The halls of our Capitol have only twice seen such insurrection - the last being August 24, 1814 when the British invaded Washington DC, set fire to the White House and breached the U.S. Capitol building before setting it ablaze. #velshi
1/10
Three days ago, we saw the putrid runoff of what’s been stoked, distilled & fomented by Trump since the beginning of his term. The riot in service of an attempted coup wasn’t spontaneous. It was planned & encouraged by the President of the United States of America. #velshi
The halls of our Capitol have only twice seen such insurrection - the last being August 24, 1814 when the British invaded Washington DC, set fire to the White House and breached the U.S. Capitol building before setting it ablaze. #velshi
The U.S. Senate was unable to meet in the historic Old Senate Chamber for nearly 5 years after that. On Wednesday, Senators returned after just five hours. But what a chaotic five hours it was. #velshi
Members of Congress were in the building because federal law dictates that the sealed certificates of each state's Electoral votes - which were cast on 12/14 - be transported to the Congressional chamber to be counted. There they were stored in the three wooden boxes.#velshi
Staffers took those boxes with them as they were ushered out of the House chamber. There are duplicates and, had the rioters taken the boxes and burned them, we’d still be able to account for all of the votes and get this done. #velshi
But those three boxes represent American democracy, law and freedom. Neatly contained within three ceremonial 18” by 10” mahogany boxes. Lined in leather. Three boxes. #velshi
Frederick Douglass - the social reformer, author, statesman who escaped slavery wrote "A man's rights rest in three boxes”: the ballot-box, the jury-box, & the cartridge-box”, meaning the vote, the law and the right to defend one’s freedom. #velshi
Without those 3 boxes, he said, no class of people could live & flourish in this country. The 3 boxes that were saved from the mob this week weren’t the three that Douglass was talking about, but they represented the same 3 things: democracy, law and freedom. #velshi
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Reporter's both-sides question:
"What was your role in what happened at the Capitol?
Proper question:
"Are you going to take responsibility for your role in inciting insurrection?"
Disgraced President Trump claims his speech was analyzed and people thought it was totally appropriate and MSNBC cuts away pic.twitter.com/sg5yIxWWBc
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) January 12, 2021
The press enabled the storming of the Capitol because they never held GOP accountable for pushing #TheBigLie that election was stolen
I have been yelling about this for months. Starting here where @TerryMoran got it right
But after press returned to form
ABC News on Trump's speech:
— Texan (@Texan_21C) November 4, 2020
"This isn't law... It's theater. Let's be blunt. It's the theater of authoritarianism"
"It's an attempt to end the election illegitimately to remain in power"#ABCNews #TerryMoran #Authoritarianism pic.twitter.com/t0pfZaReOz
Not long after Nov 4th press started both-sidesing again. Question Republicans were asked over & over was:
"Do u think Biden won?"
This enabled the coup
The proper question at minimum:
"Why are u enabling this charade? Why are u spreading
Media should shove a mic in every Republicans face & demand to know why they are going along with this charade!
— Texan (@Texan_21C) November 11, 2020
These, \u201cdo you think Biden won the election\u201d questions are weak bothsidesism that allowed a conman to become president
After repeatedly yelling that press wasn't demanding answers of GOP for spreading #TheBigLie I hoped this political violence on Dec 10th would finally get press to demand answers. But no. They continued to both-sides
Maybe political violence most likely inspired by Trump saying Dems are stealing the election will cause press to actually hold GOP accountable? Probably nothttps://t.co/1VZXCwuPc6
— Texan (@Texan_21C) December 11, 2020
I noted how impotent the American press was acting by treating #TheBigLie as credible. The press is supposed to hold people in power accountable, but beside @TerryMoran on election night, they by and large
Reminder that there was political violence 2 days ago bc the GOP is conning their supporters & actively engaging in a coup
— Texan (@Texan_21C) December 11, 2020
I am trying to come up with an analogy that fully captures how much American press is behaving as if it's impotent, during Americas 1st coup attempt!
Yes.. https://t.co/wntoQdyMZs