Outside Threat, Inside Threat
Terry H. Schwadron
Jan. 29, 2021
Once again, we’re left trying to square competing images.
Outside the U.S Capitol, a new security alert warns of more right-wing, physical attacks on federal lawmakers who think Joe Biden’s presidency is legitimate — while the same simultaneous threat from inside the Capitol is going unaddressed altogether.
Belatedly and ominously, the Department of Homeland Security this week says the Jan. 6 attacks were no one-off. They warn of continuing threats from “some ideologically motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition” — in other words, keep an security eye on the right-wing mob that heeded Donald Trump’s anti-elections fervor in an insurrection attempt that left five dead and put lawmakers at risk,.
It was a rare such alert against domestic terrorism issued by acting Homeland Secretary David Pekoske, who is serving until Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Biden’s nominee for the job, is confirmed. In other words, it was not some Democrat saying this, it was a career holdover,
And while it came without word of any specific attack, the alert suggested that government officials and facilities remain targets for harm. Clearly the official recognition of threats that we all have come to recognize, even anticipate, is welcome, if late.
Its release raises the obvious question, of course, of why wide alerts were not distributed before Jan. 6, or why the Trump administration did not respond appropriately to these threats — not as chatter among nationalist militias increased in volume and intensity, not as armed protesters descended on state houses, not even as the FBI thwarted a plot to kidnap and kill the Michigan governor.
Inside the Capitol
But just as importantly, inside the Capitol we hear echoes of the exact same messages of insurrection, but little move to eject lawmakers who don’t believe in democratic elections.
— We’re awaiting any public acknowledgment and prosecutorial response to reports that a select group of Republican lawmakers actually led rioters on tours of the Capitol on the day or two before the riots.
— Any number of news articles are detailing the social media posts of newly elected Rep. Marjorie Tyler Greene, R-Ga, who openly supports QAnon conspiracies. In her posts, Greene supported the execution of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom she accused of treason, and other Democrats and harassed one of the student leaders from the Parkland, Fla. High school who spoke out on gun issues. But Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy continues to support her, routinely appointing her to the Education and Labor Committee — despite her espousal that school shootings are somehow made up.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., another new member who denies that she gave Capitol tours to anyone other than family, has resisted the rules about going through metal detectors to enter the House chamber, who tweeted about moving Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the chamber that day. She has been appointed to Natural Resources and Budget committees rather than face any inquiries.
— Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., set off the metal detector outside the House floor because he was carrying a concealed gun in violation of House rules and in the midst of concern about violence. Again, no questions asked. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-NC, who revved up a crowd of Trump supporters onJan. 6, told the Smoky Mountain News that he was armed during the Capitol attack.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla,, was going to Wyoming to lead public action against Rep. Liz Cheney for her vote to impeach. Isn’t this exactly the same kind of rally as in Washington that led to violence?
For its own arcane political reasons, the Senate appears to be taking no actions against Josh Hawley, R-Mo., or Ted Cruz, R-Tx, for continuing to argue against accepting the election results once rioters were cleared; indeed, Hawley has called for ethics investigations of Democrats who question him. In the House, the continuing opposition of scores to d the legitimacy of the election results that they just certified has passed without further remonstration.
This week, we saw evidence in a preliminary Sente vote on impeachment of Donald Trump that there will be no accounting for his role in inciting the insurgent riot. And in the states, local GOP organizations are playing the loyalty card to undercut anyone taking any anti-Trump vote.
What Does It Mean?
In short, inside the Capitol, there seems no public accounting for taking the extreme, anti-democratic view that our elections never happened or for threatening actual violence. We’ve done nothing about reports from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, for instance, who feared being in protection with Republicans who she thought would identify her location.
Speaker Pelosi rapped Republican leaders for failing to police their own and warned of “the enemy is within the House of Representatives.”
Apparently you can call for assassinating colleagues on the floor of Congress without bothering anyone in Republican leadership. By contrast, after years of complaint about his racist posts and speeches,. Republican leaders stripped former Rep. Steve King in Iowa of committee assignments, the GOP abandoned him and he lost reelection.
Something serious has changed.
If we can’t even agree — let’s avoid using the word “unity” — that our lawmakers have to remain inside the rules of civil society, we might as well pack up this whole attempt at keeping a democracy.
Free speech is foundational to a democracy; so, too, is the freedom from attack when speech turns into action.
That’s what the Homeland alert tells us about the world outside the Capitol. The same should apply inside.
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