Below is my column in The Hill on new evidence released by the House related to the January 6th riot. The J6 Committee fueled doubts about the official accounts by using only Democratically-appointed members and skewing the evidence. The new information further undermines the narrative pushed by both members and the media.
Here is the column:
On Jan. 6, 2021, the nation was rocked by the disruption of the certification of Joe Biden as our next president. With Donald Trump set to return to the White House in 2025, it is astonishing how much of that day remains a matter of intense debate.
Those divisions are likely only to deepen after a slew of recent reports that have challenged the selective release of information from the House January 6 Committee.
January 6 remains as much a political litmus test as it is a historical event. Whether you refer to that day as a riot or an insurrection puts you on one side or the other of a giant political chasm. I viewed the attack on that day as a desecration of our constitutional process, but I did not view it as an insurrection. I still don’t.
It was a protest that became a riot when a woefully insufficient security plan collapsed. And that is a view shared by most Americans. One year after the riot, a CBS poll showed that 76 percent viewed it as a “protest gone too far.”
A Harvard study also found that those arrested on that day were motivated by loyalty to Trump rather than support for an insurrection.
A recent poll found that almost half of the public (43 percent) felt that “too much is being made” of the riot and that it is “time to move on.” Of course, that still leaves a little over half who view the day as “an attack on democracy.”
The continued distrust of the official accounts of Jan. 6 reflects a failure of the House Democrats, and specifically former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), to guarantee a credible and comprehensive investigation.
The House Select Committee to investigate January 6 was comprised of Democrat-selected members who offered only one possible view: that January 6 was an attempt to overthrow our democracy by Trump and his supporters. The committee hired a former ABC News producer to create a slick, made-for-television production that barred opposing views and countervailing evidence. The members, including Republican Vice Chair Liz Cheney, played edited videotapes of Trump’s speech that removed the portion where Trump called on his supporters to protest “peacefully.”
The committee fostered false accounts, including the claim that there was a violent episode with Trump trying to wrestle control of the presidential limousine. The Committee knew that the key Secret Service driver directly contradicted that account offered by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.
While the Democrats insisted that Trump’s speech constituted criminal incitement, he was never charged with that crime — not even by the motivated prosecutors who pledged to pursue such charges. The reason is that Trump’s speech was entirely protected under the First Amendment. Such a charge of criminal incitement would have quickly collapsed in court.
Nevertheless, the Washington Post, NPR, other media and the committee members called Jan. 6 an “insurrection” engineered by Trump. Figures such as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) insisted the committee had evidence that Trump organized a “coup” on Jan. 6, 2021. That evidence never materialized.
The lack of adequate security measures that day has long puzzled many of us. After all, there had been a violent riot at the White House before January 6, in which more officers were injured and Trump had to be moved to a secure location. The National Guard had to be called out to protect the White House, but those same measures (including a fence) were not ordered at the Capitol.
Two of the recent reports offered new details related to those questions.
One report confirmed that Trump did, in fact, offer the deployment of the National Guard in anticipation of the protest. The Jan. 6 Committee repeatedly dismissed this claim. After all, it would be a rather curious attempt at an insurrection if Trump was suggesting the use of thousands of troops to prevent any breach of Congress. The committee specifically found “no evidence” that the Trump administration called for 10,000 National Guard members to be sent to Washington, D.C., to protect the Capitol. The Washington Post even supposedly “debunked” Trump’s comments with an award of “Four Pinocchios.”
Yet evidence now shows that Trump personally suggested the deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops to prevent violence. For example, a transcript includes the testimony of former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato in January 2022 with Liz Cheney present. Ornato states that he clearly recalled Trump’s offer of 10,000 troops.
Videotapes have also emerged showing Pelosi privately admitting that she and Democratic leadership were responsible for the security failure on Jan. 6.
Another new report from Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight, shows that it was the Defense Department that delayed the eventual deployment of National Guard in the critical hours of the riot.
The evidence shows that, at 3:18 p.m., Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy “tells sheltering Members of Congress that he is not blocking the deployment of the National Guard and, while referencing the D.C. National Guard, shares that ‘We have the green light. We are moving.’” However, the secretary of the Army’s own timeline indicates that the DCNG did not physically leave the Armory until 5 pm.
That was the critical period for the riot. Around 2:10 p.m., people surged up the Capitol steps. Just an hour later, McCarthy said troops were on their way. At 4:17 p.m., Trump made his public statement asking rioters to stop — roughly an hour and a half later. Yet it was not until 5 pm that the troops actually left for the Capitol.
The House is also under greater scrutiny this week for new information on the shooting of the only person to die on Jan. 6. While Democrats have referred to many deaths on that day, the only person who died in the riot itself was Ashli Babbitt, a protester shot by Capitol Police.
I have long disagreed with the findings of investigations by the Capitol Police and the Justice Department in clearing Captain Michael Byrd for this shooting. The media lionized Byrd and, in sharp contrast to other police shootings during that period, blamed the deceased. Again, an unjustified shooting of a protester would not fit the media narrative.
The concerns over the shooting were heightened by the Justice Department’s bizarre review and report, which notably did not state that the shooting was justified. Instead, it declared that it could not prove “a bad purpose to disregard the law” and that “evidence that an officer acted out of fear, mistake, panic, misperception, negligence, or even poor judgment cannot establish the high level of intent.”
Babbitt, 35, was an Air Force veteran who was clearly committing criminal acts of trespass, property damage and other offenses at the time she was shot. However, Babbitt was unarmed when she tried to climb through a broken window.
Byrd stated “I could not fully see her hands or what was in the backpack or what the intentions are.” In other words, Byrd admitted he did not see a weapon. He took Babbitt’s effort to crawl through the window as sufficient justification to kill her. It was not. And it is worth noting that Byrd could just as well have hit the officers standing just behind Babbitt.
The new report confirms that Byrd had prior disciplinary and training issues, including “a failed shotgun qualification test, a failed FBI background check for a weapon’s purchase, a 33-day suspension for a lost weapon and referral to Maryland state prosecutors for firing his gun at a stolen car fleeing his neighborhood.” In one incident, detailed in a letter from Loudermilk, Byrd was suspected of lying about the circumstances under which he shot at the fleeing car.
None of this means that Trump or even Babbitt are without fault in this matter. Trump’s speech was clearly “reckless and wrong,” and Babbitt herself was involved in that riot. However, these reports only further highlight what we still do not know about that day.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Mr. Turley seems to take the Democrat position that the 2020 election was entirely honest, with little or no voter fraud. That is the Democrat assertion, which the majority of Americans have just repudiated. I personally think that the Democrats perfected voter fraud long before 2020 – that is why they were so sure in 2016 that their candidate – Hillary Clinton, who was widely despised on both sides – would be elected anyway. The fix was in. Then when they lost, they knew they needed a much larger “fix” for 2020, and that is exactly what they did, under cover of Covid. Until that fraud is exposed and prosecuted, most Americans will not really understand the problems surrounding Jan 6.
Democrats are the enemy of this nation and always have been…history proves this…Democraps have no respect for this country or this nations constitution…all they care about is buying votes and receiving a government welfare check for so-called service to the people. Democrats simply put, just SUCK!
Wow. Lots of comments. On the issue of why there was no protection at the Capitol on January 6, the Mayor of DC sent a letter on January 5 to, I believe, the relevant officers in charge of the National Guard to say that the DC Police Department and the Capitol Police had a plan to deal with the expected protests. So, perhaps, as so often is the case, “never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence.”
I always enjoy the well written articles by Mr. Turley even though I occasionally disagree. This is one of those times. Not that I disagree with the overall direction of the article but rather certain points within relating to the J6 protest and Trumps part in it. Was Trump’s speech reckless and wrong. No, not in my opinion. 2020 was stolen, that is a fact. Denial of that takes someone who refuses to understand statistics or stare in to the face of the obvious. Large dumps of ballots that go nearly 100% to one party with just enough to pass the other party. Laughable. Late night shut down of counting in 3 or 4 states all at the same relative time only to restart after observers are removed? Trucks crossing state lines with loads of ballots to be counted? Fake plumbing problems conveniently timed then after removal again of observers ballots pulled out from hidden spaces and counts started. Video of ballots being counted again and again. Evidence that the machines are indeed changing the counts and were in fact connected to the internet. No, you have to be willfully blind to think the 2020 election wasn’t rigged. BTW, the popular trope that the courts never agreed there was fraud is disinformation. No court would ever look at the data. I suspect they feared to get involved using the idiotic “standing” argument to throw the cases away. So Trump was right to call this out. Do we have a functioning Republic or not? If 2020 was legit, then we do not. Trump was pointing out something that was akin to a dagger in the heart of our Constitutional system of governance. Mr. Turley is wrong on this point.
Agreed.
Are the photos and videos not enough to disgust you?
Jonathan: Some of your loyal supporters on this blog have vented their spleens about Jan. 6, 2021. A few continue to cling to the right-wing conspiracy theory that it was a Dem inspired trap to ensnare DJT supporters to commit crimes. Others endorse your debunked claim that DJT actually offered National Guard troops to the Mayor of DC. Facts don’t matter to this crowd. So why don’t we move on and discuss what DJT has planned for his second term.
As it turn out DJT doesn’t have a “mandate” after all. There was no “landslide” victory as he claims. He barely got a plurality of the votes. And 8-9 million fewer voters went to the polls this time around. So what do DJT voters expect from him? Did they hire DJT to gut the DOJ, abolish the FBI and the DOE? Do they want him to pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists? Do they really want him to spend 4 years investigating and prosecuting his “political enemies”? Do they want their president to spend billions rounding up and deporting millions of immigrants–or engaging in a tariff war with China that will only result in higher consumer prices here at home? I think the answer is “No”.
What voters want from DJT is for him to reduce inflation, put more money in their pockets, lower gas and grocery prices and make renting or buying a house affordable–and then securing the southern border. That is DJT’s “mandate”. But DJT has other ideas. He wants to pursue the wet dream of the authors of the 900 page “Project 2025”–many of whom DJT is bringing into his new administration. They want to deep-six the “deep state” by getting rid of the civil service, firing people who actually provide needed services for citizens–like helping find out why they didn’t get their last SS check or helping with a small business loan–all the things citizens depend upon from their government. But DJT wants to get rid of all that because he is now a willing servant of the “Project 2025” agenda. The problem for DJT is overreach. All of what DJT wants can’t possibly be accomplished in 4 years. DJT doesn’t understand the lessons from the Reagan and Clinton administrations. And DJT doesn’t understand that he can’t just fire civil servants. They have due process rights and a union that will vigorously defend their rights in court.
But this doesn’t mean DJT won’t accomplish some things–like extending his 2017 tax cuts due to expire next year. But who will benefit from those tax cuts? It will be DJT, corporations and the billionaires who poured millions into DJT’s campaign this year. They will be the beneficiaries, not the average voter that supported DJT. If you voted for DJT you will have to ask this question: “What’s in it for me?” Not much and why a lot of DJT voters are going to experience buyer’s remorse at some point in the next 4 years!
It was, without any doubt, a trap to ensnare DJT supporters to commit crimes. Who inspired it is an excellent question. But anyone who thinks it was not a carefully prepared trap needs to watch this video; https://revolver.news/2021/12/damning-new-details-massive-web-unindicted-operators-january-6/
Fences and signs were removed before demonstrators arrived, and the agent provocateur called “Scaffold Commander” has never been identified, although there is over an hour of videotape of his actions.
The FBI/Deep State spied on Trump in 2016, we know that and have since 2017, read The Conservative Tree House. If you read anything except inside the bubble of your mind stuff you might have a shot at understanding that. How did Trump lose in 2020 by 6 million when the Republicans gained seats in the House? How did he win 16 of 18 Bell weather Counties which always vote for the winner, only a few times have one pr 2 gone wrong. How did Trump win a larger percentage of Blacks., Latinos and Women than in 2016 but lose in 2020? Because Biden (COUGH) won a larger % of White Male Voters. And why? Because the White Male is the least likely to vote or the Low Propensity voter spoken about this year. And so they mailed out all those ballots and STUFFED the ballot boxes with those very voters who never or rarely vote, and they VOTED FOR THEM, that’s why you party wants mail in voting and no IDs. But GET THIS, they did not get a larger % of White Male Votes throughout the whole nation (Its called a TREND) the Dems/Biden only got a higher % of white makes in the 7-9 places they needed to win like Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philly, Detroit, Arizona & Nevada, LOL. They told on themselves.
So, how did Trump outsmart them this time? He got 4-5 million more votes, but they went out with a DATA BANK given to them by Rich Baris (Big Data Poll) and others and the concentrated on getting those Low Propensity Voters to VOTE EARLY, before the Dems could fill out a ballot and stuff the box illegally with their names (LOL). In 2020 lots of people went to vote and were told they had already voted, so we BANKED THOSE VOTES this time to keep the Dems from illegal voting for these people. hat gave Trump 4-5 million more votes and took away 4-5 million ILLEGA; VOTES from Harris the WORST CANDIDATE to ever run, only suckers voted for her.
And you will see Trumps Mandate, he got more votes the anyone in history.
Did you want to ask Mr Turley a question or ram your indictments of President Trump down his and our thoats? Or force us to read your radical book? He did win in a landslide and I’m hoping you all just get over it.
Believe me, I’ll be experiencing far less buyer’s remorse than if Harris had been elected.
🤡 🤡 🤡
So why don’t we move on and discuss what DJT has planned for his second term.
No we won’t Dennis, you cowardly tapeworm of a parasite using Professor Turley’s blog as though it were your own.
Let’s choose to once again review what a cowardly, pathetic lying commie that you are. A pervert that hopes that normal Americans might believe you’re worth listening to as you proclaim that you have insider knowledge of what President Trump thinks, what he is about to do, his strategies, etc. You’re about as trustworthy on President Trump as we should trust that you’re a personal friend of Professor Turley’s
A lying commie now living in the shadow of your abject failure in this election to change a single mind or a single vote despite years of desperate and sophomoric lies.
The human race is in progress, Dennis. You’re not in it. In fact, you haven’t even got out of your starting blocks that were made in Communist China.
In other words, people who don’t pay taxes don’t benefit from tax cuts? Got it.
Yawn!
Jonathan: On this bog some of your loyal followers have vented their spleens over Jan. 6, 2021. A few still cling to the right-wing conspiracy theory that Jan. 6th was a Dem designed trap to ensnare DJT supporters to commit crimes. Others endorse your debunked theory that DJT actually offered National Guard troops to the Mayor of DC. Facts don’t matter to this crowd. So maybe we should move on and discuss what DJT has planned for the next 4 years.
As it turns out DJT doesn’t have a “mandate” after all. It was not a “landslide” as DJT claims. He barely got a plurality in the election. And there were 8-9 million fewer voters this year. So what do voters expect from DJT in his second term? Did voters hire DJT to gut the DOJ, abolish the FBI and DOE–and to pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists? Do voters want DJT to spend the next 4 years investigating and prosecuting his “political enemies”? Do they really want DJT to spend billions of dollars rounding up and deporting millions of immigrants? And do voters want tariffs on Chinese imports–a cost they will ultimately have to pay in higher consumer prices?
I don’t think voters want any of that. Those who voted for DJT expect him to reduce inflation, put more money in their pockets
Trump received 49.85% of the 2024 popular vote & Harris has 48.27%. Trump had 77 million votes. Biden had 81.2 million votes & 51.3% of the vote in 2020, So who had the bigger mandate & landslide? Of course, Trump never conceded the 2020 election & refused to attend Biden’s Inauguration.
We’ll soon find out whether Trump’s tariffs reduce inflation or instead ends up starting a major trade war.
Yes we want those things and more.. my spleen feels great!!!
Just as Justice Potter Stewart said “I know it when I see it”,
I say the whole thing was choreographed by Hillary’s Swamp,
‘I knew it when I saw it” as Televised Live.
Turley predictably neglects to mention 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection & 7 GOP Senators voted to convict Trump on those same charges. GOP Senate leader McConnell summed up their sentiments: “There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”
McConnell & the 17 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection clearly agree with Turley that Trump is not without fault in this matter.
Because they knew nothing about what was going on. We saw it. I also saw the video before it was deleted. You all should be ashamed. Stop going after him. When it all comes out, you will be hated even more.
“Turley predictably neglects to mention 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection”
The bitter loser commie predictably neglects to mention that two former Democrat candidates for their party’s presidential candidate left their shithole party to campaign for and back Trump over Harris.
So the Democrats got ten House members to help them try and destroy Trump’s political future by impeaching him AFTER he was out of office. And then just two Democrats helped ensure Trump crushed Harris.
So here’s the math, commie: two Democrats seeing the light trumps a handful of feckless and cowardly House Republicans.
Both of those Democrats will be in the second Trump administration. Cheny, Kitzenger, Romney, etc… all have been forcibly kicked to the curb by voters and will never hold public office again. The best they can hope for is to be media whores.
The commie also predictably neglects to mention that the Democrats abandoned those “Republicans” like a used tampon after they were no longer useful to them.
First the Left defunds and demoralizes the police. Then it defends a clearly irresponsible cop.
First it calls Trump “Hitler, a fascist, a racist.” Then it congratulates him on his win and meets with him.
First the Left claims that worries about inflation are overblown. Then it screams bloody murder that tariffs are inflationary and that the economy will collapse.
First it claims that the border is secure. Then it asserts that it’s broken (and R’s fault for not fixing it).
First it praises Biden’s DEI (aka “Didn’t Earn It”) cabinet. Then it excoriates Trump for not selecting a cabinet based on competence.
To the Left, words are like playdough in the hands of a spoiled child: Tear off pieces. Throw them against the wall. Hope that they stick — for the moment.
“To the Left, words are like playdough
Playdough don’t smell like that…
I’d like to know what it takes to convince someone like Turley that J6 was a planned event?
I expect you to overlook the mountain of unexplainable things that had to take place for the incident to happen- foot traffic leaving the location where Trump held his rally had to be redirected back to the Capitol, barriers/fences/postings had to be removed by as yet unidentified/unknown/uncharged individuals to ensure the protesters had access, Bullhorn Man- yet another notorious J6-er who has never been identified/charged, yet was instrumental in getting the crowd amped up with explicit instructions to go into the Capitol.
Capitol police had to shoot tear gas and rubber bullets into a peaceful crowd.
The Security Manager inside the Capitol control room had to either remotely disable the magnetic locks on the bomb proof, blast proof, high security doors to allow hundreds of protesters to enter the Capitol or sit idly by, while his underlings did.
Etc etc
But how can the esteemed Jonathon Turley just ignore the pipe bomber? The man who planted 2 pipe bombs in the Capitol that day that went unnoticed to hundreds of officers, agents, security personnel, employees, residents etc. Bombs that when discovered by SS & law enforcement personnel they elicited virtually no response, no evacuations, no concern. A bomber the FBI has zero interest in identifying.
And how does Mr. Turley square the very person who benefited IMMENSELY from an emergency that allowed her to suspend a normal session of Congress to certify the election, prior to anyone voicing an objection to the irregularities, voicing a motion for debate etc?
The same person who was then able to reconvene a new session of Congress under special emergency rules- These rules abandon and make it clear that the ONLY purpose of the new session was to EXPEDITE the certification and dismiss all prior regular session procedural rules.
How does Mr Turley square Speaker of the House Pelosi’s actions that day with her actions as the committee leader responsible for overseeing the sham investigation into what happened on January 6th?!!
The truth about January 6th is that it wasn’t an insurrection carried out by the people. It was a preplanned event designed to entrap Trump supporters, with a built in pipe bombs insurance policy, overseen by SoH Pelosi, to solidify their coup to unseat a democratically elected president.
Yes indeed. That’s why people call it a Fedsurrection. Est 200 or more gov agents in the crowd many instigating violence. False flags w/ Antifa & some Feds dressing as Trump supporters then committing violent acts.
Head of Capitol police conspiratorally denied critical intel. Likely Milley or other hi military officials behind the refusal to allow the National Guard to respond. As one meme on X states, “January 6 was the day that the government staged a riot to cover up a stolen election“
As a former active duty veteran, I can state that the military is notorious for a hurry up…and wait…for deployment during any planned or non planned exercise.
For the National Guard soldiers notification/deployment timeline on J6, a delay of 2-3 hours is SOP for RA. Who knows what the standard wait time is for weekend warriors assigned to easy state side duty instead of overseas deployment. It can’t be less than regular duty soldiers. Its was always a cluterf***.
Best comment Ive seen. I agree it was exactly as you stated. It got a little out of hand with the trigger happy police man. There was a murder and he got off Scott free. Someone needs to pay for her murder.
He also left out that Roseanne Boylan got beaten to death by Capitol Police officer Lila Morris and the brave people around her who tried to give her CPR, whilst they were getting blasted with pepper spray.
Wendybar: neither she nor Ashli Babbitt would have been there but for Trump’s Big Lie. Trump is responsible, and somewhere, some day, he will pay for what he did–in this life or the afterlife.
Wendybar: neither she nor Ashli Babbitt would have been there but for Trump’s Big Lie.
The big lie that wasn’t actually Hunter Biden’s laptop, with all those emails and messages about how Bribery Biden was to get 10% of all the bribes paid to his bagman kid? That in fact it was only Russian election disinformation? The lie that tipped the election?
Trump’s big lie was Biden’s current Secretary of State recruiting 51 former intelligence agency workers to perjure themselves, saying the Biden Bribery Laptop that they’d never seen had to be Russian disinformation? That’s the lie that tipped the election?
Or would Trump’s big lie be that the illegal Clinton/Obama/Biden “Trump Russia Dossier” was actually 100% verified intelligence agency evidence.
Back alley whores make a far more honest and reputable living than you do posting your lies here Gigi.
You failed at selling your ass on the streets Gigi – and you’re failing even worse whoring yourself out trying to sell your lies here.
Here’s the “tell” of a lamely woven conspiracy theory that Dems “planned” the Capitol riot:
Wouldn’t they have had to know how the day would turn out?….with the riot quelled, and Biden’s victory certified in a reconvened Congress?
They couldn’t possibly know that. Nobody could. Answer this: Why would Dems plan to ignite a mob action that could possibly snowball into a widespread national protest rejecting Biden’s legitimacy, opposing his Inauguration, with elements of violence? Why would they risk Biden’s Inauguration by fomenting civil disobedience intent on blocking it?
Can anyone answer this criticism of the theory?…(while avoiding ad-hominem put-downs)
“Here’s the “tell” of a lamely woven conspiracy theory that Dems “planned” the Capitol riot:”
Oh certainly, that would make the people doing it either A) criminally reckless (but already criminal so many other ways, so who cares) or B) MUCH more well-planned and involved than we yet know. Or BOTH, of course.
But what is your explanation for so many of the very-well-proven facts that make it very, very much LOOK like a “fedsurrection”? The simplest problem is the *RADICALLY* different treatment given to Ray Epps (the most public and vocal “inciting to riot” from the whole day), but there are many, MANY other problems (officers opening the doors for the public, video of “rioters” inside before hand casually chatting with what are clearly their fellow officers, etc).
So yes, your point is decent, but it’s a much MUCH smaller problem than all the problems one would have to ignore to come to another conclusion.
Why? Because the Dems had plenty of coverage for themselves plus control of the media and the law enforcement. They’re so drunk with power that they act as if they’re unstoppable.
The poor souls who walked into the trap of an “open invitation” to enter the capital building were naive and misguided.
One ignored fact: The great majority of attendees on January 6 were law abiding patriots quietly sitting on the reflection pool side of the capital building wondering what the next event was to be after Trump’s speech. They had no idea of the chaos occuring on the opposite side! And when news starting spreading of an enforced curfew, they calmly, promptly exited the premises. Only after clearing the streets by 6pm did reports of violence begin explaining the strange afternoon.
Eric: if you really believe this conspiracy theory garbage, then you need some help. The reason J6 was an insurrection is because Trump lied to his followers about losing and urged them to do something about his “landslide victory being stolen by fraud”. Went on “stop the steal” tours to amp up his fans, and he told them to come to Washington, promising it “will be wild”, told them to “fight like hell or you’re not going to have a country any more”. He told them he hoped Pence would “do the right thing”, which was to refuse to accept certified vote totals–something he had no power to do, and all of this came after he tried to bully Secretaries of State to rig the vote counts, he got fake Electors to falsify Electoral College documents and failed to get over 60 courts to accept his version of lies that had no evidentiary support. The plot was to try to force the issue back to the states where Trump thought Republican Legislatures would just ignore the actual votes and give him the presidency. That plot failed.
Yes, J6 was a planned event–there were meetings at the Willard Hotel, there were reconnaissance missions by the Proud Boys, plotting how to divert the Capitol Police away from more vulnerable points of entry to clear the way for them to break through. This is from the testimony of a British journalist who was embedded with the Proud Boys. The “security doors” of the Capitol were smashed, as were windows–haven’t you seen the makeshift battering rams that were used? The insurrectionists didn’t pry open the doors–they broke them in. AND, the people who did this were Trump loyalists who believed the Big Lie. Dozens of them who have been convicted have so testified–they went there and committed these crimes because Trump told them to. The crowd was not “peaceful”, and no barriers were removed–Trumpists climbed the walls of the Capitol, violently broke through barriers and beat Capitol Police with flag poles and other makeshift weapons. They also had a cache of weapons stored in a Virginia hotel room across the Potomac, waiting for the word from from their dear leader. AND, some of them DID have guns.
And, Eric, just HOW do you know what the FBI has done or is doing? From ABC News: “Over the past three years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, data scientists and law enforcement partners has worked thousands of hours conducting interviews, reviewing physical and digital evidence, and assessing tips from the public about who may have placed pipe bombs on Capitol Hill,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.”
And, Eric, how do you explain Trump sitting idly by for over 3 hours, watching Capitol Police officers being beaten, the Capitol building being damaged, all while his fans were hunting for Pence with a noose, saying “Hang Mike Pence”? They were also intent on killing Nancy Pelosi. How do you explain the fact that he only called off the fans after it was made plain to him that Pence refused to leave the Capitol complex, that he was hiding in a loading dock. that he refused entreaties by the Secret Service to be taken far away, and wouldn’t budge until he finished what he came to do? January 6 was Trump’s last stand–and it failed.
Trump was NOT a “democratically elected president”–the dozens of vote counts, recounts, audits and failed court cases prove this beyond any doubt.
When the DOJ arrests and convicts the two J6 bombers and when Kamala Harris explains why she was at the DNC during the “insurrection” and not at the Capitol, then people will actually believe the nonsense you’re peddling.
Eric: if you really believe this conspiracy theory garbage, then you need some help.
Give him all the help he needs believing that the Biden Bribery Laptop was nothing but Russian election disinformation conspiracy theory, Gigi.
Give him all the help he needs believing that the “51 intelligence agency professionals” weren’t recruited to lie by Biden’s current Secretary of State. Tell him that’s just a conspiracy theory, Gigi.
And of course, give him all the help he needs to understand that the “Trump-Russia Dossier” was real, not a conspiracy theory illegally invented by Clinton, Obama, Biden and the DNC. Illegal lies written by illegally hired and paid illegal Putin spies.
You’re a pathetically poor liar and you’re even more obvious whoring yourself out to post your lies here.
I love headlines, the Jonathan Turley edition…
“Jonathan Turley’s Swatting Theory Fizzled So He Launched His Own Phony Assault”
And then there is reality, Justice Department Indicts Alleged Swatters of Turley, Members of Congress, and Others
“Yesterday, I was notified by the Justice Department confirming that a recent swatting indictment includes the person or persons responsible for my own swatting a year ago. One of the defendants, Thomasz Szabo, was arrested a couple weeks ago.
The indictment below charges two foreign nationals: Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia.
Szabo and Radovanovic are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.”
https://jonathanturley.org/2024/11/24/justice-department-indicts-alleged-swatters-of-turley-members-of-congress-and-others/
That actually happened. Actual arrests. Actual indictments.
What we still do not know, means, that which we cannot, under the strange rules of the DC bubbled liars, declare the officially accepted conclusion, talked about if advantageous, or buried if not.
For the rest of us, all the above column and whole lot more has been patently obvious for a very long time.
It’s still forbidden to notice the theft of the election in 2020, and that circle has been hermetically sealed forever, a stain they all willingly carry, believing their lie will hold things together. What a shame.
President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Monday that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on all products coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office
Wait, I though trump was against inflation?
I sure hope you all are glad that voted for the guy that is going to give you inflation back, big time.
YAWN – that is a trope you lefty idiots have repeated every day and every day it gets satisfactorily answered. Find something else to talk about you spastic fvck.
Trump said all these things in the campaign. It’s not like he was hiding it. People elected him in large part because of his campaign promises combined with a four year record of keeping his promises. We’re getting what we voted for. So what the f**k is your point?
It would also be wise for all of us Left and right to listen to the ENTIRETY of what Trump said.
Trump as an example has made it clear that he sees Tarriffs as a tool in Trade, EConomic, immigration and national security policy.
He THREATENS tarrifs to get something else he wants.
Trump wants Mexico to close th US southern border RIGHT NOW.
That will thwart all the idiocy the Biden admin is pulling regarding immigration on the way out the door.
If Mexico does what is within its power and radically reduces illegal immigration accross the US mexico border over the next 2 months.
There will be no 25% Tarriffs on Mexico.
The EU has already agreed to buy much more US LNG – even though it is more explensive. They OPENLY did so as a means to forestall Trump Tarriffs against the EU.
Regardless the point is you must listen to the WHOLE thing, when Trump says something, you can not know what will happen from one phrase in an entire paragraph.
John Say,
This is what happens when people watch MSM. MSM has a long history when it comes to Trump of taking his comments out of context, even going as far as editing video to make it appear he said something entirely different from what he actually said. Of course, non-thinking leftist Democrats just accept whatever MSM tells them as the truth.
Most are too stupid too understand economic trade policies and subsequent consequences. They repeat what mainstream media puts out there for the puppets, even congressmen and senators are guilty of baseless rants. Its meant to create a resistance of idiots and it works.
“Wait, I though trump was against inflation?”
Wait???? You claim you actually had a thought?
That’s impossible, you liar.
Anonymous – you state that tariffs will bring back inflation “big time”. The problem with your argument is that this country has a long history with tariffs. From the birth of the nation down to the mid-20th century, the United States had high tariffs. Inflation was not result. There were alternating periods of inflation and deflation over those decades. But one constant did show itself during that time: the growth of American manufacturing.
Tariffs and the “the growth of American manufacturing.”
That is a textbook post hoc fallacy.
Tariffs don’t grow anything, except for the prices consumers pay and the cronies who benefit.
That period of America’s economic history is marked by its relative respect for capitalism — in particular by property rights, the rule of contract, relatively few government regulations, *no* income tax/then a very low one, and however tenuous a gold standard (which is the ultimate bulwark against inflation).
Economic freedom, not tariffs, is the precondition for wealth creation.
(“. . . the United States had high tariffs. Inflation was not result.” Really? What would the prices of those tariff-laden products have been *without* the tariffs?)
“Tariffs and the . . .”
Oops. Forgot to sign in.
once again – Try getting What Trump said IN CONTEXT.
Trump told Mexico – to Halt the carvan headed north NOW, or face devastating tarrifs.
Pretty sure that Mexico will halt the caravan.
While I do expect some changes with respect to Tarriffs, Trump’s use of the threat of tarrifs will be more agressive in 2025 than in 2017.
But their primary use will be the same – to FORCE other countries to eliminate policies, conduct etc that are harmful to the US.
There will not be a 25% tarrif on goods from Mexico AND Mexico will be agressively thwartin border crossings into the US – and probably their southern border.
Regardless are youy left wing nuts completely incapable of anything beyond Shallow thinking ?
Next
“Inflation is ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE a monitary phenomena”
Milton Friedman.
That is not merely the “oppinion” of one of the greatest economicsts of the past century,
But it is a mathematical FACT.
You can not have an overall rise in the price level without a rise in the supply of money.
Many things can cause SOME prices to go up – but without changes in money supply – either others must go down,
or demand mkust drop for some items – which will drive their prices down.
LEt me rephrase Friedman so that maybe you can understand.
Inflation is always and everywhere an increase in the total amount of money WITHOUT a matching increase in GDP.
Those on the right who hav e claimed that Biden’s energy policies resulted in inflation – are WRONG.
Those on the right who have claimed that the War in Ukraine has caused inflation – are WRONG.
There is ZERO doubt that each of those caused MANY prices to go UP.
But absent an increase in money supply that MUST result in lower prices elsewhere OR a DROP in GDP – i.e. a recession.
Tarriffs WILL cause some prices to go up. It is even possible that Tarrifs can cause a recession – that BTW is DEFLATIONARY, not Inflationary.
Tarrifs can also cause a rise in GDP.
The effect of tariffs depends on myriads of factors. But it is True that NORMALLY the nation with the lowest tarriffs. has the strongest economy.
But normal is not always, and there are often non-economic reasons for tarriffs – like shutting down mass illegal immigration.
“Try getting What Trump said IN CONTEXT.
“Trump told Mexico – to Halt the carvan headed north NOW, or face devastating tarrifs (sic).”
The alleged motivation for tariffs is irrelevant to the fact that they are economic suicide. That caravan gambit makes as much sense as threatening: Stop the burglaries in my neighborhood, or I’ll burn my house down.
You should know that tariffs contradict a basic principle of Classical economics: The Law of Comparative Advantage. A rational person does not violate one of his own principles to achieve some other desire.
“You should know that tariffs contradict a basic principle of Classical economics: ”
Sam, perhaps you heard of thou shalt not kill and hold that as a principle of life. A man with a gun is going to rape your wife and kill you. Are you going to hold to your principle of life?
Tariffs worked magnificently in 2016….
Cut the crap Candy pants…
Tariffs are a great way to implement a consumer tax on foreign goods to replace the slavery of the Federal income tax and to boost domestic manufacturing. Trump has magnificent common sense.
Gotta go through some pain until the fever breaks.
You have never took economics and it shows!
* The tariff is like a tax on the dollar of exported products or the exporters income as a seller. The more exports the higher the tax. The idea is an income tax on a foreign entity. Domestic producers are taxed by income, too. You’re thinking the usa importers are also foreign. That would only be true if the domestic importer were also foreign which can be true in massively corrupt economics.
Domestic product prices should decrease because the Domestic purchasers will buy the least costly product. Tariffs simply put the foreign product on par with Domestic product making competition possible. Why would any economy not tax foreign income as Domestic income is taxed.
It’ll reveal the Domestic corruption.
Dude. Do you even know WHY Trump is saying this? Huh? Think, man. Think.
Several here – myself included are criticizing Prof Turley for taking 4 years to reach conclusions that were PROVEN by J15th 2021.
And Prof. Turley really does need to engage in some introspetion as this is NOT the first – or the tenth time, he has had to stick his hands into the risen christs wounds before he would accept what was self evident years earlier.
But We still should welcome the fact that Prof. Turley is SLOWLY arriving at conclusions that were evident from the start.
51% of americans voted for sanity a few weeks back. Trump prevailed, won the presidency and the popular vote, Republicans won the trifecta,
BECAUSE of the few percent of people – like Turley that took a LONG time to grasp Sanity, but eventually got there.
We should not make the mistake of calling almost half the country who has not yet grasped the truth on many issues “Garbage”
because while True beleivers and/or Trolls like Gigi/Dennis/George are NEVERY going to get there – over time many many many people will.
Many of the strongest supporters of this new GOP are those who hated Trump 4 or 8 years ago.
Those numbers keep growing slowly. It takes SOME longer to see the truth. But most people get their eventually
John Say, aka JBSay, aka Bret Swanson.
You have no credibility.
Your interminably long, irrational, rambling posts are full of falsehoods.
A very few of the falsehoods follow:
You have claimed to run a business involved in providing embedded software. FALSE.
You have claimed to have written code for the linux kernel. FALSE.
You have claimed that your wife is an attorney, and works as a public defender. FALSE.
You have claimed to have adopted a child from China. FALSE.
You have claimed that you live in Pennsylvania. FALSE.
Several years ago you engaged with another individual on another blog about Apple’s refusal to decrypt the iPhone of a suspect arrested by the FBI. You claimed to be a software developer with expertise in decryption. A REAL expert in decryption engaged with you and pointed out your many ridiculous statements, but you still persisted with your typical interminably long and absurd attempts to convince him of your expertise.
You have a degree in economics. You write about economics.
You do not even practice economics, you just write opinionated nonsensical pieces that get published all over the web.
Why do you feel the need to make these false assertions when you engage with other commenters.
You seem to make these assertions when someone calls you out for your ridiculous claims.
These statements are of no great consequence, but it opens a window into your state of mind that you have to win an argument at all costs regardless of the facts.
These false statements completely destroy your credibility.
John Say, aka JBSay, aka Bret Swanson.
[insert long raging Midol Moment here]
These false statements completely destroy your credibility.
Gigi… what made you think you would suddenly develop credibility by posting your lies and slurs anonymously?
Try posting Anonymously TWICE and see if that works to win anyone over to your rambling Midol Moments.
If that doesn’t work, post Anonymously over and over again and see if that works.
None of that sounded like Gigi to me.
Was Gigi in the Navy, cuz Lil 82nd Bow Wow likes to denigrate sailors.
No, I wasn’t in the Navy, but my aunt, who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, with my uncle, a Marine officer, was a Navy nurse. When I think of their patriotism and sacrifices in a country where there is a draft dodging Donald Trump who calls them “suckers and losers”, it’s almost too much to bear.
Please, don’t bear it. Just leave.
You’ll be much happier because you will not have to waste so much time every day on Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. Trump. (at least four comments already today). Thanking you in advance, lin.
Except that he never said that. You have to stop watching the mainstream media. Haven’t they betrayed your trust enough at this point?? (Russian collusion real, Hunter Biden Laptop fake, etc). Leftist, Trump hating John Kelly came up with that and 3 people with him and Trump at the time Trump supposedly said it said that Kelly was full of shit. I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard the next line out of Trump’s mouth when he said there were “fine people on both sides” when talking about Charlottesville. If you haven’t listened to what he said right after that line, and actually go and find the whole clip, you’ll realize instantly you’ve been played by the media all these years. I’m really sorry for your but you should’ve done your own due diligence.
there is a draft dodging Donald Trump who calls them “suckers and losers”, it’s almost too much to bear.
That lie has been refuted by every person that was there, including the Secret Service who said the transport there was a ‘no go’ due to the weather. But you’ve never let the truth stop you before, so why now?
Draft dodging? Gigi, you’re still whoring your skanky ass out for Joe Biden. Who not only had more draft deferments than Trump – which didn’t bother you in the slightest while you’re still whoring for him – but Biden is the one directly responsible for every Marine and Sailor killed at Abby Gate while Biden deserted Afghanistan and left hundreds of Americans behind.
Your aunt and uncle would be disgusted that you became a whore for Biden who first deserted Americans to die in Benghazi and then allowed Marines and sailors to be murdered at Abby Gate.
But… regardless of Biden’s record, you do what you do here. Because cheap back alley whores have no shame and happily do what they do.
Let us know when you can no longer bear the burden of being Biden’s personal whore and decide to leave to spare yourself the pain.
Which military service has Airsoft Gravy Seal Six Snipers? Navy? Army? Air Force? Where do Airsoft Gravy Seals get deployed to, other than their Mom’s back yard?
And do you post Anonymously out of fear that your probation officer will find you’re using the Internet while on probation for molesting the base brats?
I have no idea who Bret Swanson is.
Regardless, I am not Bret Swanson. Nor do I use Bret Swanson as a pseudonym.
JBSAY is a pseudonym – it is short for Jean Batiste Say – a major 19th century economists who is responsible for the law of supply and demand.
I occasionally post here as dhlii – that is not a psuedonym.
Mostly I only use that when posting from my iphone.
With respect to your list of assertions.
Nearly every item that you call FALSE – is TRUE.
Over the years I have I have provided more than enough information for anyone who wants to do the work to verify all of what I have said about myself.
You have the details of the Apple iPhone decryption wrong.
If you want to go back and find what I wrote at the time – I stand by it 100%.
And no actual decryption expert refuted anything I claimed.
I publicly offered at the time to provide hardware and software to decyrpt the iphone of that time for $1M payable only on delivery.
Given that the biometrics of modern iphones can STILL be bypassed with a PIN – that offer stands.
BTW that is not $1M/iphone. that is $1M for a hardware/software system that can decrypt ANY iphone probably in about a week.
So that we are clear – any phone (not just iphones) that optionally uses a PIN for security can be cracked with hardware and software that is affordable – not just to nations, and police departments, but even to black hats who hack for profit.
Not only will I sign a contract to deliver the above, but I know atleast a dozen people who could deliver a solution to the same problem.
This is NOT an especially difficult problem if you have enough money, and it does not require all that much money.
I have not EVER claimed to have a degree in economics.
Just a great deal of knowledge. Adam Smith did not have a degree in economics.
Ben Franklin only had Honorary degrees.
Nor do I practice economics – whatever that is. Economics is not a licensed profession – nor is software, Architecture is.
I am a licensed architect. I practice Architecture – specifically “commercial due diligence”.
Every single thing you have heard from AG James and Judge enmoron about how commercial buildings are mortgaged not just in the US, but specifically in NYC is complete and total Horseschiff. I do not beleive I have ever done Commercial Due Dilligence on a Trump property – thought I have done buildings adjacent to Trump properties, and I have done several NYC properties – including the JW Marriot on Central Park in NYC.
I do not make false claims PERIOD.
As I have said repeatedly – that is NOT hard to do.
All that is required is not to make things up.
I do not check every single thing I post before posting – because I have a very good memory. But I do check many things.
Occasionally I make a mistake – that is fairly rare. But when someone points out an ACTUAL mistake that I have made – I correct myself.
over many years I have done so 4 or 5 times. That is not often, I do not make many mistakes.
That is NOT BTW some major accomplishment – ANYONE can post without making mistakes.
All they have to do is be sure of their facts before posting them – “google is your friend” – though increasingly even that can not be trusted.
Regardless, it is possible to ascertain FACTS before posting. ANYONE can do it.
You should not be proud of not posting false information.
You should be embarrassed for posting anything false.
No one can fully understand January 6th until they realize that the Democrats saw it as a golden opportunity to provoke it and deliberately allow it to get out of hand in order to delegitimize the MAGA movement and Trump himself. It’s very easy to get a crowd worked up. There were no security failures. While the capital police may have been ignorant of the plan, Pelosi and the weaponized FBI weren’t.
ATS,
You are correct – when discussing actual facts, I am almost never wrong.
As I have said before – NO ONE SHOULD BE.
It is not hard to be right about facts. If you are not 100% sure – check them before writing.
Regardless, Most – not all, of my posts are replies to others who have made almost always a long long list of factual errors in the post I reply to.
It is EASY to “win” those arguments:
1). Find a post riddled with errors.
2). copy it.
3). Reply.
4). Past the original post.
5). Delete content that is just opinion or correct.
6). Correct each error that remains one at a time.
It is a simple algorithm – you could probably write a chatGPT script to perform it.
ATS as I said above
most of my posts are REPLIES.
It is incredibly rare for someone to “call me out for a ridiculous claim”.
Most of my posts are calling OTHERS out for ridiculous claims.
I am not the one with the desparate need to make false clams – the people I reply to are.
Can we dispense with the left wing nut stupidity that you have a clue about the state of mind of others.
When you can not get the actual FACTS correct – a task that is pretty easy – posts on the internet are VOLUNTARY.
If you are not sure – do not write something stupid. Why would you beleive that if you can not get the easy stuff like basic facts right
that you are capable of grasping the state of mind of another person.
Which BTW is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
While what i have posted about myself is CORRECT.
That is actually irrelevant.
If Hitler wrote the sun will rise tomorow – it would still be true.
Soem advice from Johnathon Edwards song Sunshine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoGxz7Tsmxo
You can’t even Run your own life – I’ll be damned if you run mine.
Or before you try to fix the world or the problems of other people
maybe you should start with your own life.
Clean your room.
“ I do not make false claims PERIOD.”
That’s a false claim.
John, your ego seems pretty tough nut to crack. You make some good points sometimes, but to my ear you reek of an engineer or maybe a teacher of engineering. Being succinct is a true sign of intelligence, being verbose isn’t.
> Being succinct is a true sign of intelligence, being verbose isn’t.
Please substantiate this with evidence.
” over time many many many people will.”
John, that was proven when more people said they voted for Reagan than they did. Seeing the light is good, but we must recognize that many who saw it returned to their prior actions after Reagan started to fade from memory.
Are you going to be exempt from those 25% tariffs trump is promising us?
We *want* tariffs. There are many reasons why they would be good for American manufacturing and the national interest, including bargaining power with other nations to restore a level playing field. But your one functioning brain cell is incapable of comprehending any of that.
Are they any different from the tariffs the CURRENT administration kept from Trump’s last administration? You seem pretty quiet on those, my good man. It can’t be only good when one side does it, but vile spawn of satan’s a-crack when the other does it.
* buy domestic
We do not know what is coming on J6 of this year.
But should those on the left wish to protest – they MUST be free to do so.
They MUST be allowed into the house gallery in the capitol to protest.
If there are counter protestors, they too must be allowed in – and should have been in 2021 – with the CP keeping these groups separate.
Whetehr there is 0 or 10,000 protestors on J6, 2025 – the MUST have the oportunity to protest.
Rep. Raskin and other democrats have announced they intend to challenge Trump’s certification – whether they are challenging the election itself or Trump’s qualifications to be president under the 14th amendment – they MUST be allowed to do so.
One of the things that have become clear from the Trump impeachments and the Clinton impeachment that preceded it, is that while the founders did NOT intend that congress have the power to do certain things such as impeach driven by politics – they put no checks and balances in to preclude that.
So Congress has the power to impeach for whatever reason they want – answerable only to voters.
SCOTUS got A14S3 correctm in that the power to enforce it rests with CONGRESS – not the sates.
On J6 2025, Rep Raskin can try to disqualify Trump under A14S3 – I highly doubt he will succeed. But he is free to do so.
Just as Trump was free to ask Congress to pick his slate of electors over Bidens.
Or to throw out the election.
Trump was not going to succeed.
But he was free to ask.
And the CP must be prepared for whatever comes on J6, 2025 – not just to “secure the capitol, but also to assure that the rights of protestors are uninfringed.
Even protestors most of us disagree with.
Can they hang the VP if she doesn’t declare herself the winner?
Prof. Turley – Your half way there.
But you have Missed ALOT of the damning evidence regarding the Democratic narative.
First there has NEVER been doubt that Trump sought to have the NG at the capitol on J6.
From the immediate Aftermath of J6 the Captial Police Timeline has shown that the WH wanted and offered the NG and that the CP sought approval from the Sargent at Arms and ultimately Pelosi.
This was KNOW within DAYS – and is extrmely well documented.
Rep. Poudermilk has added layer on layer of
FURTHER proof – much ot that PROOF from burried records of the Democrats J6 committee.
There have been atleast 3 inquiries.
The House J6 committee took LOTS of testimony – though it only released that which supported democrats narative.
But the testimony of the chain of command From Trump straight down to Gen Walker at the National Armory documents over and over that Trump ORDERED the DC NG to be available on request Days ahead, and that the DoD complied with that order – meaning the NG was ready at 7am on J6 awaiting ONLY a request from the CP that is REQUIRED for military forces to enter the Capitol grounds.
Independent of the J6 committee DoD itself investigated, and we are waiting the imminent release of IG Horowitz’s J6 inquiry.
There is Zero Doubt that Trump did all that he was required AND THEN SOME.
At this point we have THREE problems –
1). why weren’t the NG agreed to and onsite on J6 in the morning – we do not have the answer but we KNOW that rests ENTIRELY with the house Sargent at arms and with the speaker of the House.
2). Why did it take so long for the CP to get authorization from the Sargetn at Arms after the violence started to request the NG. Again the answer to that is ENTIRELY with the Sargen At Arms and the Speaker of the house.
3). Why after DoD received a request from the CP did it take two fuirther house for that request to go down the DoD chain of command to Gen Walker.
That problem is entirely within the military.
Next – a PART of the reason for the NG at the Capitol on J6 was “securing the capitol” – But that was NOT all of it,
and that is why Trump wanted the NG and Pelosi did not.
The J6 protestors had the first amendment right to be there, to free speech, to assemble, to petition government, to make their voices heard.
Had the constitution been followed – protestors would have been allowed to peacefully move through the capitol on J6 making SURE that congress heard their demands.
I have said this over and over and most everyone keeps ignoring it – ANY “emergency” that prohibits protests and petitiioning government at the Capitol ALSO prohibits congress from going into session.
This is NOT just about J6.
Government can not get arround the first amendment, by creating or leveraging emergencies
In the US congress MUST act in public. When congress acts – when it votes – either on confirmations, or laws, or certifying elections – those who oppose MUST be allowed to be present and to speak out. It is NOT enough that they are on TV 200 yards away.
If congress can not conduct its business in public – it can not conduct it at all.
We bump into this same nonsense from those on the left all the time – trying to create loopholes to get arround constitutional rights.
No the government many not censor misinformation.
No the government many not censor disinformation.
No the government many not censor malinformation.
The govenrment may not censor PERIOD.
No the government may not hire, beg, plead, cajole threaten, or induce private cators to censor for it.
No the government can not use Covid as an excuse to restrict the first amendment rights of people to protest their government.
No the govenrment can not use Covid as an excuse to ignore or concoct by fiat not legislative process no laws for elections.
There are no loopholes to get arround citizens rights.
There were thousands of people who wanted to protest the 2020 election and demand that congress refuse to certify that election.
They had the RIGHT to do that – peacefully, INSIDE the capitol.
One of the reasons that the NG was NECESACARY – and one of the reasons that Trump wanted the NG present is that the CP either did not intend to respect protestors rights, or were unable to do so. I do not know which.
Frankly – I think of the CP had done their job properly – the NG would not have been necescary.
The PROPER handling of J6 would have been to setup barried outside the capitol that funneled protestors through security – OUTSIDE and probably about 100yrds from the capitol.
Anyone breaching the barriers without going through the security checkpoint would;d be arrested and removed.
At the security checkpoint restrictions on what could be brought into the capitol could be enforced
Protestors choulc be searched for bombs, or other weapons before being allowed into the capitol.
The number allowed in the capitol at one time could be limited,
Protestors must be allowed in, allowed to move into the house gallery and make their voice heard – and then LEAVE. As each protestor leaves another can be allowed in so that there are never more than the CP can handle at one time.
That is all that J6 protestors wanted. Those few that wanted anything more – could have been easily arrested when they broke the law.
None of this means that Trump or even Babbitt are without fault in this matter. Trump’s speech was clearly “reckless and wrong,” and Babbitt herself was involved in that riot. However, these reports only further highlight what we still do not know about that day.”
*************************************
Let’s be clear here: Both Babbitt and Trump are legally innocent of every single slanderous charge brought against them. Trump’s speech is protected discourse under any First Amendment analysis and “rioting” isn’t a capital crime whose punishment is to be meted out by an incompetent cop with no valid reason to be in fear for his safety or the safety of others. Not being able to see her hands isn’t probable cause for anything and DOJ knows it. The question of moral blame is another matter and if you walk down that dark, lonely street, you’d best remember that morality has a reciprocating standard of comparison and if those Jan 6ers were right as the evidence now increasingly shows in Wisconsin and Arizona, the guys with the fast guns like Byrd might be on the down end of the virtue seesaw.
mespo – They are on the wrong end of morality REGARDLESS.
We do NOT lose our right to protest something just because government believes we are wrong.
Or govenrment questions our motives.
If Alishi Babbet was in the process of delivering illegal drugs to a Senator – Byrd’s actions would STILL be MURDER.
Government – like the rest of us may use deadly force ONLY against an IMMEDIATE and CLEAR threat to life or serious bodily harm to oneself or others.
Our rights do not go away because we are wrong about an issue.
“The lack of adequate security measures that day has long puzzled many of us.”
Professor Turley, I don’t understand why this would puzzle you. It was widely reported early on that Nancy Pelosi declined the deployment of 10,000 troops—a fact debated extensively on your blog. From the outset, Pelosi’s decision stands out as a direct contributing factor.
Much of what you’ve written today could and should have been addressed in the days following January 6.
You state, “the only person who died in the riot itself was Ashli Babbitt, a protester shot by Capitol Police.” However, there is evidence suggesting a second death: Roseanne Boyland. It is highly likely she is the woman seen in widely circulated videos being beaten by a black female police officer while on the ground. These videos, along with other unreleased footage, should be further investigated.
You also assert that “Trump’s speech was clearly ‘reckless and wrong.'” But what, specifically, was wrong with it? Should Trump have refrained from supporting peaceful assembly, a constitutional right? Critics often omit the fact that Trump explicitly called for peaceful protests in his speech. The suggestion that his words directly caused the violence lacks substance.
The problems were anticipated long before Trump’s speech, and that is precisely why he authorized 10,000 troops. Whether or not Trump delivered that speech, the events that unfolded would likely have remained unchanged. The focus should be on what was done—or not done—to prevent those problems, despite ample forewarning.
Place the blame where it belongs; on Nancy Pelosi’s head.
S. MEYER–
You make many very good points…particularly the one that much or all of this was known shortly after J-6.
Nobody should be surprised.
That is one of the more disappointing parts of this article by Turley.
While we have seen proof of things – such as Trump ordered the NG to be made available a dozen different ways since J6, 2021.
By J15th, it was KNOWN that Trump had ordered the NG to be made available.
The correspondance between asst Sec Def, and CP cheif Sund was public by then.
The CP timeline of events – including the exchanges were public.
And many absurd claims – just as with the collusion delusion – were self evidently stupid from the start.
Insurectionist come Well ARMED. While we did not know until very recently that NO protestors had firearms inside the capital.
We KNEW on J7th that there were NOT thousands of armed protestors – or they would have succeeded.
While we have seen various claims that Trump ordered the National Guard to be made available in multiple instances since January 6, 2021, there is no evidence to support this. Trump never issued such an order. Asserting that something is true and proving it are two different things. You repeatedly say there is proof without ever providing any evidence. Turley claims proof exists in a transcript that has never been presented. The only evidence he offers is hearsay. You talk a lot about proof but fail to show anything—no links, quotes, or sources.
Regarding the claim that insurrectionists came well-armed, it is false to assert that no protesters had firearms inside the Capitol. It is impossible to definitively say there were no armed protesters. The DOJ has an extensive list of individuals arrested with firearms and caches of weapons on that day. Trump allegedly instructed the Secret Service to remove metal detectors at his rally prior to his speech, stating he wasn’t worried about armed protesters because they were there to support him. There were indeed armed protesters in the crowd. It’s important to note that being armed does not exclusively mean possessing a firearm; it can also include items like clubs, riot shields, brass knuckles, and other objects that can be used as weapons.
Bombshell transcripts: Trump urged use of troops to protect Capitol on Jan. 6 , but was rebuffed
“Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff, confirmed to the Pentagon inspector general three years ago that during a Jan. 3, 2021, Oval Office meeting Trump pre-approved the use of National Guard or active duty troops to keep peace in the nation’s capital on the day Congress was to certify the results of the 2020 election.”
“The President just says, ‘Hey look at this. It’s going to be a large amount of protesters come in here on the 6th, and make sure that you have sufficient National Guard or Soldiers to make sure it’s a safe event,’” Milley told the inspector general in one of two interviews he did in spring 2021 during a probe of the Pentagon’s response to Jan. 6.
https://justthenews.com/accountability/watchdogs/bombshell-transcripts-trump-urged-use-troops-protect-capitol-jan-6-was?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home
He wasn’t talking about NG troops to prevent violence. He was talking about maybe having troops to protect HIS protesters. Trump suggesting something is not ORDERING something.
I finally found the transcript, and lo and behold, it does not say what many claim it says.
https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2024-09/26%20-%20Milley%20-%204.8.21.pdf
You have to read through the whole thing to understand the actual context of what is being said.
Trump did NOT order or suggest 10,000 NG troops for the Jan 6 protests. That claim is outlined in the transcript as a request from JUNE when the George Floyd protests were still an issue. This was when Trump was threatening to put the U.S. Military in city streets to deal with the unrest associated with the killing of George Floyd. It had nothing to do with Jan 6.
The transcript points out that Trump is the ultimate authority in Washington, D.C. He’s the de facto governor of the district since it is not a state.
Preparations for the expected Jan 6 DEMONSTRATIONS were being made as far back as December by various law enforcement organizations, all working to coordinate and share information about the upcoming event. All had their respective responsibilities. NONE had an issue with manpower or ability to control the expected crowds. The only person who requested NG assistance was the mayor who specifically wanted NG to be traffic cops. No helmets, weapons, or riot gear were requested from them. Every agency stated they had the resources and manpower to handle the expected crowds. The FBI mentioned increased chatter among extremists expected to be there, but nothing that triggered serious scrutiny. What is not being emphasized is that law enforcement in D.C. and the chain of command is a complicated mess.
All the planning and coordination between agencies and distribution of resources was done and committed to long before Trump even chimed in. He was the last guy to know about it, and all he did was tell the authorities who already had things in place and knew what was needed to ensure they had the resources they needed. He was like the guy in the meeting who ignored what was discussed and suggested to everyone things that had already been suggested and discussed. Because he’s the President, nobody will tell him that his ‘suggestion’ has already been considered long before he opened his mouth.
It’s amusing how so much is being misread or deliberately twisted into a narrative to support a lie.
The level of misunderstanding demonstrated by George Svelaz is truly remarkable. Multiple witnesses have testified that former President Trump authorized the deployment of troops, fulfilling his role in the matter. From that point forward, responsibility for the security of Congress rested with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. If Trump hadn’t authorized troops, it would have been her duty to request them. However, she declined to do so—a fact corroborated by others, including Mr. Sund.
Svelaz’s argument suggests otherwise, as though Trump wielded unilateral control over every aspect of congressional security. This flawed interpretation underscores a fundamental lack of understanding about the separation of powers.
Svelaz’s consistent stream of misinformation is perplexing to anyone capable of critical thought. His arguments often lack both common sense and logic, a point that hasn’t escaped regular readers of the blog. Most have already recognized the glaring deficiencies in his reasoning.
NO, it didn’t. See my post, supra. AND, it is undeniable that NONE of this would have happened but for Trump’s Big Lie.
Trump made no Big Lie. It was a Big Personal Opinion, and Trump was correct. The lies arise from the left and have been debunked. We don’t expect a crazy person to be able to gather the facts so you can believe what you wish.
Let’s read this transcript from a person who hates Trump and recognize that some in the military didn’t follow the President’s official orders though they told him they did. Was Milley one of them? They should be courtmartialed.
Now back to Svelaz’s claim: “Trump did NOT order or suggest 10,000 NG troops for the Jan 6 protests. That claim is outlined in the transcript as a request from JUNE when the George Floyd protests were still an issue. This was when Trump was threatening to put the U.S. Military in city streets to deal with the unrest associated with the killing of George Floyd. It had nothing to do with Jan 6.”
George Svelaz has reading comprehension problems. He says the transcript had “nothing to do with Jan 6”, but lines 7-9 clearly state the transcript is about Jan 6. (unable to copy that part of the transcript)
Now let’s deal with Svelaz’s assertion “Trump did NOT order or suggest 10,000 NG troops”
From the transcript:
The President just says, “Hey look at this. It’s going to be a large amount of
7 protesters come in here on the 6th, and make sure that you have sufficient National Guard or
8 Soldiers to make sure it’s a safe event.” And Miller responds by saying, “Hey, we’ve got a plan, and
9 we’ve got it covered.”
Secretary Miller says in this Vanity Fair article that the President of the United States tells him
18 10,000 — you know, I want 10,000 troops, etcetera in the Capital City. Now that’s true that
19 Secretary, or the President said that to Secretary Esper in the summer for the events around 1
20 June. The President said, “I want 10,000 troops.”
How many more times does it have to be repeated that the President said “I want 10,000 troops.”
“I finally found the transcript”
George Svelaz, you may have found it but you didn’t read or understand it.
We are waiting for you to apologize and recognize you were wrong.
S.Meyer posted Professor Turley, I don’t understand why this would puzzle you.
Great post! At best it is a result of our host wearing the law profession version of late night bar closing time beer goggles when it comes to examining the inaction and actions of his fellow members of the legal profession and legislators both before and ever since January 6th.
You also assert that “Trump’s speech was clearly ‘reckless and wrong.’”
I don’t recall Professor Turley ever posting anything remotely equivalent to that about Joe Biden praising as ‘courageous citizens’ the thugs rioting across the country, burning and occupying federal buildings, occupying city blocks by force of arms.
Ditto writing anything like that about the VP DEI Hire then Senator encouraging the Democrat street thugs by saying “They aren’t going to stop [rioting and pillaging], nor should they” after the day long assault and battle at the White House as they tried to breach to get inside to murder President Trump and his family.
Professor Turley keeps a firm lock on his Democrat one-standard-for-them-and-another-one-for-us political roots.
I doubt that it’s malicious or even deliberate; he can’t help it no matter how how decent he is as a person.
It’s just automatic, he is what he is. Always a Democrat, no matter how badly they pervert themselves.
I look at it another way. His lips pursue access, hoping to inject whatever amount of truth is allowed. He knows the lines, and doesn’t cross them.
The DC game of whose narrative is “accepted”, as we see starts at the bottom of the hole, the most vulgar ridiculous lies possible, proclaimed, a pravda version of we can do no wrong and have shone our bright light of justice honor and truth against the demon.
For instance, Putin blew up Nordstream 2. That’s where they start, because of course their dirty, corrupt, illegal and demonic plots must never be known, a tremendous asset to the power of the state, lest those below incapable of being so vile attempt to stop them and ruin the fantastic way historical narratives will unfold and continue polish the currently undertaken schemes.
Wasn’t it john mccains wife who blabbered they all knew what epstein was up to and doing, but everyone was afraid of the power surrounding him. I consider that correct beyond doubt. So these are the chains, and lessons of loosing them are plenty nowadays.
Trump wanted 10,000 NG present to make SURE the protests went forward – as loudly as possible. WITHOUT interference.
I think the proof was presented to the group within the first week. I read about it within days but was not positive until I saw a legal document that proved it. I think it was John Solomon who provided the information.
I was quite disturbed that Professor Turley didn’t include this information and other information earlier. I think he would be better off if he didn’t read the NYimes or the WPost.
S. Meyer: How many times are you going to repeat the MAGA lie that Nancy Pelosi “refused 10,000 troops”? That didn’t happen. From “USA Today”:
“Trump Says Pelosi Turned Down His Request For 10,000 National Guard Troops For Jan. 6 Rally…!!!” reads the caption of a Dec. 13 Facebook video that accumulated more than 4,000 views within a couple days.
The video included in the post shows Trump speaking to a crowd on Dec. 11 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he claimed he recommended 10,000 National Guard troops be deployed because he knew the crowd size was going to be “enormous.”
“I recommended 10 but I said do whatever they want, they’re running the Capitol, they know what they’re doing,” Trump says in the video. “And the Capitol police knew about it, she (Pelosi) knew about it, and they turned it down because they said it didn’t look good.”
But Trump’s claim was debunked by fact-checkers in March, after he first made the statement during a Fox News appearance, and it’s still not true. There is no evidence Trump made any formal request about deploying 10,000 National Guard troops before the rally.
USA TODAY reached out to Trump’s spokesperson and the Facebook page that shared the video for additional comment.
No record of the request
A government memo about the events leading up to Jan. 6, statements from Pelosi’s office and the Pentagon and testimony from the former House sergeant-at-arms show Trump did not request 10,000 troops ahead of the rally.
Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s spokesperson, told USA TODAY that Pelosi’s office was not consulted or contacted regarding any request for the National Guard ahead of Jan. 6, and he noted the speaker of the House does not have the power to reject that type of request.
Claims that Pelosi was in charge of Capitol security on Jan. 6 have been previously debunked by USA TODAY. The Capitol Police are overseen by the Capitol Police Board and committees from the Senate and House of Representatives. ”
January 6th was NOT peaceful, nor was it intended to be. After Trump went all over the country amping up his fans with the Big Lie, asking them to come to Washington to “fight like hell or you’re not going to have a country any more”, telling them “it will be wild” and that he hoped Pence would “do the right thing” he threw in the word “peaceful” once–but it is undeniable that the entire insurrection was the result of Trump’s refusal to accept the will of the American people. He intended for the crowd to invade the Capitol, to stop Congress from accepting Biden’s victory, he had fake electors falsify Electoral College documents, he tried to bully Secretaries of State to award him votes he didn’t received, and the plot was for Congress to say that they couldn’t determine the winner, and then throw the election back to state legislatures that he hoped would just ignore the vote counts and award him the election anyway. So, the faithful hunted for Pence, intent on lynching him–they had a noose and gallows. They would have killed him and Pelosi if they could have gotten to them. But, Pence escaped, and the plot fell apart when Pence refused to leave the Capitol complex until he finished the job he came to do.
The entire incident is the product of Trump’s sociopathy and malignant narcissism–he viewed the fact that he lost the election as just an obstacle to be overcome. AND, he didn’t care who got hurt or killed in the insurrection he started, either. Several Capitol Police officers were seriously injured and some of them died as a result of their beatings, including at least one suicide. One officer lost an eye. Ashli Babbitt died believing the Big Lie. Trump and the insurrection he caused will forever be a stain on American history.
Gigi, you present an op-ed from the left. You can believe what your friends write, but they are not helping you adjust to reality. Most of what you say is cr-p and most of the fact-checkers are there to provide you with what you want.
In any event, Nancy Pelosi was in charge that week and had all the intelligence. You can claim Trump didn’t authorize the troops, even though he did, but then you have to ask yourself why Pelosi didn’t demand troops and why she rejected them.
Megyn also mentions the article here by Turley, and Michael Byrd’s record. Did you know that there were missing pages in his record???
“…the only person who died in the riot itself was Ashli Babbitt, a protester shot by Capitol Police.”
“the only person who died in the riot itself was Ashli Babbitt, a protester shot by Capitol Police.”…
‘cept maybe Kevin Greeson, Benjamin Phillips and Rose Boyland
How did they die?
What did the medical examiner findings find?
Please post those facts when you have them.
I think Boyland was quickly cremated…perhaps to prevent an autopsy that might showi she was murdered by being beaten to death.
* Babbitt died of a gunshot to the from left shoulder from a Glock22, .40 caliber at close range.
She died within minutes indicating a sever of brachial artery. I don’t have the autopsy report.
She wouldn’t have been there at all but for Trump’s big lie.
* Upstate, ME report Boyland died of amphetamines, Phillips and Greeson by stroke and heart attack underlying artery blockages etc.
The ME report isn’t readily available but can be obtained by investigators as can original video footage unavailable to public. The full ME report for Boyland would include any bruising, crushing, etc from stampede or beatings as would unavailable original footage.
* MEs determination for Greeson and Phillips were stroke and heart attack underlying health problems with blocked arteries etc. Boyland died of amphetamines according to the report.
Babbitt died of CP gunshot according to the MEs report without underlying causes.
This article just highlights just how stupid, disingenuous and criminally complict REPUBLICANS have become to protect the most compromised and corrupt person in political history.
Give your mom her phone back and go clean your room.
Hmm, Rant Rant Rant,
Pause to Drool,
Rant Rant Rant!
How are Republicans protecting Biden?
* Republicans would never protect Nancy Pelosi!
Stop kicking Joe Biden when he is down
“This article just highlights just how stupid, disingenuous and criminally complict REPUBLICANS have become to protect the most compromised and corrupt person in political history.”
President Daddy-Daughter Inappropriate Incest Showers, you and Biden White House Crime LLC shouldn’t be posting here. There’s nothing stopping Trump from having his incoming Attorney General prosecute you for those decades of serial crime in office that your Special Counsel only put you on probation for.
And those 150 Suspicious Activity Reports filed by fearful banks with Bolshevik Barack about his Vice President taking bribes and selling access to his office… you would be better off hiding on the beach instead of drawing attention to yourself in public.