It’s Time to Look at Trump’s Jan. 6 Plans in a New Light
Feb 16, 2024
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Investigative reporter Josh Kavinsky discusses Trump attorneys' strategy to stop Congress from certifying Biden's election. Concerns are raised about Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The hosts criticize Mayor Eric Adams' lawsuit against social media companies. Frustration with failed leadership and offensive views. Analyzing Marjorie Taylor Greene's defense of the account known as Libs of TikTok.
Trump attorneys devised a Supreme Court scheme to stall Congress from certifying Biden's victory on Jan. 6th and force the Court to intervene.
Section 702 of FISA raises concerns about warrantless surveillance and lack of oversight, dividing advocates for reform and those pushing for unchanged extension.
The Trump campaign's plan to convene fake electors aimed to create confusion, delay the certification, and cast doubt on the legitimacy of Biden's victory.
Deep dives
Trump attorneys planned Supreme Court scheme to overturn election
The podcast episode discusses the efforts made by Trump attorneys to overturn the 2020 election results through a Supreme Court scheme. The attorneys aimed to create situations that would stall Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory on January 6th. By preventing the counting of electoral votes, they hoped to force the Supreme Court to intervene and decide the election outcome. However, the attorneys acknowledged the far-fetched nature of their plan, with some suggesting only dissenting opinions from certain justices as a best-case scenario.
The controversy surrounding Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
The podcast episode explores the privacy concerns and criticisms surrounding Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Section 702 allows the government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign individuals located outside the United States, but concerns arise as American citizens' communications often get swept up in the process. Critics argue that this surveillance is warrantless, leading to questions about Fourth Amendment rights and the lack of proper oversight. The episode highlights the divide between those who want to reform or eliminate Section 702 and those who push for its extension without significant changes.
The backroom negotiations and debates over Section 702 reform
The podcast episode delves into the recent backroom negotiations and debates surrounding Section 702 reform. There is a division between those advocating for stronger privacy protections and those favoring the intelligence community's interests. Despite numerous attempts to introduce reforms and amendments, they often end up dying behind closed doors during legislative processes. Some members of Congress have raised concerns about national security threats, often to sway opinion on the matter, while privacy advocates argue for greater checks and balances, including the requirement of obtaining warrants for accessing Americans' communications under Section 702.
Trump's Fake Electors Strategy
The podcast discusses the Trump campaign's strategy to convene fake electors in key swing states despite the election already being decided. This tactic aimed to create confusion during the certification process on January 6th, with the goal of delaying the confirmation of Joe Biden's victory and providing a platform for spreading baseless claims of voter fraud. The campaign's plan involved filing last-minute lawsuits to create a pretext for the existence of these fake electors. However, there was no legitimate conflict or undecided election by December 14th, rendering their contingency strategy fundamentally flawed.
Implications of the Trump Campaign's Actions
By convening fake electors and fueling controversy during the certification process on January 6th, the Trump campaign intended to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Joe Biden's victory. This would have led to hearings and claims of voter fraud amplified in Congress and across the country. The campaign believed that by causing a delay in certifying the election, they could create an opportunity to prolong the fight and ultimately keep Trump in power. The scheme, had it succeeded, would have set a dangerous precedent in American politics by refusing to accept the will of the people and circumventing established election processes.
Did Trump and his team ever really believe the 2020 election was stolen? That’s the wrong question to ask, Talking Points Memo reporter Josh Kovensky says on The New Abnormal. Plus, an interview with Dell Cameron, an investigative reporter for Wired magazine, about the recent Congressional wrangling over proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.