(01-11-2021, 10:07 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(01-11-2021, 10:01 PM)Sneakers Wrote: But nobody knew the loyalty of any had been "tested" until this new information became available.  All previous reports portrayed them as heroic patriots, staunchly defending an effort to overthrow the government.

Of course it was tested.
If I stand at the Capitol police barricade, and I say that the folks inside aren't fulfilling their oath to the Constitution, but I will fulfill it for them, I am testing the loyalty of the cops at the barricade.  Do they agree with me? Do they sympathize with me or with the people in charge today? The police knew that was what all this was about.  A couple days ago, you said it was a violent mob, taking the capitol by force.  If the police knew all about it, why was a woman shot?
If I break in and stand on the dias in the Senate and say that Trump won the election, and the national guard reinforcements see that, they have the capability to decide that I'm actually the president of the Senate Have you been using hallucinogenic drugs? sand point their guns at Mike Pence instead of at me.

All of this is loyalty testing. It might seem silly to you for me to call it that I was thinking of a somewhat stronger word, but sure, let's go with silly.  But throughout the day, many of our officers faced these choices.

The protestors/rioters/insurrectionists Make up your mind, which classification best suits your argument of the moment? knew that they would not get away with it unless the national guard or the police or both took their side in the conflict.
They never would have tried unless they thought there was a chance of winning, and they knew they couldn't win without folks changing their loyalty.  WOW, you really are all over the place on this one!  I can't even tell who you think "won".