January 6 Was a Dress Rehearsal For Trump, Not a Finale (w/ Tom Joscelyn)
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The lack of accountability for Donald Trump and his inner circle following January 6th created a 'January 6th world' where democratic norms are openly challenged.
- ❖Trump's blanket pardons for all January 6th rioters, including leaders of extremist groups, served as a clear 'marker' of his disregard for the rule of law and his supporters' actions.
- ❖The Republican party's rapid acquiescence to Trump's agenda, even after losing power, demonstrates the leverage of his 'mob' and cult of personality.
- ❖Ongoing threats to election integrity include executive orders designed to centralize federal control over state elections, DOJ attempts to collect voter registration data, and widespread disinformation.
- ❖The modern right is characterized as a 'post-constitutional movement' that actively seeks to undermine free speech, due process, and the separation of powers, concentrating power in the executive branch.
- ❖A functioning two-party system is essential for accountability; when one party is beholden to a leader without respect for the constitutional system, checks and balances fail.
Insights
1Lack of Accountability Fuels 'January 6th World'
The guest argues that the absence of accountability for Donald Trump and his key associates, coupled with blanket pardons for all January 6th rioters (including leaders of groups like the Proud Boys and Oathkeepers), has normalized the actions of that day. This created a 'January 6th world' where those who attacked the Capitol are celebrated as heroes or martyrs, and the rule of law is openly defied.
Trump pardoned or granted clemency to all arrested, charged, and convicted individuals for their actions on January 6th, including heads of major extremist groups. This included individuals who assaulted police officers, some of whom suffered severe injuries or died.
2Trump's Leverage: The Mob and Cult of Personality
Despite being out of power, Trump maintained significant control over the Republican party. His leverage stemmed from his ability to rally 'the mob' and his cult of personality, which intimidated those who might otherwise oppose him. This led to the swift marginalization of figures like Liz Cheney who challenged him.
Liz Cheney, initially the number three Republican in the House, was removed from leadership and lost her primary after condemning Trump and serving on the January 6th committee. The host expresses astonishment at the speed with which Trump, out of power, controlled the party.
3Systematic Threats to Election Integrity Beyond January 6th
The 'January 6th world' extends to ongoing, systematic efforts to undermine future elections. This includes executive actions, legal challenges, and a pervasive disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimizing electoral processes.
Trump issued an executive order titled 'Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections' (March 25th), which, despite its name, aimed to seize federal power over state elections based on false claims about voting machines, non-citizen voting, and mail-in ballots. The DOJ has sued 21-22 states to accumulate voter registration data in a centralized database. A vast right-wing 'machinery' amplifies propaganda to delegitimize elections.
4The 'Post-Constitutional' Nature of the Modern Right
The modern conservative movement, now dominated by online reactionary thought and conspiracism, has become 'post-constitutional.' This movement and its leader exhibit a fundamental contempt for constitutional limits, the rule of law, and the separation of powers, seeking to concentrate power in the executive branch.
The guest states, 'The modern right is a post-constitutional movement and they have a post-constitutional leader.' He cites examples from Trump's first administration: threatening free speech and press, violating due process rights (detaining/deporting US persons), violating Fourth Amendment rights (unlawful searches), attempting to undermine birthright citizenship, and trying to end the separation of powers.
Lessons
- Recognize the 'January 6th world' as an ongoing threat, not a past event, characterized by a leader and movement that disregards elections and constitutional government.
- Monitor executive orders and administrative efforts by the federal government that could undermine state-run elections or centralize power, as these are often designed to appear legitimate while serving an opposing intent.
- Support and engage with efforts at the state level to protect election integrity, as states retain significant power to counter federal overreach in electoral processes.
- Understand that the fight for constitutional principles requires engagement on 'all fronts,' as contempt for the rule of law in one area can quickly erode protections in others.
- Advocate for a 'constitutional form of patriotism' that stands up for America's founding principles, countering disfigured narratives from movements that claim to represent patriotism while undermining the Constitution.
Notable Moments
Discussion of Trump's blanket pardons for January 6th rioters, including extremist group leaders, immediately after leaving office.
This act is framed as a critical 'marker' that indicated Trump's continued defiance of democratic norms and his willingness to reward those who acted on his behalf, setting the stage for future actions.
The hosts' surprise at the rapid fading of public controversy surrounding the pardons and the quick acquiescence of the 'Trump-adjacent' conservative media.
This highlights the deep polarization of the country and the effectiveness of the right-wing 'echo chamber' in preventing alternative realities or truths from penetrating their audience, allowing controversial actions to be forgotten.
The guest's analogy of 'velociraptors learning to open their cages' to describe Trump's second term approach.
This vivid metaphor illustrates the learned lessons from Trump's first term, implying a more strategic and prepared effort to staff the government with loyalists and subordinates willing to execute his agenda, unlike the resistance he faced in 2020.
Quotes
"Ultimately, there was no accountability for Donald Trump for trying to overturn a democratically held election for the first time in our nation's history. None of the big wags around him really faced any kind of accountability."
"We now live in the January 6th world where they the officers are not the heroes or the people to be celebrated or to for us to hold up as a society for standing on the front lines of democracy. We live in a Jerry 6 world where the people who attacked them are the ones who are being celebrated by the government."
"The modern conservative movement has really been extinguished by online reactionary thought and extremism and conspiracism. That's really overrun. This is much more the party now and the thinking of Alex Jones than it is Ronald Reagan."
"The velociraptors have learned not open their cages, you know, and that's that that's what we talked about was that coming in this time, you know, Trump learned in the the leadup to January 6 that he needed a DOJ that would be pliable."
"The modern right is a postconstitutional movement and they have a postconstitutional leader attempting to be."
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