BOMBSHELL: Trump makes SHOCKING confession
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Donald Trump publicly stated that the federal government should take over state elections if states are perceived as unable to run 'honest' elections, framing states as 'agents' of the federal government.
- ❖Speaker Mike Johnson did not push back on Trump's idea but instead amplified unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in 'blue states' like California, citing extended ballot counting and mail-in ballots as problematic.
- ❖Constitutional lawyer Mark Elias asserts that Trump's claim of states being 'agents' of the federal government in elections is 'constitutional nonsense,' as states have explicit authority over election administration.
- ❖The hosts view Trump's and Johnson's statements as a deliberate attempt to undermine election integrity and prepare a narrative for challenging future election results, particularly in states where Republicans do not control vote counting.
- ❖Mark Elias's law firm is actively litigating against efforts to restrict voting rights and obtain private voter data, highlighting the ongoing legal defense of current election systems.
Insights
1Trump's Call for Federal Election Takeover
Donald Trump publicly stated that the federal government should intervene and take over state elections if he deems them 'horribly run' or 'crooked.' He characterized states as 'agents for the federal government in elections,' suggesting the federal government should step in to count votes if states cannot do so 'legally and honestly.'
Trump stated, 'If a state can't run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it... a state is an agent for the federal government in elections... If they can't count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over.'
2Speaker Mike Johnson's Support for Election Conspiracy Theories
When asked about Trump's desire to nationalize elections, Speaker Mike Johnson did not reject the idea. Instead, he expressed 'frustration' with 'blue states' for not enforcing election rules and propagated conspiracy theories about California's election process, specifically mentioning extended ballot counting and mail-in ballots as 'fraudulent' without proof.
Johnson stated, 'What you're hearing from the president is his frustration about the lack of some of the blue states frankly of enforcing these things... like in California, for example, I mean, they hold the elections open for weeks after election day... it looks on its face to be fraudulent. Can I prove that? No.'
3Constitutional Rebuttal to Federal Takeover Claims
Constitutional lawyer Mark Elias firmly refutes Trump's assertion that states are 'agents of the federal government' in elections. He emphasizes that the Constitution grants states the authority to set the 'time, place, and manner of elections,' with Congress having a potential legislative role but the President having no explicit role.
Mark Elias stated, 'The Constitution says that states have the authority to set the time, place, and manner of elections... It gives the president no role... Congress's job is if it believes that the state rules are not appropriate, Congress through legislation can pass voting rules.' He also called Trump's 'states are agents' claim 'constitutional nonsense.'
Lessons
- Subscribe to Democracy Docket to stay informed on election-related legal challenges and support Mark Elias's team's work in defending democratic processes.
- Educate yourself on the constitutional division of power regarding election administration, understanding the distinct roles of state and federal governments.
- Be aware of and critically evaluate claims of election fraud, especially those lacking specific evidence, as they can be used to undermine public confidence in democratic outcomes.
Quotes
"If a state can't run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it. Because, you know, if you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections. I don't know why the federal government doesn't do them anyway, but when you see some of these states about how horribly they run their elections, what a disgrace it is... If they can't count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over."
"Donald Trump is saying I'm really unpopular. And so our only chance is to not let anyone accurately count ballots. And we need to therefore take over the vote counting... in places where Republicans don't already control the vote counting process. And this, like I said, should be alarming everyone. This is a five alarm fire for democracy, pure and simple."
"The Constitution says that states have the authority to set the time, place, and manner of elections... It gives the president no role, like explicitly no role... Congress's job is if it believes that the state rules are not appropriate, Congress through legislation can pass voting rules."
"What you're hearing from the president is his frustration about the lack of some of the blue states frankly of enforcing these things and making sure that they are free and fair elections... like in California, for example, I mean, they hold the elections open for weeks after election day. That's just one thing that that bothers so many people... it looks on its face to be fraudulent. Can I prove that? No, because it happened so far upstream."
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