theguardian--2020-12-24--'Voting is a celebration': the groups mobilizing voters ahead of Georgia’s runoffs

The state of Georgia made history this past November during the 2020 presidential election , when it turned from a red state to a blue state , the first time in over 20 years .
After Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by more than 12,000 votes in the state , many took a closer look at the groundswell of activists who had helped engage and educate Georgia voters .
Multiple profiles of Stacey Abrams , the gubernatorial candidate who has mobilized voters to combat voter suppression , and Black Voters Matter , splashed across media headlines .
But behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on all cylinders , too .
Now , with a heated Senate runoff on 5 January -- one that will determine which party takes control of Congress – many are wondering if the ground game will remain strong .
These groups are working hard to make sure it does : The Georgia Coalition for the People ’ s Agenda ( People ’ s Agenda ) Founded by the late Ccivil rights leader Joseph E Lowery , the organization performs year-round voter registration , education and mobilization in Black communities throughout Georgia and works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south-eastern states .
Headquartered in Atlanta , the People ’ s Agenda has offices throughout the state of Georgia and covers more than 53 Georgia counties statewide .
“ We work 365 days a year registering people to vote and educating them on the candidates running for office .
We hold forums and town hall meetings and have been doing phone and text banks to inform Georgia citizens about voter registration and the voting process .
We want people to know that the voting process is easy and transparent , ” said Butler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of the group ’ s work is being done remotely due to Covid-19 .
Organizing , registering people to vote and even requesting absentee ballots is done online .
But some outreach continues in person .
Members have been working with churches and community leaders in each of the cities where offices are located .
Volunteers are canvassing door to door , following social distancing guidelines , handing out free literature and getting people registered .
The group is also giving citizens rides to the polls and making sure that there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Protection Program .
There are monitors at polling locations to speak on problems and issues in real time , according to Butler .
“ Decisions about unemployment , healthcare , the economic stimulus , and utilities in rural areas is determined by these two Senate seats , ” explained Butler .
“ Currently the Senate is held up and has not acted on the George Floyd Criminal Justice Reform Act , or the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act , or the Cares Act .
“ We don ’ t tell people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not endorsing any candidates , but we tell them why it ’ s important , ” Butler said .
“ The election is not over .
We are alerting people to vote again .
The Black Women ’ s Roundtable works in states with large Black populations , building leaders and encouraging them to run for office in their communities and is an extension of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation .
The organization is an intergenerational coalition of Black women who are civil rights leaders , corporate leaders and elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns for Black women , including healthcare , racism and injustice .
Felicia Davis , head of the roundtable in Georgia ’ s Clayton county , said she is working hard to get people registered to vote .
Her group is mobilizing and educating voters through door to door canvassing , hoping to get people to early vote and to keep people motivated throughout Covid-19 and the holiday season , to ensure they vote in the January run-off .
“ This year we lost Dr Lowery , Rev CT Vivian and Congressman John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacrifices played a key role in the passing of the Voting Rights Act .
Their memory fuels our resolve , ” said Davis .
“ Our part right now is to vote .
When we show up , we always win.
” The Transformative Justice Coalition , a non-partisan group , fights for solutions that address racial injustice and result in systemic change and dismantling structures of white supremacy .
Most of the work is in voting rights , not just during elections , but year-round .
Barbara Arnwine , the founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington DC but works closely with the People ’ s Agenda to mobilize , educate and register voters .
“ Georgia has an ugly history of purging voters , ” said Arnwine .
“ Voting isn ’ t just about elections , but political accountability .
We have built up good relationships , working together to battle southern suppression in Georgia and other states in the south and have trained over 100 people to be voting rights activists.
” Starting 14 December , the first day of early voting , the Transformative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Votercades , car caravans/marches getting people excited about voting .
The Votercade is a three- to five-block caravan of cars with voting signs , 14ft banners and loud speakers and megaphones , making people aware that it is time to vote .
There is music , dance , food and also a moment of silence where participants take a knee to remember those killed by police .
There will be 15 Votercades throughout Georgia , including the week of 14-19 December .
“ The Votercades are attention grabbing , joyous , infectious marches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these marches to encourage people to vote early , ” said Arnwine .
“ We believe voting is a celebration , not something people endure .
We are giving people support and are committed to going everywhere there are voters.
” The Rev Jared Sawyer , co-coordinator of the Georgia Black Youth Vote , is also doing his part to mobilize young Georgia voters by engaging and training community advocates and young professionals aged 18-30 , getting them fully involved in the voting process .
This includes a statewide media campaign and online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The right to vote is sacred , ” said Sawyer .
We are preparing voters for the run-off and getting people excited about the election.
” This group is touring throughout the state of Georgia and also hosting Votercade caravans and are canvassing to prepare young voters for the runoff election .
The goal is to educate young people about voting and public policy .
Sawyer was called to train a new generation of civic leaders and political activists and is calling on others to serve their communities .
The group is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people about the runoff election , encouraging them to vote early .
“ As long as we are as proactive as we ’ re being , people will get out and vote .
The Black youth vote helped push Georgia blue , ” said Sawyer .
“ It inspired people and they realized that it ’ s possible .
Young people believed their voices count , not just in the streets , but at the ballot box .
We are encouraging people to vote early .
I believe there will be a strong @ @ @ @

The state of Georgia made history this past November during the 2020 presidential election, when it turned from a red state to a blue state, the first time in over 20 years.
After Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by more than 12,000 votes in the state, many took a closer look at the groundswell of activists who had helped engage and educate Georgia voters. Multiple profiles of Stacey Abrams, the gubernatorial candidate who has mobilized voters to combat voter suppression, and Black Voters Matter, splashed across media headlines. But behind the scenes, other groups have been operating on all cylinders, too. Now, with a heated Senate runoff on 5 January -- one that will determine which party takes control of Congress – many are wondering if the ground game will remain strong.
These groups are working hard to make sure it does:
The Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda (People’s Agenda)
Founded by the late Ccivil rights leader Joseph E Lowery, the organization performs year-round voter registration, education and mobilization in Black communities throughout Georgia and works to support and establish state coalitions in south-eastern states. Headquartered in Atlanta, the People’s Agenda has offices throughout the state of Georgia and covers more than 53 Georgia counties statewide.
“We work 365 days a year registering people to vote and educating them on the candidates running for office. We hold forums and town hall meetings and have been doing phone and text banks to inform Georgia citizens about voter registration and the voting process. We want people to know that the voting process is easy and transparent,” said Butler.
Like most other outreach organizations, much of the group’s work is being done remotely due to Covid-19. Organizing, registering people to vote and even requesting absentee ballots is done online.
But some outreach continues in person. Members have been working with churches and community leaders in each of the cities where offices are located. Volunteers are canvassing door to door, following social distancing guidelines, handing out free literature and getting people registered. The group is also giving citizens rides to the polls and making sure that there are no indications of voter suppression through their Election Protection Program. There are monitors at polling locations to speak on problems and issues in real time, according to Butler.
“Decisions about unemployment, healthcare, the economic stimulus, and utilities in rural areas is determined by these two Senate seats,” explained Butler. “Currently the Senate is held up and has not acted on the George Floyd Criminal Justice Reform Act, or the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, or the Cares Act.
“We don’t tell people who to vote for and we’re not endorsing any candidates, but we tell them why it’s important,” Butler said. “The election is not over. We are alerting people to vote again.
Clayton county’s Black Women’s Roundtable
The Black Women’s Roundtable works in states with large Black populations, building leaders and encouraging them to run for office in their communities and is an extension of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. The organization is an intergenerational coalition of Black women who are civil rights leaders, corporate leaders and elected officials. They organize around issues of concerns for Black women, including healthcare, racism and injustice.
Felicia Davis, head of the roundtable in Georgia’s Clayton county, said she is working hard to get people registered to vote. Her group is mobilizing and educating voters through door to door canvassing, hoping to get people to early vote and to keep people motivated throughout Covid-19 and the holiday season, to ensure they vote in the January run-off.
“This year we lost Dr Lowery, Rev CT Vivian and Congressman John Lewis, three civil rights heroes whose sacrifices played a key role in the passing of the Voting Rights Act. Their memory fuels our resolve,” said Davis. “Our part right now is to vote. When we show up, we always win.”
Transformative Justice Coalition
The Transformative Justice Coalition, a non-partisan group, fights for solutions that address racial injustice and result in systemic change and dismantling structures of white supremacy. Most of the work is in voting rights, not just during elections, but year-round.
Barbara Arnwine, the founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, is based in Washington DC but works closely with the People’s Agenda to mobilize, educate and register voters.
Voting isn’t just about elections, but political accountability Barbara Arnwine
“Georgia has an ugly history of purging voters,” said Arnwine. “Voting isn’t just about elections, but political accountability. We have built up good relationships, working together to battle southern suppression in Georgia and other states in the south and have trained over 100 people to be voting rights activists.”
Starting 14 December, the first day of early voting, the Transformative Justice Coalition will organize what they call Votercades, car caravans/marches getting people excited about voting. The Votercade is a three- to five-block caravan of cars with voting signs, 14ft banners and loud speakers and megaphones, making people aware that it is time to vote. There is music, dance, food and also a moment of silence where participants take a knee to remember those killed by police. There will be 15 Votercades throughout Georgia, including the week of 14-19 December.
“The Votercades are attention grabbing, joyous, infectious marches to the polls. We are doing these marches to encourage people to vote early,” said Arnwine. “We believe voting is a celebration, not something people endure. We are giving people support and are committed to going everywhere there are voters.”
Georgia Black Youth Vote
The Rev Jared Sawyer, co-coordinator of the Georgia Black Youth Vote, is also doing his part to mobilize young Georgia voters by engaging and training community advocates and young professionals aged 18-30, getting them fully involved in the voting process. This includes a statewide media campaign and online services that focus on voter registration.
“The right to vote is sacred,” said Sawyer. We are preparing voters for the run-off and getting people excited about the election.”
This group is touring throughout the state of Georgia and also hosting Votercade caravans and are canvassing to prepare young voters for the runoff election. The goal is to educate young people about voting and public policy. Sawyer was called to train a new generation of civic leaders and political activists and is calling on others to serve their communities. The group is phone banking and text banking to inform people about the runoff election, encouraging them to vote early.
“As long as we are as proactive as we’re being, people will get out and vote. The Black youth vote helped push Georgia blue,” said Sawyer. “It inspired people and they realized that it’s possible. Young people believed their voices count, not just in the streets, but at the ballot box. We are encouraging people to vote early. I believe there will be a strong voter turnout.”


theguardian--2020-12-24--Has Donald Trump finally split the Republican party?

After four years of norm-shattering rule , Donald Trump appears close to doing the one thing observers have long predicted but that has not yet come to pass : splitting the Republican party .
With Trump staring at the prospect of only a few more weeks in the White House , significant segments of the party are finally breaking with a president to whom they have hitherto displayed almost unwavering loyalty .
Furthermore , Trump ’ s stoking of division in his own party has even succeeded in uniting warring factions among his opponents .
Responding on Wednesday night to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veto the $ 900bn Covid relief and stimulus bill , Democratic leaders and members of the progressive House “ Squad ” – otherwise at each other ’ s throats – welcomed Trump ’ s demand for increased direct payments to individual Americans .
Somewhere on Capitol Hill , presumably , Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell buried his head in his hands .
Predictions that Trump will wreck and split the Republican party have been rife since 2015 , when he wrecked and split – and won – the race for the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and an official split will be a surprise , it has now descended into internecine strife , Trump loyalists fighting for the lost cause of a second term while others seek to adjust to life back in opposition .
Trump maintains a strong hold on the hard-right Republican base , on a large part of the House delegation who owe their seats to that base and on influential senators .
The penalty for apostasy is clear : a primary from the right or , as rumour has it in the case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge from Trump ’ s own daughter .
But in contrast to the zeal of the Maga-fuelled legions , in the Senate the party establishment has now rejected Trump ’ s increasingly wild attempts to hold on to power while negotiating the Covid deal which stoked Tuesday night ’ s extraordinary display of presidential petulance from the White House podium .
In his video message , Trump bemoaned spending commitments in the relief deal and demanded Congress “ send me a suitable bill , or else the next administration will have to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that administration will be me.
” It won ’ t , even if Trump ’ s allies in the House and Senate go through with planned challenges to the electoral college result in Congress on 6 January .
Democrats who control the House will ensure the result is certified there , while McConnell and his deputies assure passage in the Senate .
But if such challenges can only be performative , they will be politically beneficial for everyone except the Republican establishment which will help to beat them down .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention the vicious fire he and his allies have directed at McConnell since the senator recognised Joe Biden ’ s win , is damaging the president ’ s own party .
A day before the electoral college result is certified , two run-off elections in Georgia will decide control of the Senate .
Early voting has started .
Seeking to hold on to the party ’ s best hope of thwarting Biden ’ s agenda , McConnell needs a united front .
Such is Trump ’ s refusal to accept party discipline or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Georgia ’ s two sitting senators , Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , have thrown in their lots with Trump .
That means supporting his claim the presidential election was rigged , which the party establishment fears could suppress Republican turnout .
On CNN last weekend , the Utah senator and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney , a frequent Trump critic , was asked if he “ still recognised the Republican party ” .
“ The party has taken a different course than obviously the one that I knew as a younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his Republican party stood for leading abroad while “ balancing the budget ” at home .
“ And we believed that character was essential in the leaders that we chose .
We ’ ve strayed from that .
I don ’ t see us returning to that for a long time.
” The remark about character was pointed .
Romney went on to describe a battle to succeed Trump at the top of the party that promises to be as life was to Thomas Hobbes : nasty and brutish , if long-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the 2024 contenders , ” Romney said , “ most of them are trying to become as much like Donald Trump as they can be .
Although I must admit that his style and schtick , if you will , is difficult to duplicate.
” Of necessity , ambitious senators such as Josh Hawley of Missouri , Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas would have taken that as a compliment – but also a warning .
Trump is reportedly likely to announce his own candidacy for 2024 not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I represent a very small slice of the Republican party today , ” Romney continued , “ but you know everybody has to stand up for what they believe .
And I believe my colleagues are doing what they think is right.
” For some Republicans , Trump has already proven too much .
Outside Congress , the Never Trumpers of the Lincoln Project , the Bulwark and other groups fought for Biden while former Republican voters helped turn Georgia and Arizona blue .
Inside Congress , a few have taken a stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retire but two House members from Michigan , Justin Amash last year and Paul Mitchell this , found the courage to publicly leave their party .
Such numbers are small .
The party remains in one piece .
Whether it stays so remains to be seen .
In the brewing fight , those ranged against Trump are not ready to quit .
Writing for the Washington Post in November , long before Trump ’ s refusal to concede defeat mutated into considerations of martial law , the conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the Democratic party , the Anti-Democracy Trump party and the Pro-Democracy Republican party.
” Rubin advocated a bipartisan effort to restore balance , writing : “ Once the Anti-Democracy Trump party is marginalised we might have functional government again .
The Democratic party and the Pro-Democracy Republican party should put their heads together and devise a strategy to bring that about – quickly , and certainly before 2024.
” Romney has disappointed Democrats before , not least over the appointment of supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett .
But he seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think I ’ m more effective in the Republican party , continuing to battle for the things I believe in , ” he said , when asked if he would leave .
“ I think ultimately the Republican party will return to the roots that have been formed over the last century .
“ Hopefully people will recognise we need to take a different course than the one we ’ re on right now .
”

After four years of norm-shattering rule, Donald Trump appears close to doing the one thing observers have long predicted but that has not yet come to pass: splitting the Republican party.
With Trump staring at the prospect of only a few more weeks in the White House, significant segments of the party are finally breaking with a president to whom they have hitherto displayed almost unwavering loyalty. Furthermore, Trump’s stoking of division in his own party has even succeeded in uniting warring factions among his opponents.
Responding on Wednesday night to the president’s bombshell threat to veto the $900bn Covid relief and stimulus bill, Democratic leaders and members of the progressive House “Squad” – otherwise at each other’s throats – welcomed Trump’s demand for increased direct payments to individual Americans.
“Let’s do it!” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“We can pass $2k checks this week,” wrote Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Somewhere on Capitol Hill, presumably, Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell buried his head in his hands.
‘Send me a suitable bill, or else’
Predictions that Trump will wreck and split the Republican party have been rife since 2015, when he wrecked and split – and won – the race for the presidential nomination. While the party remains whole, and an official split will be a surprise, it has now descended into internecine strife, Trump loyalists fighting for the lost cause of a second term while others seek to adjust to life back in opposition.
Trump maintains a strong hold on the hard-right Republican base, on a large part of the House delegation who owe their seats to that base and on influential senators. The penalty for apostasy is clear: a primary from the right or, as rumour has it in the case of the Florida senator Marco Rubio, a challenge from Trump’s own daughter.
But in contrast to the zeal of the Maga-fuelled legions, in the Senate the party establishment has now rejected Trump’s increasingly wild attempts to hold on to power while negotiating the Covid deal which stoked Tuesday night’s extraordinary display of presidential petulance from the White House podium.
In his video message, Trump bemoaned spending commitments in the relief deal and demanded Congress “send me a suitable bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid relief package. And maybe that administration will be me.”
It won’t, even if Trump’s allies in the House and Senate go through with planned challenges to the electoral college result in Congress on 6 January. Democrats who control the House will ensure the result is certified there, while McConnell and his deputies assure passage in the Senate.
But if such challenges can only be performative, they will be politically beneficial for everyone except the Republican establishment which will help to beat them down. Trump’s refusal to accept defeat, not to mention the vicious fire he and his allies have directed at McConnell since the senator recognised Joe Biden’s win, is damaging the president’s own party.
A day before the electoral college result is certified, two run-off elections in Georgia will decide control of the Senate. Early voting has started. Seeking to hold on to the party’s best hope of thwarting Biden’s agenda, McConnell needs a united front. Such is Trump’s refusal to accept party discipline or political reality, that has become impossible.
Georgia’s two sitting senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, have thrown in their lots with Trump. That means supporting his claim the presidential election was rigged, which the party establishment fears could suppress Republican turnout.
‘A different course’
On CNN last weekend, the Utah senator and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, a frequent Trump critic, was asked if he “still recognised the Republican party”.
“The party has taken a different course than obviously the one that I knew as a younger person,” Romney said, adding that his Republican party stood for leading abroad while “balancing the budget” at home.
“And we believed that character was essential in the leaders that we chose. We’ve strayed from that. I don’t see us returning to that for a long time.”
The remark about character was pointed. Romney went on to describe a battle to succeed Trump at the top of the party that promises to be as life was to Thomas Hobbes: nasty and brutish, if long-term rather than short.
“As I look at the 2024 contenders,” Romney said, “most of them are trying to become as much like Donald Trump as they can be. Although I must admit that his style and schtick, if you will, is difficult to duplicate.”
Of necessity, ambitious senators such as Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas would have taken that as a compliment – but also a warning. Trump is reportedly likely to announce his own candidacy for 2024 not long after removal from office.
“I represent a very small slice of the Republican party today,” Romney continued, “but you know everybody has to stand up for what they believe. And I believe my colleagues are doing what they think is right.”
For some Republicans, Trump has already proven too much.
The party remains in one piece. Whether it stays so remains to be seen
Outside Congress, the Never Trumpers of the Lincoln Project, the Bulwark and other groups fought for Biden while former Republican voters helped turn Georgia and Arizona blue. Inside Congress, a few have taken a stand. The common way out is to retire but two House members from Michigan, Justin Amash last year and Paul Mitchell this, found the courage to publicly leave their party.
Such numbers are small. The party remains in one piece. Whether it stays so remains to be seen. In the brewing fight, those ranged against Trump are not ready to quit.
Writing for the Washington Post in November, long before Trump’s refusal to concede defeat mutated into considerations of martial law, the conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin said the US effectively has “three parties now: the Democratic party, the Anti-Democracy Trump party and the Pro-Democracy Republican party.”
Rubin advocated a bipartisan effort to restore balance, writing: “Once the Anti-Democracy Trump party is marginalised we might have functional government again. The Democratic party and the Pro-Democracy Republican party should put their heads together and devise a strategy to bring that about – quickly, and certainly before 2024.”
Romney has disappointed Democrats before, not least over the appointment of supreme court justice Amy Coney Barrett. But he seems to be up for the fight.
“I think I’m more effective in the Republican party, continuing to battle for the things I believe in,” he said, when asked if he would leave. “I think ultimately the Republican party will return to the roots that have been formed over the last century.
“Hopefully people will recognise we need to take a different course than the one we’re on right now.”


theguardian--2020-12-24--Donald Trump expected to grant more pardons to allies in frenzied final month

Donald Trump is expected to grant further waves of audacious pardons for allies and supporters – possibly even for himself – in a frenzied final month as US president .
Trump caused revulsion at home and abroad with dozens of pardons that included on Tuesday four former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead .
On Wednesday the slew of pardons included close political allies such as Roger Stone and Trump ’ s former campaign manager Paul Manafort as well as Charles Kushner , the father of his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pardons of Manafort and Stone rewarded two of the most notorious of Trump ’ s former advisers , both of whom were convicted of crimes after being indicted by the special counsel Robert Mueller , who investigated Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign .
Critics warned that the flood of pardons is still likely only the beginning .
In the waning weeks of his presidency , Trump is said to be considering further interventions on behalf of aides , friends and family members he believes have been unfairly jailed , indicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardons on Tuesday also included two men convicted as a result of a special counsel investigation into Trump ’ s ties with Russia , three corrupt former Republican congressmen and , perhaps most controversially , four security guards employed by a private security company in Iraq .
Nicholas Slatten , Paul Slough , Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were all serving lengthy prison sentences .
Prosecutors alleged the men launched an unprovoked attack in a busy traffic circle using sniper fire , machine guns and grenade launchers in September 2007 in Baghdad ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act of clemency as a betrayal by western allies .
Ali Bayati of Iraq ’ s Human Rights Commission told the AFP news agency : “ The latest decision confirms these countries ’ violations of human rights and international law .
They grant immunity to their soldiers even as they claim to protect human rights.
” Critics in the US pointed out that the four men worked for Blackwater , which was founded by Erik Prince , one of Trump ’ s longtime supporters and allies .
Prince is the brother of Betsy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shamsi , the director of the American Civil Liberties Union ’ s national security project , said the shootings caused “ devastation in Iraq , shame and horror in the United States , and a worldwide scandal .
President Trump insults the memory of the Iraqi victims and further degrades his office with this action ” .
There were also pardons for three Republican congressmen , including the first two to endorse Trump ’ s presidential campaign in 2016 .
Duncan Hunter pleaded guilty last year to misusing campaign funds and was sentenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Collins pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to commit securities fraud and making false statements to the FBI and is serving his 26-month sentence .
The president also granted clemency to George Papadopoulos , a former campaign aide who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about the timing and significance of his contacts with people who claimed to have ties to top Russian officials .
He also pardoned Alex van der Zwaan , who was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $ 20,000 for lying to Mueller ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trump ’ s 2016 campaign .
Trump has issued divisive pardons before , including for his former national security adviser Michael Flynn , who also admitted lying to the FBI , but Tuesday ’ s batch were seen as crossing a new moral line and drew sharp rebukes .
Noah Bookbinder , the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington , said : “ There have been many shameful , craven displays of Donald Trump using the presidency to benefit himself and his cronies , but there may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Democratic National Committee said in a statement : “ Christmas came early for convicted criminals with personal ties to Trump and who serve his political interests.
” The pardons came as Trump hurtles into his final four weeks in office , eager to test the loyalty of Republican allies .
He upset the apple cart again on Tuesday by threatening to derail a $ 900bn coronavirus relief package that Congress had spent months negotiating , demanding payments of $ 2,000 to American citizens instead of the $ 600 agreed .
Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election when Congress convenes to ratify the results of the electoral college on 6 January .
Democrat Adam Schiff , the chair of the House intelligence committee , told CNN that Trump ’ s pardons convey a typically transactional message : “ If you lie for me , if you ’ re loyal to me , I will abuse my power to protect you.
” Trump is not the first president to exploit what can seem an anachronistic power of the presidency .
On his last day in office , Bill Clinton pardoned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tax evasion and illegal trading , in what a New York Times editorial called “ a shocking abuse of presidential power ” .
But Trump has gone further : around nine in 10 of the pardons he has granted have been for individuals who can claim personal ties to him or to offer him political gain .
Few observers doubt that there are more to come , possibly including pre-emptive ones for himself – the constitutionality of which would be hotly disputed – and his family .
Allan Lichtman , a history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : “ Trump has already broken so many American traditions that I ’ m not sure what he does with pardons will stick or establish a precedent for future presidents .
I don ’ t think Biden , for example , is going to follow any Trump precedent .
”

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Donald Trump is expected to grant further waves of audacious pardons for allies and supporters – possibly even for himself – in a frenzied final month as US president.
Trump caused revulsion at home and abroad with dozens of pardons that included on Tuesday four former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead. On Wednesday the slew of pardons included close political allies such as Roger Stone and Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort as well as Charles Kushner, the father of his own son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner.
The pardons of Manafort and Stone rewarded two of the most notorious of Trump’s former advisers, both of whom were convicted of crimes after being indicted by the special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.
Critics warned that the flood of pardons is still likely only the beginning. In the waning weeks of his presidency, Trump is said to be considering further interventions on behalf of aides, friends and family members he believes have been unfairly jailed, indicted or put in legal jeopardy.
The pardons on Tuesday also included two men convicted as a result of a special counsel investigation into Trump’s ties with Russia, three corrupt former Republican congressmen and, perhaps most controversially, four security guards employed by a private security company in Iraq.
Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were all serving lengthy prison sentences. Prosecutors alleged the men launched an unprovoked attack in a busy traffic circle using sniper fire, machine guns and grenade launchers in September 2007 in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square.
Iraqis condemned the act of clemency as a betrayal by western allies. Ali Bayati of Iraq’s Human Rights Commission told the AFP news agency: “The latest decision confirms these countries’ violations of human rights and international law. They grant immunity to their soldiers even as they claim to protect human rights.”
Critics in the US pointed out that the four men worked for Blackwater, which was founded by Erik Prince, one of Trump’s longtime supporters and allies. Prince is the brother of Betsy DeVos, the education secretary.
Hina Shamsi, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s national security project, said the shootings caused “devastation in Iraq, shame and horror in the United States, and a worldwide scandal. President Trump insults the memory of the Iraqi victims and further degrades his office with this action”.
There were also pardons for three Republican congressmen, including the first two to endorse Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. Duncan Hunter pleaded guilty last year to misusing campaign funds and was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment. Chris Collins pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to commit securities fraud and making false statements to the FBI and is serving his 26-month sentence.
The president also granted clemency to George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about the timing and significance of his contacts with people who claimed to have ties to top Russian officials.
Trump pardoned the former congressman Duncan Hunter. Photograph: Denis Poroy/AP
He also pardoned Alex van der Zwaan, who was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000 for lying to Mueller’s investigators about contacts with an official in Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Trump has issued divisive pardons before, including for his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who also admitted lying to the FBI, but Tuesday’s batch were seen as crossing a new moral line and drew sharp rebukes.
Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said: “There have been many shameful, craven displays of Donald Trump using the presidency to benefit himself and his cronies, but there may not be any worse than these pardons.”
The Democratic National Committee said in a statement: “Christmas came early for convicted criminals with personal ties to Trump and who serve his political interests.”
The pardons came as Trump hurtles into his final four weeks in office, eager to test the loyalty of Republican allies. He upset the apple cart again on Tuesday by threatening to derail a $900bn coronavirus relief package that Congress had spent months negotiating, demanding payments of $2,000 to American citizens instead of the $600 agreed.
President Trump insults the memory of the Iraqi victims and further degrades his office with this action Hina Shamsi
Trump is also pushing Republicans to overturn the presidential election when Congress convenes to ratify the results of the electoral college on 6 January. Democrat Adam Schiff, the chair of the House intelligence committee, told CNN that Trump’s pardons convey a typically transactional message: “If you lie for me, if you’re loyal to me, I will abuse my power to protect you.”
Trump is not the first president to exploit what can seem an anachronistic power of the presidency. On his last day in office, Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, a commodities trader accused of tax evasion and illegal trading, in what a New York Times editorial called “a shocking abuse of presidential power”.
But Trump has gone further: around nine in 10 of the pardons he has granted have been for individuals who can claim personal ties to him or to offer him political gain. Few observers doubt that there are more to come, possibly including pre-emptive ones for himself – the constitutionality of which would be hotly disputed – and his family.
Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University in Washington, said: “Trump has already broken so many American traditions that I’m not sure what he does with pardons will stick or establish a precedent for future presidents. I don’t think Biden, for example, is going to follow any Trump precedent.”


theguardian--2020-12-24--Environmental groups hail Covid relief bill – but more needs to be done

Joe Biden ’ s pledge to make the climate emergency a top priority of his administration from day one has received a major boost from the $ 900bn Covid-19 relief bill that cleared Congress this week and now awaits Donald Trump ’ s signature .
The president has demanded changes but nonetheless the package has been hailed by environmental groups as an important move towards re-engaging the US with international efforts to tackle the climate crisis and move towards a clean energy future .
“ The bill contains some truly historic provisions that represent the most significant climate legislation passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Sam Ricketts , co-founder of Evergreen Action .
The Sierra Club , an environmental group which operates in all 50 states , expressed a sigh of relief that Republican intransigence , led by the president and Mitch McConnell in the Senate , had finally been overcome .
Kirin Kennedy , the group ’ s deputy legislative director , expressed confidence that the bill would contribute towards “ addressing major sources of pollution , growing clean energy , and making progress across government agencies to advance climate action ” .
But she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of work still to do to , in the president-elect ’ s phrase , “ build back better ” .
Kennedy said that meant “ investing in clean , renewable energy that can power communities , not saddling them with false solutions or pollution for decades to come ” .
Set against the time-critical nature of the climate crisis and the need for immediate action to curb pollution and switch to renewable energies , the relief bill falls short both in the scale and ambition of its commitments .
“ Is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment ?
The short answer is plainly no – the package is smaller than we ’ ve called for and certainly smaller than the science demands , ” Ricketts said .
But contained in the bill are a number of provisions that represent a clear advance in the US stance on the climate crisis , at the end of four years of Trump administration attacks on environmental protections .
By the far the most significant of those advances is the commitment to phase out hydrofluorocarbons , HFCs , which are widely used as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars .
Under the terms of the relief bill , most HFC use would end by 2035 .
The overall global impact of such a firm gesture by the US could lead to 0.5C of avoided warming this century .
Ricketts said that the move was not only important in its own right in the climate fight , but it also made a statement that the US was prepared to work with world partners .
That was all the more poignant coming just a month after Trump took the US formally out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a timely way of showing that we can still play on the international stage and meet our commitments , ” he said .
Among other measures in the bill that have received praise from environmental groups are extensions to tax credits for renewable energy technologies .
Offshore wind could enjoy a particular boost with the incentives lasting five years .
“ This is an industry that is just starting to drive down the runway for take-off in the US , ” Ricketts said .
“ There ’ s an enormous potential , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the five-year tax incentive is critical.
” A further area of significant reform is the pot of $ 35bn provided for research and development in a range of innovations designed to confront the climate crisis .
They include the creation of more efficient batteries , carbon capture , and advanced nuclear reactor technology .
Katherine Egland , environment and climate justice chair for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People national board of directors , said that for African American and other low-income communities the relief bill would impact lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico , and this year has experienced firsthand the confluence of the coronavirus pandemic , the climate crisis and racial injustice .
“ We have been confronted by a syndemic in 2020 , ” she told the Guardian .
“ We have had to cope with the disproportionate impacts of Covid and climate , during an unprecedented storm season and a year rife with racial unrest.
” Egland said congressional action was welcome “ after four years of climate denial .
It is a positive step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said that the country would need to do much more to meet the scale of the crisis : “ There is no vaccine to inoculate us against climate change .
”

Joe Biden’s pledge to make the climate emergency a top priority of his administration from day one has received a major boost from the $900bn Covid-19 relief bill that cleared Congress this week and now awaits Donald Trump’s signature.
The president has demanded changes but nonetheless the package has been hailed by environmental groups as an important move towards re-engaging the US with international efforts to tackle the climate crisis and move towards a clean energy future.
“The bill contains some truly historic provisions that represent the most significant climate legislation passed by Congress in over a decade,” said Sam Ricketts, co-founder of Evergreen Action.
The Sierra Club, an environmental group which operates in all 50 states, expressed a sigh of relief that Republican intransigence, led by the president and Mitch McConnell in the Senate, had finally been overcome. Kirin Kennedy, the group’s deputy legislative director, expressed confidence that the bill would contribute towards “addressing major sources of pollution, growing clean energy, and making progress across government agencies to advance climate action”.
This is a timely way of showing that we can still play on the international stage and meet our commitments Sam Ricketts
But she added that the Biden administration had a lot of work still to do to, in the president-elect’s phrase, “build back better”. Kennedy said that meant “investing in clean, renewable energy that can power communities, not saddling them with false solutions or pollution for decades to come”.
Set against the time-critical nature of the climate crisis and the need for immediate action to curb pollution and switch to renewable energies, the relief bill falls short both in the scale and ambition of its commitments.
“Is this enough to meet the urgency of the moment? The short answer is plainly no – the package is smaller than we’ve called for and certainly smaller than the science demands,” Ricketts said.
But contained in the bill are a number of provisions that represent a clear advance in the US stance on the climate crisis, at the end of four years of Trump administration attacks on environmental protections.
By the far the most significant of those advances is the commitment to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs, which are widely used as coolants in air conditioners, fridges and cars.
Under the terms of the relief bill, most HFC use would end by 2035. The overall global impact of such a firm gesture by the US could lead to 0.5C of avoided warming this century.
Ricketts said that the move was not only important in its own right in the climate fight, but it also made a statement that the US was prepared to work with world partners. That was all the more poignant coming just a month after Trump took the US formally out of the Paris climate agreement.
“This is a timely way of showing that we can still play on the international stage and meet our commitments,” he said.
Among other measures in the bill that have received praise from environmental groups are extensions to tax credits for renewable energy technologies. Offshore wind could enjoy a particular boost with the incentives lasting five years.
“This is an industry that is just starting to drive down the runway for take-off in the US,” Ricketts said. “There’s an enormous potential, especially in the north-east, and the five-year tax incentive is critical.”
A further area of significant reform is the pot of $35bn provided for research and development in a range of innovations designed to confront the climate crisis. They include the creation of more efficient batteries, carbon capture, and advanced nuclear reactor technology.
Katherine Egland, environment and climate justice chair for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) national board of directors, said that for African American and other low-income communities the relief bill would impact lives. She lives in Gulfport, Mississippi, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and this year has experienced firsthand the confluence of the coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis and racial injustice.
“We have been confronted by a syndemic in 2020,” she told the Guardian. “We have had to cope with the disproportionate impacts of Covid and climate, during an unprecedented storm season and a year rife with racial unrest.”
Egland said congressional action was welcome “after four years of climate denial. It is a positive step in the right direction”.
But she said that the country would need to do much more to meet the scale of the crisis: “There is no vaccine to inoculate us against climate change.”


theguardian--2020-12-24--Trump pardons debase the presidency further – and he can and will go lower | Lloyd Green

With hours to spare before Christmas , Donald Trump has delivered pardons to Paul Manafort , Roger Stone , Charlie Kushner , a passel of war criminals and a bent congressman or two .
There is no reason to believe our “ law and order ” president ’ s pardon binge is over .
Too many people in his immediate orbit remain exposed to future prosecution , including the president himself .
Come noon on 20 January 2021 , Trump and his inner circle will be private citizens again .
Devoid of legal immunity , stripped of the air of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal and local law enforcement alike .
The potential for prison hovers over them like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come .
Cyrus Vance , Manhattan ’ s district attorney , is circling Trump and his business .
Eric Trump has testified at a court-ordered deposition conducted by New York ’ s attorney general .
As for federal prosecutors in the southern district of New York , they labeled Trump an unindicted co-conspirator in the case of Michael Cohen .
The statute of limitations has not expired .
And then there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal lawyer .
According to reports , he remains on the radar of federal law enforcement in connection with possible election law violations , and doesn ’ t like it one bit .
On Wednesday Giuliani lashed out , calling investigators “ secret police ” and accusing them of toadying to Joe Biden , the president-elect .
In case anyone needs reminding , once upon a time Giuliani was the No3 lawyer at the justice department and US attorney for the southern district .
Back then , he was viewed as one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he prosecuted Marc Rich , the recipient of an infamous pardon from Bill Clinton .
But as the Lincoln Project ’ s Rick Wilson repeatedly remarks , everything Trump touches dies .
The list doesn ’ t end with Rudy .
The justice department and the Federal Election Commission may soon want to talk to Jared Kushner , the president ’ s son-in-law , about his role in the Trump re-election campaign .
Reportedly , Kushner was a driving force in establishing a shell company , American Made Media Consultants , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and friends .
Indeed , Kushner purportedly directed Lara Trump , the wife of Eric Trump , John Pence , the vice-president ’ s nephew , and the campaign ’ s chief financial officer to serve on the shell company board .
Think of it as the Trump Organization 2.0 .
Or the deep campaign .
In the end , AMMC spent nearly half of the campaign ’ s war chest , with payments going to Kimberly Guilfoyle , Donald Trump Jr ’ s girlfriend , and Lara Trump , who is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Suffice to say , the legality of this opaque arrangement is unclear .
Three House Democrats have requested investigations by the Department of Justice and the FEC .
Without a pardon , Jared ’ s fate will rest in the hands of a Biden DoJ .
Said differently , Hunter Biden is not the only person with a troubled road ahead .
The constitution confers the pardon power upon the president , and the circumstances of its use speak volumes about the occupant of the Oval Office .
Whether a president may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested .
Richard Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment by the House and almost certain conviction in the Senate .
In August 1974 , he left office without pardoning himself or those convicted in the Watergate scandal .
Instead , Gerald Ford issued a pardon to his former boss .
Trump is no Nixon .
In so many ways .
The 45th president has gone so far as to unequivocally claim authority to pardon himself , something Nixon refused to do .
By any measure , Trump has set a new standard for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an ignominious exit , the ex-reality show host has even managed to make Clinton ’ s pardon of Rich look quaint .
And that takes effort .
Yet unlike the Clinton pardon of Rich , a fugitive financier , which sparked a review by James Comey and a barrage of Republican condemnation , among the GOP in Congress Trump ’ s pardons have elicited little more than a yawn .
With the exception of Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska , who called the pardons “ rotten to the core ” , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
None of this should come as a surprise .
Trump has recreated the GOP in his image .
Republicans know he commands the party ’ s base , and they stand one primary away from oblivion .
In the end , what ’ s a pardon between friends ?

With hours to spare before Christmas, Donald Trump has delivered pardons to Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Charlie Kushner, a passel of war criminals and a bent congressman or two. There is no reason to believe our “law and order” president’s pardon binge is over. Too many people in his immediate orbit remain exposed to future prosecution, including the president himself.
Come noon on 20 January 2021, Trump and his inner circle will be private citizens again. Devoid of legal immunity, stripped of the air of invincibility, they become fair game for federal and local law enforcement alike. The potential for prison hovers over them like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
Cyrus Vance, Manhattan’s district attorney, is circling Trump and his business. Eric Trump has testified at a court-ordered deposition conducted by New York’s attorney general. As for federal prosecutors in the southern district of New York, they labeled Trump an unindicted co-conspirator in the case of Michael Cohen. The statute of limitations has not expired.
And then there is Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer. According to reports, he remains on the radar of federal law enforcement in connection with possible election law violations, and doesn’t like it one bit. On Wednesday Giuliani lashed out, calling investigators “secret police” and accusing them of toadying to Joe Biden, the president-elect.
Trump has gone so far as to unequivocally claim authority to pardon himself, something Nixon refused to do
In case anyone needs reminding, once upon a time Giuliani was the No3 lawyer at the justice department and US attorney for the southern district. Back then, he was viewed as one of the good guys. As it happens, he prosecuted Marc Rich, the recipient of an infamous pardon from Bill Clinton. But as the Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson repeatedly remarks, everything Trump touches dies.
The list doesn’t end with Rudy. The justice department and the Federal Election Commission may soon want to talk to Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, about his role in the Trump re-election campaign.
Reportedly, Kushner was a driving force in establishing a shell company, American Made Media Consultants, which made shrouded payments to Trump family members and friends. Indeed, Kushner purportedly directed Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, John Pence, the vice-president’s nephew, and the campaign’s chief financial officer to serve on the shell company board.
Think of it as the Trump Organization 2.0. Or the deep campaign.
In the end, AMMC spent nearly half of the campaign’s war chest, with payments going to Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr’s girlfriend, and Lara Trump, who is now contemplating a Senate run in North Carolina. Suffice to say, the legality of this opaque arrangement is unclear.
Three House Democrats have requested investigations by the Department of Justice and the FEC. Without a pardon, Jared’s fate will rest in the hands of a Biden DoJ. Said differently, Hunter Biden is not the only person with a troubled road ahead.
The constitution confers the pardon power upon the president, and the circumstances of its use speak volumes about the occupant of the Oval Office. Whether a president may pardon himself has yet to be legally tested.
Richard Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment by the House and almost certain conviction in the Senate. In August 1974, he left office without pardoning himself or those convicted in the Watergate scandal. Instead, Gerald Ford issued a pardon to his former boss.
Trump is no Nixon. In so many ways. The 45th president has gone so far as to unequivocally claim authority to pardon himself, something Nixon refused to do.
By any measure, Trump has set a new standard for debasing the presidency. As he stares at an ignominious exit, the ex-reality show host has even managed to make Clinton’s pardon of Rich look quaint. And that takes effort.
Yet unlike the Clinton pardon of Rich, a fugitive financier, which sparked a review by James Comey and a barrage of Republican condemnation, among the GOP in Congress Trump’s pardons have elicited little more than a yawn. With the exception of Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who called the pardons “rotten to the core”, they have been met with a collective shrug.
None of this should come as a surprise. Trump has recreated the GOP in his image. Republicans know he commands the party’s base, and they stand one primary away from oblivion. In the end, what’s a pardon between friends?


theguardian--2020-12-24--Post-Trump America has to learn how to live together democratically | Dan Brooks

I have a friend who ’ s the stepmother to a young boy and this boy ’ s birth mother has gotten deeply into QAnon .
How deep ?
She recently told him that the world is flat , and anyone who tells him otherwise is a paedophile .
She is determined to take him out of school in order to shield him from cannibals , satanists and Democrats .
Every time my friend updates me on the project of raising a child in joint custody with this person , I experience a kind of vertigo .
How would you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , instead of raising a child , you and this person had to set emissions standards and develop a sustainable healthcare system .
This is not far from the condition of US democracy in 2020 : two centre-right corporate parties , one socially progressive and the other socially reactionary ; a left divided between the internet and the academy ; and an indeterminate number of maniacs .
The maniacs are QAnon .
It ’ s complicated , but QAnon is essentially an online conspiracy theory based on interpreting the gnomic posts of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) known as Q , who purports to be a high-ranking official in the US government .
Q ’ s message to the faithful is that this government is secretly controlled by a cabal of satanic paedophiles whom Donald Trump will one day round up and execute , in a mass cleansing called the Storm .
This Storm is not going to happen , of course .
If it ever does , I will freely admit that I was wrong from whatever gibbet I am on while Facebook groups remake society – but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because anticipating this Storm is what makes QAnon a compelling fantasy .
It ’ s impossible to know how many people actually believe in QAnon as an accurate description of how the world works , relative to how many just enjoy talking about it as a kind of online game .
For both groups , though , the appeal is world building .
Q is a collaborative work of speculative fiction that replaces this world with one that it both more exciting and more legible .
The essence of that world is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagree with your politics are not just wrong but evil , in a way that justifies finally smashing them .
In this central fantasy , QAnon resembles another form of fantasy politics from 2020 – one that gained traction not among the desperate underclass of disenfranchised internet addicts , but among the broad professional centre of US politics .
I am referring to the speculation that President Trump would refuse to leave office if he lost the election .
People seem to have politely forgotten this theory , but in September and October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most respectable news and commentary outlets in the US .
The Washington Post published an article by the co-founder of the Transition Integrity Project that gamed out scenarios in which “ players ” , including former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta , took on the roles of factions determined to install their candidate by any means necessary .
In October , the New Yorker published a piece headlined “ What can you do if Trump stages a coup ?
” These grandes dames of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imitators in what became , during the months before the election , a micro-genre of news speculation .
The coup scenario has not come to pass , unless you count the series of unsuccessful lawsuits Trump ’ s campaign has filed in an attempt to overturn various state election results – which I do not .
The president ’ s motives remain inscrutable , but if you are going to risk it all on a bid to overthrow US democracy , you do not put Rudolph Giuliani in charge .
The Trump coup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ QAnon , and from an epistemological standpoint it was far stronger .
I would never say the two scenarios were similar in their premises or their reasoning .
But they had one thing in common : they were both animated by the fantasy of being done with democracy .
The Storm and the Trump coup both imagined worlds in which their audiences would have to stop trying to win over their political opponents .
If we understand fantasy not as worlds we want to come to pass but rather worlds that offer outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this one , the popularity of QAnon and the Trump coup scenarios makes sense .
They are symptomatic of a democracy that has become frustrated with democratic means .
Like QAnon , a Trump putsch held out the possibility of a righteous cleansing of Republican extremists that would reduce the hard problems of representative governance to the comparatively simple logistics of civil war .
Civil war is bad , obviously , but it rewards the winners with one-party rule .
Both QAnon and the Trump coup were dark fantasies that came with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which decent Americans no longer had to argue with the ignorant and evil , because we were finally justified in simply overpowering them .
That we can not do so under ordinary conditions is what makes US democracy such a pain in the ass .
At this point , the possibility of a coup seems consigned to the realm of past fantasy , fading as we move on from the zeitgeist that made it compelling .
I don ’ t know what will happen to QAnon once Trump leaves office .
Probably , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother will keep coming up with reasons why the various antagonists in her life are evil .
The hard work of democracy will return to bringing people like her back in .
It would probably be easier to round them up .
A lot of things would be easier , if more of us were monsters .

I have a friend who’s the stepmother to a young boy and this boy’s birth mother has gotten deeply into QAnon. How deep? She recently told him that the world is flat, and anyone who tells him otherwise is a paedophile. She is determined to take him out of school in order to shield him from cannibals, satanists and Democrats. Every time my friend updates me on the project of raising a child in joint custody with this person, I experience a kind of vertigo. How would you even do it?
Now imagine that, instead of raising a child, you and this person had to set emissions standards and develop a sustainable healthcare system. This is not far from the condition of US democracy in 2020: two centre-right corporate parties, one socially progressive and the other socially reactionary; a left divided between the internet and the academy; and an indeterminate number of maniacs.
The maniacs are QAnon. It’s complicated, but QAnon is essentially an online conspiracy theory based on interpreting the gnomic posts of an unidentified person (or group of people) known as Q, who purports to be a high-ranking official in the US government. Q’s message to the faithful is that this government is secretly controlled by a cabal of satanic paedophiles whom Donald Trump will one day round up and execute, in a mass cleansing called the Storm.
This Storm is not going to happen, of course. If it ever does, I will freely admit that I was wrong from whatever gibbet I am on while Facebook groups remake society – but it will also never be cancelled, because anticipating this Storm is what makes QAnon a compelling fantasy. It’s impossible to know how many people actually believe in QAnon as an accurate description of how the world works, relative to how many just enjoy talking about it as a kind of online game. For both groups, though, the appeal is world building. Q is a collaborative work of speculative fiction that replaces this world with one that it both more exciting and more legible. The essence of that world is the Storm: the fantasy that those who disagree with your politics are not just wrong but evil, in a way that justifies finally smashing them.
In this central fantasy, QAnon resembles another form of fantasy politics from 2020 – one that gained traction not among the desperate underclass of disenfranchised internet addicts, but among the broad professional centre of US politics. I am referring to the speculation that President Trump would refuse to leave office if he lost the election.
People seem to have politely forgotten this theory, but in September and October, it was trafficked by several of the most respectable news and commentary outlets in the US. The Washington Post published an article by the co-founder of the Transition Integrity Project that gamed out scenarios in which “players”, including former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, took on the roles of factions determined to install their candidate by any means necessary. In October, the New Yorker published a piece headlined “What can you do if Trump stages a coup?” These grandes dames of political analysis were joined by less impressive imitators in what became, during the months before the election, a micro-genre of news speculation.
The coup scenario has not come to pass, unless you count the series of unsuccessful lawsuits Trump’s campaign has filed in an attempt to overturn various state election results – which I do not. The president’s motives remain inscrutable, but if you are going to risk it all on a bid to overthrow US democracy, you do not put Rudolph Giuliani in charge.
The Trump coup theory attracted a more sophisticated audience than QAnon, and from an epistemological standpoint it was far stronger. I would never say the two scenarios were similar in their premises or their reasoning. But they had one thing in common: they were both animated by the fantasy of being done with democracy. The Storm and the Trump coup both imagined worlds in which their audiences would have to stop trying to win over their political opponents.
If we understand fantasy not as worlds we want to come to pass but rather worlds that offer outlets for feelings we have to repress in this one, the popularity of QAnon and the Trump coup scenarios makes sense. They are symptomatic of a democracy that has become frustrated with democratic means. Like QAnon, a Trump putsch held out the possibility of a righteous cleansing of Republican extremists that would reduce the hard problems of representative governance to the comparatively simple logistics of civil war. Civil war is bad, obviously, but it rewards the winners with one-party rule. Both QAnon and the Trump coup were dark fantasies that came with the same happy ending: a situation in which decent Americans no longer had to argue with the ignorant and evil, because we were finally justified in simply overpowering them. That we cannot do so under ordinary conditions is what makes US democracy such a pain in the ass.
At this point, the possibility of a coup seems consigned to the realm of past fantasy, fading as we move on from the zeitgeist that made it compelling. I don’t know what will happen to QAnon once Trump leaves office. Probably, my friend’s stepson’s mother will keep coming up with reasons why the various antagonists in her life are evil. The hard work of democracy will return to bringing people like her back in. It would probably be easier to round them up. A lot of things would be easier, if more of us were monsters.


theguardian--2020-12-24--Trump claims to be 'working tirelessly' but leaves Covid relief in disarray

Donald Trump went to his golf club in West Palm Beach , Florida on Thursday , after claiming to be “ working tirelessly for the American people ” with a schedule that included “ many meetings and calls ” .
Back in Washington , a Democratic proposal to increase direct payments to Americans under the Covid relief bill , from $ 600 to $ 2,000 , was blocked .
The increase was Trump ’ s own demand in a surprise video address on Tuesday night but it was shot down by Republicans who opposed greater spending throughout stimulus talks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans will be without desperately needed relief at least until President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats would try again on Monday .
“ To vote against this bill is to deny the financial hardship that families face , ” she said , “ and to deny them the relief they need.
” The White House did not immediately confirm if Trump was playing golf .
Either way , official guidance to reporters about his “ tireless ” schedule contrasted with recent examples notably light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free to make baseless claims of electoral fraud and meet with conspiracy theorists and cronies about attempts to subvert the constitution and stay in power .
From Florida , on Wednesday night , the president issued the latest batch of pardons and acts of clemency for political allies .
Before Trump intervened , the Covid relief bill was agreed at $ 900bn and tied to huge spending legislation to keep the government open until September next year .
The relief package was set to be the second-biggest in US history , after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic .
“ Just when you think you have seen it all , ” Pelosi wrote to colleagues about Trump ’ s gambit .
“ The entire country knows that it is urgent for the president to sign this bill , both to provide the coronavirus relief and to keep government open.
” Pelosi offered the president ’ s proposal for increased payments on Thursday under a procedure that allowed just one lawmaker to object and in a so-called pro forma session , with few lawmakers in attendance .
It duly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to veto the Covid package but on Wednesday he did veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act , worth $ 740bn , over objections to renaming military bases honouring Confederate leaders , to telecoms provisions and more .
Congress has not failed to pass the defence bill in 60 years .
The House will return on Monday and the Senate on Tuesday , to override Trump ’ s veto .
The president ’ s extraordinary behaviour has presented his party with a painful political test , not least for Georgia senators David Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their seats in 5 January runoffs that will decide control of the Senate .
Senior Republicans were mostly silent after Trump ’ s intervention on Covid relief , neither Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell nor Kevin McCarthy , the House minority leader , speaking publicly .
On a conference call , House Republicans complained that Trump had thrown them under the bus , one told the Associated Press .
Most had voted for the package and urged leaders to use the TV to explain its benefits , the person said .
McCarthy sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer their own proposal , picking up on Trump ’ s complaints about foreign aid to “ re-examine how our tax dollars are spent overseas ” .
Democrats took advantage of Republican disarray .
Jon Ossoff , Perdue ’ s opponent , tweeted simply : “ $ 2,000 checks now.
” The relief package represents a hard-fought compromise , a 5,000-page bill that includes $ 1.4tn to fund government through September 2021 .
The relief bill would establish a temporary $ 300 per week supplemental jobless benefit , along with new subsidies for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renters facing eviction .
Even though treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin represented the White House in talks , Trump railed against provisions in the broader funding package , including foreign aid included each year , and called the bill a “ disgrace ” .
He did not specifically vow to use his veto power , and there may be enough support in Congress to override him if he does .
The Senate cleared the relief package by 92-6 , the House by 359-53 .
The bill is expected to be sent for Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a congressional aide told the AP .
Trump could also allow it to expire with a “ pocket veto ” at the end of the year .
The consequences of failure would be severe .
It would mean no aid to struggling Americans and small businesses , and no additional resources to help with vaccine distribution in a pandemic in which nearly 19 million have been infected and almost 326,000 have died .
Furthermore , because lawmakers linked pandemic relief to funding , the government would shut down on 29 December .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when a stopgap funding bill expires .
Democrats are reportedly considering another stopgap to keep government running until Biden is sworn in .
Biden insisted to newspaper columnists on Wednesday that “ there are enough Republicans prepared to meet him in the middle that he can get things done in an evenly divided Congress ” .
He applauded lawmakers and said the relief package “ provides vital relief at a critical time ” .
He also said more would be needed .
Arriving at Mar-a-Lago , Trump was greeted by hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distanced to mitigate Covid transmission as they waved flags and signs and chanted “ Four more years !
” One small boy had a sign that said “ We ’ re going to miss you ” .
But there were a few Trump opponents too .
One held a sign that said : “ Go Away .
”

Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

Donald Trump went to his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, after claiming to be “working tirelessly for the American people” with a schedule that included “many meetings and calls”. Back in Washington, a Democratic proposal to increase direct payments to Americans under the Covid relief bill, from $600 to $2,000, was blocked.
The increase was Trump’s own demand in a surprise video address on Tuesday night but it was shot down by Republicans who opposed greater spending throughout stimulus talks.
Should the relief bill fail, millions of Americans will be without desperately needed relief at least until President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said Democrats would try again on Monday.
“To vote against this bill is to deny the financial hardship that families face,” she said, “and to deny them the relief they need.”
The White House did not immediately confirm if Trump was playing golf. Either way, official guidance to reporters about his “tireless” schedule contrasted with recent examples notably light on commitments, which have left Trump free to make baseless claims of electoral fraud and meet with conspiracy theorists and cronies about attempts to subvert the constitution and stay in power.
From Florida, on Wednesday night, the president issued the latest batch of pardons and acts of clemency for political allies.
Before Trump intervened, the Covid relief bill was agreed at $900bn and tied to huge spending legislation to keep the government open until September next year. The relief package was set to be the second-biggest in US history, after the $2.3tn Cares Act at the beginning of the pandemic.
“Just when you think you have seen it all,” Pelosi wrote to colleagues about Trump’s gambit. “The entire country knows that it is urgent for the president to sign this bill, both to provide the coronavirus relief and to keep government open.”
Pelosi offered the president’s proposal for increased payments on Thursday under a procedure that allowed just one lawmaker to object and in a so-called pro forma session, with few lawmakers in attendance. It duly failed.
Trump has not expressly threatened to veto the Covid package but on Wednesday he did veto the annual National Defense Authorization Act, worth $740bn, over objections to renaming military bases honouring Confederate leaders, to telecoms provisions and more.
Congress has not failed to pass the defence bill in 60 years. The House will return on Monday and the Senate on Tuesday, to override Trump’s veto.
The president’s extraordinary behaviour has presented his party with a painful political test, not least for Georgia senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, fighting to retain their seats in 5 January runoffs that will decide control of the Senate.
Senior Republicans were mostly silent after Trump’s intervention on Covid relief, neither the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, nor Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, speaking publicly. On a conference call, House Republicans complained that Trump had thrown them under the bus, one told the Associated Press. Most had voted for the package and urged leaders to use the TV to explain its benefits, the person said.
McCarthy sent a letter to colleagues suggesting Republicans would offer their own proposal, picking up on Trump’s complaints about foreign aid to “re-examine how our tax dollars are spent overseas”. Democrats took advantage of Republican disarray. Jon Ossoff, Perdue’s opponent, tweeted simply: “$2,000 checks now.”
The relief package represents a hard-fought compromise, a 5,000-page bill that includes $1.4tn to fund government through September 2021. The relief bill would establish a temporary $300-a-week supplemental jobless benefit, along with new subsidies for businesses, schools, healthcare providers and renters facing eviction.
Even though the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, represented the White House in talks, Trump railed against provisions in the broader funding package, including foreign aid included each year, and called the bill a “disgrace”. He did not specifically vow to use his veto power, and there may be enough support in Congress to override him if he does. The Senate cleared the relief package by 92-6, the House by 359-53.
The bill is expected to be sent for Trump’s signature on Thursday or Friday, a congressional aide told the AP. Trump could also allow it to expire with a “pocket veto” at the end of the year.
The presidential motorcade arrives at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
The consequences of failure would be severe. It would mean no aid to struggling Americans and small businesses, and no additional resources to help with vaccine distribution in a pandemic in which nearly 19 million have been infected and almost 326,000 have died.
Furthermore, because lawmakers linked pandemic relief to funding, the government would shut down on 29 December. A resolution could therefore be forced on Monday, when a stopgap funding bill expires. Democrats are reportedly considering another stopgap to keep government running until Biden is sworn in.
Biden insisted to newspaper columnists on Wednesday that “there are enough Republicans prepared to meet him in the middle that he can get things done in an evenly divided Congress”. He applauded lawmakers and said the relief package “provides vital relief at a critical time”. He also said more would be needed.
Arriving at Mar-a-Lago, Trump was greeted by hundreds of supporters. Few wore masks or socially distanced to mitigate Covid transmission as they waved flags and signs and chanted “Four more years!”
One small boy had a sign that said “We’re going to miss you”. But there were a few Trump opponents too. One held a sign that said: “Go Away.”


theguardian--2020-12-24--QAnon and the 'Trump coup' have more in common than you might think | Dan Brooks


theguardian--2020-12-25--The Republican heroes and villains of Trump's attempt to steal the election

In November , Donald Trump became the first president in American history to try to hold on to power that voters had given to someone else in the course of a national election .
The plot did not unfold in one dramatic scene .
Instead , Trump lured Republicans to commit a series of coercive acts on his behalf under a false banner of non-existent election “ fraud ” – the attempted steal masquerading as a security measure .
It might have worked .
Many Republicans went along actively or silently .
These included well-known national figures such as Rudy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and most other Republican senators .
But to succeed , Trump ’ s plot depended not only on the top Republicans he dominates but also on the cooperation of hundreds of state and local officials .
Over three crucial weeks in November , some of those officials made individual decisions that could have seen the plot through , while others thwarted it .
Here is an incomplete list of some of the lesser-known Republican friends and foes of US democracy who emerged in the historic November 2020 battle over its fate .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent states from certifying the results of their 3 November votes , or to convince Republican legislators to try to throw out state results .
Trump ’ s key targets included officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania .
He found some ready accomplices .
A former state senator in Michigan who refused to certify the state ’ s result despite independent certifications by all 83 Michigan counties and no evidence of fraud to cast doubt on Biden ’ s 154,000-vote win in the state .
Shinkle said he thought the result in majority-Black Detroit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One county clerk called Shinkle ’ s abstention “ shocking and disgusting ” .
Republican canvassers in Wayne county , Michigan , who sought to reverse their certification of the election result after Trump made a phone call to Palmer .
She demanded an audit of the Detroit vote before the certification of its result , in defiance of law .
She later said she was unaware of the law .
Republican leaders of the Michigan state senate and house who accepted an invitation to visit Trump at the White House as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from certifying Biden ’ s 82,000-vote win .
In the Oval Office , Shirkey and Chatfield received a telephone briefing by Rudy Giuliani about fake election fraud .
They later lied and said the meeting with Trump was about Covid-19 economic relief .
They were photographed drinking Dom Pérignon at Trump ’ s hotel in Washington DC after their meeting .
A Republican board of elections member in the Philadelphia suburbs who refused to certify a 27-point Biden win in his county .
“ I believe the US supreme court should review the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gale said .
Trump ’ s campaign never presented any evidence of voter fraud to Pennsylvania courts , which threw out almost every Trump case .
Republican members of the board of elections in Luzerne county , Pennsylvania , were so committed to Trump ’ s election fraud fairytale that they refused to certify the vote in a county Trump won by 14 points .
Three Democrats on the board outvoted them to certify Trump ’ s win in the county .
After an almost two-month absence from the White House briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after the election to spread Trump ’ s lie about election fraud .
“ There are very real claims out there that the campaign is pursuing , ” she said .
Separately she lied about Trump ’ s meeting with Michigan legislators saying it was “ not an advocacy meeting , there will be no one from the campaign there – he routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country ” .
The chair of the Republican national committee and Michigan native appeared at a news conference two days after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ irregularities ” , demanding an audit of the Michigan vote before certification in defiance of state election law .
Under her leadership , the Republican national party spread wild and conspiratorial claims that Trump had actually won in a “ landslide ” .
A majority of Republican voters now tell pollsters they believe the election was fraudulent .
Opposite those state and local officials who refused to certify election results were Republican officials who certified Biden ’ s win .
Never in American history has such an action been interpreted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results always routinely certified no matter who won , as the constitution would have it .
But in 2020 these officials had to withstand a pressure campaign by Trump , who named many of them in tweets , leading to death threats against them and their families .
A Republican election commissioner in Philadelphia who stood up to Trump .
The weekend after the election , Schmidt went on 60 Minutes and said Trump ’ s claims about fraud in Philadelphia were bogus .
“ At the end of the day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters .
The controversy surrounding it is something I don ’ t understand , ” Schmidt said .
“ Counting votes cast on or before election day by eligible voters is not corruption .
It is not cheating .
It is democracy .
“ From the inside looking out , it all feels very deranged.
” Republican vice-chair of a state canvassing board who voted to certify Biden ’ s win in Michigan .
Langevelde broke what would have been a deadlock caused by Shinkle ’ s perfidy .
“ We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these returns , that is very clear , ” he said .
“ We must not attempt to exercise power we simply don ’ t have , ” Langevelde continued .
“ As John Adams once said , ‘ we are a government of laws , not men ’ .
This board needs to adhere to that principle here today .
This board must do its part to uphold the rule of law and comply with our legal duty to certify this election.
” The former director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s vote fraud lies .
Nine days after the election , Krebs ’ s agency issued a statement beginning , “ The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.
” Krebs was fired a week later , but he continued speaking out about election integrity .
After a Trump campaign lawyer said Krebs should be “ taken out at dawn and shot ” , Krebs said he would sue .
A Republican official who oversaw the implementation of the state of Georgia ’ s new voting system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about death threats against election workers and saying Trump is “ inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence ” .
The Republican secretary of state in Georgia who stood up to Trump and insisted that Biden ’ s upset victory in the state was legit .
“ I ’ m a conservative Republican .
Yes , I wanted President Trump to win .
But as secretary of state we have to do our job , ” Raffensperger said in an interview with the Guardian .
“ I ’ m gon na walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity .
I think that integrity still matters.
” In reply , Trump said of Raffensperger : “ He ’ s an enemy of the people .
”

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In November, Donald Trump became the first president in American history to try to hold on to power that voters had given to someone else in the course of a national election.
The plot did not unfold in one dramatic scene. Instead, Trump lured Republicans to commit a series of coercive acts on his behalf under a false banner of non-existent election “fraud” – the attempted steal masquerading as a security measure.
It might have worked. Many Republicans went along actively or silently. These included well-known national figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, Lindsey Graham and most other Republican senators.
But to succeed, Trump’s plot depended not only on the top Republicans he dominates but also on the cooperation of hundreds of state and local officials. Over three crucial weeks in November, some of those officials made individual decisions that could have seen the plot through, while others thwarted it.
Here is an incomplete list of some of the lesser-known Republican friends and foes of US democracy who emerged in the historic November 2020 battle over its fate.
Foes
To stay in power, Trump needed to prevent states from certifying the results of their 3 November votes, or to convince Republican legislators to try to throw out state results. Trump’s key targets included officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania. He found some ready accomplices.
Norman Shinkle
A former state senator in Michigan who refused to certify the state’s result despite independent certifications by all 83 Michigan counties and no evidence of fraud to cast doubt on Biden’s 154,000-vote win in the state. Shinkle said he thought the result in majority-Black Detroit “needs to be looked at”. One county clerk called Shinkle’s abstention “shocking and disgusting”.
Monica Palmer and William Hartmann
Republican canvassers in Wayne county, Michigan, who sought to reverse their certification of the election result after Trump made a phone call to Palmer. She demanded an audit of the Detroit vote before the certification of its result, in defiance of law. She later said she was unaware of the law.
Mike Shirkey and Lee Chatfield
Republican leaders of the Michigan state senate and house who accepted an invitation to visit Trump at the White House as the president tried to prevent the state from certifying Biden’s 82,000-vote win. In the Oval Office, Shirkey and Chatfield received a telephone briefing by Rudy Giuliani about fake election fraud. They later lied and said the meeting with Trump was about Covid-19 economic relief. They were photographed drinking Dom Pérignon at Trump’s hotel in Washington DC after their meeting.
Shirkey, opts to sing a hymn to the press instead of answering questions here. When asked if he had anything to say to MI voters he responded, “I love Michigan” @Local4News pic.twitter.com/YFycvj9tRp — Grant Hermes (@GrantHermes) November 21, 2020
Joe Gale
A Republican board of elections member in the Philadelphia suburbs who refused to certify a 27-point Biden win in his county. “I believe the US supreme court should review the travesty that has happened in Pennsylvania,” Gale said. Trump’s campaign never presented any evidence of voter fraud to Pennsylvania courts, which threw out almost every Trump case.
Keith Gould and Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt
Republican members of the board of elections in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, were so committed to Trump’s election fraud fairytale that they refused to certify the vote in a county Trump won by 14 points. Three Democrats on the board outvoted them to certify Trump’s win in the county.
Kayleigh McEnany
After an almost two-month absence from the White House briefing room, the press secretary appeared 17 days after the election to spread Trump’s lie about election fraud. “There are very real claims out there that the campaign is pursuing,” she said. Separately she lied about Trump’s meeting with Michigan legislators saying it was “not an advocacy meeting, there will be no one from the campaign there – he routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country”.
.@PressSec says meeting with leaders of Michigan legislature today at the White House not "advocacy", not about the election. pic.twitter.com/c5q6Ckgx2s — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 20, 2020
Ronna McDaniel
The chair of the Republican national committee and Michigan native appeared at a news conference two days after the election and spread lies about “discrepancies” and “irregularities”, demanding an audit of the Michigan vote before certification in defiance of state election law. Under her leadership, the Republican national party spread wild and conspiratorial claims that Trump had actually won in a “landslide”. A majority of Republican voters now tell pollsters they believe the election was fraudulent.
"We will not be intimidated...We are going to clean this mess up now. President Trump won by a landslide. We are going to prove it. And we are going to reclaim the United States of America for the people who vote for freedom."—Sidney Powell pic.twitter.com/8KCEOGuL7w — GOP (@GOP) November 19, 2020
Friends
Opposite those state and local officials who refused to certify election results were Republican officials who certified Biden’s win.
Never in American history has such an action been interpreted as the stuff of heroism – with election results always routinely certified no matter who won, as the constitution would have it.
But in 2020 these officials had to withstand a pressure campaign by Trump, who named many of them in tweets, leading to death threats against them and their families.
Al Schmidt
A Republican election commissioner in Philadelphia who stood up to Trump. The weekend after the election, Schmidt went on 60 Minutes and said Trump’s claims about fraud in Philadelphia were bogus.
“At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I don’t understand,” Schmidt said. “Counting votes cast on or before election day by eligible voters is not corruption. It is not cheating. It is democracy.
“From the inside looking out, it all feels very deranged.”
Republican Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt says his office, which runs the vote count, has received death threats. https://t.co/LNXfXwJrbk pic.twitter.com/ouxX0xGhKX — 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 9, 2020
Aaron Van Langevelde
Republican vice-chair of a state canvassing board who voted to certify Biden’s win in Michigan. Langevelde broke what would have been a deadlock caused by Shinkle’s perfidy. “We have a duty to certify this election based on these returns, that is very clear,” he said.
“We must not attempt to exercise power we simply don’t have,” Langevelde continued. “As John Adams once said, ‘we are a government of laws, not men’. This board needs to adhere to that principle here today. This board must do its part to uphold the rule of law and comply with our legal duty to certify this election.”
After earlier stalling, here's the moment Republican Aaron Van Langevelde of Michigan’s State Board of Canvassers said he will vote to certify Michigan’s election results.
This is it: Michigan's 16 electoral votes officially go to Joe Biden.pic.twitter.com/EZemjFxaSD — The Recount (@therecount) November 23, 2020
Christopher Krebs
The former director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, fired by Trump for defying the president’s vote fraud lies. Nine days after the election, Krebs’s agency issued a statement beginning, “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.” Krebs was fired a week later, but he continued speaking out about election integrity. After a Trump campaign lawyer said Krebs should be “taken out at dawn and shot”, Krebs said he would sue.
.@SavannahGuthrie speaks with Christopher Krebs in his first live interview since being fired as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Krebs points to the record of paper ballots as proof that the 2020 election was secure. pic.twitter.com/R9tdsTNBgZ — TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 1, 2020
Gabriel Sterling
A Republican official who oversaw the implementation of the state of Georgia’s new voting system, Sterling delivered an impassioned speech warning about death threats against election workers and saying Trump is “inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence”.
Addressing Trump, Sterling said:
We’re investigating, there’s always a possibility, I get it. You have the rights to go to the courts. What you don’t have the ability to do – and you need to step up and say this – is stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someone is going to get hurt, someone is going to get shot, someone is going to get killed, and it’s not right. It’s not right.
01:37 'It has to stop': Georgia Republican says Trump's election rhetoric will lead to violence – video
Brad Raffensperger
The Republican secretary of state in Georgia who stood up to Trump and insisted that Biden’s upset victory in the state was legit. “I’m a conservative Republican. Yes, I wanted President Trump to win. But as secretary of state we have to do our job,” Raffensperger said in an interview with the Guardian. “I’m gonna walk that fine, straight, line with integrity. I think that integrity still matters.”
In reply, Trump said of Raffensperger: “He’s an enemy of the people.”