The price of enabling Trump.

June 15, 2022

[Audio version here]

          The worst attorney general in America’s history—Bill Barr—testified before the January 6th Committee that Trump’s election fraud claims were “bullsh*t,” “nonsense,” and “crazy.” After providing those videotaped statements to the Committee, Barr appeared on Fox News on the eve of the second hearing to blunt the effect of his soon-to-be-released testimony. On Fox News, Barr said, “I personally doubt” that Trump committed a crime in connection with the events leading up to January 6th. Barr remains loyal to Trump even after witnessing a lawless president assault the rule of law.

          Of course, Barr never bothered to investigate any of Trump’s obviously illegal conduct before Barr resigned in mid-December. Instead, Barr authorized his US Attorneys to investigate whether the Chinese government hacked the 2020 election using wireless thermostats, whether Italy used its satellites to change vote totals in favor of Biden, and whether long-deceased Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez had presciently created a scheme to steal a US election nine years after his death. But just as Barr could not be troubled to investigate Trump’s attempt to extort Ukrainian President Zelensky, he ignored Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. He thus has no basis for his “personal belief” that Trump did not commit a crime.

          Barr’s false bravado and tardy truth-telling in his deposition stand in stark contrast to his silence and inaction while he remained in office. So, too, with campaign manager Bill Stepien, who testified that he distanced himself from Trump’s election denialism to protect his professional reputation. But that concern did not prompt Stepien to warn the public about Trump’s slow-rolling coup; instead, he remained silent. Stepien has since jettisoned his concerns over his professional reputation to work for Harriet Hageman, the Trump-endorsed election-denier challenging Liz Cheney’s re-election bid.

          This pattern is repeating with other Trump advisers who joined the administration from reputable law firms, Wall Street banks, media companies, universities, and think tanks. They all served Trump’s purposes until they could no longer stand it, and then returned to their professional lives as if nothing had happened. But something did happen. Whether they intended to or not, they enabled Trump even as they claimed to resist his worst impulses.

          There should be a professional price to pay for supporting our first coup-plotting president. The point is not to punish the former advisers but to dissuade others from assisting Trump by punishing the former advisers. Just as any mention of Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley should be preceded by “traitor” or “insurrectionist,” Trump’s former advisers should forever be introduced as “disgraced former Trump adviser.”

          We must stop pretending that Trump is a legitimate participant in American democracy. He is not. He is a destroyer of worlds. Anyone who assists him should be forever tarnished by their ill-advised decision to help him in his craven quest to satiate his insatiable ego at the expense of the rule of law.

GOP primaries and election deniers.

          Dozens of readers forwarded copies of the WaPo article titled, More than 100 GOP primary winners back Trump’s false fraud claims. The article is directionally accurate, but I would amend the headline to say, “Virtually 100% of GOP primary winners back Trump’s false fraud claims.” In today’s GOP, to be a Republican is to be an election denier. The few remaining GOP candidates who are not election deniers are being primaried by Trump-endorsed challengers. After voting to impeach Donald Trump, Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina is headed for defeat in Tuesday’s primary. (But incumbent Republican Nancy Mace of South Carolina defeated a Trump-endorsed, election-denier challenger. See The Hill, Mace defeats Trump-backed primary challenger in South Carolina.)

          The GOP’s wholesale conversion into a party that believes elections have only two outcomes—“I win or you cheated”—is a toxic and worrisome development for democracy. Victories by hundreds of election deniers in advance of the 2024 could be a recipe for constitutional disaster. Or not. If Democrats win by large margins, it will be difficult for election deniers to affect the outcome of elections. But it may also be that some of the election deniers turn out to be political opportunists willing to say anything to get elected but who are unwilling to engage in illegal conduct.

          I do not mean to minimize the extreme threat posed by election deniers. We witnessed the near-meltdown of democracy due to their efforts in 2020. But we must be careful to distinguish between those who would bend or break the law to achieve an unlawful outcome and those who identify as deniers because it is the price of admission into GOP politics. Being an election denier is the equivalent of a “gang signal” among Republicans to communicate that they are not “RINOs” but “true believers” who will debase themselves to win public office.

          The Post article is well-researched and informative. If you are concerned by the apocalyptic headline, I urge you to read the entire article. Election denialism is on the upswing and is a serious threat, but there are many flavors of denialism for various offices that may—or may not—be in a position to affect the outcome of elections.

          Should we be concerned? Yes. Should we panic? No! We should instead work diligently to defeat as many of the GOP primary winners as possible—and thereby minimize the threat to democracy posed by election deniers. The fact that they win GOP primaries does not mean they will win in the general election; indeed, it may make it more difficult for them to do so.

Mitch McConnell signals willingness to vote in favor of “framework” for gun safety legislation.

          Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that he was “comfortable” with the proposed Senate deal on gun safety legislation and may vote for the bill. See Business Insider. McConnell’s statement will likely provide political cover for other Senate Republicans to vote for the bill, thereby significantly increasing chances for passage. The bill contains key provisions that are long overdue, i.e., closing the gap known as the “boyfriend loophole” that allows domestic abusers to possess guns and prohibition of straw purchases. Other provisions, such as increased investment in mental health programs, make sense without regard to gun safety legislation.

          All of this is good news—but I just can’t shake the feeling that McConnell’s endorsement is a sure sign Democrats have been conned. Perhaps Republicans were expecting tougher demands from Democrats that never materialized? Or McConnell is making positive noises now to generate goodwill but intends to vote against the bill because of details that do not matter. So, let’s hope for the best but remain on guard against backsliding by McConnell and the GOP caucus.

Podcast with Postcards to Voters / Tony the Democrat!

          One of the most effective grassroots organizations to emerge in response to Trump’s 2016 victory is Postcards To Voters, which sends “friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast.” I am excited to interview “Tony the Democrat”, the founder of Postcards to Voters on Today’s Edition Podcast on Wednesday, June 15th at 7:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 PM Pacific. Listen live on the Callin App (Google Play or Apple Store). As always, I will link to the recorded podcast in tomorrow’s newsletter. Tony is a force of nature, and Postcards to Voters is an outstanding organization. Check it out!

Concluding Thoughts.         

          I joined Markers For Democracy for one of their weekly Zoom meetings. Markers for Democracy focuses on daily engagement in postcard writing and other forms of activism to promote the election of Democrats up and down the ballot all over the country. It is a terrific organization that includes many of the earliest readers of this newsletter (back when I had 200 subscribers!). As always, it is inspiring to see citizens who are committed to defending democracy through personal engagement. It is a great group; if you are looking for activism with a strong dose of community, check out Markers For Democracy.

          One question asked during our session was about getting out the vote. I didn’t give a complete answer during the Zoom, so I want to circle back to the question. In 2022 and 2024, “getting out the vote” is the key component of the Democratic strategy. But Republicans have the same plan. How can we outperform Republicans in voter turnout?

          One answer is registering the millions of new voters who turn eighteen every year. Every four years, more than 12 million new citizens become eligible to vote. Younger voters tend to register as Democratic or independent, giving a strong advantage to Democratic candidates. One group that is dedicated to registering high school seniors is The Civics Center. Laura Brill, the founder of the Civics Center, sent the following note about a campaign focused on increasing registration rates among high school seniors in Florida:

Hi Robert,

We’ve just come out with our latest report on youth voter registration. With the midterms approaching, in Broward County, Florida, only 30% of 18-year-olds are registered to vote. Only 25% of 18-year-olds in Miami Dade County are registered to vote. We also give a breakdown of the registration rates among the most populous cities in these counties.

          The report includes a “scorecard” for registration rates by cities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, along with solutions for increasing voter registration among high school students.

          Studies show that if high school seniors are registered to vote, they turn out at very high rates! So, the key is to register more high school seniors. Focusing on registering new voters is one of the most targeted and impactful strategies for Democrats to win in 2022 and 2024. Republicans are trying to make it more difficult for high school and college students to vote—because they know the lose ground with every new young voter registered.

          If you are looking for a mission, please consider volunteering or donating to The Civics Center (which is still looking for foundation sponsors). Despite my partisan slant on The Civics Center, it is a non-partisan organization—as it should be. When more young people vote, we help secure the future of American democracy without regard to party affiliation.

           We still have five months to increase voter registration with hundreds of thousands of new young voters. We can do that! Be part of the solution!

          Talk to you tomorrow!