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Far-right extremists call for the execution of 'coward' Trump after he asks for calm following riot: report
January 16, 2021
According to a report from the HuffPost, far-right extremists who are hoping to disrupt the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday are furious with the president after he issued a video urging calm and no more violence following the storming of the Capitol that left five dead.
With the president reeling from blowback after he encouraged rallygoers to match on Congress, thereby sending lawmakers to flee for their loves, he was pressed by close aides to ask for calm -- particularly with the transfer of power scheduled to occur on Jan 20th.
<p>That video, and a subsequent one, in turn enraged some of his most rabid followers who turned to chatrooms to accuse the president of being a coward and a traitor to the cause he initiated.</p><p>According to the HuffPost's Jesselyn Cook, "When he [Trump] emerged on camera a short while later, tail tucked between his legs, to condemn the rioters he was responsible for inciting, and to call for a peaceful transfer of power to president-elect Joe Biden, his base felt betrayed."</p><p>As one commenter wrote on Telegram, "So he basically just sold out the patriots who got rounded up for him. Just wow."</p><p>Comments like that flooded sites like "Gab, CloutHub, MeWe, Telegram and far-right message boards such as 8kun," showed a dramatic seachange attitude towards the outgoing president as Cook documented.</p><p>"Some have called for his arrest or execution, labeling him a 'traitor' and a 'coward.' Alarmingly, many of those who are irate about Biden's supposed electoral theft are still plotting to forcibly prevent him from taking office – with or without Trump's help," she wrote. "'We don't follow you,' another Telegram user wrote, addressing Trump, after the president put out his video urging calm and order. 'Be quiet and get out of our way.'"</p><p>One member of an encrypted Boogaloo chat, wrote, "Theres [sic] a war coming, and cowering in your home [while] real patriots march with rifles ... will make you a traitor."</p><p>According to the report, "CloutHub, MeWe and Telegram <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/11/following-riots-alternative-social-apps-and-private-messengers-top-the-app-stores/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shot to the top of the charts</a> of popular free apps on the App Store and Google PlayStorein the wake of the siege," where the HuffPost documented commenters writing, "'burn down' the Capitol, launch 'an armed revolt,' 'pop some libtards' and 'TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK WHATEVER IT TAKES!!' Some posts are more specific: 'Civil War is here. Group up locally. Take out the News stations,' one person declared. 'LET'S HANG THEM ALL,' another implored. 'LET'S FINISH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.'"</p><p>You can <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trumps-far-right-extremist-army-has-turned-on-him_uk_6002de58c5b6df63a917078a?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIDYYQHCISx-T5r4-mvlMv7losqW-DwO2lMKvpsPxVDhwsJZdzMJZjAflk7Rib6siKcKmSnIquYfcnQQoxbhDhT0m8f6pb3dniy7dSgXZvTIM4l9OdpKkGRkPMgA9n8DJOkh3-CXEw8myvpAHQ7tHof5Q1SoezWLMNjH2aqOKGmA" target="_blank">read more here</a>.</p>
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Off-duty cops who participated in Capitol riot are being handed over to the FBI by fellow officers: report
January 16, 2021
On Saturday, The Washington Post reported that police departments around the country are opening probes into officers accused of attending the pro-Trump "Save America" rally that devolved into a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol — a remarkable crack in the infamous "blue wall of silence" in police culture where brother officers act to defend their own.
"At least 13 off-duty law enforcement officials are suspected of taking part in the riot, a tally that could grow as investigators continue to pore over footage and records to identify participants. Police leaders are turning in their own to the FBI and taking the striking step of reminding officers in their departments that criminal misconduct could push them off the force and behind bars," reported Kimberly Kindy, Kim Bellware, and Mark Berman. "The reckoning within police departments comes as plans for new demonstrations this weekend and on Inauguration Day are solidifying, with authorities warning of the potential for violence in state capitals. Participants are expected to protest election results that made Joe Biden president-elect."
<p>The officers, according to the report, are "under investigation for possible participation in the rioting, as well more than a dozen Capitol Police officers who may have assisted the mob that seized the Capitol. The officers — and at least one police chief — came from tiny departments with less than a handful of officers to large agencies with thousands on their force."</p><p>The reason why police are turning on their own, according to the University of Chicago's Craig Futterman, is that "The 'Code of Silence' is fundamentally about loyalty to your fellow officer and that 'no one understands what we're going through but us,' " whereas the Capitol riot — that left one officer <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/this-political-climate-got-my-brother-killed-officer-brian-sicknick-died-defending-the-capitol-his-family-waits-for-answers/" target="_self">dead</a> and another <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-police-flag/" target="_self">bludgeoned with an American flag pole</a> — was "fundamentally anti-police."</p><p>"It creates an issue where the public has a hard time believing that the ... decisions they make off duty do not impact their choices and decisions they make while on duty," said Las Vegas PD deputy chief Andrew Walsh, whose department has opened an investigation into "employees" who may have been at the Capitol. "We are making clear that they have First Amendment rights like all Americans," agreed Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who recently accepted the resignation of an officer at the riot. "However, engaging in activity that crosses the line into criminal conduct will not be tolerated."</p><p>Trump has belatedly issued a statement <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/trump-tells-maga-to-stop/" target="_blank">condemning the violence</a>, amid reports that additional rioting may occur ahead of the inauguration.</p>
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Donald Trump was impeached for obstruction of Congress in 2019 and now there are worries that the president's habit of destroying official records could hinder post-presidency investigations into misconduct while in office.
"The public won't see President Donald Trump's White House records for years, but there's growing concern the collection won't be complete, leaving a hole in the history of one of America's most tumultuous presidencies," the Associated Press reported on Saturday.
<p>"Trump has been cavalier about the law requiring that records be preserved. He has a habit of ripping up documents before tossing them out, forcing White House records workers to spend hours taping them back together," the AP reported. "The president also confiscated an interpreter's notes after Trump had a chat with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump scolded his White House counsel for taking notes at a meeting during the Russia investigation by former special counsel Robert Mueller. Top executive branch officials had to be reminded more than once not to conduct official business on private email or text messaging systems and to preserve it if they did."</p><p>The destruction of documents could obstruct investigations.</p><p>"And now, Trump's baseless claim of widespread voter fraud, which postponed for weeks an acknowledgement of President-elect Joe Biden's victory, is delaying the transfer of documents to the National Archives and Records Administration, further heightening concern about the integrity of the records," the AP explained. "Lack of a complete record might also hinder any ongoing investigations of Trump, from his impeachment trial and other prospective federal inquiries to investigations in the state of New York."</p><p>The Trump administration is expected to ignore a Wednesday deadline.</p><p>"The Presidential Records Act states that a president cannot destroy records until he seeks the advice of the national archivist and notifies Congress. But the law doesn't require him to heed the archivist's advice. It doesn't prevent the president from going ahead and destroying records," the AP explained. "When Trump lost the November election, records staffers were in position to transfer electronic records, pack up the paper ones and move them to the National Archives by Jan. 20, as required by law. But Trump's reluctance to concede has meant they will miss the deadline."</p><p>Read the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-technology-politics-vladimir-putin-russia-65748b70e3cf3f7eecffa265da9ccae7" target="_blank">full report</a>.</p><p><br/></p>
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