AG Bill Barr issued a memo yesterday instructing the DoJ to investigate claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, but warned not to investigate “specious” or “speculative” claims. The memo caused the guy who oversees investigations of voter fraud in the DoJ to step down. There’s also a Trump appointee in the General Services Administration (GSA) who is stonewalling transition funds and whatnot for the Biden-Harris transition team, which makes setting up the peaceful transition of power much more difficult. Meanwhile, GOP legislators and other GOP goons are paying lip service to Trump’s claims of voter fraud, and there’s rumors that Donny Jr. and his girlfriend are trying to solidify power/take over the RNC.
I’m not sure how much attention should be paid to any of this fuss – with the exception of stonewalling Biden’s transition team. That needs some attention, as it’s going to screw things up and make it more difficult for the Biden-Harris team to get a working government set up before Jan. 20. Which, obviously, is what it’s intended to do. It’s a snide, petty little move by snide, petty little people.
The rest of it, though… I dunno. Trump’s claims of illegal voter fraud are obviously BS, and the court actions his team is taking on behalf of those claims all seem to be completely baseless and unlikely to result in anything. Members of the GOP are saying they’re just humoring Trump to get him used to the idea of losing (which, I mean, he’s a grown-ass man, he should be able to handle that without having his hand held). So overall, I don’t expect any of that to amount to anything we need to worry about.
However, it does reinforce the GOP narrative among their base that the election was stolen and Biden is an illegitimate president, and that’s not going to help at all. But, let’s be honest here: the Trump base was going to believe that shit anyway, so I’m not sure even that is making any drastic changes in the post-election landscape.
I’d say, for now, as things stand, keep an eye on this crap, but don’t panic. Also, support the Georgia runoff races.
Reading List
- New York Times: Barr Hands Prosecutors the Authority to Investigate Voter Fraud Claims
- CBS News: Biden team considering legal options if Trump administration keeps stalling the transition
- AP (via TPM): As Trump Whips Up Hysteria, Barr Tells DOJ It Can Probe Election Fraud Claims
- TPM: DOJ Head Of Election Crimes Branch Resigns After Barr Allows Baseless Voter Fraud Probes
- Alexandra Erin, Twitter thread: “The thing about evaluating danger is that there are at least two axes to consider: the axis of probability and the axis of magnitude. A thing that has little impact and little probability? Not worth worrying about much.”
- Washington Post: Top Republicans back Trump’s efforts to challenge election results
- CNN: Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle make moves to expand RNC influence and possibly takeover, sources say
Featured image: Donald Trump, by Gage Skidmore.
Notes & Thoughts 