# Opinion: America faces a malignant threat: The enemy within

We in the U.S. must be lucky always as well, for the attack on our beloved U.S. Capitol, perpetrated by goons so blindly loyal to Donald Trump that they saw nothing wrong with what they were doing — some even smirked and bragged about it in selfie videos — could easily occur again. 

One reason we know this is from an ominous statement on the night of Jan. 8 by social-media company Twitter
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which said: “Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the U.S. Capitol and state capital buildings on Jan. 17, 2021.” 

Twitter was so worried that it took the extraordinary step of permanently banning the president — who had some 89 million followers — from ever tweeting again. It cited what it called the “risk of further incitement of violence.” Facebook
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blocked Trump on its platforms at least until the end of his term.

Inauguration Day

Next week’s swearing in of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is obviously the primary area of concern. The mob swarmed all over the stand that has been built for the ceremony, and on Twitter-like platforms for far-right extremists and conspiracists, it wasn’t hard to find warnings that they’ll be back.

“Round 2 on January 20th,” one anonymous person said on TheDonald.win. “This time no mercy. I don’t even care about keeping Trump in power. I care about war.” Other messages praised last Wednesday’s attackers as “heroes.”

By the way, perhaps “goons” isn’t strong enough a word to describe these people. What about “cop killers?” After all, they murdered 42-year old Brian Sicknick, a 12-year veteran of the U.S. Capitol Police. More than 50 more officers were injured, a USCP spokesperson said. 

What about “insurrectionists”? After all, at least two people were photographed in the Senate chamber holding “zip-tie”-style handcuffs commonly used by cops — an indication that they were perhaps planning to take hostages. They urinated and spread their feces on floors and walls. They constructed a gallows outside. There were shouts of “Hang Mike Pence,” “I wanna see executions,” and “We’re coming for you Pelosi!”

What about, perhaps, “terrorists”? After all, explosives — pipe bombs with timers — were found in multiple locations. Thank God none exploded. Yes, “goons,” isn’t strong enough to describe them. I think it’s fair to call those who attacked the very heart of our fragile democracy what they showed themselves to be through their behavior: Cop killers, insurrectionists, terrorists.

Consider this: In the same room, as the assault on the Capitol began, were the three people next in line for the presidency: Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were seated together on the House Rostrum, and nearby was Senate President pro tempore Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). All three were together as the assault began.  

Chain of events

The attack failed. Then again, there could be others, and remember: They only have to be lucky once. 

Think this is some kind of horrible one-off situation? I don’t. The Capitol attack comes three months after the FBI broke up a terror plot by members of a far-right militia group, the “Wolverine Watchmen,” to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and “overthrow” the state government. 

They failed too. But remember: Luck is needed but once. 

We must certainly hope that nothing happens in the next few days, and in the weeks, months and perhaps years ahead. We already know Trump isn’t sticking around. He tweeted Friday (before Twitter banned him) that he’ll skip Biden’s inaugural — the first president to avoid his successor’s swearing in since 1869, when Andrew Johnson refused to extend any decency and civility to Ulysses S. Grant. 

Trump’s a man of his word. Last fall, he refused to say that if he lost the election (which could only happen if it was “rigged”), he would guarantee a peaceful transfer of power. And he hasn’t. 

A 2017 survey of historians by C-SPAN ranked Johnson the second-worst president, and I suspect Trump will soon join him near — or at — the bottom.

I’ll end with Lincoln. In January 1838, the future president — just 28 years old — warned that America’s greatest danger lay from within.

 “I mean the increasing disregard for law which pervades the country,” he said. “The growing disposition to substitute the wild and furious passions, in lieu of the sober judgement of Courts; and the worse than savage mobs, for the executive ministers of justice.” 

Read that passage again and tell me it doesn’t apply to America right now. Twenty-one years after Lincoln spoke, the nation erupted in Civil War. Today, we must hope — and work to ensure — that the past is not prologue.