2021 is already giving 2020 a run for its money, as the day of the formal congressional session governing the counting of Electoral College votes took a chaotic turn. At the behest of Trump himself, hundreds of his supporters have taken to Washington in an effort to prove he won the election.
Facing far less violence and very little police presence compared to Black Lives Matter demonstrators over the summer, Trump’s supporters have broken police barricades, entered the chambers of Congress and the senate, while at the same time, prompting emergency evacuations of those in the building. As the station is still developing, there have been reports of shots fired, someone leaving on a stretcher and a complete denial from the US Department of Defense to call in the National Guard in DC.
BREAKING: A source tells me The Defense Department has just denied a request by DC officials to deploy the National Guard to the US Capitol.
— Aaron C. Davis (@byaaroncdavis) January 6, 2021
While it’s been confirmed that the Virginia National Guard is being sent to DC in an effort to stop the blatant coup attempt, the damage has been done. Photos of the confederate battle flag being carried into the capitol building have gone viral, while capital police have essentially allowed Trump’s supporters to walk in with little to no resistance.
There is no telling what happens next in DC. While those who stormed the building take selfies with police, senators, members of Congress and the press shelter in place. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office has been ransacked, while Vice President Pence has called on violence to cease.
If there is one takeaway from today, it’s that it’s time for America to own up. We have problems that have not been addressed, problems that President Biden cannot fix overnight. The events of today didn’t manifest out of the blue; they have festered for years, with Trump stoking the flames his entire term.
In his rally the day before, Trump told his supporters to “march on the capitol.” At this moment, it appears they are following orders from Trump and Trump alone.
We’ll say it again, welcome to 2021, it’s already been quite the year.
As the situation further unfolds, updates will be provided. In the meantime, subscribe to our newsletter for the latest on all things Detroit and more.
