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Okay, a brief thread about this 'coup' framing. Coups involve overt attempts unseat a sitting executive, backed by the use or threat of force. The types of steps Trump is taking to discredit the election & remain in power are incredibly worrying, but they are not a coup. 1/x https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/1325944218120908801
While civilian elites can start coups, they cannot make the threat of violence credible without support from the military and security forces. I do not think that anyone that studies the U.S. military believes it would support a coup. 2/x
While the military has been increasingly politicized in a number of problematic ways in recent years, it remains an institution with a professional ethic and a diverse membership; it is not filled with Trump loyalists 3/x
Of course, other security forces, such as ICE, and local police may have more pro-Trump elements. And there right-wing militias with the capacity for violence. But it is exceedingly rare to try to attempt a coup without the backing of the regular military 4/x
So, I do not think we are seeing a coup attempt, even a failed one. We could debate whether or not framing Trump's actions as a coup is still useful in helping consolidate resistance, or whether it makes opposition easier to dismiss. I'm not sure. 5/x
My main worry is that calling this a coup puts the focus on Trump's actions, and whether he eventually leaves office as scheduled. But it's the behavior of other actors here that is more worrying, I think 6/x
McConnell & other Republicans backing Trump's refusal to accept election results, Barr giving prosecutors authority to investigate vote fraud--these steps dangerously undermine trust in political institutions 7/x
Coupled w/ increasing efforts to politicize the military under the Trump administration, they may have lasting, detrimental effects on civil-military relations and the quality of our democracy, which we will need to reckon with long after Trump is gone 8/8
