Thrilling Doc War Game Workshops the Plausibility of a Military Coup—on U.S. Soil, for Once
As the flames of division are stoked among citizens and politicians alike, some might find comfort in the fact that governmental checks and balances are being stress-tested and scrutinized ahead of what’s certain to be a highly-contested election result in November. This is precisely the goal of the War Game explored by doc heavyweights Jesse Moss (Boys State, Girls State) and Tony Gerber (Full Battle Rattle), who use unobtrusive long lenses to intimately peer into the petty squabbling and split-second decisions that could supposedly save American democracy from internal insurrection. What might quell the anxiety of some viewers will likely ignite incredulity among others, particularly as the simulation concludes a bit too cleanly for our current moment of extremist rhetoric and action.
Coordinated by the non-profit, non-partisan military veteran organization Vet Voices, the unscripted exercise takes place in the alarmingly near future, on January 6, 2025. As congress convenes to certify the presidential election results, a concerted faction of U.S. military troops, pledging fealty to a far-right movement dubbed the “Order of Columbus” (clearly taking inspiration from Oath Keepers and, obviously, the January 6, 2021 capital riots), decide to stage a coup instead of allowing for a peaceful transition of power. While the domestic crisis that unfolds is purely hypothetical, the scenarios and potential solutions are supposed to hew closely to what would occur in real life.
The game’s participants are predominantly officials who’ve previously held office across five different presidencies, with former Montana governor Steve Bullock assuming the role of Commander in Chief. Playing the roles of his closest confidants are former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp and former Alabama senator Doug Jones, who become increasingly pivotal to the plot as Bullock grapples with the prospect of invoking the Insurrection Act. Though the law has been enacted before by President Bush during the Los Angeles Riots and Waco siege, what’s particularly dicey this time around is that there’s no guarantee that the troops deployed to squash this unrest will even respond to presidential orders. “You don’t know which side your law enforcement partners are on,” offers Heitkamp with raised eyebrows.
As the bright red numbers on a prominent digital clock tick away, it appears that those playing for the insurrectionist team maintain a concerted upper hand. Playing these rogue militia leaders are Kristofer Goldsmith and Chris Jones, two veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “These threats are advancing in a way that the average American has no idea [about],” says Goldsmith about the very real possibility of a far-right coup. “Next January 6 is another inflection point. These insurrectionists have recognized that the certification of the next president is a vulnerability that can be exploited.” Through mock newscasts and social media posts, the Order of Columbus swiftly organizes against the election being “stolen” from the Trump-esque nominee, dubbed Robert Strickland in the game (and portrayed by actor Chris Coffey, rather than a politician). Soon, these players are able to take fictional hostages, a move that thoroughly rattles their opponents.