Today’s unscheduled Jan. 6 Select Committee hearing included testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, an aid to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.  What resulted was a series of literally bombshell revelations regarding the actual planning, intent to obstruct, and now a potential assault against a federal officer, regarding the Jan. 6th insurrection attempt.  This testimony seems to all but assure some DOJ action against the former president.  While that is yet to be determined given there are no immediate assurances to that outcome, the testimony of this young aide has left the nation, much less the world, wondering what more could be revealed.  For me personally, I am just as shocked and awed as anyone at how close the country truly got to a real disaster to our republic.  There’s no need for me here to list out all the details of the testimony as the media is sure to bang this in front of us for the days and weeks to come so everyone will know how serious this has all become.

I have a feeling Ms. Hutchinson’s courageous testimony could easily inspire some others to come forward.  The revelations are not over.  This is not some frivolous “bad tourist” day at the Capitol.  We witnessed the greatest threat to our American democracy at least since the Civil War.  It most certainly surpasses Watergate.  So how does this change my rather “accommodating” post from six days ago in which I was presenting a “do nothing” in order to deflect agitating the domestic divide?  Because the revelations themselves present such an overt intent to obstruct Congress for the sake of retaining power… and it revealed that which I blathered a year before Trump’s descent down that escalator… the man has behavioral and social paranoia issues, and a narcissism exasperated by a fear of losing power.  His temper was well displayed, and he allowed it to lead to his assaulting a Secret Service member (although that’s hearsay for the moment).

So Where Are We At Now?

His actions and  graphic abnormal behavior because he couldn’t get his way, his overt intent to obstruct the voting procedure in Congress, the seeming disregard for anyone’s personal safety by dismissing demonstrators with firearms.. the entire picture is straight out of a revolutionary playbook in an attempt to overthrow government.  We can’t let this go now because this was a direct attack on who we are as Americans.  Also, perhaps equally important, the world has seen all this.  It would appear that the world will now watch how America recovers from this.  They will watch how our application of our Constitution comes through to find justice and punishment, for all who took part in this… and recover our sense of freedom.  Anything short of this might embolden the next dictator somewhere to give it a whirl.. or in the least provide fodder against our democratic ideals.  “See… it didn’t work in America after all!”  Democracy is already taking a hit around the world given the popularity of authoritarian leaders.

As I speculated in my other post, this will not be a slam-dunk trial.  It will be long and drawn out.. and expect the appeals.  Trump’s defense team, like I said before, will make OJ’s “dream team” look like Cub Scouts.  Prepare for a long media blitz.

But wait…. what about Trump supporters?  If Trump gets indicted they aren’t all just going away.  One possibility is that from all this the Republicans will abandon Trump and focus on other Trump look-alikes… like DeSantis.  Yet if Trump gets indicted it could cause a shift way from the GOP at the mid term later this year.  The economy is certainly not likely to improve by the end of the year.  Maybe the GOP will have a good showing.  Should any of that change how we go after Trump for Jan. 6th?  I surely don’t think we have any choice given how serious all this is unfolding.

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