Announcing he’ll be arrested Tuesday, March 21 by New York District Atty. Alvin Bragg for hush money payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal in 2016, former President Donald Trump called on his followers to protest. Media types leaped to conclusion that more right wing violence was on the way, something not happening said the FBI and New York law enforcement officials. Jan. 6, 2021Capitol riots are still raw to many people, especially Democrats who blame Trump for the riots. After a year-and-a-half of House Select Committee Democrat hearings, no charges have been filed against Trump by the Justice Department. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland tasked 54-year-old former U.S. Atty. Jack Smith as Special Counsel to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against Trump for Jan. 6 or Mar-a-Lago classified files.
Once Trump said March 18 on Truth Social that his followers should protest, the FBI and media went wild with conjecture. Jan. 6 protesters learned a bitter lesson about violent protesting, vandalizing the U.S. Capitol, with hundreds charged, tried and convicted of various crimes, netting them long prison sentences. Trump’s call to action doesn’t carry the same weight as it once did, especially for right wing groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. When Oath Keeper founder Stewart Rhodes was convicted Nov. 29, 2022 on seditious conspiracy and obstruction, it sent a loud message to other would be extremists. Trump’s call to protest looks like it’s falling on deaf ears, largely because many right wing groups felt duped by the former president when they testified in court. Rhodes begged the judge for mercy that Trump duped his group with the “Stop-the-Steal” protests.
Trump was impeached after losing the Nov. 20, 2020 election, telling supporters that the election was stolen from him by corrupt Democrat election officials. No court or reputable fact-checking group found any evidence for his claims of massive election fraud. Trump couldn’t accept that he lost to 80-year-old President Joe Biden fair-and-square, largely because voters looked for change in 2020. When the Jan. 6 riots occurred, 82-year-old House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slapped Trump with “incitement of insurrection” article of impeachment. Trump was acquitted Feb. 13, 2021 in the U.S. Senate for inciting violence on Jan. 6. FBI agents found that the Jan. 6 riots were planned for months, not based on Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 speech on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Pelosi and House Democrats insisted that Trump incited the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.
New York Mayor Eric Adams asked law enforcement to check Internet chatter on whether right wing groups planned on protests in New York City. FBI and New York law enforcement found now increased Internet chatter about possible violent protests. When it came to Jan. 6, 2021, there was plenty of Internet chatter that violent protests could take place on the day the Congress was due to certify the Electoral College election results. Trump told his followers that 63-year-old former Vice President Mike Pence betrayed him by not stopping the vote count. Protocol had Pence serving in a purely ceremonial role in certifying the Nov. 3. 2020 presidential vote. Trump repeated falsely that Pence had the power to stop the certification. Whatever Trump believed about the Nov. 3, 2020 vote or about Pence’s role in the Electoral College certification, it didn’t cause the Jan. 6, 2021 riots.
House Select Committee spent all their time blaming Trump for planning and orchestrating the violence, accusing him of dereliction of duty because he failed to stop the rioters Jan. 6, 2021. Cherry picked witness-after-witness testified that Trump encouraged his audience to march to the Capitol to protest the Nov. 3, 2020 election. Democrats on the Select Committee and friends in the press refer to Jan. 6 hooligans as “Trump supporters,” when, in fact, Trump told his Jan. 6, 2021 audience to peacefully protest. Democrats continue to press Special Counsel Jack Smith and Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland to charge trump with a variety of misdemeanors and felonies. Now Democrats and the media hype the possibilities of more violent protests when they have no facts to support their conjecture. White New York’s Young Republican Club planned some protests, right wing militia groups were not in the plans.
Right wing protest groups learned a bitter lesion Jan. 6, 2021 that vandalizing the Capitol or any other federal property will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Most brazen Jan. 6 protesters were reduced to sniveling juveniles begging the judge for mercy for vandalizing the Capitol. Internet chatter showed that many of the convicted criminals felt betrayed by Trump for not pardoning them before he left office. When it comes to Trump’s call for protests, it’s falling on deaf ears, knowing the consequences for breaking the law. Ali Alexander, who organized “Stop the Steal” protests, warned Trump supporters they would be “jailed or worse.” “You have no liberty or rights there,” Ali tweeted. Even conservative conspiracy talk show host Alex Jones told Alexander that he would not participate in any Trump protests. Looks like everyone has wised up since Jan. 6.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
