient security preparations quickly collapsed. While there clearly were those set upon trashing the Capitol, most people were shown milling about in the halls; many took selfies and actively described the scene on social media.

More than 570 people have been arrested, but only 40 face conspiracy charges. Those charges are often based on prior discussions about trying to enter Congress or bringing material to use in the riot; some clearly came prepared for rioting with ropes, chemical irritants and other materials. Those cases, however, are a small group among the hundreds charged and an even smaller percentage among the tens of thousands of protesters on that day. They remain a couple insurrectionists short of an insurrection.

After five months of dragnet arrests nationwide, a few reporters noted that no one was actually charged with insurrection or sedition. The vast majority of people face charges like simple trespass. For example, the latest guilty plea is from San Francisco real estate broker Jennifer Leigh Ryan, who posted an account on social media of how “We’re gonna go down and storm the capitol.” She pleaded guilty this week to “parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building” and faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of $5,000.

Yet, the characterization of the “insurrection” has continued as a virtual article of faith for those reporting on or writing about Jan. 6. Moreover, the treatment of many has remained severe, if not draconian by design. Justice official Michael Sherwin proudly declared in a television interview that “our office wanted to ensure that there was shock and awe … it worked because we saw through media posts that people were afraid to come back to D.C. because they’re, like, ‘If we go there, we’re gonna get charged.’ … We wanted to take out those individuals that essentially were thumbing their noses at the public for what they did.”

That “shock and awe” included holding people without bail and imposing “restrictive housing” for no obvious reason. That includes some of the most notable figures from that day, like Jacob Chansley (aka Jake Angeli), better known as “Chewbacca Man” or the “QAnon Shaman” for the distinctive horned headdress he wore during the riot. Angeli, 33, is not accused of attacking anyone while parading around the Senate floor in his bear skin. He always insisted he was not trying to overthrow the nation with his decorative outfit and spear-topped flagpole. While the government did not find a basis for an insurrection or sedition charge, it did learn that he has an array of mental illnesses including transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Yet, he has been held since the riot and is charged with six crimes, including violent entry, trespass and parading, that collectively could yield up to 28 years in prison.

There is a fair distinction between those who tried to stop the certification of a presidential election and those who burn police stations or businesses during protests. While the majority of people who went to the Capitol were protesters and did not engage in the riot, there were some who sought to physically disrupt or prevent the certification, including the use of violent entry into the Capitol. Yet, there remains a striking contrast in how other riots are characterized or prosecuted. Most of those arrested for violent protests after the death of George Floyd saw their charges dropped by state prosecutors. For months, rioters sought to burn federal buildings or occupy state capitals and, in some cases, seized police stations, sections of cities, even occupied a city hall. They were not declared insurrectionists; they were rioters before being set free after brief arrests.

Many of us remain disgusted and angered by the Jan. 6 riot — but it was a riot. It also was a desecration. These people deserve to be punished, particularly those who went with an intent to try to enter the Congress. The question is whether you can have an insurrection without anyone actually insurrecting. That Zen-like question may find its way into the hearings of some pending cases.

Calling these people “rioters” does not minimize what they did, or undermine the legitimacy of their punishment. However, there is wisdom and even the chance for resolution when we “call things by their proper name.”

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates on Twitter @JonathanTurley.

319 thoughts on “The FBI Comes Up Empty-Handed in its Search for an Insurrection”

  1. JANUARY 6TH: THE ULTIMATE WHAT-ABOUT

    Almost as soon as Trump took office, What-Abouts became an all purpose response to excuse any breech of normalcy by Trump and his supporters.

    What-Abouts require no facts, logic or analytical skills. They are simply push-button responses to evoke common narratives from rightwing media.

    What-About.. Benghazi, Eric Holder, Planned Parenthood.. fill-in the blank. It doesn’t have to make any sense! Just raising a What About is all that really matters. It’s a brake system to prevent the discussion from going anywhere.

    After 4 years of Trump we reached a point where the climatic What Abouts would explode. Trump was sick of being reminded that he lost the Popular Vote to Hillary. So he made his loss to Biden a nuclear What About. And again, it didn’t have to make any sense.

    Never mind that Trump lost the Popular Vote to Biden by millions more than his loss to Hillary. All Trump had to say was the ‘election was rigged’. Never mind that no court found evidence of fraud. Again, it didn’t ‘have to’ make any sense!

    By January 6th, it was clear that Trump’s fraud claims had gone nowhere. So now it was time for the ultimate What About. Liberals had rioted in a host of different cities regarding BLM matters. So now Trumpers had the right to stage a riot of their own!

    The following comments have been edited from this thread. They lay bare the What About mentality of Trumpers in response to January 6th.

    Karen S says:

    Democrats routinely challenge elections they lose. They regularly call those elections “stolen.” They call for recounts, lawsuits, etc.

    Young says:

    Didn’t cost as much as burning down Minneapolis. Nobody seemed to mind that.

    Margot Ballhere says:

    If this was an insurrection then the “Russia Russia Russia, Muller, Aesop Schiff, Fang Fang Swalwall” attempts to unseat the President, was a Coup?

    JFeldman says:

    The FBI is a criminal organization and needs to investigated from top to bottom and its leaders punished for engaging in criminal activities.

    Anonymous says:

    Meanwhile… This weekend in Chicago, 41 were shot, 7 killed. This follows last weekend, when 56 shot in Chicago, 8 dead. Not a peep from the mainstream media.

    1. Never mind that Trump lost the Popular Vote to Biden
      Never mind the popular vote carries just 50% less weight than exit polls when determining the winner. However it is the go to taunt for the all those that failed civics in high school

      1. Almost as soon as Trump took office, What-Abouts became an all purpose response to excuse any breech of normalcy by Trump and his supporters.

        Almost as soon as Trump took office, What-Abouts became an all purpose response for leftist that had no explanation for their ragging hypocrisy

        .

    2. “This weekend in Chicago, 41 were shot, 7 killed. This follows last weekend, when 56 shot in Chicago, 8 dead. Not a peep from the mainstream media.”

      Of all the problems discussed this one demonstrates where the problems arise from. The Democrat Party controls Chicago and look what we get. Biden comes in and look at the exit from Afghanistan. For a senile old man he has caused more damage than any other President in under 8 months. One can only conclude Democrats like rape death and destruction. You seem to cheer them on. Different strokes for different folks, but this type of stuff???

      1. Allan posts another one of his ‘unimportant’ comments as Anonymous — just one of many in the past hour or so.

        1. “Alan, maybe you’d like the NRA to answer for the gun violence in Chicago.”
          ***********************
          Why? They’re not responsible any more than pencil manufacturers are responsible for your obvious difficulty in learning and understanding. “Nonsequitur” ring any bells?

        2. The ‘gun violence ‘ in Chicago is black violence.

          Same in Baltimore and other venues of mayhem and murder.

          Overlay maps of gun density, murder density and black density and the murder and black density match up very well, gun density and murder not so much.

          Black men, about a measly 7% of the population, account for more than 54% of all murders in the country.

        3. Anonymous, that is a pretty Stupid statement. The NRA stands for the Second Amendment. You stand for abolishing the Bill of Rights or most of them. You are the one that wishes to hold a gun to the head of people. You are the one responsible for racism, violence against women, etc. Your love of big government and totalitarianism is what leads to the problems we face. Add to that your deceit, lying and ignorance.

          Today we have President in office, Joe Biden, who has inflicted more damage to America’s image than the British who burned down the WH. America has never before experienced such shame and destruction based on one administration. That is the man you support. You support his actions in Afghanistan that will kill massive numbers of people who don’t walk their tightrope. We will pay in the future with a lot of terrorism that is coming sooner rather than later.

          Go ahead and keep telling us how bad Trump was. He tried to stop wars and terrorism while protecting Americans. You have shown what you are, and it isn’t pretty.

    3. Anonymous:

      This is about a failure to apply the same standard. Rather, the standard is a sliding political scale.

      If you’re a Democrat, you can riot, loot, and commit arson with near impunity. Biden, Harris, and AOC will bail you out.

      If you illegally parade and trespass inside the Capitol, the media will falsely portray your law breaking as a seditious attempt to overthrow the government, you will be thrown into solitary for months, and every possible charge will be thrown at you.

      Pointing out a disparity and hypocrisy is neither whataboutism or tu quoque. How can questioning election integrity be an act of patriotism if a Democrat does it, but an act of sedition and a threat against Democracy if a conservative does? Answer: such disparity is illogical.

      Do you object to applying the same standard? If not, why?

      1. Karen: you are fact-immune. The Trump Insurrectionists were not “illegally parading and trespassing inside the Capitol”…they were there to lynch Pence, on Trump’s command to “fight like hell or you’re not going to have a country any more” and his statement that: “let’s hope Pence does the right thing”. They had assaulted and beaten multiple Capitol Police. They had compatriots waiting outside the DC city limits with weapons, ready to violently take over the Capitol. The “right thing” would have been to follow the Constitution to accept the certified vote totals from the 50 Secretaries of State. Trump lied to the faithful by telling them that Pence had any authority to do anything other than comply with the will of the American people. Trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power by force IS an act of sedition. And, those losers who invaded our Capitol are not “conservatives”. Neither are you. You are a Trump Disciple: a blind follower of a wretched failure of a man whose values are inimicable to American values.

        Trump wasn’t “questioning election integrity”. He knew, based on Bill Barr’s investigation and his own Chris Krebs’ assurance that 2020 was the most-secure election in US history. He knew, based on mutliple recounts and certification of the election results by all 50 Secretaries of State, that he lost the election fair and square. Because of his massive ego and mental illness, he is incapable of accepting the will of th American people.

        So, the entire factual premise of your little piece is wrong.

    4. “Almost as soon as Trump took office, What-Abouts became an all purpose response to excuse any breech of normalcy by Trump and his supporters.”
      ***********************
      Okay, the fundamental question with Aninny arises again: bong or bottle? You decide. (PS you can write in your own answer like “dumb,” “obtuse,” or “ “cut and paste fiend.”)

  2. Like we didn’t see this conclusion coming. With all the unindicted “conspirators…whom conveniently are FBI and FBI informants…… really geez a conjured up narrative they could not make stick…again. A lot of the duplicitous federal agents need to be cashiered and more !.

  3. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

    Lawyer swaps big salary to represent Gitmo detainees [a/k/a terrorist killers of Americans]

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113596480565334798

    she isn’t the only one:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/washington/13gitmo.html

    “WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 — The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism said in an interview this week that he was dismayed that lawyers at many of the nation’s top firms were representing prisoners at Guantánamo Bay”

    Oh, that is so virtuous! Stepping up to defend these people. But where are they now while ordinary citizens facing misdemeanors are held in jail for months under harsher conditions than American-killers in Gitmo have?

    Oh we have volunteers in America. Private firm lawyers tumbled over each other to get a position prosecuting Officer Chauvin because a felon with multiple health problems including Covid died while resisting arrest. The only Covid death in American that the CDC won’t label as a Covid death.

    The legal profession is looking very shabby and dishonorable these days.

    1. You’ve said you’re a lawyer.

      Why aren’t YOU volunteering to represent them?

      2. So dumb. You don’t understand what a professional is. You would have a neurosurgeon do a heart transplant. After all they are both doctors. Where do you come from that you are so unaware.

  4. The FBI knows exactly where any organization took place, but they don’t want to admit how poor they are at it. It was a good idea to slip this out into the news cycle while Afghanistan is going on.

  5. I just listened to a State Department spokesman answer questions on Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. He insisted that the Taliban, AKA “the terrorist abusers of women”, has ensured safe passage for Americans, people from other countries, and Afghanis. He insisted that it is in the Taliban’s best interest to have a functioning airport and economy.

    A journalist who sounded very tired ask what airline would consent to fly into an airport run by terrorists?

    Any rational person would understand within 30 seconds that the Taliban, or The Terrorist abusers of women, were not, in fact, allowing safe passage to the airport. They were not, in fact, honoring women’s rights. They were not, in fact, creating a functioning airport or economy. And then you move forward with Reality, not Wishes.

    The Taliban has been capturing girls as young as 12, and “marrying them” to their soldiers as lawful war booty. “Marriage” is just a euphemism for the sexual slavery of women and children.

    This is negligence which leads to rape and murder.

      1. As long as they want to be at war with the US and our allies.

        Do you believe if we stop “occupying” territory in Afghanistan that the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS will cease hostilities towards the US and our allies?

        1. I think fewer Americans would have lost their lives to Islamic extremists in the last 20 years if we hadn’t started wars in the ME.

          1. You have the right to think that. A root cause analysis would likely show political decisions made in the decades before Afghanistan contributed to the rise of Islamic extremism. Fortunately President Trump did not add his name to the list of Presidents starting wars in the ME, or anywhere else for that matter.

            So back to my question to you. In light of the reality that we can’t undo what was begun 20 years ago, Do you believe if we stop “occupying” territory in Afghanistan that the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS will cease hostilities towards the US and our allies?

            1. No, but I think fewer American and allied lives will be lost.

              You may believe differently.

              1. Anonymous, how can you think that Al Qaeda and ISIS will not cease hostilities towards the US, while at the same time fewer American and allied lives will be lost???

                Do you think the Taliban is going to express its hostility in mean Tweets? Unkind movie reviews? Spend its time on Yelp?

          2. Anonymous:

            Our efforts combat extremism. We aren’t out to win friends with terrorists. We wouldn’t like the requirements to join their gang.

            Islamic terrorists seek a global caliphate, and they actively oppose the West and its freedoms. The Taliban has quarreled with ISIS over who controls what. The mere existence of the West, and its efforts to help get women educated around the world, is enough to trigger violence. The very name Boko Haram means Western education is sinful.

            The Taliban sheltered Al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks. They were not content to languish in the stone age, killing women who ventured forth without a male chaperone. For instance, they infamously shot dead a woman who was carrying her sick child to get emergency medical care, unable to wait for her husband. No, killing women, apostates, and anyone else they chose did not satisfy them. They branched out and rendered aid in the strike against the US.

            The general pattern of anti-Western terrorism is that they do smaller ops, bigger, bigger, biggest, and then get smacked down. They then start probing, doing little acts of aggression, getting bolder, bolder, bolder…until they are smacked down again.

            These are people who throw gay men off buildings, stone women, beat women, shoot women just for failure to follow their ultra strict rules, abuse children. Globally, there are some chilling similarities between the various terrorist groups.

            It is a fantasy that ignoring the ME will lead to less terrorist attacks. Convincing terrorists that we are a soft target will not save us. Making them believe that we’ll blow them up and break all molecular bonds in their bodies, so that attacking us is futile and accomplishes nothing, is what stops terrorists. They have got to think that they will be bitten, hard, if they poke the sleeping lion.

            Terrorists don’t like the US interfering with their terrorist activities, or their plans for a global caliphate.

            For our own safety, and that of our allies, we have to be the country-with-whom-one-does-not-mess-with.

            1. Yeah, terrorists are bad guys. We know that. Yeah, the Taliban doesn’t have the same values we have as to women. Is it the job of the US to correct their way of thinking? Did they ask us our opinions on womens’ rights? is that why Bush started the war in Afghanistan?

            2. Your comment is awaiting moderation.

              Our efforts combat extremism. We aren’t out to win friends with terrorists. We wouldn’t like the requirements to join their gang. — Karen S

              Like many of your posts, but this one…? LOL

              Who is the U.S. arming and supporting against Syria? Girl Scouts?

              Who created Al-Qaeda?

              Saddam may be a b*st*rd, but he’s our b*st*rd. — attributed to Reagan

      2. How about the US Govt & rogue CIA/Intel agenices just stop funding the American Hating Taliban Terrorist & the others like Obama’s/Bushes AlQaeda & ISIS, etc., ???????

        BTW is Biden/Co vaccinating + boosters of all those 1,000’s of Taliban Terrorist he’s flying in now?

      3. The war in Afghanistan ended December 28, 2014. However, the US and Nato kept thousands of troops in Afghanistan for years.

        How long will terrorists remain at war with the US? How long will the Taliban continue to be at war?

        You do understand that maintaining a base is not the same as perpetuating a war, right? We still have around 40 bases in Germany, for example.

        1. The war in Afghanistan ended December 28, 2014. However, the US and Nato kept thousands of troops in Afghanistan for years. — Karen S

          At the beginning of WWII, Germany invaded and overran France in a few weeks. Germany stationed troops in France, installed a puppet government and established military bases.

          How long did the French terrorists remain at war with Germany?

          You do understand that when one nation invades another, installs a puppet government and establishes military bases, it is prosecuting a war.

      1. Anonymous:

        While I agree that exporting democracy was a pipe dream, sometimes the best you can do is contain the problem.

        Even when wars are long over, the US commonly maintains military presence. We’ve still got around 40 bases and military installations in Germany, last I checked. We have over 2 dozen in Okinawa.

      2. We’ll never be able to fix Afghanistan, Karen.

        Nation building has never worked. The same attempts across the entire political spectrum. All fail. There has never been a time Afghanistan was not at war with itself.

        I agree we can never “fix” Afghanistan.

        Now that you understand the concept, you need to admit that we will never be able to “fix” COVID (eliminate). Closings, masking,vaccination, will make no difference. Educate the people to identify their personal risk, and teach those vulnerable, how to protect themself. Life moves forward in all its glorious excesses.

    4. Biden likes twelve year old girls. Maybe his screw up of an exit was to give Afghan men a thrill.

    6. Gee, Karen, why did your orange hero reduce our troop strength from 14,000 to 2,500? Wasn’t that “negligence”? Did the Afghans ask us to come to their country and help them figure out what they were dong wrong when it comes to womens’ rights? Did the Taliban agree to Western values as to womens’ rights?

      1. >why did your orange hero reduce our troop strength from 14,000 to 2,500? Wasn’t that “negligence”? Did the Afghans ask us to come to their country and help them figure out what they were dong wrong when it comes to womens’ rights? Did the Taliban agree to Western values as to womens’ rights?

        Nope. Not negligence. The drawdown was to reduce our military presence to return to the original mission and cease the mission creep permitted under previous administrations; which of course aligns with the point you are trying to make in your last two questions. Did you question why the Bush and then Obama administrations exceeded the original mission with the increase in deployed troops to Afghanistan, especially after 2010? The goal of a May 2021 complete withdrawal of forces was conditions-based. It is noteworthy that there were no American casualties over an 18 month period that included the drawdown.

        “Moving forward, while the department continues with planning capable of further reducing U.S. troop levels to zero by May of 2021, any such future drawdowns remain conditions-based,” Miller wrote. “All sides must demonstrate their commitment to advancing the peace process. Further, the United States will continue to take any action necessary to ensure protection of our homeland, our citizens and our interests.”
        https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2473884/us-completes-troop-level-drawdown-in-afghanistan-iraq/

        1. Did you question why the Bush and then Obama administrations exceeded the original mission with the increase in deployed troops to Afghanistan, especially after 2010?

          I remember an Obama interview where he was very proud of his shift from Iraq(“the surge” being abad move by Bush, according to Obama) to the good war with Afghanistan, the real source of terrorism.
          Thus plucking defeat from the jaws of victory in Iraq. The following genocide of >100,000 Christians in iraq was met by silence from most all quarters. But Obama, the good leftist he is, has the ability to ignore history of anything that happened before he arises from bed each day.

      2. “Gee, Karen, why did your orange hero reduce our troop strength from 14,000 to 2,500? Wasn’t that “negligence”? “

        Did the Afghans act against the US in a serious manner? If you remember when the Afghans did, Trump ordered reprisals by the airforce. The Afghans tempered down and Trump maintained the ability especially at Bagram.

        It was the stupidity you represent in your support for Joe Biden that got rid of the ‘big stick’. It was Joe Biden who gave the Afghani’s about 70 Billion dollars worth of military material including Blackhawk helicopters. One has to be an idiot to give that stuff away to an enemy.

        You don’t bother thinking. First one removes the weaponry and destroys the installations that are dangerous along with removing civilians. Then one withdraws their military force in a military manner.

        You and Joe Biden aren’t big thinkers. All you can say is Trump did it. It is likely that if the Afghanis attempted to do what they are doing today, Trump would have bombed throughout Afghanistan and not stopped until the Afghanis permitted him to call the shots.

  6. Compare and contrast their treatment with that of BLM rioters who set apartment buildings on fire with people inside, who looted, trashed, and torched businesses, and who assaulted people on the street. Those neighborhoods won’t recover, not for generations.

    Only a fool would open a business anywhere near a community that rioted and destroyed businesses, or a community that deems looting “reparations.”

    Hear that? That’s the sound of jobs leaving black communities, leaving black people worse off than before BLM “helped” them with false statistics.

    How’s the defund the police movement going for ya’ll in areas affected by these policies? How’s it going, with the skyrocketing murder, other violent crime, and theft?

    Do you like help from the Left?

  7. Democrats routinely challenge elections they lose. They regularly call those elections “stolen.” They call for recounts, lawsuits, etc.

    Yet those same people claim that any conservative question of election integrity is undermining democracy and a Constitutional crisis.

    It’s all just dirty politics.

    Keeping people arrested for illegally parading in solitary confinement for months is not justice. Even the few who engaged in violence would not typically be in solitary.

    We’ve seen the media, academia, and Hollywood turn into Leftist propaganda machines. At least some of them are asking Biden tougher questions than what ice cream flavor he prefers. Too bad their awakening came too late for voters.

    1. Tell us, Karen, what Democrat aid an election was “stolen” despite multiple recounts, despite losing dozens of lawsuits, despite the Attorney General of the US and the head of US Cybersecurity confirming that there was no widespread election fraud.

      Trump is NO conservative, and neither are you. No matter how many times you try to elevate Trumpism and merge it into conservatism, you are wrong. People who are under arrest for the Trump Insurrection are those who don’t qualify for bail because of outstanding warrants or because they can’t raise bail.

      And, please, no more of your “us vs. Biden”. You Trumpsters are in the ever-shrinking minority.

  8. The officer, with his finger inside the trigger guard, demonstrated depraved indifference to the unarmed woman, who was outclassed and posed no immediate, imminent, probable, or even plausible risk to justify her abortion, and other officers in close proximity. The riots were forced by Pelosi, Schumer et al rejecting executive assistance a la Katrina controversy, the presence of government agents with the organization and audacity of Whitmer-gate, and the presence of Some, Select [Black] Lives Matter and likely other anti-organizational agitators. Babbitt was presumed guilty, and summarily aborted for social effect. A Choice defended by Pro-Choice religious (e.g. wicked solution, diversity [dogma] including racism) apologists.

    1. “The officer, with his finger inside the trigger guard, demonstrated depraved indifference…”

      ***
      Also depraved stupidity.

      Who trained this homicidal buffoon? But for affirmative action he would be working as an unarmed school crossing guard, assuming he can do even that.

      Are the other people in his unit this poorly trained? Even the Taliban know to keep their fingers off the trigger when they aren’t shooting women.

  9. George Carlin said it best of those who were there January 6th. “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups”

    1. Fish “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups”
      ***
      But why did the Biden administration have to hire all of them?

  10. “The FBI Comes Up Empty-Handed in its Search for an Insurrection”

    – Professor Turley
    ______________

    If Christopher Wray concluded a thorough and factual investigation, he would indict himself.

    FBI, be empty-handed no more.

    Here is your insurrection:
    ____________________

    “We will stop him.”

    – Peter Strzok to FBI paramour Lisa Page
    —————————————————-

    “[Obama] wants to know everything we’re doing.”

    – Lisa Page to FBI paramour Peter Strzok
    _________________________________

    The Obama Coup D’etat in America is the most egregious abuse of power and the most prodigious crime in American political history.

    The co-conspirators are:

    Kevin Clinesmith, Bill Taylor, Eric Ciaramella, Rosenstein, Mueller/Team, Andrew Weissmann,

    James Comey, Christopher Wray, McCabe, Strozk, Page, Laycock, Kadzic,

    Sally Yates, James Baker, Bruce Ohr, Nellie Ohr, Priestap, Kortan, Campbell,

    Sir Richard Dearlove, Christopher Steele, Simpson, Joseph Mifsud,

    Alexander Downer, Stefan “The Walrus” Halper, Azra Turk, Kerry, Hillary,

    Huma, Mills, Brennan, Gina Haspel, Clapper, Lerner, Farkas, Power, Lynch,

    Rice, Jarrett, Holder, Brazile, Sessions (patsy), Nadler, Schiff, Pelosi, Obama,

    Joe Biden, James E. Boasberg, Emmet Sullivan, et al.

  11. Getting impossible to hide:

    “White House calls Fox News host ‘disgusting’ and demands an apology for segment saying Jill Biden ‘failed the country’ by letting her ‘mentally frail’ husband Joe run for president”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9919077/White-House-calls-Fox-News-disgusting-saying-Jill-Biden-failed-letting-Joe-run-2020.html

    I bet she wishes she hadn’t done it now, but its too late. Don’t forget she had a lot of help from media and RINOS.

    1. Melania Trump ‘failed the country’ by letting her malignant narcissist husband Donald run for president.

      1. Trump supporters failed the country by believing a well known and proven liar.

        1. DemoKKKratz drones like fishflaps failed the country by illegally installing a senile puppet…whom lies as naturally as we breathe air (factual ) and plagiarizes with no shame (factual).

        2. FishWings, thanking you for telling everyone what a fish fart sounds like.

      2. Dr Jilly ( doctorate of crayons in edjumakashun) FAILED America by letting her senile husband be a puppet for the DC Swamp so she could be first ho of the senior senile mr 10%.

    2. Rachel Campos Duffy only repeated what MANY of us are thinking. Jill (not a real Doctor) is an elder abuser. It’s plain as the nose on your face.

  12. A VERY EXPENSIVE RIOT

    Professor Turley seeks to play-down the insurrection. It was just a few good ole boys blowing-off steam, he suggests.

    But according to “The Hill”, financial costs of the riot added up to hundreds of millions. This paragraph summarizes:

    “A security bill passed by Congress on July 29 allotted nearly $2.1 billion to cover the damage caused on Jan. 6. The bill included a $521 million repayment to the National Guard, a $70 million reimbursement to the Capitol Police and $300 million for improvements in Capitol security, the Post noted.

    The attack on the Capitol resulted in the deaths of five people. About 140 police officers were assaulted”.

    https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/567092-judge-asks-why-restitution-in-capitol-riot-cases-is-capped?amp
    ……………………………………………………

    One judge is asking why restitution payments have been pegged so low for defendants in light of the damage caused. Prosecutors are, of course, seeking easy plea bargains to dispose of all these cases; a point Professor Turley neglects to mention.

    1. Didn’t cost as much as burning down Minneapolis.

      Nobody seemed to mind that.

      1. Young

        I know that the tendency is to argue, to assume that you are detailing with rational people who can be reasoned with.

        Recognize that they are retards – content in their stupidity.

  13. Turley attempts to make the case that the FBI has firmly and finally concluded that the invasion of our Capitol was not planned or coordinated. Where’s the link to the report proving this Turley, or is this just more red meat for the disciples–downplaying Trump’s Big Lie and the fallout from his inciting his followers to “fight like hell or you’re not going to have a country any more? Tell us, Turley, have all of those who broke into the Capitol been identified and charged? Not the last time I checked–they’re still looking for hundreds of them. Do you think the FBI has disclosed everything it knows up to this point? Can you actually say the FBI doesn’t have and won’t find efforts of a coordinated effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election? Of course not.

    What were the people present “protesting” anyway? The fact that Trump lost the election? Why were they there? To protest what–an election their candidate lost? If so, why did they break into the Capitol building, why the noose, why the chants of “hang Pence”, why were they roaming the halls of the Capitol, hunting for Nancy Pelosi? This was NOT a protest march or even a mere “riot” or even a “firey protest” because the aim or purpose of the invasion of our Capitol was to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Joe Biden lawfully won the election and his victory was certified by all 50 Secretaries of State. The purpose was not to express dissatisfaction with the results–it was an effort to overturn the results. THAT is the definition of an insurrection.

    But, of course, today’s piece is not just another limp effort to defend Trump–one of Turley’s assignments–it was also a dig at Democrats and the non-pro-Trump media. Red meat. Red meat.

  14. If this was an insurrection then the “Russia Russia Russia, Muller, Aesop Schiff, Fang Fang Swalwall” attempts to unseat the President, was a Coup?

    1. Yes, Margot, you ARE a full-blown Fox News disciple. While I already know that you are, by virtue of your Fox discipleship, immune to facts, why don’t you try reading the Mueller Report, or one of the indictments, guilty pleas, and guilty verdicts that resulted from the Mueller Investigation? Trump’s campaign did feed insider polling information to Russian hackers who used the info to put out lies about Hillary Clinton on social media in key districts where it could sway the Electoral College. Trump still lost the popular vote. Because this tactic couldn’t work a second time, he tried, and is still trying, to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He began calling it fraudulent even before Election Day because all polls showed he would lose to Biden.

      Because of this cheating to defeat the will of the American people, it is profane to use the title “President” in connection with Trump’s name. He cheated his way into the White House and fomented an insurrection by putting out the Big Lie because his mental illness prevents him from accepting defeat. Trump was impeached twice, which is a record. 48 US Senators voted to remove him from office, which should have happened, but Republicans put party above patriotism. That’s not insignificant, but being a disciple of Fox, you are immune to facts.

      2. You lost all credibility the moment you used the words “popular vote”. It’s meaningless and anyone with even a grade school level education knows that.

        1. It’s not meaningless. Each state’s EC vote is directly determined by that state’s popular vote.

          1. Your reply needs to be refined. Current’s statement provided a reasonable point.

  15. So many Cluster F*** in this Administration it is hard to keep track.

    More time needed by other governments to rescue innocents trapped in Afghanistan.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9918241/Britain-wants-DOUBLE-Kabul-airlift-numbers-12-000-week.html

    And the Taliban tell Biden to get out on schedule or face the consequences.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/breaking-taliban-wont-extend-aug-31-deadline-us-withdrawal-afghanistan/

    With Biden in the WH we have about as much influence for good on the world stage as Honduras but incalculable influence for destruction.

    1. -Young,
      Is it not interesting how desperate some seem to keep the “insurrection” narrative alive?

      I am surprised the Professors site has not gotten another DoS attack.

        1. Seems to be a lot of BlueAnon stuff suddenly popping up too.
          Shadowy figures, orchestrating a so called insurrection, even though the FBI did not turn up anything.
          Or is the FBI covering for them, part of the conspiracy? (sarc)

  16. …and the FBI has such a great track record.

    Ask Richard Jewell and others. Oh, wait… Richard Jewell is dead.

    And what did the FBI conclude about Havana Syndrome? Yeah, it would appear that they missed the mark on that one, too.

    Cointelpro ops in the U.S.?

    Yep, still running ’em.

    The FBI needs to clean house…

  17. “Below is my column in The Hill on the recent reports confirming that the FBI has not been able to establish a planned insurrection on January 6th despite the overwhelming references in the media.”

    They haven’t confirmed it, because you can only confirm what the FBI itself has stated, and they haven’t made a statement. What you should have written was “alleging” or “claiming,” not “confirming.”

    “Reuters’ FBI sources …”

    Reuter didn’t claim that their sources worked for the FBI. They identified them as “four current and former law enforcement officials …. who have been either directly involved in or briefed regularly on the wide-ranging investigations.” The FBI is not the only agency involved, so even those who’ve been directly involved may not be FBI.

    Maybe you should wait until there’s an actual statement from the FBI.

    “Those [40] cases [of conspiracy], however, are a small group … They remain a couple insurrectionists short of an insurrection.”

    Just how many people have to be charged with conspiracy for them to become insurrectionists? What word do *you* want to use for “those who tried to stop the certification of a presidential election”?

    As for whether it was an insurrection, we know that Trump chose the date, time, and location of his rally to coincide with Congress certifying the Electoral College vote, that Trump and his allies repeatedly announced the date to his supporters and asked them to show up to the rally, that Trump told them it would be “wild” and they needed to “fight like hell,” that Trump encouraged them to go to the Capitol in the midst of the certification and lied to them that he’d go with them, that some of his supporters brought weapons and body armor, that some of his supporters were coordinating with each other before and during the insurrection, that many of those arrested have stated that they believed they were doing Trump’s bidding, that some of his supporters were wearing shirts that said “MAGA Civil War, January 6, 2021” on that day, etc.

    From Twitter:

    “The rally was timed and the speakers’ exhortations tuned to deliver a mob of fanatics to the doors of the Capitol at the hour Congress took up the certification–which Trump had been obsessing about interrupting for weeks beforehand–but apparently that’s too obvious for the FBI.”
    A response:
    “That, and also, the article itself says that far-right groups planned to breach the Capitol during this planned protest. The consequences of that are foreseeable, but it’s somehow not an attempt to overthrow the government because they didn’t have a clear plan for what came next. It was a putsch! This is what a putsch IS! Conspirators rally a mob in an attempt to overthrow a government! The mob itself is not, like, part of the advance planning”

    If it’s true that the FBI has found no evidence, then they are willingly blind to the evidence in plain sight and choosing not to do a thorough investigation. Has the FBI sought subpoenas to check emails or texts from Trump and allies relevant to the insurrection?

    1. You seem worried about official statements from the FBI in this case. Where was all this concern for accuracy when anonymous intelligence officials were being quoted liberally in the press about Russian Collusion?

        1. “We got an official report from Mueller. Didn’t you read it?”

          ***
          Mueller obviously didn’t. I watched his testimony. What a disaster. He is almost as senile as Biden. Geezerocracy.

          1. Yep, you prefer a guy who is proud of remembering Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV. As he says “I have the best words.”

          2. Young,

            As much as I hate to admit it, my sense of humor compels me to give you credit for “Geezerocracy” in spite of my repulsion of virtually everything that comes out of your loathsome pie-hole.

    2. From Twitter:

      “The rally was timed and the speakers’ exhortations tuned to deliver a mob of fanatics to the doors of the Capitol at the

      What a hypocrite
      You attempt to dress down Turley about using Rueters as one element of his sourcing, and then turn around and use twitter?

      Here is what I know, What charges have been filed? From that we learn the striking absence of anything that sis closely related to conspiracy or insurrection. The dog that did not bark is overwhelming proof.

      I also know that not a single case has seen evidence. Everything has been a negotiated plea deal. Likely people that lack the ability to fund a prolonged court experience.
      The corrtup DoJ has learned, the proccess of persecution is all the punishment needed.

      The worst part? You are in love with this raw exercise of government abuse. While I never wish ill will on others, I do hope you get to experience that for which you openly advocate. Good and hard.

      1. You can read the charges, including the multiple people charged with conspiracy: justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases

        “I also know that not a single case has seen evidence”

        BS. There’s evidence in the filings (look up the docket for each case) and will be presented again at trial.

        “I do hope you get to experience that for which you openly advocate”

        Just what do you think I’m advocating?

      2. “You attempt to dress down Turley about using Rueters …”

        No, I simply pointed out that the Reuters article was a claim, not confirmation, and that they didn’t say that any of their sources worked for the FBI.

        Do you often have such difficulty with relevant details?

    1. LOL:)

      Maybe people/military/leo/medical should focus less on all the other BS & read “On the Beach”, but more in a bio-weapon sense.

      …… Now that the Death Jab has been Approved……….

      “Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved, the Defense Department is prepared to issue new guidance requiring all service members to be vaccinated,” Kirby told reporters.

      More in other reports today.

      ***

      “You Will Own Nothing and Be Happy,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. As Anthony P. Mueller, a professor of economics, warns, “The main thrust of the forum is global control. Free markets and individual choice do not stand as the top values, but state interventionism and collectivism. Individual liberty and private property are to disappear from this planet by 2030.”

      ***

      Yes, many have & many more will beg to be shot. …… But I need my job…… some will say….

      But before one rushes out seeking happiness at the end of known Eugenicists listen to what one more of hundreds of Docs/Scientists I’ve been listen to all continue to warn as many as they can:

      (VIRAL VIDEO) Dr. Sean Brooks Warns Vaccinated Will Die Soon!

      179,206 views

      ·

      Aug 23, 2021
      162
      Share
      Download
      Titans Of Liberty
      Titans Of Liberty

      Dr. Sean Brooks breaks down how the mRNA COVID vaccines are going to kill you!

      https://banned.video/watch?id=612387284a5b1f663eb13459

      1. Oops typo, correction needed for effect:

        But before one rushes out seeking happiness at the end of known Eugenicists Needle listen to what one more of hundreds of Docs/Scientists I’ve been listening to all continue to warn as many as they can:

  19. The only insurrection that took place on January 6th was the insurrection instigated by the FBI’s own agent provocateurs working the field that day. And the FBI had many such agents trying to lure legitimate protestors into committing illegal acts. But the FBI failed miserably. The FBI is a criminal organization and needs to investigated from top to bottom and its leaders punished for engaging in criminal activities. The FBI, of course, has been very busy attempting to cover up their criminal activities.

    1. JFeldman: “The FBI, of course, has been very busy attempting to cover up their criminal activities.”

      ***
      I suspect that may be the reason the insurrection fraud is being abandoned and why a lot of those being held may be offered ‘generous’ plea bargains. No trial, no Brady material, no court order for the DOJ to release information.

      About half, or more, of the country used to be the strongest supporters of the FBI. Now those same people want Congress to destroy it.

    2. Inforwars put up a clip where Tucker Carlson goes though the point that many of the trouble makers 1/6 seem to be the un-indicted co-conspirators noted in the indictments of others from 1/6.

      1. Oky1– Good point. I think they don’t want those unindicted co-conspirators to be outed. They should have judt worn their snazzy FBI jackets when they smashed windows so we could sort all of this out sooner.

  20. The way January 6th has been portrayed/lied about, as well as the severe/harsh/unfair treatment of the jailed trespassers, has not escaped notice of those with wide open eyes. We no longer trust anyone in government or legislature. It was bound to happen.

    1. “…has not escaped notice of those with wide open eyes. We no longer trust anyone in government…”

      Those “with wide open eyes” haven’t trusted the government for many decades. Wanna know what your government is up to? Read about the Church Committee, COINTELPRO, MKUltra, domestic abuses since the implementation of the Patriot Act, our plutonium experiments (see “The Plutonium Files”), and the list goes on and on… Similar abuses continue…

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