We’re in hell right now, but here comes the cavalry
We, the American people, are in hell. It’s been the case to varying degrees since the day Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 presidential election. These past couple weeks it’s been even more startlingly the case than ever. Trump falsely exonerated himself, and he’s now pushing his ongoing crime spree to entirely new depths. His top lieutenants are drunk with power and acting like cartoon villains. This has been an awful stretch. But the cavalry is coming.
Here’s the catch: you’re part of that cavalry. Don’t worry, the cavalry includes people who are far more powerful than you are. House Democrats are naming names when it comes to which of Trump’s top people are about to get popped for contempt of Congress – and that involves being arrested by the House Sergeant at Arms. This means that Trump’s henchmen must quickly decide if getting themselves locked up is worth it, or if they’re better off giving Trump up to save themselves.
We don’t know what they’ll do. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is so nervous about getting caught in the proverbial crossfire over Trump’s tax returns, he nervously mispronounced the word “gavel” this week while Maxine Waters was staring him down. William Barr seems as drunk with power as any cabinet member ever has been in modern U.S. history, which may explain why House Democrats appear to have decided to start busting his lieutenants for contempt of Congress instead; perhaps they’re more skittish than he is.
When it comes to contempt of Congress, the House Democrats have leverage that’s very real and very one-sided. They can arrest any of Trump’s people who defy a subpoena or illegally refuse to cooperate. The Trump regime can’t have people in Congress arrested, much as Donald Trump clearly wishes he did. And if you think the Democrats won’t go through with it, just go back and look at how visibly pissed off Nancy Pelosi was this week while addressing Barr’s abuses of power.
So yeah, the proverbial big guns are on our side in this fight. But that’s only half the battle. While the House Democrats are putting their potent but complex powers to use, you have to do your part. You have to keep pushing back on social media. You have to keep peacefully protesting in person. Keep up the public pressure. The cavalry is coming.
