Saturday, July 23, 2022

The January 6th Hearings. Part 8: Dereliction of Duty

SCROTUS, you can dere-lick my balls. 



Actually, dereliction of duty is not the right term. As we saw in Thursday's primetime hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, it was not simply a failure to do his duty. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) made the point that "he didn't fail to act, he chose not to." But even that is inadequate. It wasn't his choice to abscond his responsibilities to take action that was most troubling, though that certainly was quite troubling. It was his continued attempts to rile up the mob to do his dirty work even as he witnessed the horrendous deadly violence. 

It wasn't dereliction of duty. It was actively twisting the knife that he had thrust into the gut of our nation. 

The bulk of the hearing focused on the 187 minutes between the time SCROTUS finished his speech on the Ellipse at 1:10 p.m and when he put out his milquetoast video at 4:17 pm. The hearing was lead by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.). The overall steerage was by Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) because Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) had tested positive for covid and appeared remotely. 

Two former Whitewash House officials offered live testimony. We heard from both Matthew Pottinger, deputy national security adviser from the first day of the term until the early morning hours of January 7, 2021 and Sarah Matthews, deputy press secretary who came aboard with Kayleigh McEnany. Matthews also resigned in the hours following the insurrection. Both of them were in the Whitewash House on January 6.

Through the hearing, the committee went minute by minute of those three hours, juxtaposing what was happening at the Capitol, with many clips from the Faux News broadcast to which Derelict Arnold was glued, alongside security footage from inside and outside the Capitol building, and also with what was happening in the Whitewash House dining room on the darkest day in our nation's history.

Buckle in. This one is dense.

Senator McTurtle 
The Committee, brilliantly, started the hearing with video of Senator Mitch McTurtle (R-Ala.), one of the Mango Mussolini's staunchest enablers. The senator forcefully condemned The Commander in Creep's actions and inactions on that day.
"A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags, and screaming their loyalty to him. It was obvious that only President Trump could end this. He was the only one."
Later in the hearing, they invoked Sen. McTurtle again. He spoke in the days after the insurrection:
"There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their President. And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated President kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth."
As the committee pointed out, the senator did not have the benefit of reams of evidence from a year-long investigation like we have today. It was immediately obvious who was at fault. No question. None.

What Didn't Happen on January 6 
Official records of his activities that afternoon: we don't have them. Normally, a president has every action documented in official call logs and diary entries. Let's look at the records for January 6th, 2021. The official record of phone calls between the president* and anyone? None. The official diary entries, which normally documents 45's every waking moment? Blank. Photographs from the official photographer that is always nearby at every moment of every working day? Zippo. 

Corroboration 
Liz Cheney provided evidence that corroborated Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony about the activities in the presidential SUV just after the speech. At least two other witnesses testified to the "heated" exchange in the SUV and an "irate" president*. If only we had, I dunno, text messages from the secret service that might shed more light on the situation?

Secret Service on Standby 
After he failed to wrest the steering wheel (does he even know how to drive?) from his limo driver, T**** was delivered by the secret service to the Whitewash House. The limo and the security detail were placed on standby for nearly an hour, because da baby still wanted to go to the Capitol to participate in his coup in person. He didn't get to go. Instead, he did his second-favorite thing: he watched TV. I'll tell ya, the insurrection got great ratings! Tremendous! The highest ratings of any reality show!

The Island of Doctor Morose 
From the moment he got back to the Whitewash House until he was dragged kicking and screaming in front of the cameras late in the afternoon, he watched Faux News coverage of his coup attempt on his own little island: the dining room adjacent to the Oval Office. There he sat. For three hours at the dining room table, he watched a large flat-screen TV mounted opposite him, Faux News a-blarin'. Aides testified that's all that they saw him do. 

But he might have kept himself busy in other ways...


The First Hour: Watchin' the Boob Tube
1:10 p.m. The speech is finished. Before he even left the podium at the Ellipse, the trouble was brewing. Remember, long before this time, he knew the mob was armed. He sent them and their weapons toward the Capitol building to "fight like hell" and had told them he planned to join them. By 1:10 p.m., according to Rep. Luria, "the Vice President was in the Capitol. The joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden's victory was underway and the Proud Boys and other rioters had stormed through the first barriers and begun the attack."

1:25 p.m. It took a couple minutes to drive back to the Whitewash House, and immediately POTATUS settled in front of the TV.

1:39 p.m. He called Rudy Giuliani (we only know this from Giuliani's phone records; official phone records are blank). He also called a bunch of Senators asking them to delay the count.

1:49 p.m. A riot is declared by D.C. police. At the same time, Twitler tweets a link to a replay of his speech. He stays silent on the violence.

Who did he call. A bunch of Senators, asking them to delay the certification. Among them was Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who said that he had to hang up the phone with the Commander in Cheat because he was under siege had to freaking run for his life!
"He called — didn't call my phone. Called somebody else and they handed it to me. And I — I basically told him, I said Mr. President, we're — we're not doing much work here right now because they just took our Vice President out. And matter of fact I'm gonna have to hang up on you. I've got to leave."
Who he didn't call. Everybody else. There was silence. He did not place calls to the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the National Guard, the Capitol police, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the D.C. police, the FBI, the Secret Service, nor the Secretary of Defense. Any and all of those agencies could have garnered assistance to this volatile situation. He didn't call his Vice President, who was in mortal danger.

What was happening around him. Trumpty-Dumbty's closest staff, his top lawyers, and his family were all pleading with him to do something to call off the rioters. 

The Second Hour: Twisting the Knife
2:13 p.m. Vice President Pence was removed from the Senate Chambers. The president* knew Vice President Pence was running for his life, because Sen. Tommy Tuberville described to him that they had just taken the V.P. out of chambers. And in the next nine minutes, he composes a tweet.

2:24 p.m. Traitor Joe thrusts the knife a little deeper when he tweeted his odious message calling Pence a coward. Immediately the crowd glommed on to the tweet, spreading the news that "Pence screwed us" and soon the chants began, "Hang Mike Pence!" 

Ms. Matthews testified that this tweet sickened her and that she saw it as "pouring gasoline on the fire." She was shaken. It was after this tweet that Mr. Pottinger decided to resign. He also thought of it as adding fuel to the fire. 

Shortly after the infamous tweet, the vice president was preparing to evacuate a second time.

"We may lose the ability to leave." 
At 2:26 p.m. Pence evacuated the second time. Rioters were just 40 feet away as his security detail tried to evacuate him to safety. 

One of the most wrenching moments from the hearings so far was the audio from radio traffic between secret service agents, trying desperately to find a quick and safe escape for Pence. It was absolutely heart-wrenching to hear the radio transmissions as they frantically tried to find an escape route for the Vice President of the United States. The committee also played emotionally-laden audio testimony of one voice-disguised witness who testified that agents were putting calls through to their families to say goodbye. 

They were preparing to die that day.

Hawley-ing Ass!
Around this time, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) also high-tailed it out to safety. The committee absolutely reamed him. They were scathing in their description of Hawley and how he had "riled up the crowd" that morning with his famous raised fist only to later scamper through the building to hide from his mob.

Here's their presentation to that end. Notice the natural laughtrack.


Comedians have been *ahem* running with Hawley's fleet-footed flee.

Thanks sister resister Pagrs for pointing me to this image



Clay Jones




Pence Takes Charge 
Ultimately Mike Pence was moved safely – at a normal, but urgent pace – to an underground loading dock, where he stayed the rest of the day and into the night. What did he do? He took charge. He made phone calls. 

He called Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley; he called Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller. He worked to get help to the law enforcement who was so badly overrun. Gen. Milley was surprised at the Wanker in Chief's lack of action, saying, “You know, you’re the commander in chief. You’ve got an assault going on in the Capitol of the United States of America. And there’s nothing? No call? Nothing? Zero?” 

Gen. Milley said Pence was "very animated and he issued very explicit, very direct, unambiguous orders. There was no question about that.... He was very animated, very direct, very firm. And to Secretary Miller, get the military down here, get the guard down here, put down this situation, etc."

In the meantime, aides in the Whitewash House were scrambling to change the narrative. Gen. Milley recalls a call from Mark Meadows: "He said, we have — we have to kill the narrative that the Vice President is making all the decisions. We need to establish the narrative that, you know, that the President is still in charge and that things are steady or stable."

2:38 p.m. Members of Congress who were unable to leave the House chamber were cowering in the gallery, fearing for their lives, donning gas masks, and removing their congressional pins so as to avoid being identified as members of Congress. You remember the video. 

 

This is what Lex Loser was seeing on Faux News at that 2:38 p.m. moment, just about the time he put out the tweet below. (Note: the videos below start at the correct point, but YouTube does not give me the option to clip, so you're on your own to stop the video)



2:38 p.m. As members of Congress were fearfully running for their lives, or flattened against the floor of the gallery, the Bloat of Many Colors tweeted this inane message: "Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!"

He had to be cajoled by his daughter to include the phrase "stay peaceful" in this tweet. Ms. Matthews stated that he didn't want to have the word "peace" in there at all but finally relented with Ivanka's urging. 

"He didn't say not to do anything to the Congressmen." 
Ali Alexander knew that the insurrectionists were "not ignorant of what his words would do." Orange You Glad He's Not President knew how his words would twist the knife. How did the mob react to this tweet? Here's communications between several members of the Oath Keepers just after the 2:38 tweet. Chilling.

(again, stop the video when you see fit)


The Third Hour: Fingers in His Ears "La - la- la! Can't hear you!"
What was happening at the Whitewash House? Shortly after his 2:24 and 2:38 tweets, there came a barrage of entreaties from several members of Congress, allies, and family members to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, asking earnestly that the president* issue a statement or a tweet or anything to call off the mob. (Evidence from the hearing, also some of these are from CNN's reporting):

2:28 p.m. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.): "Mark I was just told there is an active shooter on the first floor of the Capitol Please tell the President to calm people This isn't the way to solve anything," 

2:32 p.m. Faux News's Laura Ingraham: "Hey Mark, The president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us."

2:34 p.m., North Carolina-based Repug strategist Carlton Huffman: "You've earned a special place in infamy for the events of today. And if you're the Christian you claim to be in your heart you know that."

2:35 p.m. former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney: "Mark: he needs to stop this, now. Can I do anything to help?"

2:44 p.m. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.): "They have breached the Capitol. It's really bad up here on the hill." 

2:46 p.m. Rep. Will Timmons (R-S.C.) : "The president needs to stop this ASAP."

2:53 p.m. Don Junior: "He's got to condemn this shit ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough." 

3:09 p.m. Kevin McCarthy finally got through via phone to Ivanka as well as Jared, then finally to the president* (see below). 

3:11 p.m. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) issued a video tweet directly speaking to 45 asking him to "Call. It. Off."

3:13 Communications aide Alyssa Farah Griffen: "Potus has to come out firmly and tell protestors to dissipate. Someone is going to get killed."

3:13 p.m. Dr. Do-Little issues another inane tweet, knowing that there were terrible things happening.


3:15 p.m. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tx.): "Fix this now."

3:31 p.m. Faux News personality and minion Sean Hannity: "Can he make a statement. I saw the tweet. Ask people to peacefully leave the capital"

3:42 p.m., North Carolina-based lobbyist Tom Cors: "Pls have POTUS call this off at the Capitol. Urge rioters to disperse. I pray to you."

3:52 p.m., North Carolina lawyer Jay Leutze: "Mark, this assault in the Capitol is tragic for the country. Please call it off so the Congress can resume its peaceful debate."

3:58 p.m. Faux News performer Brian Kilmeade: "Please get him on tv. Destroying every thing you guys have accomplished."

4:08 p.m. President-elect Joe Biden makes an video entreaty: "I call on President Trump to go on national television now, to fulfill his oath and defend the Constitution, and demand an end to this siege." 

Ms. Matthews testified that another staffer resisted having the president* condemn the violence because that would "hand a win to the media." WTAF? Matthews thought the same as me, retorting, "And so, I motioned up at the TV and I said do you think it looks like we're effing winning? Because I don't think it does."

The McCarthy Factor 
After 3:00 p.m., House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Cal.) called Jared, getting him out of the shower, and relayed to him that he "was scared." At 3:09 p.m., McCarthy finally got through and spoke to the president* directly, imploring him to do something. The conversation went something like this, according to Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.):
"And he said you have got to get on TV, you've got to get on Twitter, you've got to call these people off. You know what the president said to him? This is as it's happening. He said, 'Well, Kevin, these aren't my people. You know, these are — these are Antifa.' And Kevin responded and said 'No, they're your people. They literally just came through my office windows and my staff are running for cover. I mean, they're running for their lives. You need to call them off.' And the president's response to Kevin, to me, was chilling. He said, 'Well, Kevin, I guess they're just more upset about the election, you know, theft than you are.' And that's — you know, you've seen widespread reports of — of Kevin McCarthy and the president having a — basically a swearing conversation. That's when the swearing commenced, because the president was basically saying, 'Nah, I — I'm okay with this.'"
In the days after January 6, McCarthy continued to be scathing in his condemnation of the president's* behavior, saying among other things, 
"The President bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. These facts require immediate action by President Trump."
 and 
"But let me be very clear to all of you, and I've been very clear to the president. He bears responsibility for his words and actions, no ifs, ands, or buts. I asked him personally today does he hold responsibility for what happened? Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he needed to acknowledge that."

and 

"I've had it with this guy. What he did is unacceptable. Nobody can defend that and nobody should defend it. The only discussions I would have with him is that I think this will pass and it would be my recommendation he should resign. I mean, that would be my take, but I don't think he would take it, but I don't know. But let me be very clear to all of you, and I've been very clear to the president. He bears responsibility for his words and actions, no ifs, ands, or buts. I asked him personally today does he hold responsibility for what happened? Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he needed to acknowledge that."
Since that day, as you know, McCarthy has gotten back in the lap of his Honey Bear. 

They be Tired Babies: "Day's Over"
3:58 p.m. Finally, after more than three hours of chaos and violence, the TV in the Whitewash House dining room showed Faux News reporting that the DOD had brought in the National Guard at the V.P's request. 

4:03 p.m. It was only after he understood that the National Guard was taking control and rousting the mob away from the Capitol building that the Tangerine Toddler finally relented to his allies' begging and headed to the Rose Garden to film a statement. 

Finally, at 4:17 p.m., after a full afternoon of urging, 45 released the video message telling the rioters to leave the Capitol. The video he tweeted was just over a minute long. He refused to have it scripted. His remarks were off-the-cuff and characteristically disgusting. You remember the video. They had done his bidding, so he told his murderous mob that he "loves them" and that they "are very special." If you need a refresher, here it is, along with never-before-seen outtakes. 


That was the moment that Ms. Matthews decided to resign. It was all too much. 

Immediately after the video was released, many of the insurrectionists took the president's* message as marching orders and spread the word that their supreme leader ordered them to disperse. It was pretty clear from the evidence that they were indeed hanging on his words and literally took them as orders. They said so! Several of the rioters reacted:


For the folks at the Whitewash House, immediately after the video was released at 4:17, Whitewash House attorney Eric Herschmann testified that everyone was all tuckered out. "We were all emotionally drained," he said. "Day's over." Poor babies! Go get some rest!

Meanwhile, back at the riots.....cops were still being beaten unconscious. Insurrectionists were still trying to beat down the doors. Violence continued. You can see the video in the hearing.

And at this same time, our government officials were figuring out how they could get back into chambers and finish the People's business. Pence was making phone calls strategizing a quick, safe return to the building. Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Schumer were also figuring out their way back. They were determined not to let the day's events delay the official certification. 

At 6:01p.m., just in case the knife didn't meet the artery, Twitler adjusted his grip and thrust once more. He sent an inflammatory tweet justifying the violence: "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"

6:27 p.m. Don the Con retires to the residence for the night. The last thing he says to an aide, and about the only thing he has said all day, "Mike Pence let me down." 

7:02 p.m. Rudy Giuliani called Sen. Tuberville as if nothing had happened! He was still asking to delay the proceedings. Seriously, man?! Weren't you watching TV today!?

3:00 a.m. Finally, Congress was able to return to the chambers. They certified the election results just before 4 a.m. Yes, some members objected to the vote. Yes, they all had to engage in debate with the idiots (Primary idiot Haulin' Hawley was front and center objecting to certification and voting against it). At the Whitewash House, we can only assume IMPOTUS was staring and the ceiling and stewing.

That Ship Has Sailed. There was some discussion on what statement to release after certification finally happened. Campaign advisor Jason Miller took it upon himself and set about composing a statement. His boss suggested that the statement include the phrase "peaceful transition of power." Miller flatly replied, "That ship's kind of already sailed." ...How about "orderly transition?" Miller said that was about all the discussion that was had about the message.

3:49 a.m. The tweet went out from Deputy Chief of Staff for Communication Dan Scavino's Twitter account because @realdonaldtrump had been finally been suspended. 
January 7: Those Outtakes Though! 
The next day, under threat of calls for resignation or invoking the 25th Amendment, those that surrounded the president* again dragged him, if not literally kicking and screaming then slamming and pouting, and they made him make another video statement to affirm that he would commit to an orderly transition of power. This one was heavily scripted, and he was visibly angry as read the words. Some of the words, like the word "yesterday" were difficult for him to say. Others, like "the election is over" nearly choked him.  

A visibly angry T**** could not bring himself to say the election was over. 

He was definitely in Toddler Mode, and in the end he just looked small and incompetent.

Watch:



More Deafening Silence
45 has never acknowledged the loss of the lives of LEOs. Director of communications Tim Murtaugh noted this void in messages with one of his deputies, Matthew Wolking:

Murtaugh texted to Wolking, "Also shitty not to have acknowledged the death of the Capitol Police officer." Wolking responded, "That's enraging to me. Everything he said about supporting law enforcement was a lie." Murtaugh replied, "You know what this is of course? If he acknowledged the dead cop, he'd be implicitly faulting the mob. And he won't do that because they're his people. And it would also be close to acknowledging that what he lit at the rally got out of control. No way he acknowledges something that could ultimately be called his fault. No way."

He has, by contrast, acknowledged the tragic death of Ashli Babbit. Not as a terrible, senseless death for which he is remorseful and bears responsibility. No, he has turned her into a martyr. Just another pawn in his repulsive propaganda game. 

Oath be Damned 
It's doubtful POTATUS ever remembered or cared that he took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. He is not one to care about promises, ethics, or duty. But as a country, we do. We care a lot. Because keeping our promises is what individuals do in order to honor each other and the rule of law.

Thursday's witness Matt Pottinger took the oath multiple times in various capacities in his service to the nation. He holds the oath sacrosanct. He remarked, "It is to — to support and defend the Constitution. It's to protect the Constitution, to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution. And it is a sacred oath. It's an oath that we take before our families. We take that oath before God. And I think that we have an obligation to live by — by that oath."

The Message to The Former Guy
Liz Cheney was clear in her words. The dam is breaking. More witnesses are coming forward. The snake oil salesman won't be able to wiggle out of this.

The Message to the Trumpkins
We know you are patriotic, but you've been duped, and it's not your fault. In her closing statement, Cheney said:
"Donald Trump knows that millions of Americans who supported him would stand up and defend our nation were it threatened. They would put their lives and their freedom at stake to protect her. And he is preying on their patriotism. He is preying on their sense of justice.

And on January 6th, Donald Trump turned their love of country into a weapon against our Capitol and our Constitution. He has purposely created the false impression that America is threatened by a foreign force controlling voting machines or that a wave of tens of millions of false ballots were secretly injected into our election system or that ballot workers have secret thumb drives and are stealing elections with them.

All complete nonsense. We must remember that we cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation. "
Honoring the Sister Resisters
Liz Cheney made it a point to praise the women who have come forward to testify, including Cassidy Hutchinson and Thursday's witness, Sarah Matthews. In her opening statement she said, 

"And let me again thank our witnesses today. We've seen bravery and honor in these hearings. And Ms. Matthews and Mr. Pottinger, both of you will be remembered for that. As will Cassidy Hutchinson. She sat here alone took the oath and testified before millions of Americans. She knew all along that she would be attacked by President Trump and by the 50, 60, and 70 year old men who hide themselves behind executive privilege.

But like our witnesses today, she has courage and she did it anyway. Cassidy, Sarah, and our other witnesses including Officer Caroline Edwards, Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, are an inspiration to American women and to American girls. We owe a debt to all of those who have and will appear here."

Her remarks were likely in response to the GOP wanting to eat their own. Of course, the GOP hates women in general, but the day before this hearing, Garrett Ziegler, a former aide to Dan Scavino, posted this misogynistic, racist rant. Those people are just disgusting. Through and through. (Thanks to sister resister Anne for pointing me to this)

Other News that May Inform the Investigation
  • Steve Bannon was found guilty of contempt of Congress. Sentencing will be in October. Minimum sentence: 30 days. Witnesses, take note! Cooperate or else! We will get to the truth. 
  • Investigations continue into the deleted tweets from the secret service. There are criminal investigations underway and some secret service agents have retained attorneys. Read here to catch up on that scandal. It's looking very dark.
  • And regarding the secret service, I was concerned to read a follow-up regarding possibly different reasons that Pence did not leave the Capitol grounds on January 6. You remember Anthony Ornato, who has refuted in the press – not under oath – Cassidy Hutchinson's claims about the ride in the SUV that day. He is the individual who oversaw secret service protection, and he is also a staunch T**** loyalist – he had a position in the administration between stints with the secret service. Ornato had been pushing that day for Pence to leave the Capitol grounds. Was Pence afraid that the secret service was complicit in the coup? I know it's a little conspiracy-theory-y, but Ornato is turning out to be not a very good guy. We need to hear from him under oath. He is one of the ones who has lawyered up. There's some about this angle in the article above, but you can hear more about the puzzle pieces surrounding the V.P.'s evacuation from an April MSNBC piece.
The Future 
Hearings will resume in September. If indeed "the dam has broken" and evidence and witnesses continue to roll in, they will have lots more to present. You can bet I will be glued to the television and right back here after. 

Thank You
As long as this post is, I've only touched on the evidence presented during this hearing. Thanks for hanging in there until the end. 

I encourage to you please watch the entire proceedings for yourself. It's important. See you in a few weeks. Thanks for reading!






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