According to a story in the New York Times, Trump directed Rudy Giuliani to call the Department of Homeland Security and ask if it could legally take control of voting machines in key swing states. This happened shortly after Trump asked Bill Barr if the Justice Department could seize the machines. Barr said no. Via the New York Times:
The new accounts show that Mr. Trump was more directly involved than previously known in exploring proposals to use his national security agencies to seize voting machines as he grasped unsuccessfully for evidence of fraud that would help him reverse his defeat in the 2020 election, according to people familiar with the episodes.
The existence of proposals to use at least three federal departments to assist Mr. Trump’s attempt to stay in power has been publicly known. The proposals involving the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security were codified by advisers in the form of draft executive orders.
But the new accounts provide fresh insight into how the former president considered and to some degree pushed the plans, which would have taken the United States into uncharted territory by using federal authority to seize control of the voting systems run by states on baseless grounds of widespread voting fraud.
Imagine. EVEN RUDY GIULIANI thought Trump’s proposals were beyond the pale. Somewhere in that babbling mess of a man still beats the heart of a real lawyer.
Sure, we all knew he was involved — but now we have his fingerprints on the plot.
Reupping, for those making false claims that there are no signs Trump’s people are being investigated.
The Six Trump Associates Whom DOJ Is Investigatinghttps://t.co/wNeGUtuopf
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 1, 2022
“Mr. Giuliani was adamant that the military should not be mobilized…and Mr. Trump ultimately heeded his advice.”
When Rudy is your voice of reason standing against martial law….https://t.co/z9vFhEVAvU
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) February 1, 2022