Language warning in the post below.

The first polls are starting to close and there are already planned protests cranking up and “tentative” calls from leftists to “Protect the Results” if “Trump takes action to undermine the results.” Washington, DC, started up their protest machine at 4 pm Tuesday, well before there were even any news outlets discussing (generally inaccurate) exit polls.

The DC protests start in less than an hour, organizers say pic.twitter.com/MIkUqsyrnL

— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) November 3, 2020

What that should make clear is that — despite exhortations for weeks now that Trump owns the chaos that has engulfed the country these last several months — the rioting and protests and general unrest are the purview of the left side of the political aisle. That’s not a surprise to anyone, even the lefties who say they think otherwise; in their quiet moments, if they’re capable of honesty with themselves, even they likely admit it. But it doesn’t stop them from attempting the spin.

YES we are preparing for riots. YES we think trump supporters are going to break into our houses and hurt us. YES we are afraid of what will happen if the wrong person learns we’re a democrat or realizes we’re not white. YES this is the America we live in.

— VOTE ⁷ TODAY (@KngKays) November 2, 2020

You can’t really blame them when the path is laid by beloved American icons like the great Michael Keaton, who straight up tells them that voting for Biden is the only way to end the chaos.

Actor @MichaelKeaton, a lifelong Pennsylvanian, made his closing pitch to the swing state's voters for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/JlDzAsKYZx

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 3, 2020

But it’s a silly argument. Everyone knows who’s been in the streets and why places like DC have been boarding up businesses the last few days. They’ve not been shy about it; quite the contrary, in fact. And their demands are simple: elect Joe Biden or we burn it down. It’s a mob tactic and a temper tantrum meant to hold the country hostage as the almost-inevitable vote-counting challenges take us past election day into God knows where. But despite the fact that everyone knows who’s been tearing the country apart, Trump and his supporters are still receiving the blame.

Living near DC is amazing except that the cheeto has divided up our country so much that there’s going to be riots in the streets no matter the outcome. My fiancé and I have talked about not going out together for the next week because as a lesbian couple we fear for our safety

— ⚢ (@anothergayyday) November 3, 2020

I FUCKING HATE MAGA. SO MUCH. FUCK!

— Broke Boy (@thebr0keb0i) October 31, 2020

And they justify it because — again, according to people with huge followings and some version of fame — Trump, they tell themselves in their fevered desire to win, is worth the destruction due to some imagined white supremacy and ethical failing.

As a white person, it is unacceptable for me to tell anyone of color how to vote, but I can remind anyone who supports Donald Trump that he is a white supremacist, and it is our responsibility as a society to stand up to white supremacy and say ‘NO MORE.’ https://t.co/uaDt0YBY5z

— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) October 31, 2020

But what’s wholly disheartening is that this group of people — who use threats and intimidation to win — believe it is the proper way of things. That these tactics are the movements of the side that is GOOD.

It took a lot to get me here. It took Trump, and 4 years of corruption, incompetence, division, immorality, greed, and a dissembling of the democratic ideals I believe in. Tomorrow, I’m a Republican for @JoeBiden, because I believe we need to make America GOOD again. #vote

— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) November 3, 2020

But that canard was put to rest pretty succinctly on twitter Tuesday:

"It's Trump's fault that the entire country is scared that if he wins my friends and I will burn this motherfucker down" is not the defense of character that you think it is.

— Noam Blum (@neontaster) November 3, 2020

The hope is that Americans are still of a stock that blanches at and rejects sanctimonious bullies, and votes just to prove they aren’t afraid and because they prefer a nation that resolves its differences with less violence and bedlam. The winner is not likely to be announced soon, unless there’s a blowout. And Biden has said he will posture himself the winner and address the nation as such if the news media (for Pete’s sake) declares him as such. So we’re almost assured a stressful post-election.

But it will have been worth it if we keep our heads and survive this foray into mob rule. We may lose some friends — which seems silly as well — but we’ll keep this grand American experiment going a bit longer.

No matter what the election outcome, keep the faith.