A new message from your friends at People For the American Way.
[link removed]
***********************

Friend,

Welcome to our weekly “Trumptastrophe” email series, that will serve to
remind us all of the destructive policies, decisions, and actions we
encountered during the Trump presidency and the threats that he and others
in the MAGA movement still pose – and to keep those moments clear in our
memory as we fight to defeat Republican extremists during the upcoming
elections.

This week’s recap focuses on Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the
2020 election, choosing instead to promote the “Big Lie” that the election
was stolen from him – by spreading wild claims about voter fraud, hacked
voting machines, and more. We can’t forget the damaging effects Trump’s
Big Lie has had on our elections across the nation and our democracy as a
whole:

On the night of Nov. 3, 2020, the results of the presidential election
held that day were not yet known, because votes were still being counted
in more than half a dozen states. Even though he had not won, Trump
falsely declared victory a little after 2:00 a.m. on Nov. 4 while making
bogus claims about voter fraud and mail-in ballots.

We now [ [link removed] ]know that [ [link removed] ]some senior Trump advisers [ [link removed] ]argued against making
the false election night claim, but Trump was urged to declare victory by
a [ [link removed] ]possibly drunk Rudy Giuliani. We also [ [link removed] ]know that political dirty
trickster Roger Stone had been [ [link removed] ]arguing in advance for claiming victory
even if the election was up in the air. Trump adviser [ [link removed] ]Steve Bannon had
also telegraphed in advance that Trump would declare victory as a
political strategy. Right-wing activist Tom Fitton, head of Judicial
Watch, sent Trump a memo on Oct. 31, 2020 [ [link removed] ]urging Trump to declare
victory on Election Day, and he spoke with Trump about it.

On Nov. 5, Trump addressed the White House press corps, again proclaiming
the Big Lie that would ultimately lead to the violent attack on the
Capitol two months later: “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If
you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.”

Two days later, on Nov. 7, Biden was projected to win Pennsylvania and
Nevada, putting him over the 270 electoral votes needed to win the
presidency. Trump, of course, refused to acknowledge that he had been
defeated, as he continues to do.

Trump’s false claim of victory on election night, and his ongoing refusal
to give up the lie three years later, remind us why it would be so
dangerous for our democracy for Trump to return to power:

* The truth means nothing to Trump if it stands in the way of getting
and exercising power. He has made it clear that if he gets the chance,
he will use his power as head of the executive branch to turn the
federal government into a weapon for personal revenge against anyone
he doesn’t believe is sufficiently loyal to him.
* Trump’s lies about the election have generated so much hostility
toward election workers that many experienced election officials are
[ [link removed] ]quitting in droves. Others have struggled to deal with
[ [link removed] ]organized right-wing efforts to inundate local election officials
with document requests. A panel of election officials [ [link removed] ]testified
before a U.S. Senate committee on Nov. 1, 2023, where Arizona
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said, “As a former county recorder
myself, I can attest that the pre-2020 world for election
administrators is gone. We don’t feel safe in our work because of the
harassment and threats that are based in lies.”
* Trump and his MAGA movement have so intimidated Republican Party
officials that House Republicans unanimously elected as Speaker of the
House [ [link removed] ]Rep. Mike Johnson, an architect of efforts by Trump’s
hard-core congressional allies to overturn the election.
* No future election would be safe with Trump overseeing a purged and
politicized Justice Department and a House of Representatives led by
Johnson, who promoted a far-right legal theory that would have let
state legislatures override the will of the voters without any
interference from the courts.
* Trump and his supporters continue to pump out election related
conspiracy theories that undermine trust in democracy and foster
support for political violence.

These are just some of the reasons we need YOU in this
fight. So, find your
favorite way to unwind after reading through this week’s recap, and then
make a plan for how you will fight back THIS week, this MONTH, this
election cycle.

[ [link removed] ]If you’d like to opt-out of this series but still continue receiving
our other email content, you can do so here >>

Thanks for all that you do to defeat Republican extremism.

– People For the American Way

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ [link removed] ]DONATE NOW

 

 

 


***********************

Do not reply directly to this e-mail. Please use [email protected].

Trouble viewing the email?
VIEW AS WEB PAGE:
[link removed]

This email was sent to [email protected]. Reaching you over email
is the best way we have to let you know about the ways you can take
action to fight the Right Wing and defend our constitutional rights
and values. If you have any thoughts, comments, or criticisms, or if
there's a better email address at which to reach you, please
let us know. If you'd like to unsubscribe from our list, you
can do that here:

You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
. But know that if you leave, it will be harder for you to stay involved with People For the American Way and continue our
crucial work. PFAW is able to win policy battles and elections, and
counter the Right's extremism and hate, because of dedicated
activists like you, and we're always eager to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for your support.

[link removed]

CONTACT:
[link removed]

PRIVACY POLICY:
[link removed]

FACEBOOK:
[link removed]

TWITTER:
[link removed]

YOUTUBE:
[link removed]

1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC xxxxxx-5002,
202-467-4999

You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]