Niccolo Machiavelli, the father of modern political science, would have been appalled.            

On March 17, a federal judge sentenced Larry Rendall Brock, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, to two years’ imprisonment for joining a mob that tried to overturn a legitimate Presidential election.

The date was January 6, 2021, and the site was the United States Capitol Building. Inside, members of Congress were counting Electoral College votes from the 2020 Presidential race.

Officially, the popular vote had already been counted: On November 3, 2020, 81,255,933 Democratic voters had elected former Vice President Joseph Biden the 46th President of the United States. Donald Trump, running for a second term as President, got 74,196,153 votes.

That should have been enough to decide who would be the next President of the United States. But in America, the winner isn’t chosen according to the popular vote—but according to the number of Electoral College votes s/he receives

Brock—and the mob—knew how that vote would go. It would—like the popular vote—end Donald Trump’s dream of a second term. And it would usher Joe Biden into the Oval Office. :

But having repeatedly “joked” about how wonderful it would be if the United States—like China—had a “President-for-Life,” Trump wasn’t ready to concede office. 

He immediately began spreading “The Big Lie”: That he had been defeated by massive voter fraud. And that this had been made possible through Dominion Voting Systems.

On January 6, 2021, Trump appeared at the Ellipse, a 52-acre park south of the White House fence and north of Constitution Avenue and the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

A stage had been set up for him to address tens of thousands of his supporters, who eagerly awaited him.  

Trump ordered them to march on the Capitol Building to express their anger at the voting process and to intimidate their elected officials to reject the results. 

Donald Trump addresses his Stormtrumpers 

“All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by a bold and radical left Democrats which is what they are doing and stolen by the fake news media.

“Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about. And to use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with, we will stop the steal….

“Republicans are constantly fighting like a boxer with his hands tied behind his back….And we’re going to have to fight much harder….

“And after this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you. We’re going to walk down to the Capitol. And we’re going to cheer on our brave Senators and Congressmen and women and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them.

“Because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated.”

The Stormtrumpers marched to the United States Capitol—and quickly brushed aside Capitol Police, who made little effort to arrest or shoot them.

Capitol Police facing off with Stormtrumpers

• Members of the mob attacked police with chemical agents or lead pipes.
• A Capitol Hill police officer was knocked off his feet, dragged into the mob surging toward the building, and beaten with the pole of an American flag.
• One attacker was shot as protesters forced their way toward the House Chamber where members of Congress were sheltering in place.

Stormtrumpers scaling Capitol Building walls

• Several rioters carried plastic handcuffs, possibly intending to take hostages.
• Others carried treasonous Confederate flags.
• Shouts of “Hang [Vice President Mike] Pence!” often rang out.
• Improvised explosive devices were found in several locations in Washington, D.C.
• Many of the lawmakers’ office buildings were occupied and vandalized—including that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a favorite Right-wing target.

Stormtrumpers inside the Capitol Building

More than three hours passed before police—using riot gear, shields and batons—retook control of the Capitol. 

Larry Brock made his contribution to the attempted coup by entering the floor of the Senate Chamber, wearing a combat helmet and tactical vest and carrying zip-tie handcuffs. He examined paperwork on Senators’ desks  while inside the building for approximately 37 minutes.

For their safety, members of Congress had been evacuated from their joint session. 

Fortunately for those members, Brock was unable to carry out the goals laid out in a manifesto he sent to another military veteran on Christmas Eve, 2020. Titled “Plan of Action if Congress fails to act on 6 January,” the document laid out eight points that Brock described as “main tasks,” including:

• Seizing all Democratic politicians and Biden key staff and select republicans [sic], including Senators John Thune and Mitch McConnell, and interrogating them using “measures we used on Al Queda” [sic].
• Seizing national media figures. Brock wrote they should “eliminate them. Media silence except for White House communications.”
• President Trump would issue a general pardon “for all crimes up to and including murder” for those who put down “the Democratic Insurrection.”