In a series of tweets, Republican strategist and Lincoln Project founder Steve Schmidt pointed the finger at Donald Trump and pinned the blame on him for the violence that rocked Washington D.C. on Saturday night.

With reports of stabbings and gunfire, Schmidt linked to clips of the far-right white nationalists roaming the streets and stopping cars, calling the members of the group “Trump’s thugs.”

“Look at this closely,” he wrote above a video link. “These right-wing fascists are instigating political violence in the name of a defeated President who is inciting them. This is the Capitol of the United States. This is a glimpse of our future. This must be crushed at the ballot box.”

“This is Trump’s doing. This is the result that Fox News, Newsmax and hundreds of lying right wing propagandists have produced for America. This is Trumpism,” he added before stating, “These are Trump’s thugs and they are fascists. They are rioting against democracy. We are at an extremely dangerous place as a country. It is essential to see the threat, it is grave.”

You can see his tweets below:

is about. @KLoeffler and @sendavidperdue stand with these people. These people hate the idea of America. They have repudiated it. We can never lose a Presidential election to these people ever again. They will not relinquish power if they do. This is Trump’s doing. This is the

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) December 13, 2020

Thugs are wearing familiar brands it doesn’t mean they aren’t them, they are. These are Trump’s thugs and they are fascists. They are rioting against democracy. We are at an extremely dangerous place as a country. It is essential to see the threat, it is grave.

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) December 13, 2020

President Donald Trump has reportedly chosen a far right wing religious extremist, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to be his third Supreme Court pick, according to The New York Times.

The Times is reporting, and contrary to Trump’s claims, that he did not interview any other candidates. Barrett was vetted, as much as any Trump White House candidates are, when he ultimately chose Brett Kavanaugh as his second SCOTUS choice.

Judge Barrett is anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice, and would vote to strike down Roe v. Wade and same-sex marriage.

She has made clear she does not respect stare decisis, the legal tenet that says Supreme Court decisions are settled law.

Barrett is just 48 years old, and could sit on the bench for four decades should she be confirmed.

Trump is slated to make his announcement Saturday at 5 PM.

Senior Defense Department officials have been privately discussing resigning if President Donald Trump orders the American military to put down unrest in the wake of the 2020 election.

The New York Times reports that Pentagon officials are worried that Trump will try to use the military against American citizens who will be protesting him if he tries to stay in power even after losing the election.

“Several Pentagon officials said that such a move could prompt resignations among many of Mr. Trump’s senior generals,” including General Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Times reports.

The report notes that both Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper both opposed Trump this past summer when he wanted to use the military to put down protests against police brutality in Washington D.C., and would be unlikely to back him if he tried to do the same thing after losing an election.

But John Gans, who served as chief speechwriter to the defense secretary in the Obama administration, told the Times he was concerned about whether the military was really prepared to resist the president’s orders.

“The Pentagon plans for war with Canada and a zombie apocalypse, but they don’t want to plan for a contested election,” he said. “These are huge questions that have an impact on the reputation of the institution.”

Image: Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead by Gage Skidmore via Flickr