The trouble with normal is, it always gets worse.

Politico reports that MAGA fanatics are starting to openly call for insurrection and the overthrow of the goverment by force.  They couldn’t win by voter fraud (purging voters from the lists), they couldn’t win by votes cast, and they couldn’t win by frivolous nonsense court cases.  The petulant children are trying to break the toys so no one gets to play with them.

MAGA leaders call for the troops to keep Trump in office

An 1807 law invoked only in the most violent circumstances is now a rallying cry for the MAGA-ites most committed to the fantasy that Donald Trump will never leave office.

The law, the Insurrection Act, allows the president to deploy troops to suppress domestic uprisings — not to overturn elections.

But that hasn’t stopped the act from becoming a buzzword and cure-all for prominent MAGA figures like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, two prominent pro-Trump attorneys leading efforts to overturn the 2020 election

[. . .]

At its core, the Insurrection Act gives the president authority to send military and National Guard troops to quell local rebellions and violence, offering an exemption to prohibitions against using military personnel to enforce domestic laws. Historically, it has been used in moments of extreme national strife — the Civil War, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, violent labor disputes, desegregation battles, rioting following Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

Only once, however, has it been used in the wake of an election — and that was to stop a literal militia from seizing the Louisiana government on behalf of John McEnery, a former Confederate officer who had lost the 1872 governor’s race.

I doubt the US will see domestic military intervention.  Before the election, scores of retired US brass broke with tradition and openly stated support for Biden. And in November, days after the election, Mark Milley stated unequivocally that the military’s loyalty was to the constitution, not an individual.  He apologized for participating in one of Cheetolini’s publicity stunts.

Top US general stands firm amid Pentagon turmoil

The top US general is standing firm amid sweeping changes at the Pentagon which have seen senior officials replaced by Trump idealogues and alarmed senior defense officials.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley made clear his dedication to the constitution at an event Wednesday while standing beside the newly installed acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.

“We are unique among militaries. We do not take an oath to a king or a queen, a tyrant or a dictator. We do not take an oath to an individual. No, we do not take an oath to a country, a tribe or religion. We take an oath to the Constitution. And every soldier that is represented in this museum, every sailor, airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman, each of us will protect and defend that document, regardless of personal price.”

The national military is unlikely to back a coup and overthrow of the system.  But the largest paramilitary in the US – cops – are another matter, and they might be willing to do it.

In August, in September and in October, cop unions repeatedly “endorsed” Cheetolini, openly supporting his racist and fascist turns, openly inferred that a Biden victory would mean “they will overrun your cities and you won’t be safe!”  (“They” being the same colour as the colour of that word.)  The vocal support of cops was so egregious and openly racist that Black cops broke from the unions and against their own:

Black officers break from unions over Trump endorsements

Police unions nationwide have largely supported President Donald Trump’s reelection, amid mass demonstrations over police brutality and accusations of systemic racism — but a number of Black law enforcement officers are speaking out against these endorsements, saying their concerns over entering the 2020 political fray were ignored.

Trump has touted his support from the law enforcement community, which includes endorsements from national, city and state officers’ unions — some of which publicly endorsed a political candidate for the first time. He’s running on what he calls a “law and order” platform and tapping into a strain of anger and frustration felt by law enforcement who believe they are being unfairly accused of racial discrimination.

I can’t and won’t say that cops will participate in an attempted overthrow, but I won’t be surprised if we hear Cheetolini attempt to spew more “law and order” dog whistles to white cops, as he has done in the past.  His haste to murder prisoners (so-called “executions”) are certainly in line with it.

There are 800,000 cops in the US, and two thirds of them are white, a higher number than the general population.  There wouldn’t be enough cops to control the entire country, but enough to control the street if Cheetolini starts advocating for people to stay home.

I can think of one reason why cops wouldn’t go along: because it would show their true colours.  Even amongst cop apologists, the notion of overthrowing the government would be too much for some.  Some might start calling to defund the cops and for reform if the majority of cops show themselves to be openly racist and violent.