Blood Today in the U.S. Capitol

I dreaded this day, and trump finally pushed the viciousness of his mobs too far.

Here's NPR's banner tonight (via Alana Wise, Elena Moore, and Benjamin Swasey):

Pro-Trump Extremists Breach U.S. Capitol Amid His Baseless Election Claims

The U.S. Capitol was the scene of chaos on Wednesday, as supporters of President Trump responded to his call to head to the complex and then breached it, leading to unprecedented violence in the seat of America's federal government.

The insurrectionists interrupted proceedings in the House and Senate, as members of Congress were tallying President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. The counting of the votes is normally a relatively pro forma session.

But for two months, Trump has falsely and continuously claimed the election was stolen from him, and dozens of fellow Republicans had planned to object to slates of electors from various states they considered contested.

Lawmakers were debating an objection to Arizona's results — a state Trump lost narrowly — when the sessions were recessed as the U.S. Capitol Police attempted to put the complex on lockdown...

trump had sent out word to his devoted voter base, the ones with the rifles and MAGA hats and Confederate flags, to show up to protest a ceremonial performance that Congress has done for over 100-plus years. trump did this knowing many of his base are Far Right conspiracy wingnuts eager to roleplay as militias in their culture war against the rest of America.

It does not help that there's a number of video clips and pictures out there showing the Capitol Police - or some other law enforcement groups working the barricades to keep the building secure - actively opening up those barricades and gleefully joining in with the rioters/terrorists with goddamned selfies.

And because of trump, because of his riling up of his fan base, because of him knowingly telling his gun-wielding Proud Boys to "be ready" to rise up, because of the violence today, a woman is dead (via Rhea Mahbubani at Business Insider):

A woman was shot dead in the Capitol on Wednesday after violent and armed supporters of President Donald Trump stormed and occupied the building, law enforcement officials told NBC News and DC police told the Washington Post.

Lindsay Watts, a reporter with a Fox News affiliate in Washington, DC, first said on Twitter that she'd learned from a paramedic source that one person had been shot and resuscitation efforts were underway. CNN later reported that a woman had been shot in the chest and was in critical condition. PBS NewsHour confirmed this, adding that the person who was struck by a bullet was not a uniformed officer...

There is a family tonight missing a loved one. All because trump needed to have his goddamned temper tantrum to disrupt the Electoral count proceedings of both houses of Congress today. Back to Mahbubani:

Congress met on Wednesday to certify the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden. But the session was interrupted by the violence, and the House is now in recess with members of Congress, including Vice President Mike Pence, being led to safety.

Photos from around the nation's capital showed massive crowds of people milling around, some of whom were carrying American and Trump's "Make America Great Again" flags. Dozens of ambulances and law-enforcement vehicles were also spotted, as were nooses.

The melee inside the building, which was breached, evacuated, and rocked by flash bangs, involved an apparent armed standoff between police and rioters, both of whom were armed, as well as Trump supporters breaking into and leaving notes in lawmakers' offices. CNN also reported that a police officer had been injured in the scuffle...

trump got what he wanted. His gangs interrupted the count, delaying the result for another day, until trump can come up with another excuse to prevent the legal transition of office to President-Elect Biden.

In the meantime, a woman was shot dead in the violence and confusion today.

None of this had to happen. Those Far Right trump-worshiping bastards did not have to be so riled up to commit acts of sedition and insurrection today. The election would have been resolved months ago had trump done what every other electoral loser had done until now, concede and allow the smooth transition to let America remain at peace with itself and the world.

None of this had to happen to take away that woman's life like that.

Goddamn you, trump. Goddamn your narcissism, goddamn your cruelty, goddamn you.

You've earned your body count now, you Son Of A Bitch.