Donald Trump leaving office in January has done little to dissuaded his most ardent supporters who are willing to take up arms to ‘defend’ him. (CNN)

The right wing call to arms to ‘stop the steal’ is so lucrative that it will not be abandoned by either the media or politicians, both of whom have raked in millions since the election of last November. If the actors in this grim drama personally believe the lies is unclear but the damage to America’s democracy could not be less opaque, potentially lasting a generation or longer. The lies will continue to be repeated in the the right wing echo chamber if the untruths continue to generate donations that fill campaign coffers and the bank accounts of media moguls. Trump could not be happier.