Thread by @JYSexton

Joe Biden is winning the election and Donald Trump is trying to pull a literal coup.

Let's talk about where we are, what we know, and separate the things we shouldn't be worried about from the things we absolutely should be worried about.

1/

First and foremost, this election has largely played out as some of us expected it to. There hasn't been some cataclysmic loss. Biden made in-roads, including in Arizona. We're still looking at a possible 300+ electoral college victory if votes are counted.

2/

Last night felt AWFUL for a variety of reasons. Lingering trauma from 2016. A desire to watch the country reject Trump in a major way. The bizarre feeling of watching the race not get called on Election Night as the networks have trained us to expect.

But that was a feeling.

3/

Trump's attempt to steal this election is predicated on that feeling last night and the feeling that somehow this thing is lost even while Biden is winning in a big way.

Trump is determined to use that anxiety and uncertainty and spin it into his own chosen reality.

4/

For months Trump and his goons have told us what they planned to do. Counting would not be finished on Election Night and Trump would use the appearance of momentum to undermine confidence and hopefully stop the counting before momentum swung.

That's what he's doing.

5/

All signs point to the votes working out like expected and Biden winning states Trump took in 2016. It appears, again, that he might have over 300 electoral votes.

What Trump has to do is plunge this country into a chaotic mess and win control of reality.

6/

It is one thing to feel uncertain. That's expected. But do not let Trump and the people around him determine how this works and what reality is.

That feeling last night is absolutely crucial to Trump undermining the vote and breaking the will of the people.

7/

Here's something to be actually worried about.

Trump's desperate attempt to frame this as a stolen election will, once more, further radicalize his followers and create an atmosphere for potential violence.

As votes are counted we'll enter a volatile phase.

8/

I talk about it in AMERICAN RULE. The Republican Party has managed and used an alternate, paranoid reality for decades now.

Their base literally believes they're fighting in a life or death battle and that this election might be an apocalypse.

9/

penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611439/a…

If Trump continues to call this a stolen election or a coup by the Democrats, we could see asymmetrical attacks, including altercations at government buildings and around the country.

Trump is creating an incredibly volatile and unstable environment.

10/

One of the main ingredients of a successful coup is to have your followers turn into a roving band of enforcers that intimidate and brutalize people until there's no one left to call it a coup anymore.

This is how fascism works and why we've been warning people.

11/

There's a possibility the votes will just be counted and everything works out without violence. God, I hope that happens, but it's absolutely unrealistic to not admit it's a possibility we could be in for some violence, oppression, and really frightening moments.

12/

Right now, the votes are being counted. Trump signaled last night that he intends to stop the count. There'll be lawsuits and continued misinformation by Trump and his supporters.

We're on the brink of something. If he tries to stop the count, you need to be ready.

13/

Things change rapidly in these situations. This afternoon might look completely different from this morning. Remember that this volatile environment serves fascists. It's what they feed on, what they depend on.

Be alert, but don't succumb to the mind games.

14/

There'll be plenty of time after this election is decided to determine why it was this close, how it could've been operated better, or talk about what we can learn politically from it.

Right now this is a survival moment. The ballots HAVE to be counted. Period.

15/

If Trump wins this, if he manages to undermine the actual will of the people again, we're going to watch these creeps continually subvert elections from now until the end of this country.

This is a line in the sand moment. It's a test, and we can't afford to fail.

16/

This moment right now is about establishing a precedent. Will this party and this man, both of them electorally unviable, be allowed to steal elections with impunity, or are we going to assert our rights and defend democracy?

Those are the stakes. Pure and simple.

17/

A reminder: this website is a machine that profits off anxiety, fear, and confusion. There's a lot happening today that will ground you to dust if you let it.

Take a breath. Keep an eye on numbers, sure, but do not allow this spectacle to crush you.

18/

I've been telling people for awhile now. Make a note for yourself. What is the line that Trump crosses that gets you in the street? Write it down in pen on a piece of paper. Sit with it.

That's your agency. All of this is designed to make you feel powerless. But you're not.

19/

Be vigilant and stay informed, but do not allow this poisonous maelstrom to swallow you up.

That's what Trump wants.

That's what Trump needs.

He's losing and needs America to degrade into a chaotic cesspool to maintain power.

20/

If you want, here's me sitting down with a cup of coffee and going over this. Maybe it'll help. Maybe you should reach out to someone you trust, talk it over, reaffirm what reality is and what reality isn't.

Breathe. Rest. Be prepared.

21/

This isn't going to get solved today. There's plenty of moving parts, but if the votes get counted, Joe Biden will more than likely be president of the United States and we can start the bigger fight.

This is a stress test. Let's not fail it.

You've got this.

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