And so it continues…
More than two years after the U.S. Capitol riot by Trump loyalists convinced that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged” and “stolen,” three active-duty U.S. Marines have been formally charged with participating in the festivities – one of whom told authorities he was “waiting for the big boogaloo.”
We’ll get to that nonsense in a minute.
As the New York Times reports, the Marines were assigned to intelligence-related jobs, according to court records. Corporal Micah Coomer and Sergeants Joshua Abate and Dodge Dale Hellonen were arrested on Wednesday and face charges of disorderly conduct and unlawfully entering the Capitol. Video footage and photographs showed that the three Marines were inside the Capitol for about 52 minutes while demonstrators fought with police officers and ransacked the building, according to a federal affidavit.
Federal investigators also discovered that Corporal Coomer said in a Jan. 6 Instagram conversation that “everything in this country is corrupt,” and that “a fresh restart” was needed. Enter, the Boogaloos.
Who are the ‘Boogaloo Bois’ who were visible at the Capitol and later rallies?
As reported by ABC News in October 2020, the FBI describes the ‘Boogaloo Bois” as “a loosely-connected group driven by militant anti-government sentiments. Members of the group regularly refer to the “Boogaloo” as an impending civil war they expect will be incited by accelerationist acts of terror.”
The above definition tracks with comments made by Coomer in the aforementioned Instagram conversation. “I’m waiting for the boogaloo,” he said, referring to the anti-government extremist movement that seeks to start a second civil war. The person he was chatting with asked, “What’s a boogaloo?” and Corporal Coomer responded: “Civil war 2.”
Unfounded election conspiracy theories aside, the nonsensical belief that an ultra-radical group — left or right — could fight and win a shooting war with the federal government is not only insane; it’s dangerous as hell. When crazy talk like this begins, I tune out, as should any rational person.
Here’s more, via the Times:
Sergeant Abate said in the interview that he had heard the riot was being portrayed negatively and he decided that he should not tell anyone he had been there.
Investigators said that in footage taken during the attack, Sergeant Hellonen was seen carrying a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, which far-right militia groups have used to signal their anti-government views.
At one point, the three Marines put a red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap on a statue to take a photograph with it, according to the affidavit.
The Times also reported that service records forwarded by the Marines on Saturday described the current service status of the three Marines as remaining on active duty. Additionally, It was not immediately known whether they face military disciplinary action in connection with the federal charges. The Marine Corps said in a statement:
We are aware of an investigation and the allegations. The Marine Corps is fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities in support of the investigation.
To date, more than 940 people have been charged in connection with the attack, according to a database maintained by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. More than 118 who have been charged have a military background, according to the database, most of whom are veterans.
The Bottom Line
On its face, it doesn’t appear that any of the three Marines charged posed a “clear and present danger” to democracy, as TDS-riddled Democrat lawmakers foolishly claimed of the riot at the time, and continue to do so. That said, entering the U.S. Capitol during a charged riot after windows and doors were smashed and tear gas fills the air will never be a good idea — nor should it be.
Hence, in my not-so-humble opinion, if you play stupid games, you tend to win stupid prizes.
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