Retired Judge Michael Luddig testified at the Congressional Hearings into the assault on American democracy on January 6, 2021. Judge Luddig, a conservative justice appointed by George H. W. Bush to the Court Of Appeals, and who had previously served in the Reagan administration vetting potential judiciary appointments to ensure their judicial philosophy met conservative standards, warned America that Donald Trump was and remains a “clear and present danger” to American democracy.
Trump’s attorney, John Eastman, who wrote up the six point “coup” memo on how Pence could overturn the election, sought and was denied a request for a presidential pardon from Trump. Perhaps because he was unsuccessful in convincing Mike Pence to single-handedly overturn the election or get state officials to illegally change their election results.
The torturous testimony from Judge Luddig who struggled to put words together was in contrast to testimony from Mike Pence’s attorney, Greg Jacob. Jacob was composed, thoughtful and articulate as he described the numerous interactions he had with Eastman and others surrounding President Trump, telling them and the President that what they were attempting to do was illegal and unethical.
But it was Judge Luddig’s testimony, where every word uttered was carefully parsed, who perhaps had the most damning effect. Trump was told his actions were illegal. He was warned that pressuring Pence was “obstruction”, and he ignored the advice of his advisors and urged the rioters on.
Had Trump been successful, then the “Dissolution” story need not have been written, because the predicted dystopian future would already be in place. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers would have established their autocracy. Or, perhaps, “Dissolution” would pave the way forward to a peaceful creation of a new order.
Fortunately, there may be enough real Republicans, like Congresswoman Cheney, Judge Luddig, Greg Jacob, and others to rebuild American political institutions. We’ll see.
Dissolution 