The mob overwhelmed the Capitol Police before they could give any effective warning of what was to come. The House and Senate chambers were taken by the rioters, who demanded that Congress vote to keep Trump in office. No one was permitted to enter or leave the rooms. It was a classic hostage situation.
Hawley, Cruz, and a few others were only too happy to go along with the rioters, but the vast majority of the members refused their demands. With the military now closing in, the mob leaders threatened to start using their weapons on the Democrats, starting with Pelosi. Denied any satisfaction, they killed Pelosi and Schumer. The military then stormed the two chambers. The riot was quashed, but there were scores of casualties in the chaos, including both GOP and Democratic members of Congress. Trump watched it all on TV and did nothing.
There was never any serious danger of a successful coup, which would have required far more coordination with extreme right-wing political, law enforcement, and military leaders all over the country. In that sense, the whole episode was every bit as shambolic as it appeared at the time. That said, it could have been a whole lot worse than it was, and the scars would be even deeper. We shouldn’t forget that.
A note to my readers: I will be out of town most of next week. Regular posts will resume next Saturday.