Did these people think Trump was gonna show up and lead the charge ?
Storm into the chamber where they were counting votes and do what ? Overturn it right there ?
Expecting a blanket pardon from Trump for everything they did ?
Taking selfies and videos incriminating themselves so openly and easily identifiable thinking nothing would happen ?
Stealing and vandalizing federal property with not a thought to being fired / arrested ?
Truly delusional.
Well, Trump did say he'd be there. Of course, these folks mostly look at Trump as the ripped stud from Ben Garrison cartoons, not as an out-of-shape and obese man who wouldn't even enter a schoolyard scrap without groupies to hold his victim down.
But part of me can't blame them for not thinking there'd be consequences. There's a saying about conservatism; that it's all about there being an in-group whom the law protects but doesn't constrain and an out-group whom the law constrains, but doesn't protect. And for 4 years, Trump has been all about hammering home that point to friend and foe alike. He's had weekly scandals that he never suffered consequences from aside from another few OPeds in the fake news media. And that feeling of impunity oozed through his entire administration. Practically every member of his cabinet had conflicts of interests. Administration staff violated the Hatch act by the hundreds. Cronies and war criminals were pardoned left and right. Honest actors were slimed and pushed out.
The message was clear. If you're part of my in-group, you can do whatever the hell you want and your impunity is a middle finger to the libs we're owning. If you're part of the out-group, then LOLNothingMatters.
It's not that surprising these folks considered themselves impervious to backlash. It's all they've seen from the people they considered their heroes.