Schmidt: The "TRUMP COUP MEMO" should be an occasion for a giant, collective, national time out.

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:
Steve Schmidt
@SteveSchmidtSES
👇 The “TRUMP COUP MEMO” aka “Eastman Plan” should be an occasion for a giant, collective, national time out. I placed the concession phone call for John McCain. The fact that a plan was developed and the defeated President was engaged in executing it for the purposes of stealing

Robert Costa
@costareports
.@SteveSchmidtSES, one key thing about the memo that is being lost is that it was not just a memo, some sort of paper passed around. It was a document and plan that sparked a Jan. 4 meeting with Trump, Eastman and Pence/aides in Oval, then the final Jan. 5 Oval meeting.

Link to tweet

…
12:51 PM · Sep 27, 2021

Unrolled thread here
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1442577535968051201.html

👇 The “TRUMP COUP MEMO” aka “Eastman Plan” should be an occasion for a giant, collective, national time out. I placed the concession phone call for John McCain. The fact that a plan was developed and the defeated President was engaged in executing it for the purposes of stealing

an election he squarely lost is an unconscionable betrayal of our country. The Confederates who sat at his right arm as he plotted to destroy the Republic from within are known to us all. There is no other moment in American history where the revelation of such treachery would

not have induced the greatest possible National outrage. American democracy is imperfect. That has always been so. There now exists in the public realm, documentary evidence, a written plan to kill it off and replace it with something new. It was written by the Presidents atty

and presented to the President. Trump took that paper and turned it into a weapon, a poisoned shiv and stuck it into the rib cage of American Democracy. He twisted it, crazed with rage that he had been rejected and repudiated. His Confederates watched or joined in the plotting

and the violence. They incited mayhem to achieve their plan. The plan was to cause chaos and use it to seize illegitimate power in the name of law and order for the purposes of maintaining freedom. Sound familiar? The most important difference between today and the day Eastman

wrote it is this. Back then, GOP leaders weren’t ready to saddle up. They hesitated. They wavered in their loyalty to Trump. They felt one last pull towards the country they swore an oath to preserve. They were repulsed by the 1/6 images, for a moment. Today, they are ready and

standing by. The Proud Boys were ready but the elected officials generally weren’t. Now they are all Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. The whole of the GOP is on board for ….next time. Mostly, the country pretends it isn’t happening at all. But it is. Right in front of our eyes.
• • •

[madaboutharry]

1. I am so repulsed at the ease by which so many are corrupted.

The Republican Party is a now a party of treason. It isn’t only those who are gleefully participating. Those who are silent are traitors as well.

[triron]

2. Media is also complicit.

[madaboutharry]

3. In a very big way too.

Finding out just how incredibly stupid television producers and journalists are has been very depressing.

[wnylib]

24. Calling them stupid seems generous.

They appear to be willingly complicit, either due to corporate sponsors or to conglomerate RW ownership.

[DENVERPOPS]

27. Yes!

Fox and Right Wing Radio are bad enough, but add in most major media in the U.S. is owned by Rich Republicans and it is a wonder you read or hear anything that isn't prejudiced to the Right or at least slanting in that direction.......

Isn't that one of the major things Hitler did? Taking over the entire Media?????

[wnylib]

28. It's what all dictatorships and autocratic nations do,

not just Hitler. They control the news in order to control the people.

[DENVERPOPS]

30. Fox news

might as well be Pravda...........

But much of the press, TV, and radio aren't far behind them.............

A lot of people have said: "It's like they are brainwashed"

A group of Psychiatrists talked about the fact that the Republican viewers/listeners only watch Fox News and listen to Right Wing Radio 24/7/365. And have done that for more than a decade......

The psychiatrists concluded that if that is all they watch/listen/read, it is identical to the political "re-education camps" operated in other authoritarian countries.....

[wnylib]

34. That is true. However, it is also true

that all of my news sources are liberal. Truly neutral, unbiased news sources are extremely rare.

[Trust_Reality]

53. The truth has a strong tendency to be "liberal".

Anything that is not right wing propaganda is "liberal".

Anyone who does not accept specified religious dogma is an infidel or a heretic.

Anyone who does not accept all of the Republican/Trump BS is treasonous.

What we want from media is truth.

[lagomorph777]

32. Exactly. Stupid only gets them so far. Their behavior is willful complicity.

[KPN]

4. Media complicity is the only reason it hasn't been dealt with already.

[KS Toronado]

10. And with most of MSM owned by the super rich

who don't want their taxes raised, we won't be seeing them attack the reQublicOn FASCISTS any time soon.

[DENVERPOPS]

31. And none of the media

want to piss off their revenue stream from advertising dollars, or piss off their right wing viewers/listeners/readers.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. I'd like to see Eastman served with a congressional subpoena during a Federalist meeting. Nt

[gab13by13]

9. I'd like to see Eastman investigated,

by the FBI, it has more clout.

[lagomorph777]

33. They are very publicly investigating a single missing person.

Could we maybe get a hint, some little smoke signal, that the FBI is concerned about the top coup plotters?

[Walleye]

6. He thought it would work, too. That's why he was so pissed off at Pence

[bluestarone]

7. When their whole plan collapses

I don't think there will be Rethuglicon left in the senate or house. (if not then the country will collapse)

[Botany]

8. "It is a war plan. It is aimed at destroying American democracy."

Lock 'em up.

[ShazamIam]

11. Seems like this should at least receive as much attention of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Our news

organizations seem to be supporting the anti-democratic movement.

[gab13by13]

18. Isn't it amazing

that Congress took no time at all to investigate the Afghan withdrawal. General Milley, who saved our democracy is going to get grilled TOMORROW by Congress on TV I believe. He will be grilled about his phone calls with China.

So when will Meadows and Bannon and the other two be grilled on TV? Not holding my breath.

[Botany]

21. Or maybe if this had to do with a missing blond girl or Haitians who conveniently showed up on ....

... our border this might get some more coverage. It only has to do with trying to
violently overthrow our democracy.

[lagomorph777]

35. Exactly. Thousands of missing people - only this one matters?

Who exactly sent the Haitians? I suppose they all woke up one morning in Brazil and decided to "walk" to America?

And oh, by the way, what about democracy? Should we just pretend it's fine?

[Botany]

42. Those Haitians did not walk from Brazil to Del Rio, Texas in under 1 month.

My neighbors hosted a brother and sister who had to flee their little village in the Honduras with
their mother after their father was murdered by a gang and it took them over 3 months before
they got to the border*. Funny how all of them showed up over a period of 48 hours. It was a
false flag operation or at least that is what I think.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215890255


* the kids got to be some of Stephen Miller's "kids in cages" and the mother was kept apart from
her kids for about 2 + years.

[lagomorph777]

45. One of Trump's henchmen went to Brazil and arranged this.

I forget his name; the big round bearded dude (I think the one who is also a deadbeat dad).

Probably provided buses.

[Botany]

46. Jason Miller

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215890865

[lagomorph777]

47. Thanks!

[Trust_Reality]

54. If true, this REALLY needs to be reported!

[lagomorph777]

58. Yes, so it will not be.

[Hekate]

12. KnR

[ShazamIam]

13. Are there links between this story and the Powell story about the one day delay to allow the Supreme

Court's Alito to act?

[Nevilledog]

19. Some details from Costa:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[ShazamIam]

23. Thanks. It looks like Powell's scenario was probably discusses? Good thing Nancy continued the

official counting that evening. She probably has good intelligence and always seems to know more than she says.

[Alice Kramden]

14. K&R n/t

[Efilroft Sul]

15. If Steve Schmidt weren't bald, his hair would be on fire. Everyone's should be.

[traitorsgalore]

16. People will stare at cat pictures, tic-tok and youtube videos, then wonder what happened

Then they'll go back to staring at "the royal family" and Oprah, Netflix and 10 other pay-for-view crap channels and, spending what little money they have left on cheap and poisonous knock-offs made in China.

Or, just maybe, we'll finally start arresting the traitors and return to being a real country again. But, by the 2022 elections the repukes will be talking about seceding and I hope they do and get the hell out of here because Steve Schmidt is 100% right, the GOPukes are evil traitors to democracy.

[SheltieLover]

17. K&R!

[jaxexpat]

20. It was "happening" in 2000, Steve Schmidt.

It was when a corrupted USSC allowed a political party to usurp the simple counting of votes for the executive seat.

It was happening in 2008 when an obviously incompetent and grossly compromised vice presidential candidate traipsed into the spotlight right before your eyes. (matter of fact, the presidential candidate wasn't glued together very well either)

It was happening as at no point in Obama's term was there ever an honest brokerage by the Republicans for the business of government, promoting the general welfare.

Oh, and by the way, dusty old tomes will be written about the utter cynicism of Mitch McConnell. Where do you stand on that? It's okay to reform and preach about your personal salvation but I want you to say something about your past sins too. Atonement is essential, just ask St. Augustine.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Someone should translate Steve Schmidt's messages for the masses

He's still preaching to the choir

[mzmolly]

25. Yet we're having hearings about Afghanistan?!

WTH?

[MiHale]

26. Trump and cronies should be in jail...

awaiting their execution. This is very, very, serious. This is written proof, evidence if you will.

HOW ARE THEY STILL WALKING FREE!

[Zeitghost]

29. Concocting

Bizarre legal strategies to count electoral votes is not a crime that I know of. Even trying to implement them is not a crime. Had they tried to go through with it, it would be challenged and worked out in court. That's how our system works, for better or worse.

[lagomorph777]

36. Plotting and executing a violent coup attempt is insurrection, which is, indeed, a crime.

[Zeitghost]

37. Correct

But there seems to be a lack of evidence directly implicating Trump in any of it.

[lagomorph777]

39. I watched him directly implicate himself on the Mall on live international TV.

Pretty sure this was recorded.

[Zeitghost]

40. It's been discussed here a number of times

But there was nothing criminal said. Trump knew where to stop short before putting himself at risk. "We all know what he really meant" is not a legal strategy, at least not a successful one.

[lagomorph777]

41. I know it's been dismissed a number of times by some here.

I don't really care. There is plenty of public evidence, and even more private stuff is coming out. He's provably guilty.

[Zeitghost]

43. Fortunately for all of us

"He's probably guilty" isn't enough to convict in the US.

[LanternWaste]

57. No one is arguing "probably guilty" is a standard of conviction.

Placing a reductio ad absurdum into a conversation seems pretty damned weak.

Try again, maybe...?

[peggysue2]

38. Yes! 1000x, YES!

We all saw this treachery play out. Now, we have documentation.

Some in the media are rousing from their deep slumber, the hangover of the Trump years when the stories wrote themselves, one outrage followed another, all so entertaining and provocative, stories the public couldn't get enough of, stories that made a variety of reporters mini-stars.

Heady days until January 6th when everyone sobered up, at least a little.

But now we have not only the memory of the Insurrection but the planning papers, the 'war plan' as Schmidt aptly labels it to overturn a legitimate election, to overturn the government of the United States. Not a foreign attack but an inside job by domestic terrorists, their hidden donors and complicit Republicans.

Which is why all guilty parties must be prosecuted, shamed, humiliated, then frog-marched to prison, never to hold office again.

Otherwise, what we witnessed on January 6th and now have written proof of will simply have been a dress-rehearsal to a successful, completed coup.

Democracy dies in darkness as WAPO repeats daily. Now, our democracy is being smothered in broad daylight.

There's no more compelling or important headline than that. Because if the country goes down, we all go down.

And the press? They'll receive the first kill shot.

[Champp]

44. .

[Orrex]

48. Just checking in so someone can insist that everything is under control

Every time I express frustration that so little action has been taken against Trump and his co-conspirators, I’m scolded for failing to see the big picture.

[Scrivener7]

51. Yep. Mustn't wonder aloud whether any indictments are coming. That makes some here go apeshit.

[Orrex]

55. Indeed. I've been repeatedly chastised for my lack of faith.

"They are doing things!"
"They will get it done!"
"They know what They are doing!"
"Who are you to question Their infallible wisdom?"

And so on.

[Scrivener7]

56. Yup.

[calimary]

59. Indeed. I keep thinking "why doesn't OUR team play hardball like the GOP does?

[Cha]

49. Rt TY & Steve Schmidt!

[IcyPeas]

50. It makes me sick that this "memo" is already yesterdays news

how much fuggen proof do they need to convict somebody..... anybody.......

[lambchopp59]

52. Time out for TFG