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What if the Trump folks did not commit any crimes fighting the election results?

What if the Trump folks did not commit any crimes fighting the election results?

For the hardcore left, even asking such a question is ridiculous – even outrageous.  They KNOW that Trump, members of his staff, his advisors and his followers have committed horrendous crimes against the Republic.  The matter-of-factly refer to insurrection, sedition and attempted coups as if they are established facts.  They even claim that the coup is ongoing.  Their specious and hyperbolic narratives are more like political fiction movie scripts than serious political analyses.  Perhaps that is because they are political fiction parading as news on the propaganda networks.

There are a lot of investigations going on, but in terms of the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, there are two major investigations that are intended to “get to the bottom of things” — uncover evidence of insurrections, sedition and attempted coups.  

The one getting the most attention is the Inquisition-style Select Committee that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set up to “investigate” what Democrats have already prejudged as an insurrection on January 6.  While it may be called bipartisan with the inclusion of Congressmen Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, it does not have balanced representation in the spirit of true bipartisanship.  Kinzinger and Cheney are flying a false flag over that hearing.  Whatever they call themselves, they are only there to support the Democrats partisan conspiracy theory.

That is evident in the fact that Pelosi appointed the two Republicans who had already signed on to her preconceived political conclusions.  Pelosi went so far as to block Republicans selected by the House GOP leadership to serve on the committee – an unprecedented display of partisan power mongering. That is a fact that one should always keep in mind when considering the work of the Committee. In terms of the Select Committee it would be very appropriate to replace the Democrat donkey and the Republican elephant with a … kangaroo.

The most important work, however, is the ongoing investigation by the FBI.  They are the agency empowered to bring criminal charges – unlike Pelosi’s personal Committee, which can only play prosecutor in the court-of-public-opinion.  That is why Pelosi had to refer the refusal of Steve Bannon to respond to the Committee’s subpoena to the Justice Department for action.    

Thanks to a corrupt and grossly biased news media, many people are likely to believe all the wild accusations being promoted by the Democrats.  But based on the hundreds of charges leveled at the participants in the January 6th riot, there is no evidence of insurrection, sedition or an attempted coup.

So, what about all those political charges leveled at President Trump, his staff and advisors, and member of Congress?  What about that attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election?  No one knows where the dust is going to settle in all this but is there a case to be argued that all those “alleged” insurrectionists, seditionists and coup plotters have NOT committed any actions that were illegal or unconstitutional.

We can start with what happened on Capital Hill on January 6th.  They say “insurrection.”   And not only an insurrection, but one planned and implemented with intent – malice of forethought – by a cabal of coup plotters meeting in the historic Willard Hotel in Washington.  It includes Trump, himself.

Others – including me – say that it was an organic riot that grew out of a peaceful and constitutional protest.  That is not political absolution, however.  I am tough on rioters of all kinds.  I am all for arresting, charging, convicting and imprisoning – appropriate to the crimes – all those who rioted.  

I have stated my belief that the only violent death as a result of the riot was tragic, but Ashli Babbitt bore the responsibility for her own death by her own violent and threatening actions.  I opined that the Capitol Hill Police in life-threatening situations should have used their guns.  But it was still not an insurrection – pre-planned or otherwise.

No one arrived on Capitol Hill believing that they would forcibly stop the certification of the ballots with the intention of enthroning Trump as a dictator.  They were asking their legislators to not certify the Electoral count until the legitimacy of the election could be determined.  That may have been a preposterous notion … desperate … doomed to fail … but it is not illegal, unconstitutional or unprecedented.  

There was the argument that by stopping the certification of the Electoral College vote, the state legislatures would be empowered to endorse the Biden Electors or replace them.  That is a wild-ass scenario … preposterous.  BUT, not illegal or unconstitutional.  It happened in 1877.  And members of Congress to vote against certification occurred as late as 2016, when some Democrats voted against certification.

If Trump saw a path to flipping the election – as opposed to seizing control in a coup – it could be a very extreme and even impossible path.  But that does not make it illegal or unconstitutional.  The idea that even Trump and his team had an actual coup in mind that would forcibly take over the presidency is preposterous.  No portion of the government – not the Congress, the Supreme Court, the military or virtually every American – would have tolerated such a move.

But were the efforts to flip the election illegal or unconstitutional?

You see, the Constitution gives the states total control over the management or all elections in their states – with the federal government stepping in to prevent violations of constitutional rights.  In terms of ballot recounts or audits – or redistricting – the states have the constitutional power.  Those who talk about federal laws to stop that process are the folks who are kicking the Constitution to the curb.

It might just be possible that despite the rancor and accusations of coup attempts, that nothing the Trump forces did was illegal or unconstitutional.  Extreme, yes.  Maybe even stupid.   

To be perfectly frank.  I have no idea if there will be evidence of actions by team Trump that were illegal and unconstitutional.  But it is worth considering that the partisan hyperbole we see in the media is just that – baseless political b***sh*t ginned up for a political advantage.

If you think that is impossible, keep in mind the three-year investigation of a Trump/Russian conspiracy that we being sold to the public as fact on a daily basis through a compliant media — only to have the legal professionals determine that it was all … baseless political b***sh*t.

It would be prudent to consider that possibility or we could again face a shocking outcome that puts the lie to all the … baseless political b***sh*t that floods the airwaves and newspapers.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

14 Comments

  1. Ben

    I’m super disappointed that the big Thanksgiving announcement on voter fraud didn’t happen.

    Or the Arizona Audit didnt pan out.

    Or the Texas LT Gov didn’t pay out the million dollar reward for voter frau… or wait, he did pay a democrat for turning in a Republican that committed voter fraud.

    Just one way more way to fleece the gullible base of their hard earned money.

  2. frank stetson

    To test “when pigs will fly,” Larry asks: “WHAT IF THE TRUMP FOLKS DID NOT COMMIT ANY CRIMES FIGHTING THE ELECTION RESULTS?” a question already answered: Not Bloody Likely.

    Not even a good question. The questions should be: what happened, where did it come from, who did it, and why? Larry and other pretend-Republicans want to divert attention away from these questions to partisan attacks for the obvious; they don’t want to know the truth, they don’t even think it’s worth pursuing, because the truth might be really bad. They think what’s underway is fine, let sleeping dogs lie, they were just overexuberant tourists, for the most part. Congress does not even need to act to protect it’s own workspace as the center of our democracy.

    Yes, Virginia, pigs do fly since over 700 Trump supporters have been indicted over violent election protects, more indictments coming every day. Over 129 of these flying pigs are already grounded, convicted of crimes, mostly misdemeanors so far, but they have committed crimes, they were attempting to violently cancel the US Presidential election certification, cancelling democratically obtained election results they didn’t feel were legitimate because of the simple reason that Trump lost, fair and square. That’s just for the 1/6 insurrection alone. And the bigger, better, bolder crimes come later. This is just the low-hanging fruits of Trump’s wrath.

    Trump called them there by riling them up with month after month of relentless election lies with zero pushback from most Republicans, outright support by other Republicans. He told them 1/6 “is going to be wild” and so many prepared for “wild.” Then on 1/6, while Congress is in session to certify the election a symbolic part of the process, Trump fired em up again, sent them packing to Congress, said he was joining them, and then sat back for over three hours watching on TV as Americans, using weapons, violently attacked other Americans, fighting each other, fighting police, at our Nation’s Capitol building, fighting and dying inside our Nation’s Capitol building, fighting and dying right next to the House and Senate floors, as Mike Pence cowered in a basement garage in fear for his life.

    And Larry asks what if no crimes committed in the election results?

    Then there’s the Trump lawyers who can no longer practice law, those other nine Trump lawyers sanctioned for frivolous cases, sent back to school for re-education, and referred to the states for possible future disbarment and other sanctions. These are professional pigs with gilded wings. They may not be convicted criminals, but they ain’t fully functioning lawyers anymore either. Pigs without wings.

    There are a number of other fraud cases, mostly Republican in nature, not adjudicated yet so you might have 200 possible’s out of 3 million votes in a single state that turn into 4 cases of actual fraud — insignificant statistically, and mostly on the Republican side of the aisle just like Republicans paid out the “fraud bounty” in TX to a Republican fraud in PA. The went looking for whores and can’t even pay for it.

    Which is why Trump’s election fraud court cases, one after another, get tossed and all they are good for is raising more money for Trump from the suckers out there. What are we up to, like over fifty frivolous court attempts that got tossed? Those pigs sure don’t fly. And while not convicted, often Team Trump, or the Republican party picks up the court costs, opposing attorney costs, etc. Or get disbarred, sanctioned, etc. like the Trump nine above. The suckers keep filling up the coffers to allow Team Trump to continue it’s lies. Even Larry is jumping on the bandwagon, holding his nose appropriately as he still questions the obvious to support of Team Trump.
    A question supporting The Big Lie supports the lie no matter how many nose holds you provide to defend your principles that you squandered by merely asking this question.
    .
    Of the 1/6 seditionists, there are many charges like: Corruptly did obstruct, influence, or impede an official proceeding before Congress, did knowingly enter or remain in a restricted building or grounds, i.e., the U.S. Capitol, without lawful authority, or did knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct; did willfully and knowingly engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of any deliberations of either House of Congress.

    Basically the charge is stopping the government from doing what they don’t want it to do. Stopping the work of government. With violence. With arms. Sure sounds like a crime committed against an election result. This pig don’t hunt either.

    So yeah, Larry, your premise is ridiculous. Democrats learned our investigative craft from the team the brought us over a dozen Benghazi investigations, mostly partisan. This is only one investigation. We got another dozen to go to even match your team’s record. Your team blocked the 1/6 bipartisan Election Investigation at the Senate, your side said we were done, we had done enough. Then your team was offered a seat at the table in the House investigation, you picked Representatives Molotov and Manson and three others who voted to overturn the election in their states, in states that had no reason to overturn the election. Two of them signed on to an election lawsuit that the Supreme Court rapidly shot down as stupid. A couple of these white men could even be 1/6 witnesses. Of course, no women in the group, the basic Republican old white men squad. So Pelosi acted within the rules to turn down that offer for un-bipartisan support by these Trump zealots and she picked Republicans who have been shunned by the party because they don’t like Trump’s actions. I guess these Republicans are un-Republican now that they disagree with Trump policies and practices. That’s what happens Larry when you unclench the nose and really smell Melania’s roses.

    You can cry in your beer all you want but your side turned down any offer to have a bipartisan Senate committee; you just said no to any investigation by the Senate forcing Pelosi to roll her own committee. You then proffered up political poison pills and act all the victim when Pelosi just said no. And now you cry partisanship foul for a situation you totally created by yourself.

    And since they haven’t found any plot by Trump, it must be a bust…. Well Larry, the goal is to find out what happened. Perhaps that looks like a partisan witch hunt, welcome to Benghazi. But let’s find out what happened. Why did they get violent, why were some of them seemingly “prepared,” did they really plan to lynch Pence, and kill Pelosi? Why were the defenses not adequate, why was the inter-organizational information flow broken, why did it take 3 hours to get the National Guard out, and over and hour after the command was authorized, what were the communications between the White House and the Congress before during the insurrection? There are a lot of non partisan questions that I would think any American would love to know the answer for. And yes, the Willard war room, a room designed to orchestrate 1/6, is at the center of it. Why have the Willard if the Willard did nothing? The Willard was planning, operationalizing, doing something. What was it?

    I pray no Trump folks, or anyone else, committed any crimes. But things went way wrong here and we still don’t know why and convicted all 700 of the violent insurrectionist seditionists will not get us closer to most of those answers.

    Lastly, Larry, you ramble into “If you think that is impossible, keep in mind the three-year investigation of a Trump/Russian conspiracy that we being sold to the public as fact on a daily basis through a compliant media — only to have the legal professionals determine that it was all … baseless political b***sh*t.” What’s bullshit is your interpretation of the facts. This tome is getting long, so I will push back on this incredible spin in a bit.

    Between Rittenhouse and Trump support, you need to clear your decks for some real issues. This is fodder for the faithful only.

    • Larry kuhn

      Trump will pardon the patriots after he’s re-elected And we are thankful for great people like Kyle

      • Ben

        Larry KKKuhn,

        That’ll happen right after JFK Jr comes back from the dead to be trump’s running mate.

    • William J de Seve

      You are long=winded, for sure. At least you do write well. I hope you’re happy with the “President” who “won” the election! Of COUTSE you are! We’re just mortals…you, on the other hand, believe yourself to be of the ubermensch class, nicht wahr?

      • Joseph S. Bruder

        Ach, Sie sprechen Deutsch! Scheinbar, besser als Englisch.

        President Biden is fixing the problems caused by Trump, one at a time. It takes time to fix the damage a bull in a china shop can cause.

        Yes, it was an organic riot that just magically materialized – after 6 months of Trump claiming the election would be stolen from him, and then two months claiming that it WAS stolen (without evidence, and after being rebuked by 60-some court decisions), attempts to get SOS’s in various states to change the results (cmon, just find me 11, 779 + 1 votes!) , calls to arms (exercise your Second Amendment rights!) STOP THE STEAL, invitations and exhortations to come to the Capitol and actively stop Congress from certifying the results, a Hitler-like speech before the protest to STOP THE STEAL and that he would follow the protestors to the Capitol steps, telling law enforcement and the National Guard to stand down… not to mention spending the last two months of his Presidency urging the Vice President (hero or pussy) to change the votes, getting opinions from lawyers on how he could reverse his loss, and his followers holed up in hotels trying to reverse the election.

        Yessiree Bob, that all sure does sound like a coincidence. No planning or material support at all.

        C’mon Larry. You would have had to close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears for 8 months not to see the shit that Trump tried to do. Is it the conservative view that it’s OK to steal an election that you lost? Or are you just being your usual partisan self, and taking all the potshots at Democrats that you can while ignoring Trump’s crimes? Is this a “conservative” website or a Republican website? What is your allegiance – Conservatism or your anti-Democrat stance?

        And if you use Bill Barr’s pronouncements about Trump’s Russian contributions to his campaign regardless of what the investigation said as your excuse to not see Trump’s machinations, then you’re being doubly dishonest. Either take a stand as a true Conservative, or flat out admit you’re a hater of all things Democrat, but don’t try to tell us that you’re both.

      • frank stetson

        “When all the world was very young
        And mountain magic heavy hung
        The supermen would walk in file
        Guardians of a loveless isle
        And gloomy browed with super fear
        Their endless tragic lives
        Could heave nor sigh
        In solemn, per serenity
        Wondrous beings chained to life” (Bowie)

        Thanks for your support. It’s a burden :>)

  3. Ben

    Those that can get get you to believe absurdities, can Get you to commit atrocities.

    Gotta love “patriots” that tried to overthrow our democracy and hang the Vice President.

    • Dan Tyree

      Is burning towns an atrocity? Come on. Yes or no. Here in Virginia it’s very windy. A great time for hood rats to set fires. And great for the boys out hunting with their rifles

  4. JoeyP

    SOUNDS like a MASSIVE, EXPENSIVE Lawsuit against the government to ME . . . ESPECIALLY for those gov’t officials who have DENIED these so called “insurrectionists” (?!?) their RIGHTS who should be in FEDERAL PRISON for SEDITION and TREASON as per the U.S. Constitution. The WRONG ONES are in JAIL! One Enlightened Patriot. Team Trump And His Allies 2020 – MAGA (WE’RE NOT going away!).

    • Ben

      Joey,

      The right people are in jail.

      If you think otherwise, you are no Patriot.

      Gotta love General Flynn’s recording by Lynn Wood where he says Q is a CIA operation to make trump supporters look crazy and stupid… as if they needed any help.

  5. frank stetson

    I like the hundreds of Trump supporters waiting outside Dealey Plaza in Texas for JFK Jr’s return to be Donald Trump’s VP candidate for 2024 I guess, although they may have still been thinking 2020, who knows :>) Well, maybe I should take “thinking” out of it.

    Rainy, 60-degree weather, Trump-Kennedy signs, they waiting until the time Kennedy Sr. was shot before saying the Pledge of Allegiance and trickling off, probably to reset the clock for the second coming of John-John.

    Look at these fools who no doubt fund Donald J. Trump’s lifestyle: https://twitter.com/stevanzetti/status/1455589122261803010

    Those are your modern Republicans. Keep holding those noses cuz this stuff just stinks to high heaven. Remember, if Trump runs and wins in 2024, these folks will have a seat at the table, if not, dead smack in the middle of his administration with top level jobs.

  6. Ben

    Oh snap Larry, this article did NOT age well.
    Lol.
    The power point and the fact that trump’s kids and faux “news” anchors both text Mark Meadows to beg trump to call off his cult really tells you all you need to know.
    Care to delete or rewrite this?

    • larry Horist

      Actually, think the article may be standing the test of time. I think you should agree that while you press your case of insurrections, coup attempts and sedition in the corruptible court-of-public-opinion, the real courts — in which real crimes are determined — has not come up with anything more than rioting and vandalism…. and interfering with a government process. Not even the Garland Justice Department has been able to come up with more than process crimes … contempt of Congress. And even that has not resulted in any conviction yet. The latest leaks or releases from the Select Committee seem to suggest that the folks around Trump wanted him to speak out against the rioting. They were hardly supporters of the fictional insurrection. You cannot have it both ways — saying there was a widespread effort to overthrow the government by people who were trying to stop the rioting. We will have to see in the future how well this commentary ages. And in the court-of-public-opinion, the jury is the people and the verdict will be reached next November. According to polling at this moment, the “jury” is more likely to convict the Democrats of felonious hyperbole and first degree hypocrisy — not to mention negligent incompetency. We will just have to wait until November for the verdict. Until then it is just your immature and inexperienced opinion and mine — based on the wisdom of age and experience. LOL