The attack on the Capitol won’t be the only bitter fruit harvested from the attack by Trump and his enablers on our constitutional order. The intelligence indicates more attacks likely lie ahead.
The likely perpetrators of such violence — true believers, the right-wing fringe, the fascists, the conspiracy nuts, the terrorists — are not likely to be disabused of their delusions by anything anyone can say.
However, those people draw their strength and sense of legitimacy and belief that they are patriots from the wider Trump base, most of whom still believe that the election was stolen. It is therefore important that as much of the Trump base as possible be disabused of that belief. It is important that as many Americans as possible look at any further insurrectionary violence — terrorism — for what it is, rather than as some act of patriotism.
So the question is: what can anyone do that will minimize the support for such actions within the reservoir of public opinion on the Trumpian side of the divide?
And what I’d propose as at least a part of the answer is to have as many people as possible, with as much credibility as possible among conservatives, come forward in as effective a way as possible to deliver the message:
“You’ve been lied to. The election was not stolen. Trump lost fair and square and somewhat decisively. Everything you’ve heard to the contrary is a lie. Those attacking the legitimate outcome of a legal election may think they’re patriots, but they are not. They are attacking the very heart of the Constitutional order our Founders gave us.”
And who might be in the group that steps forward to deliver that message? Among the people who come to mind are Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former President George W. Bush, maybe former Attorney General William Barr… People known to the Trump base, and at least once supported by them.
How much good would that do? (After all, Republicans like Mitt Romney have spoken eloquently, calling on his colleagues to stop lying to their voters. But I do think that, too, likely did some good.) But however much or little good it would do, the effort should be made.