These two statistics almost scream of a sick democracy in desperate need of medical attention.
In 2020, even though he lost the election, the US government will put a former president on trial for conspiring to undermine the will of the people. On Thursday, former President Donald Trump will make his initial court appearance in that lawsuit.
According to a recent CNN poll, over a third of the population including a substantial portion of Republican voters do not accept the results of the 2020 election as legitimate.
Whether or if it can be established that Trump knew he lost the election, as his official advisers all told him, could be a deciding factor in the criminal case.
Whatever it was that Trump understood, he never stopped trying to cast a pall of uncertainty over upcoming US elections, especially those in which he would be a candidate.
Because of this, the vast majority of Republicans and independents who lean Republican now question whether or not President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump was truly legitimate. In 2021 CNN survey, as many as 72 percent of Republican voters expressed scepticism. The current rate is rather stable at 69%. Seventy-five percent of Trump voters who cast ballots in 2020 express scepticism about Biden’s credibility.
There is definitely a range of uncertainty. Only 39% of Republicans and independents who lean Republican are sceptical about the election’s legitimacy and believe there is strong evidence to prove it. Despite numerous investigations and legal challenges, no concrete evidence of widespread voter fraud has yet been revealed.
Overall, 61% of Americans agree that Biden actually received a majority of the popular vote, while 38% disagree. Jennifer Agiesta and Ariel Edwards-Levy of CNN have more on the latest survey.
When people have doubts that the system is producing a legitimate winner, this might lead to serious concerns about the system’s legitimacy.
Despite one man’s best efforts, voting for Trump is still possible.
As proof, think about a fascinating interview that aired on Wednesday night with one of the few Republicans who is convinced by the mountain of evidence that the election was fair.
Former Trump attorney general Bill Barr now argues that his former boss has no business in the White House. Barr, who has been a regular target of Trump’s taunts, has now welcomed parts of the indictment against the president and stated his belief that Trump knew he lost the election even while he was trying to reverse it.
Barr told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that he still hasn’t decided whether or not to vote for Trump in spite of everything. Check out the full interview right here, or skim the essential takeaways down below. To shorten it, I’ve summarised Collins’s queries.
Is this a convincing argument?
Barr expressed concern that Trump could be indicted for trying to sway the 2020 race. It’s complicated, it’ll be a distraction from the 2024 election, the outcome could effect that election, it needs demonstrating things that may be impossible to show, it doesn’t do anything to offset the idea on the political right that there is a double standard at the Justice Department, etc.
But legally, I don’t see a problem with the indictment,” BARR said. To me, that doesn’t qualify as abuse. By filing charges of conspiracy and attempted subversion of the election process against the President, the Department of Justice is not “weaponizing” itself.
Isn’t it true that Trump’s freedom to challenge the election was protected by the First Amendment?
Barr: “No, I just don’t believe that’s a good argument because, as the indictment states, they’re not challenging his First Amendment right.
He’s entitled to his opinion. He’s so talented that he can even lie. Even when he knows better, he can convince others that the election was fraudulent.
However, that does not prevent you from becoming involved in a conspiracy. Communication is the key to every plot. It’s important to remember that dishonesty always begins with words. So, the right to express oneself freely does not include the liberty to participate in a criminal fraud scheme.
Did Trump realise he had been defeated?
Do I, Barr? BARR: “Do I believe that? True, I had my doubts at first. However, I now feel that he was fully aware of the fact that he had already been defeated at the polls.
The government, in my opinion, has now taken on the responsibility of proving that. The government’s stance in the indictment is that he knew for a fact that he had lost the election and that the election wasn’t fraudulently stolen from him. And they’ll have to do so with irrefutable evidence.
Is any further proof beyond that which is included in the indictment?
Oh absolutely, I would assume (special counsel Jack Smith) has a lot more,” BARR said. That’s one of the reasons why the indictment left such a good impression on me. It was really minimal. And he could have said a lot of interesting things. And I anticipate a whole deal more. And I believe they have a great deal more proof of President Trump’s mental state.
For what reasons do you suppose Trump realised he had been defeated?
BARRY: “Number one, comments from folks like (Steve) Bannon and (Roger) Stone before the election stating that he was going to – he was going to claim it was stolen, if he was trailing behind, on election night, and that was the plan of action.
Those are some extremely worrying claims. And then on election night, you see him actually doing it.
And then, in my judgement, the press stories, the indictment, and his apparent lack of curiosity about the true story leave no room for doubt. That’s how I feel about it. And let’s see whether the government can produce evidence that disproves any reasonable doubt.
Must this trial go place before the 2024 presidential election?
BARR: “Well, the most important consideration has to be the defendants’ right to a fair trial.
And I believe it goes – I think there are arguments to be made, either way, as to whether it should come first or second. If he becomes president, my presence hereafter is, of course, moot.
Is it OK, in your opinion, for Trump to use campaign donations to pay his legal fees?
That’s kind of sickening to me,” BARR said. The person claims to be worth several billion dollars. In addition, he solicits contributions from the working class, the working people, and the little donors, telling them, “This is to defend America, and to take care of the elect,” despite the fact that he gave little to no assistance in the 2022 elections. And it looks like he’s spending a lot of it on lawyers.
Is the Justice Department applying different rules to different people?
BARR: “I think that the department tends to go far more aggressively after Republican or allegations of Republican wrongdoing than Democrat.” And I’ve witnessed it firsthand. I went through that myself. I’ve witnessed it.
“Right now, it’s not nearly as widespread as is made out to be. It also isn’t done mechanically. And I think there are still a lot of terrific prosecutors working for the agency who can put politics aside and be fair to everyone.
“But I believe there are political actors within the division.”
If elected, will Trump use the Justice Department as a weapon?
BARRY: “Definitely. We can’t go tit for tat, which is why I find it so amusing that so many people are getting worked up over weaponization.
But Trump is pretty explicit about it, as you say. There’s little room for doubt in my mind that he thinks these bodies should be deployed against his opponents.
How do you feel about Trump’s insinuations and personal attacks that he made on Smith?
“It amazes me that you read through the indictment and his conduct in that indictment,” said BARR. Furthermore, this is quite repulsive and low-life conduct.
Someone who has participated in that sort of intimidation over a process essential to our democracy and our self-government has no business being in the Oval Office, whether or not they have broken the law. To insult a prosecutor who is looking into the matter with all the epithets and so on, for which he apparently has no basis, is absurd.
These days he’s a tough prosecutor. In my opinion, he is the type of prosecutor who will go to great lengths to prove guilt if he believes someone has committed a crime. He definitely has an aggressive personality. But I don’t see him as a partisan performer.
You say you won’t vote for Trump in 2024, but why not? You’ve previously stated that the Oval Office is off-limits to him.
BARR: “My opinion is that if you feel that one of two persons is going to be president — in other words, there’s no third alternative, one of two people are going to be president — then, at that point, you have to do your soul searching as to which one you think will do least harm to the country. That’s the kind of analysis I’d make.
If Biden is so unqualified, why is that?
BARR: “Look, there are Democrats that I think are honourable people, and whose views I don’t think are radical, and so on and so forth.
But I believe Biden has given radical progressives control of the government. As for his moral character, I believe there are warning signs that should be taken seriously. I don’t see any obvious moral high ground between him and Trump.
Are you doing these interviews in an effort to prevent Trump from being the nominee?
Yes, I mean yes,” said BARR. Because I believe this is an excellent time for the Republican Party. In states like Florida, Georgia, and Virginia, conservative governors are racking up major wins and drawing new voters into the Republican fold.
And I believe that, on a national level, it can be accomplished by any of our candidates other than Trump. Trump has already proven he is incapable of leading a national movement to that kind of decisive win. He’s been defeated three times. And I predict he will be soundly defeated once more at the national level.
