Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00019268
The Trump Saga
Planning Ahead
Imagine five million Americans surrounding that tiny little White House
Peter Burgess
Members of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and other law enforcement block 16th Street, NW near the White House as protests over the death of George Floyd continue June 3, 2020, in Washington, DC. - The United States has erupted into days and nights of protests, violence, and looting, following the death of George Floyd after he was detained and held down by a knee to his neck, dying shortly after. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Yeah... ya think?
I’m thinking It might be a good idea for Donald Trump to rethink “contesting” the election results, assuming he loses, which current polling suggests is a significant probability.
During the Climate March, an estimated 800,000 to one million people marched around the White House. I know, because I was one of them. It was impressive. The protest was completely peaceful.
During the Women’s March, approximately 500,000 people marched around the White House. That was also impressive. Again, the protest was completely peaceful.
Now imagine a clear victory for Joseph Biden is announced late into the evening of November 3rd. Yes, the total vote count will remain uncertain for a few weeks, but let’s just assume a clear-cut, 300-plus Electoral victory for the Democratic candidate is announced. Everyone in America, every media outlet, will point to that clear result.
And then Trump squeals “voter fraud” or something similar to that. The election results are clear, according to all the media who raced on Election night to call them, including, presumably, Fox News. But the “stable genius” is not buying it. Sure, whatever buddy.
You will see millions of people—probably at least five million, maybe more, probably more—flocking to Washington, D.C. (since most will still be unemployed, except for those parents forced to care for their children as a result of all the school closures you caused, I’d suspect most of them will find the time). They’ll be very, very angry people, but they will be old, young, white, black, brown, you name it. There will be people pushing baby carriages. There will be small children. Grandmas. Veterans. They’ll jump on the Amtrak, or drive. Probably all wearing masks, but they’ll be there.
They will be all the people whose lives have been disrupted or utterly destroyed this year because of your malign neglect.
They’ll all be surrounding you in your little bunker beneath the White House.
How are you going to keep those people away? The Mayor of D.C. will probably invite them in. Every single media outlet in the country will be there. Yes, there will be some counter-protests, but those will be relatively small in comparison. The American people are still pretty used to trusting that whoever is called the victor on Election night (at least when the results aren’t particularly close) is in fact the winner of the election. What are you going to do? Declare martial law? On what basis? Because you won’t leave?
My point is that the protests around your house that day will make the Black Lives Matter protests look like…well, like your inaugural crowds. And on top of that, you’ll have another ten to twenty million people protesting in every major city in this country.
Oh, but your corrupt toadies in DHS and Justice will sic the military on them, right? Brush them off the streets with riot gear? You think? With all the media and people with smart phones out there?
Half of those military, or close to it, will have families that voted against you. Hell, some of them may be in the crowd. You really think you have enough overweight prison guards and Border patrol to stop that kind of gathering?
You’ll have at least half, hopefully well more than half, of the U.S. Congress in that crowd as well. I guarantee it. You gonna tear gas the entire Democratic House and Senate caucus? On TV? I don’t think so.
Imagine the aerial optics, panning back at the masses of people surrounding 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s going to look like a pretty small house.
You want to contest the election? Good luck with that.