What can be said that hasn’t already been said about today’s embarrassing and despicable events at the U.S. Capitol. It would have been embarrassing and despicable even before a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an act of insurrection that hasn’t been seen in the United States since the Civil War.
The cynicism of people like Sen. Josh Hawley and Sen. Ted Cruz is breathtaking. Trying to gain favor with Trump’s cabal, they jumped at the chance to align themselves with those who were creating political theater over the election results, even if that effort was doomed from the start.
Trump’s encouragement of the mob, however, took today to a different level. His speech to the crowd this morning, telling them he’d be with them as they marched to the Capitol (of course he wasn’t), surely contributed to the violence and lawlessness that we witnessed.
In an odd way, though, I’m relieved that this happened today. I think if we hadn’t had something as awful as today happen, our national split may have gone on for years. But the images we saw today may have lanced our national boil. Several of the “Dirty Dozen” are disavowing their support of the objection scheme as I type this. It just might get us past some of this in the end. It cost at least one person their life and many others were injured, but if it moves us toward some national reconciliation, it may have a positive effect.
It’s not over, of course. Tomorrow is another day, but combined with the election of two Democratic senators in Georgia last night, it does seem a bit more hopeful.