Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber discuss their documentary 'War Game' which simulates a post-election coup.
The film aims to prepare government officials for scenarios similar to or more severe than the January 6 Capitol riot.
The documentary features real-life former officials and military veterans in a high-stakes role-playing simulation.
The project serves as a warning about the fragility of the U.S. democratic process and the need for institutional resilience.
📖 Full Retelling
Documentary filmmakers Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber, accompanied by retired Marine Captain Janessa Goldbeck, appeared on the CBS News program 'The Takeout' on August 4, 2024, to discuss their new film 'War Game' and its exploration of how U.S. government officials must prepare for potential future insurrections or political coups in Washington, D.C. The discussion highlighted the film's premise, which features a bipartisan group of former senior officials participating in a sophisticated simulation of a contested election. This cinematic project serves as both a documentary and a cautionary exercise, designed to test the resilience of American democratic institutions against the backdrop of the heightened political tensions following the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The film features a fictional yet terrifyingly plausible scenario where a rogue element of the military joins forces with a losing presidential candidate to challenge the certification of election results. Moss and Gerber explained that the project was inspired by the real-world concerns of veterans and security experts who fear that the political polarization currently gripping the United States could lead to a systemic breakdown of the chain of command. By filming the simulation in real-time, the directors captured the high-stakes decision-making processes required to prevent domestic instability and maintain the peaceful transfer of power.
During the interview, Captain Janessa Goldbeck emphasized the critical role of military neutrality and the importance of preparing leaders for the specific psychological and logistical challenges of a modern coup attempt. The contributors noted that 'War Game' is intended to move beyond simple partisan discourse, focusing instead on the functional mechanics of government survival. As the 2024 election cycle approaches, the filmmakers argue that their work provides a necessary blueprint for identifying vulnerabilities in the Electoral Count Act and and the broader national security infrastructure, urging a proactive rather than reactive stance toward civil unrest.
Electoral integrity refers to the fairness of the entire voting process and how well the process protects against election subversion, voter suppression, and other threats to free and fair elections. The consequences of unfree or unfair elections can include doubts in the legitimacy of the outcome, ...
United States historic place and neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
# Capitol Hill
**Capitol Hill** is one of the most significant historic neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., serving as the seat of the United States federal government. It occupies portions of both the Northeast (NE) and Southeast (SE) quadrants of the city.
### Geography and Boundaries
The neighbo...
Documentary filmmakers Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber along with retired Marine Capt. Janessa Goldbeck discuss the storylines that inspired the documentary "War Game." The film focuses on how government officials can learn to be better prepared for a Jan. 6 type scenario or worse on Capitol Hill and across the nation.
