The NPR Politics Podcast Trump Pressured Justice Department To Act Based On Baseless Election Fraud Claims
Jun 24, 2022
Top Justice Department officials detailed Trump's intense pressure to back his unfounded election fraud claims. Tensions escalated during a critical Oval Office meeting, where resignations loomed as officials maintained their integrity against the president's demands. Complicating matters, some Republican Congress members sought pardons connected to their roles in promoting false narratives. The looming January 6 hearings promise to unveil new evidence of Trump's involvement and the consequential decisions that shaped this tumultuous period.
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Trump's Pressure on DOJ
- Trump pressured DOJ officials to declare the election corrupt.
- He wanted them to leave the rest to him and Republican congressmen.
DOJ's Role
- The Justice Department is not supposed to engage in the president's personal political bidding.
- DOJ officials resisted Trump's attempts to overturn election results.
Pipeline of Disproven Claims
- Trump's DOJ received a barrage of disproven election fraud claims from various sources.
- These claims, often originating online, were passed to the DOJ via Mark Meadows.