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Can the US government handle another January 6th? This is the thought-provoking question raised by a new documentary at the Sundance film festival, which suggests that government and military leaders must be ready for the potential threat of a political coup in a polarized America.
War Game, directed by Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber, observes a closed-door, unscripted simulation of an armed attack on the Capitol based on the events of 6 January 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters and far-right stormed the building to disrupt lawmakers’ certification of Joe Biden’s election. The six-hour exercise asked a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations to role-play the administrative response to a political coup backed by rogue members of the US military in the wake of a contested election.
The Vet Voice Foundation, a group dedicated to supporting veterans in civic leadership and policy, created an exercise to aid US government officials in preparing for and addressing threats to democracy, such as the events on January 6. The exercise also aims to raise awareness about the potential danger of extremism within the military, as evidenced by the fact that one out of every five individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack was a military veteran.
According to Kristofer Goldsmith, a war veteran and creator of the game’s “red cell” of insurgents, the events of January 6 were not surprising to those who closely monitor far-right movements. The game, War Game, begins with footage of Goldsmith and his colleague Chris Jones scouting Washington DC to simulate a potential social media and conspiracy-driven attack. Drawing on their knowledge of domestic extremist groups, Goldsmith and Jones modeled their fictional insurgent group, the Order of Columbus, after Q-Anon, the Maga movement led by Donald Trump, and other far-right groups involved in the Capitol attack, such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
In January 2023, a war game took place at a hotel in Washington, DC. It simulated a fictional scenario on 6 January 2025, where the Order of Columbus launched an attack on Congress to prevent the certification of President Hotham (played by former Montana governor Steve Bullock) after a disputed election. Bullock, along with his advisors, intelligence officers, and military leaders, must make crucial decisions on how to handle a series of escalating threats. These include the storming of the Capitol with the help of rogue national guard members, false information spreading on social media, and coordinated uprisings at various state capitols. They also have to deal with messages from a rival candidate similar to Trump, inciting more violence, and a video from a high-ranking general (based on former Trump official and Stop the Steal rally speaker Michael Flynn) urging the military to disobey the commander in chief.
According to Benjamin Radd, a game producer who experienced Iran’s 1979 revolution as a child, the purpose of this exercise is to consider unthinkable scenarios. In this situation, where stability and institutional authority have crumbled, one must decide how to respond – with a display of strength? And if so, how much? Should the focus be on communication? At what point does the situation become dire enough to warrant the use of the Insurrection Act, a law that grants the president the power to deploy the US military against its own citizens – known as the “nuclear option” in this game.
One reason for this is the potential for misuse by those who are not responsible. The documentary reveals that Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers’ founder, personally urged Trump to use the Insurrection Act to prevent Biden’s election certification and promised the group’s support if he did. “You need to use the Insurrection Act and your presidential power to stop him. All of us veterans will stand with you,” he wrote. Rhodes, a Yale-educated former paratrooper who established the far-right organization in 2009 with current and former military members, law enforcement officers, and first responders, was found guilty of seditious conspiracy for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
The film, which runs for 94 minutes, includes discussions with game developers and players about their reasons for combatting domestic extremism. They also discuss their perception of the nation’s susceptibility to extremist factions that may resort to violence and oppose democracy. Goldsmith expresses concern over the potential danger posed by a small portion of enlisted service members who subscribe to extreme ideologies and may be recruited by far-right groups, particularly targeting disillusioned and isolated veterans.
Linda L Singh, a retired major general of the Maryland army national guard, emphasizes that simply hoping for extremist beliefs in the armed forces to disappear is not a realistic solution.
The movie emphasizes the fact that although a political coup is not currently a strong possibility, it is crucial to recognize that the US is not immune to one. The recurring message is that it could occur in our country. Former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp, portraying a senior advisor to President Bullock, states, “Is it likely? Probably not. Is it feasible? Definitely.”
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The movie “War Game” will be shown at the Sundance film festival and is looking for ways to be distributed.
Source: theguardian.com
