Did Trump Try to Overturn Election?
Dear Editor:
Contrary to Trump’s claim of media persecution, his actions and his staff’s actions show that Trump engaged in activities to overturn the election. In our country’s history, Trump’s actions are unparalleled.
On February 9th, the January 6th Select Committee subpoenaed Peter Navarro, the former White House trade advisor. Their website states:
“Peter Navarro reportedly worked . . . to develop and implement a plan to delay Congress’s certification of, and ultimately change the outcome of, the November 2020 presidential election. In his book, Navarro described this plan as the “Green Bay Sweep.” . . . Navarro reportedly added that former President Trump was “on board with the strategy,” as were “more than 100” members of Congress.”
The Green Bay Sweep’s intention was to implement the strategy of the Eastman Memo which called on Pence to throw out the previously certified electoral results from the seven states that had submitted fraudulent slates of electors. This would have given Trump 232 votes to Biden’s 222. Alternatively, if Pence determined that since neither candidate received the necessary 270 electoral votes necessary for a victory, this would throw the election to the House. In the House each state had one vote. If the Republicans in the state delegations stood firm, Trump would win the election.
Trump’s tweets and speeches consistently confirm that he expected Pence to stand firm and overturn the election, and he blamed him for losing the election.
Additional revelations showed how determined that Trump and his allies were to overturn the election:
• Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to swing the election to overturn Georgia’s election results.
• Trump pressured Jeffery A. Rosen, the acting Attorney General, to use Jeffrey Clark’s false claims of a fraudulent election in Georgia to cast doubt on the election results. When Rosen refused, Trump considering firing him and installing Clark as Attorney General. Rosen’s top aids threatened to quit, and aids talked Trump out of firing Rosen.
Trump’s and his staff’s actions to overturn the election show a disregard for the electoral process, the law, and our constitution. If it wasn’t for Pence, the outcome would have been a major crisis.
Trump’s role must be examined. If Trump is innocent, then the truth will exonerate him. If he tried to overturn the election, then his deeds will be exposed.
Democracy’s health and possibly its survival depends on the January 6th Committee’s investigation and how both political parties respond.
–Larry Bieber, Castro Valley
