Trump was the conspirator in chief

Sunday, July 24, 2022 | 2 a.m.

At the conclusion of the eighth, and what is, for now, final hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, it was not the actions of disgraced former President Donald Trump that were most damning. Rather, it was his deliberate inaction.

For three hours, as domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol and threatened the peaceful transition of power, Trump sat on his rear end and did nothing but make phone calls seeking support for his coup. In doing so, he ignored his responsibilities as the president of the United States, who is sworn to defend the Constitution and is the commander in chief of the U.S. military and principal officer of each executive department — including the Department of Justice.

To make matters worse, he knew about the rioters’ plans to overthrow the U.S. government and he created the predicate for their violence.

He knew the insurrectionists were armed.

He knew they intended to vandalize the Capitol and threaten the democratic process.

He knew they meant to commit physical violence against the police, Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among others.

He knew because, unlike on the day of the insurrection, when he sat idly for hours watching television, Trump had been very busy in the weeks and months leading up to the violence at the Capitol, orchestrating the coup for his own personal gain.

He knowingly and repeatedly lied to the American people and his own staff to stoke the flames of a fake conspiracy theory about a stolen election.

He used his office to threaten the careers of Justice Department officials who have dedicated their lives to defending American democracy and the rule of law and order.

He threatened political repercussions for local, county and state officials who refused to violate their oath of office in service to Trump’s authoritarianism.

He conspired with militant white nationalists to stoke the fears and abuse the patriotism of blue-collar Americans in economically depressed regions of the country.

He partnered with known domestic terrorists to organize a violent takeover of the U.S. Capitol.

And then he invited his private army of followers to join him for a “wild” day of treasonous riots at the Capitol.

After that, he sat back and watched, his only breaks from the television being to call terrified politicians under siege at the Capitol to demand their support for his coup attempt. Given that he took the time to tweet his dissatisfaction with Pence, it’s not unreasonable to believe Trump made similar threats toward his Republican colleagues. Get on board or face the consequences of a tweet from the president accusing them of disloyalty. Given that the insurrectionists had set up a gallows on the Capitol lawn and could be heard chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” the threat was very real.

The committee has made a compelling case for multiple criminal prosecutions and has unquestionably proven that while Trump may be a childish coward and bully, he is far from the incompetent and blundering fool too many of us took him for.

Rather, the committee has revealed an evil authoritarian whose plan for installing himself as president for life only failed because Trump underestimated the patriotism of some of the people he tried to engage in his conspiracy.

Which perhaps explains his limited actions on the day of the insurrection.

As police officers and elected officials were being attacked at the Capitol, as the Capitol itself was being vandalized and destroyed in an armed riot, as the lives of lawmakers, staff and police were at extreme risk during barbarous combat, the president made calls to politicians, asking them to support his takeover of the government.

He did not call off his seditious mob and resisted attempts to convince him to do so — because they were doing his bidding.

He did not call the Justice Department or military leaders because by then they had told him that his actions were criminal lies. He did not call his own vice president, who had told him that his actions were unconstitutional.

Even several members of his own staff, acolytes who had helped Trump rise to power, decided they could not support a violent coup and repudiated him. So instead, Trump called legislators and staffers under siege.

Those are the actions of a coward and a bully, who knows that despite his best laid plans and the support of several thousand followers, the spirit of the American people and the spirit of democracy would win the day.

But that victory came at a heavy cost. Several police officers and a U.S. military combat veteran lost their lives because of the insurrection. Additionally, the public’s confidence in our institutions of democracy and governance were shaken to the core.

And the fight against Trump and for democracy is not yet over.

Local, state and federal prosecutors are still pursuing charges against the perpetrators of the insurrection, including potentially the disgraced former president.

And hundreds of conspirators and their fellow travelers who support undermining democracy are now seeking election to public office. In the process, they are continuing to tell their malicious lies, encouraging violence, threatening democracy and waiting for a weak link in the ramparts of democracy to reveal itself.

In Nevada, the GOP candidates for governor, Senate and secretary of state are all avowed enemies of democracy who traffic in Trump worship and the “big lie.” If elected, they will undermine Nevada’s free and fair elections. It’s part of their campaign platform and promises.

Ultimately, the lesson of the Jan. 6 committee is that it is up to us to shore up those ramparts, to defend the institutions of democratic self-control, and ensure that cowardly, bullying authoritarians like Trump and his disgraceful minions never find a foothold in our government again.