For the majority of Americans, it seems a given Joe Biden will be sworn in as president on Wednesday.
But…
What if the sudden fizzle of the various challenges to the election allowed for the identification of those who would knowingly go along with a stolen election, right up the certification of electoral college results?
What if the steady drip, drip, drip of information that indicates shenanigans at work will suddenly be consolidated into an undeniable picture of fraud, betrayal and treason?
What if the 25,000 troops in D.C. and the miles of barbed wire fencing aren’t to keep protestors out, but rather, to keep criminals in? (Additionally, 21 States are activating the National Guard for their own capitals.)
What if 2,000 of those National Guard troops were deputized as U.S. Marshalls this morning because a lot of arrests are about to be made?
We’re in completely uncharted territory as a nation. I can’t guarantee any of the above is the correct interpretation of events, only that it is one of several plausible perspectives, given what we know. A power struggle is playing out, and a decisive moment in history is at hand. I’ve said before, and I say it again: if there is a plan to prevent the inauguration of Biden as president, and to arrest congresscritters, federal and state officials, there had better be a plan to present concrete evidence to the public of the necessity for it, in defense of the Constitution. There had also better be a well-thought-out path to normalcy under that same Constitution. Otherwise, we’re flirting with the prospect of destroying the Constitution in the name of saving it. I’ve been a Trump supporter since the last election, even while acknowledging his personal shortcomings. Nothing would turn me against him faster than precipitous action now.
Our form of government was derived from Greco-Roman antecedents. Those traditions allowed for the installation of temporary dictators during extreme emergencies (the example of Cincinnatus perhaps being the most famous example). Our own jurisprudence does not allow for such an option, even in the face of possible fatal corruption of our institutions. So if there are those planning to thwart the ascension of Biden, they MUST do so in a way that does not appear to be Trump fulfilling the worst visions of his detractors. What if his planned departure from D.C. before the ceremony Wednesday is part of an effort to do just that? If so, who would wield Executive authority* after noon on the 20th?
I suppose that would depend on who is arrested under such a scenario. Keep in mind that in the presidential succession, the vice-president is followed by the Speaker of the House, the president pro tempore of the Senate, then the cabinet secretaries in order of their department’s creation. One would hope Vice President Pence wouldn’t be caught up in any dragnet, but it’s a fair bet Nancy Pelosi would. Senator Chuck Grassley has been a prominent and vocal critic of the efforts to hamstring the Trump administration over the past four years. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been a clear advocate of America First, and very chatty on Twitter for the past couple weeks.
Could one of them be our Cincinnatus? Who knows. This is all highly speculative and could just be the musings of an idiot, albeit one who’s trying to pay attention and stay informed. One thing’s for certain: pray hard, hug your family, stock the pantry, and be prepared to keep your head down this week.
* – Remember, supreme executive authority derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony! (We have to keep our sense of humor, folks!)