# 7 Jan 2021 and beyond - the aftermath of the storming of the Capitol **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 8, 2021, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020 "2021-01-08T10:28:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 225
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4491 "2023-08-16T12:57:22Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I strongly suspect he did not hope to win, but rather lose then spend the following years kvetching about how the Deep State™ stole the election and thwarted the will of freedom-loving Americans and, oh by the way, send me money so I can keep fighting for _you!_ Yup. I’ve always thought that. And I think he was pissed that his stupid ‘reality’ show was canceled. Losing would give him ammunition to start the anti-Hillary channel that would make FOX ‘News’ look like fair and balanced journalism. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4492 "2023-08-16T13:30:48Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > It’s all over folks: > > [Trump Announces Press Conference to Prove Election Was Stolen](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-announces-press-conference-prove-election-stolen-1234806915/) > [@Atamasama](#): > > My prediction: The “report” will just be another request for money. > [@bobot](#): > > It’s so weird that Trump isn’t instead planning to turn that report over to a judge, while he’s under oath. > [@dtilque](#): > > I expect it’ll just be a very long rehash of all the unsupported claims of thousands of dead, underage, and illegal immigrant voters that he’s already made. You’re all missing the point. This report is pure 4D chess. Trump probably thinks that none of his actions were crimes because he truly believed the election was stolen. (After all, everyone on social media says so.) So this report doesn’t have to prove anything, because its very existence will demonstrate how very thoroughly Trump still believes the election was stolen – and that, therefore, he’s completely innocent. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4493 "2023-08-16T13:33:09Z")
[Like this.](https://media.tenor.com/V7K4N9cOBxkAAAAC/escher-staircase.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4494 "2023-08-16T13:37:10Z")
‘How Trump Proves He’s Innocent’? Needs a caption. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4495 "2023-08-16T13:52:54Z")
You give him too much credit. It is more like an evil visionary from [Flatland](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland) realised that 1 dimensional Trump was all they had, and tried to add another dimension for him. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4496 "2023-08-16T14:24:49Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Trump probably thinks that none of his actions were crimes because he truly believed the election was stolen. (After all, everyone on social media says so.) Yup. Trump has never been held accountable for anything in his life. Add the fact that he is uninformed, and unintelligent and only believes what he wants to, he can’t figure out why people are so mean to him ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4497 "2023-08-16T14:46:33Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > he can’t figure out why people are so mean to him Sadly, he and several million others. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4498 "2023-08-16T14:50:15Z")
That’s actually not a terrible idea. As long as he doesn’t blab something to upset it all. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4499 "2023-08-16T15:11:22Z")
Well, except for the fact (as has been pointed out exhaustively in several SDMB threads) that simply believing the election was stolen doesn’t actually allow him to break all the laws he (allegedly) broke. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4500 "2023-08-16T15:37:55Z")
Oh true, I just meant it _might_ work as a public opinion defense. Though I doubt he has the self-control to ride the “I was an idiot and really believed it” bus for any length of time. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4501 "2023-08-16T15:44:06Z")
Ignorance of the law is no defense. Ignorance of basic reality, even less so. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4502 "2023-08-16T15:46:16Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Yup. Trump has never been held accountable for anything in his life. Add the fact that he is uninformed, and unintelligent and only believes what he wants to, he can’t figure out why people are so mean to him Agree. Right now he’s thinking about who he can throw under the bus for misleading him to think he had won, and the election was stolen from him [cough-cough, Rudy, Meadows, Eastman, cough-cough]. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4503 "2023-08-16T15:49:08Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Ignorance of the law is no defense. I could debate this but that would be another thread and not about Trump. I agree that in Trump’s case, it would be a terrible legal defense and he doesn’t really need a public one. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4504 "2023-08-16T16:00:30Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > Sadly, he and several million others. What drives me nuts is that they are effectively voting against themselves. Many of them are in need of help, and they are voting against the party that will help them. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4505 "2023-08-16T16:03:24Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Oh true, I just meant it _might_ work as a public opinion defense. Though I doubt he has the self-control to ride the “I was an idiot and really believed it” bus for any length of time. A public opinion defense is really all he has. (Not that it will help him in court.) And I think it’s more like “I’m a patriot and other patriots like me still believe it!” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4506 "2023-08-16T16:06:51Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > What drives me nuts is that they are effectively voting against themselves. Indeed, they are. It’s a time-honoured tradition among Republican voters. Of course, they say the same thing about Democrats. ‘Democrats keep voting to raise their own taxes! How stupid is _that?_’ What drives _me_ nuts is that every one of the insurrectionists believes with all of their being that they are True Patriots. They don’t seem to grasp that a true patriot would A) Have read the U.S. Constitution; B) Understand the U.S. Constitution; and C) Abide by the Law of the Land. True patriots would seek redress within the well-established structures we have to do such things, not engage in an insurrection. And true patriots would accept The Will of the People if they lose their case. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4507 "2023-08-16T16:18:51Z")
Doesn’t this go to mens rea (the knowledge of wrongdoing)? Some crimes need that as an element. In Trump’s case it could be argued he just really, really is that stupid and had no clue. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4508 "2023-08-16T16:23:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > True patriots would seek redress within the well-established structures we have to do such things, not engage in an insurrection. And true patriots would accept The Will of the People if they lose their case. See: Clinton, Hillary and Gore, Al. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4509 "2023-08-16T16:27:31Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Indeed, they are. It’s a time-honoured tradition among Republican voters. Of course, they say the same thing about Democrats. ‘Democrats keep voting to raise their own taxes! How stupid is _that?_’ My wife and I are upper middle class I suppose. DINKS. But we always, always vote for more money for schools. We do NOT want to be surrounded by idiots. I’m not in a McMansion, my driveway is gravel. But I want these kids educated. Increase the salary of all teachers. Reduce the cost of collage. I’ll gladly pay the extra cost because this is our future. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/4510 "2023-08-16T16:39:40Z")
Whenever I see this, I picture Kryten defending Rimmer. > Kryten : I ask the court one key question: Would the Space Core ever have allowed this man to be in a position of authority where he might endanger the entire crew? A man so petty and small minded, he would while away his evenings sewing name labels onto his ship issue condoms. A man of such awesome stupidity… > > Rimmer : Objection. > > Justice Computer voice : Objection overruled. > > Kryten : …a man of such awesome stupidity, he even objects to his own defence counsel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020.md?page=224) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020.md?page=226)