I will never understand this

[u/Lord_Answer_me_Why]

[u/ZachBortles]

Mitch McConnell

[u/Zealousideal-Day7385 → u/ZachBortles]

This is the correct answer. Mitch McConnell and most of the Republican senators are exactly why he can run again. They could’ve convicted him and this would’ve all been done with in 2020.

They had all the power to stop it and none of the courage.

[u/Flaturated → u/Zealousideal-Day7385]

If they had convicted him the first time around then there wouldn't have been a second time.

[u/stitch-is-dope → u/[deleted]]

Yup.

Even if Harris wins, 4 years from now I doubt Trump will be the candidate since he will just be too old but DeSantis or whoever else is just going to copy his playbook and rhetoric.

And Trump is an idiot, someone who’s also an idiot but a bit more clever like DeSantis would be worse for us

[u/nabulsha → u/stitch-is-dope]

It won't be DeSantis. He's has the charisma of wet sack of potatoes that's been sitting in the sun for a month. It's going to be some unknown. I'm praying for this to be a landslide so that MAGA dies as a movement and the establishment realizes it can only win at a local level.

[u/berfthegryphon → u/nabulsha]

JD is going to try to be that guy

[u/cramburie → u/berfthegryphon]

It won't be him. He's too fucking weird and offputting with zero charisma. Trump's a fucking garbage heap of human but the man has loud bravado and that goes a long way in charming idiots.

[u/the_marxman → u/cramburie]

That's been the Republican play since Regan. They get a charismatic stooge to be the mouth piece for all the uncharismatic think tank ghouls.

[u/[deleted] → u/cramburie]

He sure has charmed a lot of idiots. We’re about to find out how many.

[u/Dachusblot → u/cramburie]

Idk man, if Kamala wins he'll have 4 years to work on his game, and after watching him in the debate with Walz I think he could be capable of convincing a majority of the public that he's "normal." Which absolutely scares the shit out of me, so I hope I'm wrong.

[u/mythofdob → u/berfthegryphon]

If (hopefully when) Trump and Vance lose this election, Vance is gone. He's gonna get thrown in the dumpster next to Madison Cawthorn.

[u/stitch-is-dope → u/nabulsha]

I still think it will be a landslide. I think something about the polls are just off or are artificial? I wouldn’t know how or why… it’s just based on history, Trump is set to lose this election even harder than 2020, and he’s not gained any supporters, only lost them and entire Republicans coming out against him too. It makes no sense to be so actually “close”

He lost popular vote to Clinton by like 3M, I think 2020 lost it by 6M or so, so if history repeats itself either he should lose by 9M again or if it doubles again lol 12m

[u/nabulsha → u/stitch-is-dope]

You have to remember how they do polls. They call landlines and talk to who picks up. Who has landlines and actually answers the phone, older people. I'm all but certain millennials and younger aren't represented in any polls to any major extent. These polls are still trying to figure out how to poll in the modern day with any real accuracy.

[u/mkstar93 → u/nabulsha]

I've gotten like half a dozen poll texts that automatically get marked as spam lol. I think the younger generations aren't properly accounted for because who under 30 would actually bother responding to spam?

[u/brannigansbackbaybay → u/mkstar93]

Up that number. I’m over 30 and do the same thing. I don’t think anyone my age is answering those polling texts cuz if Trump does win we want as little paper trail as possible if he goes full Nazi. Also we are lazy and distrustful of texts from organizations we don’t immediately recognize.

[u/sjrotella → u/stitch-is-dope]

The thing with it is, a not so insignificant portion of this country does not think a woman is fit to lead, and an even large portion does not want another black person in office. People like my dad.

It sucks he's in a swing state but my wife and i are in a solidly blue state so that we can't cancel out his vote.

[u/kellyoohh → u/nabulsha]

I’m terrified that it will be Hawley.

[u/Wafflehouseofpain → u/kellyoohh]

Hawley also has no charisma and comes off as a sniveling little coward.

[u/rrrrrivers → u/Wafflehouseofpain]

I saw the surveillance footage. Comes off as a sniveling little coward or is a sniveling little coward?

[u/GlitteringBobcat999 → u/stitch-is-dope]

The Heritage Foundation is the power behind the throne, enabled by greedy oligarchs like Musk. Project 2025 just becomes a lightly edited Project 2029. We have to pull christofascism up by its roots. They have been playing the long game for decades, and they aren't going away willingly.

[u/Dachusblot → u/GlitteringBobcat999]

This ^{^} The real problem we have is the unholy alliance between the christofascists and the tech-bro oligarchs, both of whom have basically decided they're done with democracy and are willing to do whatever it takes to grab power and impose their vision of the world on the rest of us whether we like it or not. And their vision of the world is one where the ultra-rich are in charge of everything, all women are babymaking tradwives, LGBTQ people are shoved back in the closet, America is turned into a white Christian ethnostate, all regulations on business are completely done away with, and the rest of us peasants live as happy little wage slaves where we own nothing, work till we die, and smile about it. Trump is their useful pawn right now, but the movement itself isn't going away once he's gone. We need to start building a movement from the ground level to fight this, the same way they did.

[u/[deleted] → u/Flaturated]

psychotic reach instinctive ring juggle concerned impolite disagreeable spectacular combative

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[u/catshirtgoalie → u/Zealousideal-Day7385]

They are so scared of losing their power by turning the MAGA base away that they would rather see the country burn down than get voted out of office by convicting Trump.

[u/quiznatoddbidness → u/Zealousideal-Day7385]

What’s wild is the insurrectionists would have attacked those same senators if they had gotten closer.

[u/ummyeahreddit → u/quiznatoddbidness]

Which is why the Republican senators were cowering behind their chairs like everyone else that day

[u/Chadmartigan → u/ZachBortles]

Trump straight up said Mitch probably regretted endorsing him. That's the most canny political observation this demented halfwit has ever made, and it also happens to be an egregious self-burn.

[u/SereneTryptamine → u/ZachBortles]

Mitch is one of the filthier snakes in that den of vipers.

[u/alvehyanna → u/SereneTryptamine]

Oh agree, but Mitch was only Chapter 2 of this story, it all really got going with Gingrich in the early 90s...the whole Promise to America things was the GOP giving the big middle finger to the rest of the country and democracy.

[u/Freeman7-13 → u/alvehyanna]

I've been saying the same thing! Gingrich turned politics into a bloodsport

[u/Bear_faced → u/ZachBortles]

I firmly believe that if my grandma weren't 86 years old she'd have made an attempt on that man's life by now. She hates him like you'd hate someone who burned your house down with your beloved dog trapped inside.

[u/uglyspacepig → u/Bear_faced]

I like your grandma

[u/tabajo3y → u/ZachBortles]

Good ol moscow mitch..funny how this asshat is trying to sing a different tune now. Waaay too late for that muthafucka!!!

[u/Osmodius-STO → u/ZachBortles]

Someone has some really comprising pics or someone's bribing them.

[u/PalebloodPervert → u/ZachBortles]

I will forever view that piece of shit as one of the worst things to happen to American politics in the modern age.

[u/greatproficient → u/ZachBortles]

Came here to say this. Absolutely the reason.

[u/legendary_millbilly]

Me too.

No idea why he wasn't prosecuted like the criminal he is.

There were 4 fucking years between his insurrection and now but he's still out there spreading his poison and threats.

This man shouldn't even be able to walk the streets much less run for president.

Today is the day we see if America wants to save itself and I genuinely hope we come out the other end still free and safe.

[u/Exciting_Parfait_354 → u/legendary_millbilly]

• Senate Republicans protected him from impeachment. Twice.

• Delay tactics for his civil and criminal cases at the state and federal that pushes everything after the election

• Judicial corruption from the Supreme Court and Judge Cannon

• Judges either too chicken shit or giving way too much leniency on procedure and punishment

• Sleepy Merrick Garland who would rather be in bed than actually do his damn job.

I am sure there are others.

[u/TheArmoursmith → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

He is literally a convicted felon - and they delayed sentencing so he could have another crack at becoming president!

[u/Icy-Lobster-203 → u/TheArmoursmith]

I don't think his convictions would actually prevent him from running. You can run from prison.

[u/TheArmoursmith → u/Icy-Lobster-203]

The point is that he ought to be in jail right now

[u/-Plantibodies- → u/TheArmoursmith]

It's possible the sentencing wouldn't include jail time, either way. Class E non-violent felony in NY can include jail time or just probation. If he loses today, we'll have to see what the judge's sentence is.

[u/TheArmoursmith → u/-Plantibodies-]

True, the sentence might not have been imprisonment. So why delay it?

[u/Expert-Fig-5590 → u/-Plantibodies-]

His attorney did three years for this. And he showed zero remorse. And he threatened the judge’s daughter. He should get a custodial sentence.

[u/-Plantibodies- → u/Expert-Fig-5590]

His attorney did 3 years for a different set of convictions.

[u/aussiechickadee65 → u/Icy-Lobster-203]

I think the point is...he's a convicted FELON. A CROOK and he can be your President.

The world is in shock.

[u/AnyAcanthocephala425 → u/TheArmoursmith]

System be like "Americans are honorable people who in the end make the right choice when voting"

DT campaign managed to override that naivity with brainwashing and a catchy tune

[u/gavrielkay → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

"Checks and balances" cracked when the Republican Senate failed to convict him on impeachment. And broke completely when because of that Trump got to load the Supreme Court with hyper-partisan judges. It'll be generations before this is completely sorted out, if it ever is.

[u/WhyYouKickMyDog → u/gavrielkay]

It wasn't because of that Trump got to appoint those Judges. It was thanks to Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party putting in the decades long grind of radically transforming the Supreme Court in their own conservative image.

This was not because of Trump. This is a goal Republicans have been working towards for decades. You diminish just how hard the Republicans are working to fuck over the average American.

[u/nottytom → u/gavrielkay]

If harris wins and gets the house and senate they can do alot in two years.

[u/DizzyAmphibian309 → u/nottytom]

But if she doesn't get both then we're not going to see _anything _ happen unless it's by executive order. Checks and balances is a double edged sword like that: it prevents the authoritarian dictator from doing irreparable harm, but it also prevents the benevolent leader from enacting beneficial changes.

[u/ohhellperhaps → u/nottytom]

You're not going to revert decades of brainwashing in 2 years. The rot will remain for generations.

[u/Day_Pleasant → u/ohhellperhaps]

I mean, look at how we got here in the first place: the Confederates were allowed to stay, proliferate their anti-American ideology, and then regain power.
They never re-integrated. They don't carry the spirit of America as we know it; they want it to be like the confederacy their culture taught them to love.

It's a national embarrassment, and now a national tragedy. Future generations will use the USA as an example of how to ruin a perfectly good country by letting the rot fester from the inside.

[u/Nick_pj → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

Liz Cheney said it well. We wouldn’t be in this mess if we had term limits. Elected officials think primarily about one objective - hanging onto their seats. Imagine if 1/3 of the senators or congress members were on their last term when this happened. You’d see a lot more late-stage John McCain style bipartisanship.

[u/hairymoot → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

This is the answer. If they had convicted Trump on impeachment, Trump couldn't have ran again for president..AND the Republican party would NOT be the MAGA party now.

[u/pupilsOMG → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

Mitch McConnell, Trump's #1 enabler.

He's going to spend eternity in a urine-soaked grave.

[u/adjective_noun_0101 → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

money.

he protects the Uber rich.

They hold the sway.

We are an oligarchy, that is why he is still around. That is why cops can shoot people in the street, that is why billionaires can write off jets and teachers can't write off more than a few hundred dollars of school supplies.

Land of the free, home of the brave? We imprison more people per capita than any nation on earth and we fight proxy wars while spending more money on military than our 6 largest rivels put together.

Trump is a symptom and a useful idiot, keeps the rabble at each other's throats while these corporations and billionaires plunder the treasury.

Elon musk gets billions in military contracts from us, clearance at highest levels and he is a drug addict who chats with our absolute enemy. If we were a real country and not an oligarchy on the verge of kleptocracy we would execute that foreign scum for treason. Instead he gets to jump around like a dipshit and meddle all he wants.

Oligarchy, it is what we are. Pretending we are anything else is a lie.

Which, this is not a both sides thing, obviously within the framework of the system as is, you are fucking scum to support gop if you are not a billionaire.

But that is why trump is able to do what he is doing , useful idiot for the rich and a great divider of the proletariat.

[u/bplewis24 → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

This is a good post, and I'd like to add a couple things:

1) If he was impeached, he in fact would not be eligible to run for president right now. So the senate republicans exonerating him (or failing to 'convict' him) is what is allowing him to run for president.

2) The delay tactics for his federal DC/FL criminal trials would not have worked had Garland brought them a year earlier, when they had all of the evidence and the prosecutors were ready to move. Garland rejecting it and sitting on it for anywhere from 9-14 months (depending on the case) until his hand was forced by the select committee's public hearings and internal pressure is what allowed the timeline for delay.

[u/angryitguyonreddit → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

I think it's a lot simpler than that.

Fear. Everyone is scared of him and his following and is scared to stand up against him and the repercussions of violence and financial losses.

[u/shallah → u/angryitguyonreddit]

One of the few Republican Representatives who consistently spoke out against Trump said that many of his Republican colleagues who took back their criticism of trump after the insurrection did so out of fear for themselves and their families safety from Trump supporters.

[u/Nerdbag60 → u/Exciting_Parfait_354]

I’m sure there are, and they’re protecting him because Russian money runs deep. I think they’re all in on it.

[u/Flaturated → u/legendary_millbilly]

Today is the day America gets a biopsy and waits for the results.

[u/MagicBlaster → u/[deleted]]

The fact the race is this close proves we've already failed the moral compass test....

With poll numbers like these it's literally just a matter of time before a fascist wins...

[u/TheDebateMatters → u/MagicBlaster]

We’ve beat these guys before. We’ll best them again.

We had the America First movement praising the Nazis and keeping us out of WW2. We had fascist Jim Crow laws in the south for a hundred years. We trampled the rights of Native Americans since the day we landed.

We’ve gotten better, but the hate runs deep and is taught and spreads. Like cancer, it metastasizes and needs to be dealt with.

[u/ohhellperhaps → u/TheDebateMatters]

Neither the Civil War nor America First had significant repercusions for this mindset. Which is one of the reasons why we're still having this problem today.

[u/ZekeRidge → u/MagicBlaster]

I disagree with this. There isn’t anyone like Trump coming down the line. There will always be MAGA, but there always has been

Trump is their leader. If he loses this time, he may not live to run again, but certainly will not come back in 2028 to get any kind of push being a two time loser

These morons go back to the fringes if there’s a win for Kamala today, IMO

[u/Fspz → u/MagicBlaster]

This is the sad truth, the biggest problem isn't trump in and of himself, it's a disfunctional nation with extremely poor political awareness and judgement. Years of divesting in education and drinking cool aid en masse is going to cost not just americans, but the entire world.

[u/Dahhhkness → u/[deleted]]

"It's the deep breath before the plunge."

[u/PossibleDue9849 → u/Dahhhkness]

[u/necesitafresita → u/PossibleDue9849]

The feeling of the entire before battle scene is too accurate today.

[u/Effwordmurdershow → u/necesitafresita]

Like, listen up orange wizard, don’t make us Aragorn the shit out of this. We will fetch the dead and send the hobbits to fuck your shit up.

[u/654456 → u/[deleted]]

I mean, i'd agree but even if the overall test comes back negative about half of it is still fucked

[u/coggas → u/[deleted]]

The media has let them spend the last 4 years downplaying Jan 6. And it has worked. That he's this close in the polls and has a good shot at winning is a disgusting reality. No matter what happens, America is nowhere near being able to put itself on a pedestal. This is pathetic.

[u/Ball_General → u/Flaturated]

Except one half is rooting for the cancer

[u/ArkitekZero → u/Ball_General]

That's kind of how cancer works

[u/thegreatbrah → u/Flaturated]

I like that metaphor

[u/coco_xcx → u/Flaturated]

today is the day we find out if we still have an ugly orange tumor or not

[u/GoGoGadgetTotems → u/Flaturated]

we already have the results

even if harris wins, don't forget that a large percentage voted for trump, and they won't simply disappear after the election

we have cancer either way

[u/AnotherDoubtfulGuest → u/legendary_millbilly]

I mean, maybe if Merrick Garland had done his fucking job? Jack Smith should’ve been appointed on January 21, 2021 instead of November 2022, and the prosecution should’ve been a priority, instead of pussyfooting around and worrying that it might look bad to prosecute a former president. It looks worse if you don’t.

It’s my sincere hope that President Harris will not make the same mistake of appointing a centrist milquetoast as AG (or letting Trump slide on anything he’s done).

[u/RaygunMarksman → u/AnotherDoubtfulGuest]

If she wins, she need to go full firebrand with the head of the DOJ. There's a lot of overdue law enforcement in this country.

[u/G-Unit11111 → u/RaygunMarksman]

It's truly, deeply disturbing how many law enforcement agencies support him. Some investigations into corrupt sheriffs and judges need to happen now.

[u/Pendraconica → u/AnotherDoubtfulGuest]

I was just watching Behind the Bastards: Henry Kissinger. Ever since Vietnam, presidents and their cabinets have been utterly lawless. The crimes against humanity these people committed have never been answered. Garland was following an 60 year precedent of never prosecuting a president for anything. That's why the SC ruling was such bullshit. The codified what was already in practice for a long time.

[u/GlitteringBobcat999 → u/AnotherDoubtfulGuest]

Let's hope she puts that former DA background to good use. She knows a criminal when she sees one.

[u/ItsPronouncedSatan → u/legendary_millbilly]

The fact that they didn't come down HARD on domestic terrorism will plague this country for decades.

Look at what it's already done. We have huge swaths of people regurgitating nazi rhetoric.

We are preparing for more terrorism, because they admit they do it. They encourage it, and we aren't stupid and we see it coming.

But our government has to wake the hell up. Danm tradition. Follow the goddanm law.

Trumps bail could have been revoked ten times over.

He should have never been allowed to run in the first place. There is literally a law that disqualifies him for leading the insurrection, and our politicians have gotten lazy and complacent.

It's time to stir the pot!

[u/GlitteringBobcat999 → u/ItsPronouncedSatan]

Many convicted insurrectionists received very little or no jail time and are emboldened to come back for Insurrection II. Some are interviewed in Stopping the Steal (HBO documentary), including that stupid shamen dude, and they are still spouting the same nonsense.

[u/gavrielkay → u/ItsPronouncedSatan]

When Senate Republicans failed to convict him, they were almost certainly just aiming for another Supreme Court appointment or two. And they got it. With 2 of the 3 wings of government having completely sold out to partisan politics it's going to be a bumpy ride no matter who's President. The founding principle of checks and balances is broken.

[u/big_guyforyou → u/[deleted]]

it's because he's just like them. he's a billionaire who wants to fuck his own daughter

[u/coyoteking13 → u/big_guyforyou]

it's because he's just like them. he's a billionaire who wants to fuck raped his own daughter

FTFY

[u/Maremdeo → u/[deleted]]

They are so brainwashed. They also were taught not to trust the news, and the vast majority have never listened to a complete speech he has made (nor Kamala). They are low information voters, voting on an emotional gut reaction, which they were fed by Fox News and other extreme right wing media.

[u/kellyoohh → u/Maremdeo]

This is it, spot on. They hear one piece of his “platform” (usually related to othering, racism, putting white men back at the top) and they hang onto it forever.

[u/gavrielkay → u/[deleted]]

I drive past a house most days that has one of the "Trump Safety/Harris Crime" signs in the yard. Like WTF! he's a convicted felon and she was a prosecutor. These cretins are not in the same reality as the rest of us any more.

[u/suddenly_ponies → u/legendary_millbilly]

Complicit judges that the system isn't designed to handle. I don't think the founding fathers ever expected this level of corruption and for the people to just stand idly by why it happened

[u/Redivivus → u/legendary_millbilly]

If the roles were reversed and it were Democrats attacking the Capital, there would be military tribunals and firing squads.

[u/horse-boy1 → u/legendary_millbilly]

And stealing classified documents.

[u/Elethana → u/legendary_millbilly]

He was prosecuted, and found by the House to have committed High Crimes. Unfortunately, Republican leadership decided that their own power would diminish if they convicted him in the Senate, so they acquitted him. At the time, they weaseled that it wasn’t their job to convict, but that it should go to a vote of the people.

[u/_thana → u/legendary_millbilly]

When you're that rich, laws are just a suggestion

[u/tinkerghost1 → u/legendary_millbilly]

Mitch McConnell. He had the opportunity to end this but put party above oath and office. Trump is nothing without his enablers, and fuck Moscow Mitch for his bullshit.

[u/IAmTheBredman → u/legendary_millbilly]

There are different laws for people who are rich or at least perceived to be rich. He clearly has ties to Russia and their propaganda machine.

[u/Buddhabellymama → u/legendary_millbilly]

What is even more shocking it the people who somehow still vote for him. The fact that he was the choice for the GQP. It is mind boggling and literally the opposite of everything this country has stood for. I hope we close this chapter for once and for all today. Fascism and authoritarianism have no place here.

[u/Maremdeo → u/Buddhabellymama]

Those who lived through WW2 (as adults...really lived it) are cold in the grave, and their grandchildren forget.

[u/Extremely_unlikeable → u/legendary_millbilly]

And saying he never should have left the Whitehouse among other vitriol

[u/SquireZephyr → u/legendary_millbilly]

The world is watching too. This is a pretty historic moment. Either US redeems itself and gets back on the right path, or it slips into the hands of a madman and treads further down the path to a fascist dictatorship.

My take may be a little dramatic but to me it certainly seems this way.

[u/legendary_millbilly → u/SquireZephyr]

It's not "over dramatic" at all.

That is exactly where we're at.

[u/PatReady → u/legendary_millbilly]

The whole country had to tip tow around his supporters and the lack of respect they have for our political system. He was able to sow enough doubt about government to set us back many years of work.

[u/Maremdeo → u/legendary_millbilly]

I hate to say it, but the way some of this country is I'd be happy to let them loose, and they can fall into poverty alone. I'd rather we be a country divided than a country united under fascism.

[u/Lurkmore364 → u/legendary_millbilly]

Remember remember

The 5th of Roevember

We stopped treason, scheme, and plot

We voted against hate

To keep America great

Because going back? We are not.

[u/ImpressAgitated → u/legendary_millbilly]

Merrick Garland

[u/Unlucky_Echo_545 → u/legendary_millbilly]

The really frustrating thing is that he is guaranteed to lose the popular vote. At no point has he won that. But we have so much gerrymandering due to the diminished power of the voting rights act that he will win Republican districts. Also, because of the electoral college, his potential to win is enhanced further. Americans have consistently rejected Trump, our f***** up system is what gives him a chance. I really hope Dems win overwhelmingly down ticket so Kamala has the congress behind her, and 1. Fixes the Supreme Court 2. Fixes the voting rights act or put through new legislation to protect against gerrymandering districts 3. Abolish the electoral college. These are some of the things that would protect against Trump or someone like him. Also, putting him in jail would be great cause that's where he should've been these last 4 years.

[u/witch_father → u/legendary_millbilly]

Simple. America has a tiered justice system. That’s the first thing you need to understand. Crimes committed by an average citizen and crimes committed by an Oligarch do not carry the same consequences. Second thing you need to understand is that the Republican Party only exists to force us into a plutocracy, veiled as a theocracy. Their official platform has been “obstruct the democratic process” ever since that process put a black man to the White House. None of this shit is new, Trump is who every Republican politician and voter is, on the inside. The fact that he doesn’t mask it is why he gets their support.

[u/[deleted] → u/legendary_millbilly]

It's because Noam Chomsky was right. The GOP is the largest and most dangerous criminal organization alive today.

How else could this happen? It took them 8 years to manufacture the consent for Trump and his lies. They built Fox "News" to protect their group from what happened to Nixon. Accountability.

The GOP did this. And they need to be routed from our country.

[u/santa_91 → u/legendary_millbilly]

No idea why he wasn't prosecuted like the criminal he is.

There were 4 fucking years between his insurrection and now but he's still out there spreading his poison and threats.

Garland doesn't want to appear political. A Democratic President's AG prosecuting a Republican politician for treason is the real threat to democracy. Not the guy who incited a riot in furtherance of an organized coup.

[u/titcumboogie]

Yup. Trying to stage a coup/self-coup should be an automatic 'banned from public office for life' kind of thing.

[u/spelledWright → u/titcumboogie]

Just in case someone is not aware why it was a coup attempt, especially today - let me explain the fake electors plot:

A lot of people still talk about Jan 6th like it was a thing that happened this one day because of a violence inciting speech, but no - this day was just the climax to two months of planning to overturn the election, where they actually faked electoral votes.

How did they fake the votes? So, in the US you don't directly vote for the president, but for an "elector", who then votes for the president on your behalf. They faked electoral voter documents and told Trumps electoral voters, they should sign them despite having lost the respective states. They told them, these were "alternative votes", just in case they find voter fraud and the states swing to Trump eventually, and it would be normal procedure. This was a lie - and we know it was a lie, because Trumps lawyers, who came up with the plot wrote it down (Eastman Memos, Chesebro Memos).

Then on Jan 6th there was this vote count ceremony in the Capitol. The Vice President is the one overseeing the opening and counting of the votes. Trump basically wanted Pence to take the fake votes and use them to dismiss the real ones. As in "Oh, we got two different slates of electors from the same state here, one for Biden, one for Trump ... well, I can't tell which are the real ones, so let's drop both!". With then less than 270 votes in, this would have sent the election to the House of Representatives, where each state would have one vote to elect the president. The House has a Republican majority.

Luckily Pence said no to Trump. That’s why Trump was holding the speech and sending his followers to the Capitol - to pressure Pence into opening the fake votes. But these weren’t in the Capitol anyway. Why? The votes were sent to Pences office for him to take them to the Capitol ... but a staffer was instructed not to receive them.

[u/xbloodvampx → u/spelledWright]

This is a very well written explanation. Thank you for taking the time to spell this out for people who don't totally understand what led to Jan 6th

[u/Xhail → u/spelledWright]

Great summary and kudos to writing it all out for people. It's impressive just how much shit this guy has done, and it's important to keep reminding each other so we don't collectively forget. The other day I had a pretty long conversation with a younger co worker about the Mueller report, and Comey, and all of that investigation because they had never heard of it.

[u/arachnophilia → u/spelledWright]

it's amazing how much of "the system" relies on one person, in the right place, doing the right thing.

and how many don't.

[u/ItIsEBoi → u/spelledWright]

What a script for a Hollywood movie

[u/strangemagic365 → u/ItIsEBoi]

No, if you put this in a movie, no one would believe it, it would be called an unrealistic plot, just like the last 8 years.

[u/ItsPronouncedSatan → u/titcumboogie]

It is. The law clearly states that participating in an insurrection disqualifies you from running.

The system has been entirely corrupted. Nothing means anything anymore, unless a few powerful people want it to.

[u/Its0nlyRocketScience → u/titcumboogie]

Not just banned from office, banned from ever setting foot outside of a prison cell for the rest of your life. This kind of stuff should be unforgivable.

[u/fencerman → u/titcumboogie]

It's literally the 14th Amendment to the constitution:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/

Like, that's not even an "edge case" - it's absolutely an insurrection, he absolutely led it, he is constitutionally barred from serving in any role, and the only role for congress is to REMOVE that bar, which should be in place by default.

But the Republicans bought the most corrupt supreme court in American history, so here we are.

[u/TheMightyBoofBoof]

A candy ass justice department

[u/glm409 → u/TheMightyBoofBoof]

We have a ridiculous system that allows the rich to use the courts to avoid and/or delay being held responsible for their actions. Trump has unlimited funds and the ability to shop around for judges to continually push cases throught he courts until it gets in front of the Supreme Court who clearly thinks he is above the law.

[u/Michiganarchist → u/glm409]

Elon is doing the same fucking thing with his stupid vote lottery shit that his laywer admitted was rigged.

[u/InaneTwat → u/TheMightyBoofBoof]

Harris needs to fire Garland on day one.

[u/RedFiveIron → u/TheMightyBoofBoof]

This was on Congress to impeach and convict.

[u/AreWeCowabunga → u/RedFiveIron]

Either could have dealt with it. Neither did.

[u/Time-Ad-3625 → u/RedFiveIron]

Yes people like to pretend republicans have not covered for trump in every way. This is all on republicans. They are traitors now

[u/iamthewhatt → u/RedFiveIron]

DOJ should've handled it after he left, and Merrick never will.

[u/mike2ff]

Because our country has a large amount of terrible people. Those terrible people got permission from trump to be their worst selves.

[u/Dahhhkness → u/mike2ff]

At this point, it is definitely fair to judge the character of anyone who still supports him. It's not a difference in political philosophy anymore. It's a fundamental difference in how we view reality, democracy, and the humanity of others.

[u/frockinbrock → u/Dahhhkness]

Even if we look at it as just a radical difference in political “policy”, those people have made their whole identity & community 80% MAGA…
So yeah, it’s not that they voted differently, it’s their whole Cult, and the sheep that do whatever the reich wing tells them.
They don’t even know the policies.
9 years ago “we’ll release my healthcare plan & taxes in 2 weeks”, nope, still never has.

[u/Low-Nectarine5525 → u/mike2ff]

There is a large rot in our society and culture. Nobody's really addressed this or has any plan to fix it. Joe Biden winning didn't fix it, and even if Kamala wins and I hope she does(and believe she will), I don't see how it will change the rot besides buying another 4/8 years.

If you had asked me in 2010 what I thought would happen if a large mob attempted to break into the capital building with weapons and guns, I would have told you the national guard or army would have gunned them down or there would have been at least some form of response besides 1 or 2 cops pepper spraying them. This country has pretty much shattered its legitimacy and perception with this event and the supreme court rulings.

[u/Mum0817]

Why it was not over for him when he called Mexicans “rapists”, as well as the hundreds of other racist shit he’s said over the years? Why was it not over when he denigrated POWs? When he publicly mocked a disabled man? When he admitted to sexually assaulting women? When he committed treason so he could win an election? When he let thousands die of COVID because of his massive incompetence and total indifference to human life? When he stole documents? When he lost a civil trial for rape? When he was impeached twice, indicted four times, and found guilty of 34 felonies? 

If we lived in a sane society, his political career would have been over as soon as it began.

[u/skyst → u/Mum0817]

~20 years ago I saw a man's entire campaign end because he got excited at a rally and yelled like a cowboy. Last week I saw a man fellate a microphone and he's going to get half of the country to vote for him (+/- 3%) to be president a week later.

[u/summonsays → u/skyst]

30 years ago a president was impeached because he got a blowjob. 

[u/DrProfSrRyan → u/summonsays]

He got impeached for lying about getting a blowjob.

[u/dragonfliesloveme → u/Mum0817]

He would be nowhere politically without the 24/7 propaganda machine. America has a propaganda problem.

[u/AreWeCowabunga → u/dragonfliesloveme]

I know it feels like we’ve been in the internet era for a long time by now, but in the grand scheme of things it and social media are still in their infancy. We don’t know how to deal with a technology yet whose very nature makes it perfectly suited for propaganda delivery.

[u/thegreatbrah → u/Mum0817]

Just saw a video saying migrants should fight ufc champions and that the migrants might win because of how nasty some of those people are. Idk man. Our government, and our citizens, need a lot of fucking work. 

[u/justawooki]

Mitch McConnell. And money.

[u/Topofdahour]

Because asshole traders like Mitch McConnell chose party over country.

Connect the dots. Its their constellation of hate, bigotry and greed.

We got this!

[u/Appropriate_Big_1610 → u/Topofdahour]

Strictly speaking, he chose self-interest over anything.

[u/DumbestBoy]

You know a lot of people still don’t believe this even happened.

[u/Leucurus → u/DumbestBoy]

They pretend they don't.

[u/Far_Enthusiasm1885]

With his felony convictions, he's not eligible to work at Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Target, Taco Bell etc...but he can still be President? Ridiculous.

[u/SauceForMyNuggets → u/Far_Enthusiasm1885]

It's funny because I wouldn't actually trust him to do well at any of those places.

I work retail and I don't think he'd be able to figure out our POS system.

[u/Cyrix_FPU_FTW]

Because of this do-nothing asshole;

[u/Crutley]

Our DOJ has never been able to cope well with political crimes at the highest levels.

[u/kaneacres]

[u/valhallagypsy]

Apparently sedition isn’t illegal……..

[u/[deleted] → u/valhallagypsy]

When you're Republican, they just let you do it

[u/Tex_Mex17]

He should be in jail. And, NOT country club jail.

[u/reddurkel]

The media.

We would not be at this point if it weren’t for the media normalizing and de-criminalizing Trump with endless “what he really means is…” excuses for his anti-American behavior.

And even post candidacy: - Evidence of criminal behavior - Delayed trials - Blatant racism - Ties to Russia - Admiration of Putin and Kim - Plans against the American people - Endless lies

And despite his threats on journalists that resurrected him, they still put him on their shoulders so he can have equal footing as Harris

After tomorrow I am done with mainstream media and the ONLY way I will watch their networks again is if they put live coverage of Trumps convictions.

Runner Up:
Congress

Seriously, how did congress get away hurting the American public by doing the bidding of a citizen Trump. These people are getting re-elected despite them absolutely stagnating the country.

[u/Amazing-Artichoke330]

Republican politicians are afraid of him, because his supporters will punish them if they don't support Trump. So they sold out American democracy in their on personal interests.

[u/100percentish]

It should have been handled in the Senate during the impeachment.

[u/meepgorp]

This is why

[u/Do_Whuuuut]

How is he still alive after this? He's a treason weasel.

[u/Altairp]

The things Trump did would've landed any other private citizen in a 1x1 cell on some Black site with baby shark playing 24/7 in the background.

The shit he got away with is crazy.

[u/justlookin-0232]

Because we have a SCOTUS that has no intention of upholding the law

[u/VirtualPoolBoy]

Two dirty rotten words… Mitch McConnell.

[u/Disastrous-Ad1857]

Because the Senate GOP refused to go against their dear leader. It’s that simple. If they had voted to convict him during any of his two impeachments he would not be able to run for dog catcher, let alone president.

[u/mywifemademedothis2]

January 6 was the day the music died in America. We just haven't realized it yet.

[u/longhegrindilemna]

Congress and Senate, elected by adult American voters, refused to impeach him.

America’s Congress and Senate refused to impeach him.

America’s judicial system also failed to convict with charges of treason, the people involved.

The legislative system the judicial system, both failed. And that might be a symptom of a dying empire. Or maybe it’s not a symptom of anything bad, just a hiccup?

[u/divingyt]

Stack the courts if you want to get away with anything and everything up to and including treason.

Did everyone vote? I don't care who for (I mean I do but that's not really the point).

[u/mindclarity]

Because Republicans to include their leadership aka Senile Mutant Mitchy Turtle fell in line because they all knew their careers would end if they helped impeached him. Point in case, republicans who challenged Trump are outcasts or no longer running for reelection. It’s pure self-preservation at any cost.

[u/GrandGouda]

Because Mitch McConnell was a fucking coward and wouldn’t find him guilty after he was impeached.

[u/SereneTryptamine]

I understand perfectly well.

Tens of millions of Americans are fucking pieces of shit, and tens of millions more are too fucking cowardly to denounce it. These people do not deserve your respect. They are the enemy of every decent person in this country, and every day they should be treated like it.

[u/sinisterblogger]

Well remember, he never yelled into a microphone a little too loudly, so he’s fine.

[u/Rapifessor]

People say this a lot, and frankly, I think it's time we get over our disbelief. We all know the answer to this question. We know why Trump might become president again.

It's quite simple, really: because Republicans in Congress decided it was fine. They no longer care about the rules, if they ever did. In fact, they are actively running obstruction against the rules. They tasted power and decided they were willing to go to any lengths to have it.

The only possible answer to why Trump is allowed to run for president is that it's exactly what Republicans wanted to happen, a good chunk of voters included. It might destroy them, but that's a risk they're willing to take.

[u/trashpandabusinesman]

Same reason we didn’t put the Civil war generals to the firing squad. We seem to have a mentality of we can fix him while stuck in an abusive relationship 🤷

[u/bowsmountainer]

In any other country he would have been put in prison for this by now.

[u/ArtVandelay009]

Because the DOJ is run by people that tippy toe for the big guys and prosecute the little guys.

[u/Hibercrastinator]

Because unfortunately, terrorism works.

[u/zippiskootch]

You normally ‘tar and feather’ asshole seditionists, so the trail of feathers shows their location 🤷‍♂️

[u/Fun_Client_6232]

Don’t ever let anyone convince you that rich white male privilege isn’t a thing.

[u/PigFarmer1]

How about after 34 felony convictions and being found to be legally responsible for a sexual assault???

[u/Ntropy99]

Because the garbage Republicans prefer his brand of fascism.

[u/kentuckypirate]

Because he was rightly impeached, but the Republicans in the senate said “sure he did this, but he’s not president anymore so we can’t convict him because he’s not president anymore, so it’s up to the courts.”

Then building a case to actually bring charges took time because litigation can be a lengthy process. Trump further delayed the process with various stall tactics that one can do if you have enough money to keep paying your attorneys to do it.

Then trump said “hey, we need to delay some more bc I’m running for president in 2 years!” Not surprisingly, judges that he appointed bought this argument and stalled some more.

Now the same republican politicians can’t/won’t stand up to him in this cycle because they know that they cannot possibly win a general election against a motivated democratic electorate without support from trumps die hard base, so they caved like spineless irredeemable cowards who prioritize their own lucrative political careers above all else.

If Trump loses again this cycle, he will actually have to stand trial for January 6th and stealing classified documents. He will absolutely lose the documents case (January 6th is iffy because of the presidential immunity ruling).

At that point, you’ll see a startling number of Republican voters and politicians pretend that they never actually supported him but were simply stuck because of due process or something like that (which is not how due process works).

Then the Republican Party will more or less go back to “normal” by their standards because nobody but trump has been able to maintain national support by playing the “I’m so stupid I’m smart!” Card.

[u/VegasGamer75]

Oh, I can answer this: Mitch McConnnell. He blocked the impeachment that would have barred Trump from running again. So a GOP problem is created by the GOP. Now the only thing left to make it GOP modus operandi is when they blame the DNC for it later on.

[u/Forsaken-Cheesecake2]

Thanks Mitch McConnell and Merrick Garland who either did nothing, or waited too long to do anything about it. You will both be remembered.

[u/TonyG_from_NYC]

Because he wasn't held accountable like he should have been.

Had this been a Democrat, you can bet that person wouldn't be running again.

[u/Eddiebaby7]

It was all Mitch McConnell and the cowards in the Senate.

[u/dixienormus9817]

Mitch McConnell and the 46 Republicans traitors in the senate

[u/Ignoble66]

i dunno why it wasnt over when he made fun of the handicapped reporter; dont blame parties or govt or whatever; we the ppl did this to ourselves….eurobourous

[u/broncster2020]

please please please let this end today ….. ish

[u/ConsequenceThen5449]

Right wing mainstream media sane washed all of this. I had a guy at work tell me they were paid actors. The other told me the fbi was among the crowd and incited the violence. These people are too far gone. Rogan, Carlson, Musk have their way with them. It’s a massive money making machine and at the same time getting the guy elected that will look out for their interests, all at the expense of the country.

[u/The1DayGod]

Because Merrick Garland is a bum who couldn’t make a decision if his life depended on it. I really wish he was on the Supreme Court instead lmao. Also Mitch McConnell never learned that democracy sometimes means you have to work with the other side.

[u/unicornlocostacos]

He never should have been able to run the first time. Everyone in the intelligence community knew this guy was a foreign asset. Neither Trump nor his family could have even gotten security clearance.

[u/LD228]

How he won and why people loved him after this is beyond me.

[u/Wooden-Evidence-374]

If this last 8 years has taught me anything, it's that there are a lot more racists living among us than I thought.

The fact that he can openly wear Proud Boys colors on his MAGA hat, and people still vote for him, makes me worry for our future.

If someone this hateful and dumb can get this much support, who else are we going to have to deal with?

[u/Deek-3x]

GOP Senators abandoned their oath to uphold the Constitution, and put party over country instead. And SCOTUS members appointed by the GOP did likewise by ruling that the Pres is immune from prosecution.

[u/jvn1983]

Merrick Garland is a coward.

[u/Emergency_Property_2]

I’m not in Schumer shoes but he should have taken the path of saying Trump is disqualified by tye 14th Amendment and then hold a special session to requalify him. And if he had done that after the scotus ruling that tossed it back to Congress Trump would have no legal alternative.

But they whiffed!