Users discussed how to bring guns into D.C., how to attack police officers and what kind of zip ties would most effectively subdue members of Congress who voted to certify the election of Joe Biden
In the weeks before supporters of then-President Donald Trump
assaulted the U.S. Capitol, TheDonald.win forum commenters debated how best to build a gallows for hanging — or simply terrifying — members of Congress deemed disloyal. What kind of lumber? What kind of rope? And how many nooses?
Much of what was described
in conversations on
TheDonald.win came to pass Jan. 6, prompting widespread recriminations against Trump for fueling the attack through tweets and other public comments. The House impeached him for his role in inciting an insurrection, and the Senate voted 57 to 43 to find him guilty but did not reach the two-thirds vote required to convict him.
Following Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in November, the then-president relentlessly made baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud and urged supporters to come to Washington to protest — most notably in a Dec. 19 tweet saying, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
Many of his supporters treated this as a directive, the Advance Democracy report shows.
“I’LL BE THERE, AND I’LL BE WILD, SIR!!!”
“And we will be armed, and we won’t leave.”
Soon Trump’s supporters were trading travel tips, maps, money for gas, plans for cross-country caravans and hotel suggestions. One user described using his federal stimulus payment to help others go to Washington.
Users of TheDonald.win also shared advice on bringing firearms into Washington as well as how much ammunition to carry in case the protest turned into a gun battle, and they discussed the legality of carrying other weapons, such as stun guns and small knives, that might not violate the city’s strict gun-control laws.
Other subjects of discussion were the proper length and brand of zip ties for detaining members of Congress and how to use a flagpole and other objects to attack police officers.
Users of
TheDonald.win also shared diagrams of the tunnel systems beneath the Capitol complex and speculated on how pushing the mob from behind could create a “wall of death” that would force police officers to abandon their positions. The prospect of a potentially violent clash with the Capitol Police officers charged with protecting the building did not appear to concern some of those chatting on TheDonald.win.
“Cops don’t have ‘standing’ if they are laying on the ground in a pool of their own blood,” wrote a user.
“Get ready to occupy the Capitol Building,” a user wrote Dec. 27. “Find the tunnels. Arrest the worst traitors.... We need over a million angry people; at least 100k armed. Let them try to hurt us as civilians. Their support will collapse overnight.”
Another user wrote of the presidential vote certification process scheduled for Jan. 6, “If they ‘certify’ biden, we storm capitol hill. Executions on the steps.”
Another user gave detailed instructions for a prolonged attack, writing “Keep your guns hidden (outside DC proper), walk into DC (good boots a must), bring your plate carrier, your flag, radio and charging kits (NO PHONES), your trauma kits (3 tourniquets, quick clot, packing), gas mask and extra filter (you need to be clean shaven), water (3L minimum per person) and food ... How many people can a dead patriot save? none.”
The same user also suggested “180 rounds minimum for main rifle, another 50 for sidearm, per person.”
The debate over building a guillotine or gallows ultimately got resolved in
favor of a gallows, which commenters estimated could be built for as little as $200 in supplies. A gallows was in fact built on the National Mall on Jan. 6, providing one of the more haunting images from that day.
The intended message was summed up in a meme shared on TheDonald.win on Jan. 5 — the eve of the siege — showing a heavily sweating man labeled “Congress” as he tried to decide which of two buttons to push.
One was labeled, “Certify Trump.” The other read, “Get Lynched By Patriots.”