Ever heard the term, “Parting shot”? The term probably refers to a military maneuver, from when the Parthian Empire fought the Roman Legions. Romans usually had more soldiers and better weapons. But the Parthians had a special trick. They would attack the Romans with just a few horsemen, and then run away! The Romans would chase them, and as they closed with the Parthians, the Parthians would stand up in their saddles, twist around, and shoot arrows at the pursuing Romans. With tremendous accuracy! The infuriated Romans would blindly follow them, right up to the Parthian lines, where their exit was cut off and the pursuing Romans killed.
Neat trick, eh? The “Parthian Shot” rarely won a war, but it was the weaponization of bad sportsmanship. If you can’t beat ’em, at least cause some trouble. Why this lesson in linguistics? Well, if you’re a supporter of soon to be former President Trump, get ready for his parting shot. You’re about to get an up-close and personal view of how vengeance can be weaponized.
As the ballots were counted on January 6th, protestors for the army of Trump were rapidly promoted to rioters, and eventually to co-conspirators in a coup d’état by the angry loser of the 2020 Presidential election. He told his followers, “Come to Washington”. And you did. He told his followers, “March down Pennsylvania Avenue.” And you did. And finally, he told you the same thing he had been saying for two months, “Do something, anything, that can will keep me in power.” And you tried. And failed.
Now, some of you will go to jail. You may be the butt of political jokes for the next decade. Your families will disown you. You’ll probably lose your job. You may never work again. There is a price to be paid when you try to overthrow a government. Which is what it takes to put someone in power who lost an election.
Five people are dead, others are injured. Videos and photos, some recorded by rioters, make the crimes undeniable. Some rioters turned themselves in. Others were turned in by friends and relatives. Don’t take it personally, but right now your fellow rioters are turning you in exchange for immunity and reduced sentences.
Did you take pictures, send texts, or put your story on social media? That’s what our court system calls “evidence”. By the way, your smartphone also has GPS. Every step you took was mapped and is stored on a server at your phone provider. Don’t bother throwing away your phone. By now it’s all been downloaded by the FBI.
But, let’s not waste the little time you have left as a free citizen. Let’s focus on your future. Trump said that he would be there with you, just before he took off to hide at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. He told you that he loved you. At a minimum, that means that you are right to feel that Trump should support you. But what specifically do you… and should you… expect from Trump, Ted Cruz, and all of the other “leaders” who egged you on?
Will Trump take responsibility? After all, Trump has the power to pardon you from Federal crimes. Given Trump’s involvement in getting you indicted, it would make sense at least a few of you would be pardoned. After all, he has pardoned over 60 individuals and commuted sentences for 20 more. I don’t agree with the actions of the rioters, but I don’t think that you’ve earned less than many of the others that Trump has pardoned.
Consider who has Trump pardoned. There are John Tate and Jesse Benton, who were guilty of election-related fraud. How about that! For election Fraud, Trump is all, “Unlock them up, Unlock them up”. Mark Spiljander, for illegal lobbying and links to al-Qaida (Yeah… that al-Qaida). Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and numerous others were jailed after either following instructions from Trump or protecting Trump.
Well, if Trump is handing out pardons for friends, isn’t that good news for you? No, it’s not. Here’s the bad news. Rioters are, in Trump’s view, all “Losers”. You failed. If you had succeeded in taking over the government and keeping him in power, Trump might look at it differently. I don’t THINK that any of the individuals that have been and will be arrested have a lot of future value to Donald Trump. So, no. No pardons for you.
Donald Trump claims that he is one of the wealthiest men in the world. As a private citizen, he has more freedom in taking action. At the very least, Trump can help your families, who could go bankrupt paying your legal fees. A donation of $100 million would certainly get things started. Oh, wait. You’re losers, right? Rudolph Guliani failed to get courts to put Trump back into the Whitehouse, and now Trump won’t even approve his laundry bills. Trump is famed for not paying his lawyers, to say nothing of contractors. Helping loyal supporters has a priority slightly below zero.
Even before the election ended, Trump began raising money for a “Stop The Steal” fund. It’s difficult to say how much was collected since a hundred million dollars from his general Election fund seems unaccounted for. Still, at least $200 million appears to have been raised for a legal fund to fight for the Trump Presidency. I REPEAT… I don’t agree with part of the riots, but this seems pretty clear. Trump raised money for legal defense. and you guys are going to need to find MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in the next few weeks. Luckily for you, Donald Trump has been working around the clock to determine the most effective way to get this money in your hands.
Just kidding! He threw you under the bus. Have you heard a single word about providing you with financial or legal support? How about support from Ted Cruz, who may have raised millions of dollars on the “Stop the Steal” brand. Or Mitch McConnell, who reportedly raised $3.4 million. True, this is a drop in the ocean compared to the money you raised for Trump, but have any of these leaders contacted you? Have they personally offered to help?
So, to all the rioters that Trump has loved, the rumors are true. Donald Trump has gone back to his first and only true love… Donald Trump. While he once loved you, you failed and Trump cannot forgive you for that. I wouldn’t wait by the phone for his call.
But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Trump and his team have been calling rioters and offering words of support and funding for their defense. Maybe, if he only had his Twitter account we should be getting an unending stream of praise for each and every one of you. What does everyone else think? Will Trump take responsibility? Will he offer his followers real support? What do you think?