A comprehensive series The Washington Post published this week regarding the events of Jan. 6 vividly illustrates why the current congressional probe into the insurrection is so important — and why continuing efforts by Republicans to undermine that probe are so indefensible. The series should be required reading for anyone still trying to shrug off this unprecedented crime against democracy by a sitting president. And it’s because former President Donald Trump continues to rule the GOP and hint at a new presidential bid that his democracy-thwarting actions deserve ongoing, relentless scrutiny.
The Washington Post’s meticulous account of Trump’s three hours of determined inaction as the mob raged should infuriate every American, regardless of political persuasion. The report provides granular new detail about calculated efforts by Trump and his inner circle to sow public distrust in the electoral process even before the Nov. 3 election. It reveals previously unreported law enforcement failures to heed early warnings of the violence to come. Much of that expected violence was in direct response to statements by Trump.
The series provides a devastating timeline of what was happening in the Capitol for the 187 minutes that Trump watched the violence on television from the White House while refusing to publicly condemn the rioters:
