Once and future coups: 2024 could be the last gasp for American democracy, assuming Trump completes the John Eastman plan to steal it.
“With respect, you haven’t produced the hard evidence,” Morgan said of Trump’s claims as the former president attempted to interject.
Trump: “I don’t think you’re real,”
Former President Donald Trump blasted Piers Morgan as “very dishonest” while walking out of an interview with the TV presenter and Post columnist after being pressed on his claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election due to voter fraud.
The 45th president became increasingly frustrated with Morgan’s questions, at one point calling him a “fool,” according to clips of the sit down.
“I think I’m a very honest man … much more honest than you, actually,” Trump said at one point.
“Really?” Morgan asked.
“Yeah,” Trump responded.
Elsewhere, Morgan told Trump the 2020 vote “was a free and fair election. You lost.”
“Only a fool would think that,” Trump shot back.
“You think I’m a fool?” Morgan retorted.
“I do now, yeah,” Trump responded.
[...]
Describing the experience in a Thursday column for The Post, Morgan revealed he also told the former president that he blamed Trump’s refusal to admit defeat for the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
nypost.com/...
As the 2000 election went into recounts and state Supreme Court battles in FL, the Republican Party was very concerned that Gore might win, and they threw the kitchen sink at stopping it.
SCOTUS eventually stepped in, overriding the FL Supreme Court to stop the count.
But...
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... if SCOTUS had not stepped in, the FL Republican Party was preparing to invalidate the results of the election.
On November 29, they invited speakers to a hearing, where they discussed the possibility of an 'alternate' slate of electors.
And they brought in a ringer.
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At the Nov 29 hearing, citizens urged legislators not to hold a special session. Several lawyers warned that legislative selection of presidential electors would set a dangerous Constitutional precedent.
The GOP-controlled legislature saved the final word for John Eastman.
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Eastman, when asked for his credentials to weigh in on the Electoral College, didn't need to be very convincing.
"The Electoral College is part of that structural foundation... um... that is part of the underlying principle and theory of our whole constitutional system. Um.
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After a lackluster introduction, Eastman begins his hard sell, condescending to the lawmakers, explaining that this is uncharted territory, and they must be nervous, but not to worry, because he was there to let them know they were more powerful than the Supreme Court.
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Interestingly, Eastman cited McPherson v. Blacker, implying that it provides precedent for everything that he was about to tell them that day.
Of course, that isn't true.
It did confirm the plenary power, but that wasn't the argument he was there to make.
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While McPherson did affirm that state legislatures have full control (plenary power) over how the state decides to choose its electors, it absolutely does not state that they can suddenly and unilaterally decide to change those electors in the middle of an election.
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Eastman's arguments to justify this scheme have no merit - and they never had any merit.
Of course, he knew this even in 2000, which is why he used bluster and a barrage of confusing jargon in an attempt to pave the way for the scheme to proceed under color of authority.
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Eastman closed his blustery statement that day by forcefully telling the FL legislature that no one could stop them from what they wanted to do with their state electors, because they had a plenary 'judging ability' in all matters elector-related.
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This may seem like ancient history, but it is important - for at least two reasons.
First...
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It tells us that the Republican Party's contempt for democracy has nothing to do with Trump - and so it will remain even after he is gone.
David Frum - George W. Bush's speechwriter tried to tell us this in 2018. He would know.
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
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Secondly, it gives us more insight into what Eastman - and Republican Party organs - are still doing today.
Only a month ago, Eastman was in Wisconsin, pushing legislators to use their 'power' to declare that the election was "illegally certified."
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And like in FL in 2000, the GOP threw the kitchen sink at 2020.
The fraudulent electors scheme was only one piece - and that was Eastman’s baby.
He led them to believe it would work, and people are likely going to face prison time for it.
He needs to prove he was “right.”
Addendum - adding links for sources that weren't already included inline.
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