Capitol

The FBI is seeking information that will assist it in identifying individuals who were actively instigating violence in Washington, D.C. on January 6, a day that scarred America’s reputation as the global standard for democracy. It is accepting tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the US Capitol and surrounding area, according to the FBI website.

Here’s a tip for the Feds. There’s a fella who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. who should be hauled in for questioning. He was last seen inciting a group of his cultists to march to the Capitol before slithering off to the White House to watch how the violence played out on TV.

Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Americans blame Donald Trump for the rioting, according to a Morning Consult/Politico poll. That includes 41 percent of Republicans and 85 percent of Democrats.

The instigator-in-chief, though, must have been over the moon about the TV ratings for his insurrection show. That’s all that matters to the narcissistic president. The guy who swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution trampled all over it.

He needs to be held accountable.

“I hope Mike is going to do the right thing,” ranted Trump before the mob of domestic terrorists. Many Americans hope that VP Pence will do the right thing, which is invoking the 25th Amendment to get Trump tossed from office.

Almost half (49 percent) of Americans support using the 25th Amendment to rid the nation of Trump, reported the Morning Consult/Politico survey. Thirty-seven percent oppose the 25th Amendment, while 13 percent are in the “”don’t know/no opinion” category.

Pence, whom Trump has already thrown under the bus, would need the support of half the Cabinet to approve activating the 25th Amendment. Trump undoubtedly would fight the effort, which would then require a two-thirds vote in Congress to remove him from office.

In the aftermath of the sacking of the Capitol, more than 100 Democratic Congressmen have called for invoking the 25th Amendment and there have been internal White House discussions about the matter, according to NBC News.

Let's get rolling.

Profiles in courage, cowardice. Former president George W. Bush minced no words in calling the January 6 Washington riot “a sickening and heartbreaking sight” and something that occurs when “election results are disputed in a banana republic, not our democratic republic.”

The rioters took their cue from the “reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election” and were “undertaken by people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes.”

Bush’s criticism is aimed at Trump and political opportunists like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, one of the leaders of the Sedition Caucus.

Loathsome Ted issued his own own statement January 7, attacking “the despicable act of terrorism and shocking assault on our democratic system.” Cruz claims he was fighting for those who “expressed their deep concerns regarding election integrity.”

That’s so rich. Ted has been trafficking in lies that the presidential election was rigged, which has undermined faith in the election, in the hopes of scoring political points with the president’s base of supporters.

You can forget about getting that support, Rafael Edward. The Trumpers remember how you shamelessly groveled before their leader after he directed insults at your dad and wife during the presidential campaign.

They also will recall that Tough Talking Ted ran for the hills as the Trump cultists trashed Capitol Hill. Didn't you want to meet your future constituents?

Calling all pest control pros… The insufferable Newt Gingrich praised Pence for doing his job, which is accepting the results of the presidential election. “He did what he believed was right and he did so under enormous pressure," tweeted the Newtster. “Whether you agreed with his actions his courage deserves credit."

What was Newt thinking? Does the former Speaker of the House agree with our deranged president that Pence could throw out the vote for Biden? Imagine the chaos if a future VP did not agree with the outcome of a vote.

Gingrich certainly isn't a fan of the president-elect. He wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Times on Dec. 21 called “Why I will not accept Joe Biden as president.”

That little gem noted that the author has no “interest in pretending that the current result is legitimate or honorable.” Who cares?

The Georgia politico fashions himself as a “wise man” or “deep thinker” of the GOP. The Washington Times commentary exposed Gingrich as nothing more than a political hack.

One of the big pluses of the Biden administration: there will be fewer media opportunities for Gingrich.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is “shocked” about the violence in Washington, which is why he’s blocking Trump's access to the platform until Joe Biden takes office. Zuck shouldn't be shocked.

Trump has used Facebook as his megaphone to spread lies, misinformation, distortions, disinformation and political attacks from Day 1 in office. Russia also used the platform to boost Trump’s presidential campaign.

Zuckerberg said Facebook provided Trump access because it believes “the public has a right to the broadest possible access to political speech, even controversial speech.”

However, in light of Trump’s attempted coup, Zuckerberg frets that our unhinged president may use Facebook “to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government."

Facebook's move to dump Trump is expected to score some brownie points from the Biden administration, which has promised to curb the power of the big platforms.

Smart PR manuever, Mark.