Trump supporters wearing "make America great again" hats stand together in back of Vice President Mike Pence as he interviews with Fox news following a rally for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign in Gilford, NH on Sept. 22, 2020. (Photo: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Trump Keeps Telling Us How He and Republicans Plan to Steal This Election
Can we stop him and save our republic before it's too late?
Sep 23, 2020
Donald Trump became president by exploiting a loophole called the Electoral College. The majority of Americans did not want him or vote for him as president, but he's there anyway.
Now he's planning on using a different loophole, the 12th Amendment, to hang onto power.
"It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America."
Back in the election of 1876, the Democrat, Samuel Tilden, won both the Electoral College and the national popular vote. But four states claimed that occupying union troops were engaging in voter fraud, so they submitted electoral college slates for both candidates. With these competing Electoral College slates, neither candidate won the majority needed to take the Electoral College and become president.
As a result, the election got thrown to the State legislatures via the House of Representatives, and they chose the Republican who had lost the election, Rutherford B. Hayes, as president.
Donald Trump proclaimed, during a rally a few days ago, that he and the Republican Party are planning a very similar strategy, as I wrote about back in March of this year.
All nine swing states have Republican-controlled state legislatures, and the Constitution gives state legislatures the final say in what their Electoral College vote is. They have the ability to completely ignore how the election turned out, and simply choose any presidential candidate they want.
It's pretty clear now that the Republicans in those states are planning to do what Republicans did in 1876, and have their state legislatures direct their electoral vote for Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden may have won more votes in their states.
When this happens, Democrats will claim that Republicans are trying to steal the election, but Republicans will say they're simply doing what the law allows, just like happened in 1876 when Rutherford B Hayes lost the election but still ended up in the White House.
Democrats will then sue the Republicans, and the election will end up before the Supreme Court. Thus Trump, at another rally Tuesday night said that he needs one last vote on the Court who is loyal to him, who was appointed by him.
This is why Republicans are pushing so hard to get a Supreme Court nominee on the bench before November 3.
This election is now in our hands.
If we push hard enough on our senators, we may be able to stall or slow down Trump's plan to line up the Supreme Court to help him steal the election.
If we show up in large enough numbers to vote, particularly in-person voting and particularly in those nine swing states, and our vote is so overwhelming that nobody can deny that Trump lost, we will have a better defense in the court of public opinion against Trump's attempted theft.
It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America.
The fascists, neo-Nazis, and shills for right wing billionaires and foreign oligarchs are planning a full-scale theft of the American presidency.
We must stop them.
Go to IWillVote.com and make sure that Republicans have not removed your name from the voting rolls. Plan now to make sure your vote is counted.
This election may be the last chance to prevent America from sliding irretrievably into fascism. We must do everything we can to save our republic.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream" (2020); "The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America" (2019); and more than 25 other books in print.
Donald Trump became president by exploiting a loophole called the Electoral College. The majority of Americans did not want him or vote for him as president, but he's there anyway.
Now he's planning on using a different loophole, the 12th Amendment, to hang onto power.
"It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America."
Back in the election of 1876, the Democrat, Samuel Tilden, won both the Electoral College and the national popular vote. But four states claimed that occupying union troops were engaging in voter fraud, so they submitted electoral college slates for both candidates. With these competing Electoral College slates, neither candidate won the majority needed to take the Electoral College and become president.
As a result, the election got thrown to the State legislatures via the House of Representatives, and they chose the Republican who had lost the election, Rutherford B. Hayes, as president.
Donald Trump proclaimed, during a rally a few days ago, that he and the Republican Party are planning a very similar strategy, as I wrote about back in March of this year.
All nine swing states have Republican-controlled state legislatures, and the Constitution gives state legislatures the final say in what their Electoral College vote is. They have the ability to completely ignore how the election turned out, and simply choose any presidential candidate they want.
It's pretty clear now that the Republicans in those states are planning to do what Republicans did in 1876, and have their state legislatures direct their electoral vote for Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden may have won more votes in their states.
When this happens, Democrats will claim that Republicans are trying to steal the election, but Republicans will say they're simply doing what the law allows, just like happened in 1876 when Rutherford B Hayes lost the election but still ended up in the White House.
Democrats will then sue the Republicans, and the election will end up before the Supreme Court. Thus Trump, at another rally Tuesday night said that he needs one last vote on the Court who is loyal to him, who was appointed by him.
This is why Republicans are pushing so hard to get a Supreme Court nominee on the bench before November 3.
This election is now in our hands.
If we push hard enough on our senators, we may be able to stall or slow down Trump's plan to line up the Supreme Court to help him steal the election.
If we show up in large enough numbers to vote, particularly in-person voting and particularly in those nine swing states, and our vote is so overwhelming that nobody can deny that Trump lost, we will have a better defense in the court of public opinion against Trump's attempted theft.
It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America.
The fascists, neo-Nazis, and shills for right wing billionaires and foreign oligarchs are planning a full-scale theft of the American presidency.
We must stop them.
Go to IWillVote.com and make sure that Republicans have not removed your name from the voting rolls. Plan now to make sure your vote is counted.
This election may be the last chance to prevent America from sliding irretrievably into fascism. We must do everything we can to save our republic.
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is a talk-show host and the author of "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream" (2020); "The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America" (2019); and more than 25 other books in print.
Donald Trump became president by exploiting a loophole called the Electoral College. The majority of Americans did not want him or vote for him as president, but he's there anyway.
Now he's planning on using a different loophole, the 12th Amendment, to hang onto power.
"It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America."
Back in the election of 1876, the Democrat, Samuel Tilden, won both the Electoral College and the national popular vote. But four states claimed that occupying union troops were engaging in voter fraud, so they submitted electoral college slates for both candidates. With these competing Electoral College slates, neither candidate won the majority needed to take the Electoral College and become president.
As a result, the election got thrown to the State legislatures via the House of Representatives, and they chose the Republican who had lost the election, Rutherford B. Hayes, as president.
Donald Trump proclaimed, during a rally a few days ago, that he and the Republican Party are planning a very similar strategy, as I wrote about back in March of this year.
All nine swing states have Republican-controlled state legislatures, and the Constitution gives state legislatures the final say in what their Electoral College vote is. They have the ability to completely ignore how the election turned out, and simply choose any presidential candidate they want.
It's pretty clear now that the Republicans in those states are planning to do what Republicans did in 1876, and have their state legislatures direct their electoral vote for Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden may have won more votes in their states.
When this happens, Democrats will claim that Republicans are trying to steal the election, but Republicans will say they're simply doing what the law allows, just like happened in 1876 when Rutherford B Hayes lost the election but still ended up in the White House.
Democrats will then sue the Republicans, and the election will end up before the Supreme Court. Thus Trump, at another rally Tuesday night said that he needs one last vote on the Court who is loyal to him, who was appointed by him.
This is why Republicans are pushing so hard to get a Supreme Court nominee on the bench before November 3.
This election is now in our hands.
If we push hard enough on our senators, we may be able to stall or slow down Trump's plan to line up the Supreme Court to help him steal the election.
If we show up in large enough numbers to vote, particularly in-person voting and particularly in those nine swing states, and our vote is so overwhelming that nobody can deny that Trump lost, we will have a better defense in the court of public opinion against Trump's attempted theft.
It's come down to us. We are the last bulwark of democracy in America.
The fascists, neo-Nazis, and shills for right wing billionaires and foreign oligarchs are planning a full-scale theft of the American presidency.
We must stop them.
Go to IWillVote.com and make sure that Republicans have not removed your name from the voting rolls. Plan now to make sure your vote is counted.
This election may be the last chance to prevent America from sliding irretrievably into fascism. We must do everything we can to save our republic.
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