Stunning Trump Call to Raffensperger

How is this legal?

At what point do GOP lawmakers draw a line? How far must Donald Trump push the bounds of ethical behavior, destroying every norm and subverting the rule of law, to meet his own, unjust ends, before there is a collective cry of “ENOUGH!” from the right?

I guess we’re about to find out.

We already know that the servile puppy dog, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, plans to make a show for the MAGA cult on January 6th. He, along with about ten others plan to oppose the certification of the 2020 election results.

It’s theater, of course, meant to garner favor for a potential 2024 run. To this point, the spineless cowards of the Republican Party have felt safe in regurgitating every disproven conspiracy theory – and outright lie – regarding election fraud.

If it undermines our republic, damaging the integrity of our system of government and the confidence of the American people in our elections, so what?

It’s all about looking out for Number One. It’s the Trumpian way, and it doesn’t matter if the nation, our Constitution burns to ash.

I think we can safely say that the “God and Country” schtick of the GOP can be retired, in favor of their new, authoritarian bent.

“Trump, only Trump, always Trump. To Trump be the glory.”

The faithless lawmakers in both the House and Senate now, however, must understand that everything Donald Trump does, at this point,  they own. Their hands are as dirty as his, and there have been new developments.

On Saturday, the outgoing president decided to call Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, in an attempt to pressure him to “find” enough votes to give the state to Trump.

Keep in mind there have been multiple recounts and those votes have already been certified. Georgia’s electors have already cast their votes for Biden.

What Trump did was scandalous, and if he wasn’t on his way out the door in 17 days, I’d say he should be impeached again and removed from office.

Remember that “perfect call” to the president of Ukraine?

This one was on that same level of “perfect.”

To Raffensperger’s credit, he had the good sense to have his attorney present for the call and to record it. For an hour, Trump harangued and cajoled them, repeating the Q-Anon conspiracy nonsense that has polluted this entire process.

The Washington Post obtained soundbites from the conversation, and to say it’s bad would be an understatement.

Sifting through the Trump word salad, there was a lot of threats of angry Georgia MAGAs, and the notion that the upcoming runoff election will be bad for Republicans, because of that anger.

He fails to grasp that his constant hammering of “election fraud” and telling Republicans not to turn out and vote in a “rigged election” might have something to do with that.

Said Trump, at one point, “And the people of Georgia are angry. The people in the country are angry. And there’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, that you’ve recalculated.”

Raffensperger answers, “Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is the data you have is wrong.”

Further, Trump presses that ballots were shredded, that Dominion voting machines were removed, or at least, the inner parts of the machines were removed and/or replaced.

Ryan Germany, general counsel for Raffensperger spoke up to dispute the insanity, at this point.

Trump would not be dissuaded. He persists in the delusion of shredded ballots and disassembled voting machines.

Then, there’s this gem:

Trump: “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state.”

“So tell me Brad, what are we going to do? We won the election and it’s not fair to take it away from us like this. It’s going to be very costly in many ways, and I think you have to say that you’re going to reexamine it and you can reexamine it, but reexamine it with people that want to find answers, not people that don’t want to find answers.”

But he didn’t win the election.

In other words, he wants Raffensperger to bring in Trump loyalists, and to conjure votes out of thin air.

His threats are veiled, ever so thinly, and his intent is corrupt. He wants to be given this election. He doesn’t care about the will of the American people, the integrity of our elections, or anything beyond his own, self-serving needs.

Given what can only be described as a bombshell reveal of Trump’s desperation in his last days, do GOP lawmakers still put their reputations on the line for him?

Does the MAGA “Stop the Steal” cult still see their cult leader as infallible and noble, beyond a fault?

The world is watching, and this audio should be a game-changer. If there is even a shred of conscience left in in the Republican Party, now would be the time to show it.

I’m not holding out much hope for that. Trumpism is a fast-moving cancer, destroying principle and moral clarity, leaving nothing of value in its wake.

God help us all if the reaction to this audio is not an immediate and clearly stated condemnation of what Donald Trump has attempted to do to the rule of law.

The ball is in your court, Republicans.