There are two reasons why it makes no sense to look up when Trump held his last “rally.” First, while they used to mean everything, rallies are all but meaningless now. And secondly, Trump’s whole world has changed in the meantime. Just a month ago, some of us on this site argued that Merrick Garland’s intention was to allow the greatest crime against the United States government to go uninvestigated (by law enforcement) and go unpunished. Just yesterday, the state of Michigan referred its fake State Electoral College votes to the DOJ for law enforcement.
The floodgates are now forced to open. Trump’s crimes before January 6th, the pressure on states, the conspiracies, the phone calls, they’re in Garland’s lap now whether he wanted to deal with them or not. It was also just yesterday that the Justice Department indicted its first January 6 indictee with seditious conspiracy.
The prosecution must send shivers down the spines of the dozens or more members of the MAGA house suspected of playing a role in the Jan. 6 riots.
When Trump takes the stage this afternoon, he will do so in the midst of a war with “old crow” Mitch McConnell. It’s true that Trump is the former President and the guy who controls the primaries and nominations (as opposed to a general election), Mitch McConnell wouldn’t have lasted as long as the Republican leader in the Senate if he hadn’t won more wars than he loses.
What else?
A lot. This site was the first to report that yesterday, December 17, a video of Kayleigh McEnany surfaced again of her referencing the same fake Electoral College charters, at least proving that this “fake charter plan” is no good was kept secret within the walls of the White House, with Trump isolated. Kayleigh voluntarily testified before the House Select Committee just two days ago. Many people volunteered to speak to the selection committee, enough that it seemed like a different committee member appeared on each show. They dropped little cannonballs after little cannonballs, things they learned right on Trump’s pointy head, almost mocking him with what they know. The real purpose was to tell the remaining holdouts, those who declined to testify, that the committee knows the answer to almost any question they would ask them anyway, so resist at your own risk.
About two weeks ago, the committee began talking about prime-time hearings this spring. No one wants to be in prime time until they’ve perfected their performance for everyone to see.
So when Trump last climbed the steps to the podium to the annoying beat of “Gloria” and then the Ronald Reagan-stolen MAGA anthem, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” Trump had little to no fear that he faced criminal penalties for anything that happened after November 3rd. Tonight his world is upside down.
Like any clique, the cool kids in the middle know things long before they become common knowledge. It’s perhaps no coincidence that the only people sharing the stage with Trump tonight will be unabashed Qanon freaks, while Mitch McConnell has made comments supporting the committee. On Wednesday, Senator Mike Rounds said Trump lost fairly and honestly. Washington may have known about the changing landscape a week or two ago. As Trump takes the podium tonight, the country is feeling the winds of change.
The question for those of us who are compelled to watch these speeches is whether there is any indication tonight that Trump himself knows.
Jason Miciak is a political writer, columnist, author, and attorney. Originally from Canada, he grew up in the Pacific Northwest as a dual Canadian-American citizen, for which he becomes more grateful every day. Now he’s enjoying life as a single father, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast and taking advice from his beloved daughter and teammate. He’s the dreamy mystic who has nothing to add and loves dogs more than most people. He also enjoys studying Cooking, Theoretical Physics, Cosmology and Quantum Mechanics. He likes pizza.
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