It isn’t easy or pleasant for an American to (re)watch the explicit video footage of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, nor should it be. The thousands-strong, angry, well-armed mob, explicitly sent by Trump to overturn the election, was responsible for five deaths, innumerable beatings of Capitol police, and destruction of public property. I suppose it might be said that, “thank goodness it wasn’t worse.”
Yet, we know that Trump will not be convicted of the single charge against him, incitement of insurrection, by the Senate. For him to be found guilty, at least 17 Republican senators would have to vote “aye” to the charge. How can Americans expect senators like Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and others, men who trumpeted the same charges as the Chief Insurrectionist that the election was “fraudulent” and “stolen,” to convict their leader? Moreover, 20 Senate Republicans are up for reelection in 2022 and, though a couple have announced that they plan to retire, most understand that they will likely not be reelected by publicly demonstrating conscience, courage and integrity.
