Let’s not pussyfoot around this matter for a moment longer: It is time for the House committee looking at the 1/6 riot/insurrection to determine whether to seek criminal charges against the man who incited all of it.
That would be Donald J. Trump, who at that moment was still occupying the office of president of the United States. For the record, I won’t use the term “serving as president,” because he never had “service” in mind from the moment he took the oath of office.
Lame-duck U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of two Republicans serving on the House select panel, has broached the notion of Trump facing criminal charges. He said over the weekend that the committee would do well to ponder that possibility as it plods along in search of witnesses, documents and testimony into what transpired on 1/6.
There have been stunning and shocking emails released in recent days that reveal what Trump knew as the riot was unfolding and what he failed to do to stop it. The president had the singular authority to call off the rioters. He heard from a variety of individuals — starting with his own son, Don Jr. — who implored him, begged him in fact, to order the riotous mob to cease and desist.
Trump did nothing. Not a damn thing! And so, what was the result of his refusal to end the siege? Five people died in the melee. Dozens more were hurt. Millions of dollars of damage was inflicted on the Capitol Building.
Who was responsible for it? The guy who stood on the Ellipse earlier in the day and exhorted the already-angry mobsters to “take back the government.” They did what they were told to do by their cult leader. They are heard on audio recordings telling the Capitol cops they were acting on Trump’s orders.
Is there criminal culpability from the man at the top of the chain of command? Looks like it to me.