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On Friday, the Rupert Murdoch-ownedWall Street Journal and New York Postpublished editorials saying that Donald Trumps inaction on January 6, 2021, constituted a dereliction of duty and disqualified him from the presidency.

My question is this: Why now?

The easy answer is that the newspapers editors watched the January 6 Committee hearing on the night of Thursday, July 21, and were dismayed to see that Trump had done nothing for three hours while a mob ransacked the Capitol Building. The editors promptly published editorials condemning Trumps inaction on Friday, July 22.

Thats the easy answer but not the true one.

Like every other American, I watched the events of January 6 unfold in real time. I saw the Capitol being attacked. I knew that Trump was in the White House doing nothing. I knew that, if Trump had been concerned, he could have immediately tweeted: No! This is not what I meant at all! Leave the Capitol Building! Stop the violence! Go home!

Trump could have gone on television and urged the rioters to go home.

Trump now says that the whole assault on the Capitol was either 1) peaceful or 2) a false flag operation, with anti-Trump people actually leading the charge. Thats plainly not true, but assume that it was true. Trump could nonetheless have tweeted: I dont know who you people in the Capitol Building are. But, if youre my supporters, then go home! This is not what I meant at all! Leave the Capitol Building!

Trump didnt do that. So we all know that Trump ignored his duty on January 6, and weve all known that since the moment it happened.

Im not alone in having seen what was obvious to any sentient being on the day of January 6, 2021.

Mitch McConnell knew that Trump had done nothing on the day of the violence, and he blamed Trump for it. McConnell no longer blames Trump, but thats due to political cowardice not his understanding of what happened.

Kevin McCarthy knew that Trump had done nothing on the day of the violence, and he blamed Trump for it. McCarthy no longer blames Trump, but thats due to political cowardice not his understanding of what happened.

So I knew that Trump did nothing to stop the violence during his three hours of silence on January 6. And Mitch McConnell knew it. And Kevin McCarthy knew it. And any sentient human being knew it.

But the editors at the Journal and the Post somehow didnt know it?

Why did it take the Journal and the Post 18 months to be shocked shocked! to learn that the Capitol Building was ransacked on January 6, and that the president did nothing for three hours to stop it?

Could it be that the Journal and Post were concerned that they would lose readers if they took an editorial position that was unpopular with many Republicans on January 7, 2021, and the papers decided to wait for the political tide to begin to turn before acknowledging the truth? Is there some other reason for the newspapers to have come to their senses only last week?

I dont know why the newspapers have just now decided to change their tune, but Im 100% confident that this had nothing to do with the newspapers having suddenly realized the Trump sat silently during the violence on January 6.

MarkHerrmannspent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and is now deputy general counsel at a large international company. He is the author of The Curmudgeons Guide to Practicing LawandDrug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy(affiliate links). You can reach him by email atinhouse@abovethelaw.com.

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