Screenshot / YouTube
Yes, it really happened. On Saturday, the President of the United States pressed the Georgia secretary of state to “find” 11,780 votes, enough to overturn Biden’s victory. From the West to the East Coast, Americans seeking justice are rejoicing at the news — because the call was recorded.
Twitter says it is time #Impeach Trump. Again.
sos.ga.gov
During the hour-long phone call between Donald Trump and Brad Raffensperger, the President flattered, implored, and even threatened the GA secretary of state to “find” the extra votes. At one point Trump warned Raffensperger there would be “a big risk” if the state refused to comply.
He wants to find 11,780 votes https://t.co/lmrM58z5RS
— John Brown 🍑 (@harris1_owen) January 4, 2021
Listening to the full 1 hour call between Trump and GA officials is mind-numbing.
They sit back and let him go on, promoting all kinds of insane conspiracy theories — which no court saw any evidence of — and it’s like, one of those, “give him enough rope….”
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) January 3, 2021
The full tape recording is much, much worse than the clips.
— Elizabeth Vargas (@EVargasTV) January 4, 2021
I listen to the whole thing. If this was in any European country all people on the tape would have resigned. And if this was in Japan all of them already committed honor suicide
— ali (@ali93417367) January 4, 2021
Trump: Biden is stealing the election with fake votes!
Also Trump: I just need to ‘find’ 11,780 votes in Georgia…Hypocrisy, boys & girls, this is what it looks like in action. Trump was always the one trying to steal the election… #TrumpTapes #TrumpMeltdown #TrumpTreason pic.twitter.com/CdWmGqBPTh
— SuicideNeil (@SuperDudeNeil) January 4, 2021
Y’all got any more of them votes? I just want to find 11,780 votes. #TrumpTapes pic.twitter.com/AzoosGJcxL
— Taranormal Activity (@TaraSavannah) January 4, 2021
Flickr / The White House
Legal analysts have described the phone call as a shocking abuse of power and a potential criminal act that could lead to the President’s second impeachment.
Maybe the dog ate them pic.twitter.com/DVKUGeWS6R
— ⚔️Fuzzy🖖🏻 (@FuzzyDub) January 3, 2021
Georgia state law has two provisions that criminalize the “solicitation of election fraud” and “conspiracy to commit election fraud.”
Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State University law professor, explains, “The Georgia code says that anybody who solicits, requests or commands or otherwise attempts to encourage somebody to commit election fraud is guilty of solicitation of election fraud.” He added, “The president asked, in no uncertain terms, the secretary of state to invent votes, to create votes that were not there.”
Last year, we proved Donald Trump guilty of abusing the power of his office.
But Republican Senators refused to convict, claiming on principle, voters should decide.
Now, those same Senators wish to overturn the election results.
They have no principle, only fear and ambition.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 3, 2021
#impeach - Shhhh!!! If you listen closely, you’ll hear every elected republican saying absolutely nothing about Trump asking the GA SOS to “find” votes.
— JTH Star 23 (@JamesHa99024447) January 3, 2021
Flickr / Gage Skidmore
Kreis, alongside fellow law professor Jed Shugerman, has also pointed out that Trump would be unable to pardon himself on this occasion. If the phone call went to court, it would be state — not federal. As Kreis explained to Politico:
The most damaging part of the call is when Trump says that the Secretary of State should just say he ‘retabulated’ the numbers. It reveals that he isn’t blowing off steam or sincerely seeking out the truth. His only demand is to have votes tossed or invented to fabricate a win.
Kamala Harris called the phonecall “the voice of desperation” and a “bald-faced, bold abuse of power by the president”.
The 11,780 Georgia votes Trump is looking for have Biden/Harris on them
— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) January 3, 2021
Screenshot / YouTube
Legal experts contend that the President may have violated both state and federal law. Andrew Weissman is a former attorney who worked with the Department of Justice for 20 years.
He tweeted, “Trump’s statement shows he knows what the law is and he is doing precisely what it forbids: seeking to cause submission of false election results, and threatening folks to do that to book. Federal and state crimes.”
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan denounces GOP challenge of electoral college certification: “It is difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act than a federal intervention to overturn the results of state-certified elections.” https://t.co/o2WKb0Janp pic.twitter.com/AzfXIuBFDS
— ABC News (@ABC) January 3, 2021
This is the most disgusting chapter so far of the Trump “presidency”. US citizens, Citizens of the world listen to these 4 minutes and understand how close we have been to the breakdown of our democracy. #Raffensperger #Impeach https://t.co/YHClx9LSdO
— Iannis Aifantis (@iannisaifantis1) January 3, 2021
Flickr / Sasha Kimel
Twitter had plenty of suggestions for the President for where to find these missing votes…
Someone should tell Trump he can find his missing 11,780 votes in Leavenworth Penitentiary.
— Michael Little (@Michael_Little_) January 4, 2021
Maybe the dog ate them pic.twitter.com/DVKUGeWS6R
— ⚔️Fuzzy🖖🏻 (@FuzzyDub) January 3, 2021
Trump would have had his 11,780 votes if he hadn’t killed them with covid.
— I Smoked The Trump Tape (@Dknight10k) January 4, 2021
Screenshot / YouTube
Sometimes, a picture says a thousand tweets.
“I just want to find 11,780 votes.” pic.twitter.com/DQTLd5cXRa
— Scott Charles (@TheScottCharles) January 4, 2021
Have you seen those 11,780 votes? pic.twitter.com/Ijalv4lZUq
— Rocky Mountain Views (@RockyMountViews) January 3, 2021
trump looking for 11,780 votes. #LockHimUp pic.twitter.com/Afc9ToFGiF
— living in redneck hell (@Captain_Tripps7) January 3, 2021
Trump: “I just want to find 11,780 votes…”#TrumpTapes pic.twitter.com/v8og7LBC4o
— Jermaine (@JermaineWatkins) January 3, 2021
Sorry, Donald. We looked behind all the sofas but we couldn’t find your votes. Unfortunately, the White House is now full, so you will have to con elsewhere.
