George R.R. Martin: “The Republic [is] Under Attack”

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin weighed in on the “sickening” events of the day, which saw pro-Trump rioters invade the capitol building.

Today, a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., forcing Congresspeople to take safety and producing incredible images of people waving Confederate flags in the halls of the capitol and occupying the halls of Congress. At least one woman was shot and since died from her injuries.

It’s unprecedented and pretty scary, and a lot of people have very strong opinions about it. That includes A Song of Ice and Fire author and Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin, who wrote powerfully about the day’s events on his Not a Blog. “There have been all too many days, these past couple of years, when I feared that the United States was going the way of the Weimar Republic,” he wrote, referring to the German federal state that gave way to the Nazi regime in the years leading up to World War II. “And now the moment of coup is at hand. Rioters breaking into the Capitol, even the floor of the House and Senate. One of them trying to haul down the American flag and replace it with a Trump flag. Congressmen and senators being forced to recess and seek safety.”

"This is an attempted coup.  Make no mistake.   I am still hopeful that it will end as a failed coup, a Beer Hall Putsch, but we shall see.   The inaction of law enforcement thus far has been shocking.Make no mistake, these are not protestors, these are not patriots, these are rioters attempting to destroy our democracy.They are traitors."

The Beer Hall Putsch, if you’re wondering, was a failed coup attempt by the Nazis in 1923. It didn’t work, but that might be cold comfort considering what followed it years later.

Martin lays the blame on President Donald Trump, calling for him to be “removed from office, tried for treason, convicted, and imprisoned,” along with Rudy Giuliani, who has helped the president mount a baseless campaign to invalidate the results of the recent presidential election so Trump could remain in power. And y’know, if you spend all your time telling your impassioned adherents that the system is rigged and that their votes don’t matter, they might think the only solution is to take up arms and storm federal buildings, so I can see the logic.

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