Pandemic, Week 43 (So this is the new year...)

I'm not really sure where to begin. On Sunday of this week, the Washington Post released a transcript of an hour-long phone call between Trump and Georgia election officials where he asked them "to find 11,780 votes" and suggested that if they didn't find ballots that Trump (erroneously) claimed had been destroyed, they would be subject to criminal investigations. The phone call was recorded by Georgia officials because, "Lindsey Graham asked us to throw out legally cast ballots... So yeah, after that call we decided maybe we should [record Trump's call]."

Monday Trump headed to Georgia for a final rally before the state's run-off election where he reiterated false election claims and questioned the trust worthiness of Georgia's election officials. The following day, Georgia elected Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, resulting in Democrats gaining control of the Senate.

On Wednesday, both the House and Senate convened to certify the electoral vote count, while Trump supporters gathered on the National Mall, ostensibly to protest the results. Trump addressed them from the White House, calling the election results an egregious assault on democracy, noting, "You will never take back our country with weakness," and urging the crowd to "walk down to the Capitol" and protest the "stolen election." So they did. During debate regarding the validity of Arizona's election results prompted by nine Senators and more than 50 Representatives challenging their electoral votes, a mob formed on the steps of the Capitol. By 2 pm they had broken through the barricades and forced their way inside the building (with perhaps less resistance from Capitol Police than you would imagine). The Confederate flag was waved in the Capitol halls. Tear gas was released in the Capitol Rotunda. Shots were fired. A gallows was erected in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The Vice President (who was overseeing certification) was whisked away by Secret Service while rioters chanted, "Hang Mike Pence!" Members of Congress were taken to a safe location while the insurrectionist took over the House floor and Speaker Pelosi's office. The National Guard was eventually sent in (DC Mayor Muriel Bowser requested their presence earlier, but because DC isn't a state, the Defense Department had to approve the request, and their approval was delayed). Pipe bombs and a cooler of Molotov cocktails were found (and safely detonated) at the Capitol complex, the RNC and the DNC. Around 6 pm, the mob was escorted out of the building, just as a curfew for the city was set to begin.

Five people died, including one police officer. 55 officers were injured. 68 people were arrested. Congress reconvened where they continued to debate the legitimacy of the election results (though a few members did change their position after the events of the day, 147 members still voted to overturn the election) until finally certifying Biden's Electoral College victory around 4 am. Trump's Twitter and Facebook accounts were suspended for the remainder of his term. A seven foot, non-scalable fence surrounding the Capitol has been erected. Secretary of Transportation (and Mitch McConnell's spouse) Elaine Chao resigned; so did Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Senator Josh Hawley lost his book deal. The FBI set up a "tip line" to help identify the rioters which included state legislators and the police. After Mike Pence refused to call for the 25th Amendment, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler called for Articles of Impeachment to bypass his committee and go directly to the House floor. Trump finally conceded his election loss.

And all the while, COVID raged on. The world hit 90.1 million COVID cases and 1.9 million deaths. The U.S. reached 22.7 million cases (including Congressman Jake LaTurner, who received his results after he voted on the House floor) and 381,000 deaths – including more than 4,000 people that died on Thursday alone. 6.7 million people in the U.S. have received at least an initial dose of the vaccine, far less than the official goal of 20 million by the end of 2020.

We stayed home. The kids started back virtual learning. Allen and I worked while watching coverage of the attempted coup. And we were all very, very sad at what an irrational mob was doing blocks from our house to an institution we hold dear, one week into 2021.