The Dual-Play Conspiracy: The Mastermind of Controlled Chaos

[jross]

Imagine this: In the weeks leading up to January 6, 2021, Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval Office, plotting a two-pronged strategy. On one hand, he appears to be the responsible leader, expressing his concern about the safety of the Capitol. He speaks with top military officials, offering 10,000 troops and saying, "Hey, look at this. There’s going to be a large amount of protesters here on the 6th, make sure that you have sufficient National Guard or Soldiers to make sure it’s a safe event.  Hey, I don’t care if you use Guard, or Soldiers, active duty Soldiers, do whatever you have to do. Just make sure it’s safe."  This is all part of his elaborate cover—Trump wants to look like the protector of democracy...

Choose your path

1. ...and these conversations ensure there’s a paper trail to back up that story...
2. ...and these protests are just a distraction to... 
3. ...while ensuring the rigged election...

[jross]

...and these conversations ensure there’s a paper trail to back up that story...

But behind the scenes, Trump has a different plan. With the election’s certification looming, his last-ditch hope lies with Mike Pence. Publicly, Trump fans the flames, tweeting, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th... Be there, will be wild!” At the same time, his requests for troop protection are just window dressing for the real goal: chaos at the Capitol.

On January 6, as he watches the crowd gather, Trump is flooded with both excitement and anxiety. For a fleeting second, it feels like 1962, just before stepping onto the wrestling mat. He believes he’s setting the stage to be the hero. If chaos erupts, he can point to his warnings and claim he was simply trying to maintain peace.

During his speech, Trump encourages the crowd to "peacefully and patriotically" make their voices heard. But he also stirs them with, "We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore."

By the time his speech ends, chaos is primed to unfold. Among the mostly peaceful demonstrators, a small but determined group of extremists, Antifa, and undercover agents is ready to breach the Capitol. Law enforcement’s use of tear gas only makes things worse. Protesters break through security, and while some officers try to hold the line, others step aside or escort protestors through the building.

Feeling the heat, Trump tweets: "I know your pain, I know you’re hurt... But you have to go home now. We need peace." Social media deletes the tweet.

But Trump’s real strategy isn’t in the streets; it’s in the halls of power. He pressures Pence, relying on a legal theory developed by his team: if Pence rejects the electoral votes, the decision could be sent back to the states, allowing Trump’s allies to investigate election fraud claims and potentially overturn the official results. As chaos engulfs the Capitol, Trump hopes it will buy him time—or even compel Pence to take action.

But Pence doesn’t bend. The Capitol is breached, violence spreads, and Trump’s plan unravels. Instead of emerging as the hero, Trump scrambles, issuing calls for peace as the situation spirals out of control.

In the end, Trump miscalculates. He underestimates Pence’s loyalty, the unpredictability of the crowd, and the nation’s backlash. His attempt to overturn the election collapses. Yet, to his most loyal followers, he remains the “true president,” wronged by the system.

[jross]

...and these protests are just a distraction to...

...Trump's darker plan: he wanted to use military force to seize control of the Capitol and keep himself in power.

With the troops in place, Trump could invoke emergency powers, lock down key government buildings, and stop the certification of the election. Surrounded by troops loyal to him, the Capitol would become his fortress. Congress wouldn’t just be delayed—it would be completely shut down, leaving Dictator Trump in charge.

But his carefully laid plans unraveled, not because of resistance or leaks, but because of one man’s mistake: Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.

Miller had been briefed on Trump’s request for 10,000 troops, but he didn’t take it seriously. "The President commented that they were going to need 10,000 troops the following day," Miller later recalled, "but I interpreted it as a bit of presidential banter. In no way, shape, or form did I take it as an order." 

On January 6, as protests escalated outside the Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund was desperately asking for military backup. "I’m making an urgent request for the National Guard. We’re being overrun," he pleaded. "Officers out there are fighting for their lives. We’re about to be taken over." But by then, it was too late.

Miller, focused on the optics, had kept the D.C. National Guard on standby and away from the Capitol. The chaos outside was exactly what Trump had expected, but the critical piece of his plan—the 10,000 troops—was missing. As Sund’s desperate calls for help rang out, a representative from the Secretary of the Army waved it off: "I don’t like the optics of National Guard standing in a line with the Capitol in the background."

Later, Miller casually brushed off the situation: "Everyone was like, ‘Did you listen to the President’s speech?’ And I’m like, ‘He talks for 90 minutes—it’s like Castro or something. I’ve got work to do.'" But beneath that casual remark was a harsh reality: Trump’s coup didn’t fail because it was stopped—it failed because Miller’s inaction unintentionally saved the Capitol.

As the hours dragged on, the protesters were finally cleared, and Congress resumed certifying the election results. Trump’s last-ditch effort to cling to power slipped away, undone by a misunderstanding and the incompetence of his own team.

Afterward, Miller tried to salvage his reputation: "I was aware of the fears that the President would invoke the Insurrection Act to politicize the military," he said. "That wasn’t going to happen on my watch." But the truth was simpler: the troops didn’t show up because of Miller’s failure to act.

Trump’s plan to seize control had collapsed, and with it, his last chance to stop the transfer of power.