For most Americans, January 6, 2021, was a harrowing day, as a mob ransacked the Capitol, looking for politicians to terrorize or even kill in revenge for their unwillingness to steal the presidency for Donald Trump. For the Oath Keepers, however, the saddest part of the day is how quickly it ended. The right wing militia had been planning the insurrection for months, but when the day itself came, their hopes for political assassinations and the overthrow of democracy were largely dashed. Trump never showed up, as promised, to lead the mob to victory. The politicians targeted managed to escape. Eventually, it became clear the insurrection had failed, and Trump finally, with great reluctance, told the mob to go home.
But, as revealed in the seditious conspiracy trial for five Oath Keepers on Monday, they weren't quite ready to throw in the towel. "You ain't seen nothing yet," Stewart Rhodes, the militia's founder, texted in a group chat.
