Should Americans Prepare for Civil War?
“The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged… There won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.”
-President Donald Trump (9/24/20)
Donald Trump has set America on a path to bloodshed and catastrophe. According to the FBI, white supremacists and other right-wing extremists are responsible for over two-thirds of the domestic terrorist attacks and plots this year, with over half that violence targeting protestors. By contrast, only a single deadly “far-left” attack occurred in 2020 in Portland, according to the centrist think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies has studied domestic terror attacks since 1994.
Circumstances similar to Rwanda before the genocide are present in the U.S. today:
A population divided on race, culture, or ideology that someone has amplified and exploited;
A culture of ‘machismo’ that encourages violence and intimidation;
The purposeful accumulation of weapons by one group; and
Biased communications outlets open to polarizing the country and broadcasting falsehoods.
The Republican Party and Fox News have denigrated perceived out-groups for years and engaged in the systemic dehumanization of their political opponents using terms like “the Democrat party” and “own the libs.”
Resolute partner Thomas Bowman interviewed Col. Larry Wilkerson for the Transition Virginia podcast. Wilkerson is the former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell and serves on the Transition Integrity Project war-gaming the transfer of power for Vice President Biden. Col. Wilkerson stated he was particularly worried that certain Republican Governors in states where Biden could win the popular vote would assent to Trump stopping the vote count before all the absentee ballots are counted, citing Bush v. Gore. There is a risk that rival slates of electors could show up in Washington DC with no apparent authority and chaos to ensue.
Wilkerson revealed the FBI briefed him to expect armed, right-wing Trump supporters to congregate in American cities after Election Day, causing chaos in their wake. Nobody knows for sure how violent they will get, but Wilkerson said, “Once people start shooting, all bets are off.”
Therein lies the rub, as other intelligence suggests that not only will right-wing protests start after Donald Trump contests the results on Election Night, but also that violence is the intention—causing chaos and possibly bloodshed in American cities. Wilkerson also believes that DHS activity in Portland was a prelude to how Trump plans to deploy pro-Trump paramilitaries across the United States, enlisting the support of mercenary groups like Blackwater to carry out orders that the U.S. military refused.
According to Wilkerson, the FBI is concerned about right-wing terrorists for several reasons:
It does not know very much about them or their capabilities;
They have been infiltrating the U.S. Armed Forces for 20 years, serving their tour of duty and returning home to train other white supremacists to use military weapons, tactics and make bombs;
They are coordinating with violent Neo-Nazi counterparts in Poland, Ukraine, and Germany.
Across the country, major city police departments are gearing up for the potential of as yet unknown but potentially likely armed conflict. In one West Coast city, leaves for department personnel have been canceled for the week of the election, and the department will be on tactical alert beginning election day.
In addition to the possibility of violent civil conflict, the United States is a substantial risk to a military attack during the 70 days between the election and inauguration. Many foreign policy experts warn that Donald Trump either might not defend the U.S. or its allies against international aggression if he is defeated for reelection or that he could start a conflict on his way out the door that spirals out of control.
