Understanding the Capitol Insurrection 🏛
LISTEN + SUBSCRIBE HERE
Description
What actually happened during the Presidential election certification on January 6th? Let's get the perspective of this sad event from Washington, D.C. resident and The Ten News correspondent Bridget Todd. Discover how a viral combination of misinformation and disinformation led to this event. Learn why many people are upset that authorities handled the storming of a government building by a violent mob of Trump supporters differently than the peaceful Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. Explore the potential consequences of President Donald Trump's role in the insurrection at the United States Capitol with Constitution expert Ben Sheehan. And what even is an insurrection? Plus, what does it mean to invoke the 25th Amendment? And is it possible that the current US President will be impeached?
Note: We recommend listening to today's episode with a grown up, in case you have any additional questions surrounding the events of January 6th.
Our Recommended List of Trusted, Reputable News Sources
Associated Press
Reuters
NPR
Factcheck.org
Time for Kids
Common Sense Media
Links
💌 If you have a question, email us! hello@thetennews.com
Transcript
Bethany Van Delft: [00:00:00] On January 6th, as Congress began the process of certifying the results of this year's presidential election, won by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol causing destruction and injury, disrupting the proceedings and attacking our Nation's Capitol in a way that has not happened since the war of 1812 when the British army burned it down.
[00:00:26] I am Bethany Van Delft. In today's special episode of The Ten News. We'll find out more about the election certification, get the perspective of a D.C. Resident, and explore the potential consequences of the current president's role in these events you may want to grab a grownup to listen along with you in case you have questions.
[00:00:47] Now let's get into the Ten.
Various voices: [00:00:49] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
[00:00:56] As of this recording, about 80 people have been arrested and [00:01:00] tragically five people have died. Arrests have almost all come after the fact and not during the riots compared to hundreds of arrests during the summer's Black Lives Matter protests in D.C. The scene at the Capitol was really scary and difficult to watch for many people.
[00:01:17] And it was especially devastating for many people of color. Only months ago, we witnessed protests across the country against police violence against Black people, protests that were for the most part peaceful, but we're met over and over again with more violence at the hands of the police. Well, Wednesday, we saw a frenzy group of people, almost entirely white storm, the Capitol, vandalize government property and hold the democratic process hostage and be met with a very different response.
[00:01:52] It is very important to know that what happened this week at the Capitol was not a protest, and to call it what it [00:02:00] is - this was a violent uprising against our democracy, but Ten'ners know that no matter or which president, someone supports, there are election processes and laws in place that safeguard and ensure the will of the people on January 20th, we will have a peaceful transfer of power when Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.
[00:02:23] Georgia politician and activist Stacey Abrams summed it up perfectly when she tweeted," Well today's terrible display of terror and meanness shakes us. Let us remember, Jon Ossoff, Jewish son of an immigrant, Reverend Matthew Warnock, first Black Senator from Georgia will join a Catholic president of the United States, and the first woman, Black and Indian Vice President in our nation's Capitol."
[00:02:54] We will move on from this moment and we will keep celebrating our diversity, [00:03:00] respecting our fellow citizens and working towards a country where everyone's voices are heard.
[00:03:07] D.C. Is not only our nation's Capitol, it's also home to hundreds of thousands of people. Our correspondent, Bridget Todd is one of them. Let's get her perspective on being there and on the damaging effects of misinformation.
Bridget Todd: [00:03:25] So I'm not going to lie, watching an insurrection unfold in the city where I live was kind of scary. It's not something I ever thought. I'd see. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked for support from the National Guard, but because D.C. Isn't a state, she needed to wait for special authorization from the army. There was a 6:00 PM citywide curfew, so I stayed inside watching everything unfold on the news. My mom called to ask if I was okay. I didn't want her to be worried, but I knew it was important to tell the truth. So that's what I did. Telling the truth matters. And what happened in Washington D.C. This week, it's actually a good example of what, I mean. The people [00:04:00] storming the Capitol thought President Trump won the election because he said it over and over and over again.
[00:04:05] He said the election was rigged against him on Facebook and Twitter. He said it on the news.
President Trump: [00:04:10] "Good evening. I'd like to provide the American people with an update on our efforts. To protect the integrity of a very important 2020 election. If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us."
Bridget Todd: [00:04:31] He said voting machines were rigged. He said votes for him were being destroyed. And that some of the votes for Joe Biden were actually cast by dead people. He talked about it, a lot. Just one problem. None of it's true. In fact, there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud period. But that didn't stop his supporters from believing it. When someone spread the story that isn't true without meaning to it's called misinformation.
[00:04:54] But when someone spreads a story, that isn't true because they're trying to mislead you on purpose, it's called [00:05:00] disinformation. Add in social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, where they don't always take down stories that aren't true, and misinformation can spread like wildfire. Studies show that if someone hears an untrue story, enough times eventually they can start to believe it.
[00:05:14] Disinformation and misinformation can confuse people. It can make them scared and angry and worse. It can cause dangerous situations like the one in DC. The Trump supporters who storm the Capitol did it because they believed the election was stolen from President Trump and they were angry. That's why it's so important to really understand what we read on the internet, what we see on TV, and yes, even what we hear in podcasts. Not every story is true and not every source is one you can trust. So how can you tell?
[00:05:43] First you can do what I did speak up to the adult in your life about stories or seeing online or on television. They can help you figure out what's trustworthy and what's not. If you're not so sure about what you're seeing, you can try to find that same story from another source on Google.
[00:05:58] If a lot of trustworthy [00:06:00] sites are reporting the same thing, that's a good sign. The most important thing is to not share stories that aren't true. The more misinformation spreads, the more people see it and the more people believe it. And don't forget, you can always reach out to us here at The Ten, if you're having trouble telling of a story as true or not.
[00:06:15] Even though I was scared to be in D.C. When the interaction started, when it was over, I watched Congress come back to the Capitol late that night. The violent mob couldn't stop the wheels of democracy from turning. I watched them certify the election for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and I felt proud to be in my city, Washington, DC, watching it happen.
[00:06:34] And that's the honest truth.
Bethany Van Delft: [00:06:36] Thank you, Bridget. If you have any questions, talk to a grownup and you can visit thetennews.com for a list of some of our trusted, reputable news sources.
[00:06:52] Because of his role in spreading misinformation that fuel the insurrection at the Capitol, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram [00:07:00] suspended, President Trump's social media accounts. And even though the electoral college count was interrupted, it was not stopped. Congress reconvened as soon as it was safe to do so and finished the process of certifying the election results in accordance with the Constitution.
[00:07:17] But what does that actually mean? What does the Constitution say about potential consequences for a President who incited his supporters to violently disrupt the process beyond having his posting privileges revoked? We asked Constitution expert Ben Sheehan, who you may remember from an earlier episode to help us understand.
[00:07:39] Hi, Ben. First, can you explain what election certification is and why it's part of the process?
Ben Sheehan: [00:07:46] So here's why we certify the election results because we're a country that's set up as a federal structure. Federalism is where you [00:08:00] have one central government, but that you also have these independent state governments and it's kind of the push and pull between the state governments and the federal government.
[00:08:08] And so. A president is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States. But this is a government that represents all the different States. So we really in the constitution left elections up to the States to decide the times, places and manner. Some States do elections all by mail. Some States have, um, you know, early in person voting some States you have to have an excuse to vote absentee.
[00:08:34] There are all these different rules that are specific to each state. So basically we have this scenario where each state, you know, after the election, The electors meet in the state Capitol and they vote for president. And then those Ben price president of those votes are sent to, uh, Congress to count Congress, ultimately certifies, uh, the results of the States, making sure that [00:09:00] the President and Vice President are chosen, um, fairly and smoothly.
[00:09:04] If Congress hadn't come back to finish the count, would it have stopped Joe Biden from becoming President? If Congress hadn't come back to finish the count, it would not have stopped Joe Biden from becoming precedent. All Congress was doing was counting the votes that were sent in by all the States, all 50 and Washington DC.
[00:09:24] So they were just counting something that was already decided they're just certifying the winner. Think of it like an awards show where a person comes out and opens up the envelope to announce the winner. They didn't single-handedly decide that person won that award and they couldn't prevent that person from winning the award.
[00:09:47] They're just sort of announcing the winner. That's kind of like what this process is like, but the process of counting the votes in Congress stopping that process would not have stopped [00:10:00] Joe Biden from becoming President.
Bethany Van Delft: [00:10:03] What exactly is the 25th amendment?
Ben Sheehan: [00:10:05] This is a great question. So the 25th amendment was ratified in 1967 and it's actually four sections.
[00:10:15] But the one that everybody is talking about is the fourth section. And it's this process for how to deal with a president who hasn't been killed, but is incapacitated, so unconscious. Section three of the 25th amendment allows the president to willingly transfer their power for a period of time to the vice-president.
[00:10:38] And this has happened three times in our history and all during medical procedures. The president was having a light surgery and temporarily transferred their power to the vice president and then they woke up from surgery and they took their power back. But in section four, what happened if the president was injured or shot and was in a [00:11:00] coma and couldn't transfer their power, what happens?
[00:11:03] And here's how it would go. And the reason it's being discussed, I should say right now, Is because it doesn't specifically say in the Constitution that it can only be used if the president is incapacitated, they say that, you know, unable to do their job unfit to serve as the Office of President. So it works like this, the vice-president and a majority of the cabinet, so those are the president's most trusted senior advisors. There are 15 of those positions, so majority would be eight. They have to write a letter and they send it to the speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore, and right now that's Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Grassley. And they would say that the president is unfit for office, unable to execute the duties as president.
[00:11:55] And as soon as they receive that letter, then the vice president would become the [00:12:00] acting president. Then the President would have a chance to respond to that letter and say, no, actually I'm fine, I can do the job as president. And then the President goes back to being the President unless the vice president and that same majority of the cabinet, write their letter. So we're talking about three letters total now to the same two people, Chuck Grassley and Nancy Pelosi saying no, really the president can't do the job. And at that point, the vice president goes back to being the acting president and Congress has 21 days to decide the matter. And if they decide with a two thirds vote in both houses, that the president is unfit to serve unable to do the job.
[00:12:47] Then, uh, the president is removed from, from office and the vice president becomes the acting president, continues to act as the, as the president. It's never been used in the [00:13:00] history of our country. Again, it was only created in 1967 but that is what the 25th amendment
Bethany Van Delft: [00:13:07] Is impeachment and option instead?
Ben Sheehan: [00:13:10] Really the only way Congress can remove a president is by impeachment and removal.
[00:13:16] And how that works is that the house votes to impeach a majority vote. And that's kind of like charging the president with a crime. Now, impeachment doesn't have to be a crime. Um, um, but for the purposes of this process, think of it as like you're being charged officially with wrongdoing. And then it goes to the Senate for the trial, and they have a trial and if two thirds of the Senate, so there's a hundred members in the Senate so two thirds would be 67 members, um, vote to convict the president, then the president is removed from office. There's also an additional vote after that about whether or not the president can be prevented from holding [00:14:00] federal office in the future. So if the President is convicted in the Senate, they have to be removed from office and then they take a separate vote to decide whether or not they're going to be barred from holding federal office ever again in the future.
Bethany Van Delft: [00:14:16] Thank you so much for answering our questions, Ben. Ten'ners, if you have more questions, talk to your trusted grown-ups and we'd like to hear from you too. You can email us with questions, observations, or really just how you're feeling about things right now at hello@thetennews.com.
[00:14:42] This episode was recorded the day after the events in DC took place. As we continue to learn more, we'll keep you updated. And Ten'ners stay hopeful. The country will get through this. In the words of President-elect soon to be President Joe Biden, "There's never been anything we [00:15:00] can't do when we do it together."
[00:15:01] That's the end of The Ten for today. You can catch new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Ten News is a co-production of Small, But Mighty Media in collaboration with Next Chapter Podcasts and distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News writing team is led by Editorial Director, Tracey Crooks with contributions from Steven Tompkins and Bridget Todd.
[00:15:22] The creative producers Jenner Pascua. Marketing is led by Jacob Bronstein with social media and web support by Steven Tompkins and Adam Pharr. Editing and sound design by Pete Musto under the production direction of Jeremiah Tittle. Executive producer Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan round out the team.
[00:15:41] If you have any questions, a story idea, a fun fact, or just want to tell us how you're feeling about things, email us@helloatthetennews.com. And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review The Ten News on Apple podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. I am Bethany Van [00:16:00] Delft. Thank you for listening to this special episode of The Ten News.
