Ok, here’s a scenario.
You are a USMC captain commanding a rifle company somewhere in the National Capital Area.
You are awakened at 2am by a call from your immediate superior telling you that the White House is under attack by terrorists and that the President is missing. The terrorist forces have US Army uniforms and have stolen some trucks and APCs from a base in Virginia.
Your orders are to proceed to 38th and M in Georgetown and prevent enemy forces dressed in American uniforms from crossing the Key Bridge.
The internet is down. No broadcast stations are on the air.
Are you going to shoot at the Army forces coming across the bridge to rescue the President, or not?
Explain.
I will tell you that planning such a scenario today is not easy to do and is downright impossible. The several reasons for this is out of your level of “need to know”.
Your scenario has many scenarios possible.
For one, think of how our troops handled Germans dressed as Americans during the Battle of the Bulge.
Prior to the Marine officer deploying his troops, MSM & social media will be alive with reportage; shutting down the internet and all broadcast stations is a tall order in a noncommunist country. Quarantining soldiers to cut them off from all sources of information is even harder. How confiscate all those iPhones?
Marine captain’s immediate task is interdiction of the Key Bridge. He secures the Georgetown end; forces approaching from the Arlington side quickly realize they have a fight on their hands if they attempt to cross and if they take to the span are vulnerable due to the narrowing of their ability to maneuver. The bridge at Remagen was no walk in the park.
So far, no shooting.
In my opinion, events leading up to the confrontation at the bridge will have the air full of rumors such that no one will have the power to suppress. Swearing to silence with the threat of summary execution all the armed personnel the plotters will require to carry out a coup is equally impossible.
Seven Days in May was about a plot to overthrow the President by a tightly organized cabal of military officers. Great film, but recall the coup was attempted with the communications of half a century ago.
On the other hand, President Trump’s hold on office is `endangered’ by the likes of Jerrold Nadler, Nancy Pelosi, Ilhan Omar, and AOC. The Congressional Commandos, one might call them.
Your thoughts welcome; let’s continue this.