If you have been following the news from Myanmar, just remember that could have been the US.

Everyday we get news that the military in Myanmar killed X number of people and violated human rights (Link: 1) . The world condemns the Myanmar's military's actions (Link: 2), and of course the normal reaction would be to condemn the killing of civilians.

The legitimacy of the election is no longer the concern once people are on the streets protesting. People react first before they think. Once the narrative is set, it would be hard to reverse it. You'd have riots and economic shutdown, again after COVID, think what that would do to the US.

If the Military took the power directly, there would have been violent protests. Any action taken to control the protest could have resulted in many deaths and injuries., civil war and chaos that ultimately doesn't benefit the people.

Just a perspective from an outsider.