After January 6, the Republicans had the opportunity to rip the power away from Donald Trump. Minutes after everyone from Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to the self-described Grim Reaper aka Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) condemned the mob. By the next day, McCarthy shook off his responsibility to his constituents and toddled on down to Mar-a-Lago and his fearsome betrayal of America. Their lost opportunity led to a terrible reality, much worse than we realized.
In his new book Frankly, We Did Win the Election, reporter for the conservative Wall St. Journal Michael Bender described how the angry mob had prepared to take Vice President Mike Pence (R) and kill him violently on the street, the author told MSNBC’s with Ali Velshi.
Worse, two California citizens have just been indicted for their wicked plot to firebomb California’s Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) office in Sacramento immediately after Trump lost the election. They also planned to bomb Facebook and Twitter, federal court records indicated on Extremism.
Ian Benjamin Rogers was apprehended on January 15, The Verge reported. The FBI collected nearly 50 firearms and five bombs when they raided his home and office. Days afterward, Jarrod Copeland was arrested. Their indictment was for “conspiracy charges” and “illegal possession of firearms and explosives.” They were part of the strongly anti-government, pro-Trump militia the Three Percenters.
Rogers sent a tweet using two words as substitutes for the two businesses, “face” and “bird:”
‘Sad it’s come to this but I’m not going down without a fight. These commies need to be told what’s up.’
The FBI recovered Rogers’ texts indicating that both men were certain Trump was still the president, the election had been stolen from him, and the president had their backs. They thought Trump’s directive was to go to war to return him to the White House:
‘We can attack Twitter and democrats easy right now burn they’re [sic] shit down.’
U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds relayed what the misguided two said, according to CBS’ Bay Area affiliate:
‘Firebombing your perceived political opponents is illegal and does not nurture the sort of open and vigorous debate that created and supports our constitutional democracy.’
On July 7, the two men were indicted on the charges of conspiracy to destroy by fire or explosive Facebook and Twitter. Copeland has been charged with destroying evidence. Rogers was also charged for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
FBI Director Christopher Wray sent out an early March warning about the dangers of domestic terrorism. The January 6 insurrection may have been just the first such attack with more on the horizon. Homegrown terrorists have become the agency’s top priority now.
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