January 6th Was Just a Trial Run

America survived the coup. Next time, we may not be as lucky.

The United States is still reeling after a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by radical far-right extremists in early January. Incited by the President, a large group of insurrectionists attempted to stage a coup to prevent Joe Biden from being certified the rightful winner of last November’s election. Let’s not mince words on what took place that day. Those mobs of people there were to overthrow democracy and potentially kill members of Congress and the Vice President.

It was not just Donald Trump that brought this upon us. The entire right-wing ecosystem has led to this moment by first, stoking racial resentment against the Presidency of Barack Obama with the Tea Party, paving the road to elect Trump. Once Trump was in office, the party and the media on the right failed to push back on the lies and misinformation coming out of the White House. Once you add in the dangerous conspiracy theories proliferating all over the internet, you have a deadly mix. Trump’s final stand, claiming that the election is a fraud without any evidence sent things over the edge.

The claim of fraud by the President could be defeated if every member of the Senate and House had simply stood up and told the truth — the election was fair and the results are…