Trump is pulling a Nixon, interfering with elections. Don't let him get away with it

News and commentary for thoughtful Floridians and other Americans who care about the future of our country

Kent State Massacre: 67 shots in 13 seconds. Four dead. Nine wounded.

Donald Trump wants to steal the next election, and it’s up to us to stop him.

He hinted at this during his campaign when he told a gathering of evangelical Christians:

“Get out and vote, just this time … Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote any more, my beautiful Christians.”

While alarming, it wasn’t entirely clear what he meant, not an unusual occurrence for the oldest man to ever take the presidential oath of office. Perhaps he was overdosing on covfefe.

But this week, he removed all doubt on a conservative podcast:

“The Republicans should say ‘we want to take over.’ We should take over the voting in at least many – 15 places – the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

He referenced the blatant fabrication that the only reason every single state in America didn’t vote overwhelmingly for him when Joe Biden won was because of illegal aliens imported into the country and other election fraud — a.k.a. The Big Lie.

He continued:

“We have states that are so crooked – and they’re counting votes – we have states that I won, that show I didn’t win. Now, you’re going to see something in Georgia, where they were able to get with a court order the ballots. You’re going to see some interesting things coming out.”

This time, Trump was referring to an FBI raid he ordered that confiscated 2020 election ballots last week. The raid was led, weirdly, by Tulsi Gabbard, who, oxymoronically, holds the title of director of national intelligence—a job that has nothing to do, theoretically, with domestic politics. At least, it shouldn’t.

Oddly and suspiciously, Gabbard called Trump from Georgia while federal agents were collecting ballots, and let him give a rah-rah speech to the FBI squad while it was trying to do its job.

This is the same deluded president who, after losing re-election in 2020, called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, and exhorted him to find the votes he needed to win:

"What I want to do is this. I just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes.”

And when that failed, he launched an insurrection. Which got him impeached. For a second time.

Now, Trump’s minion in the Justice Department, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, is suing Raffensperger to turn over the state’s unredacted voter list. This is the same coercive tactic she rolled out in Minnesota in what appeared to be a quid-pro-quo condition to tamp down the ICE thuggery and murder there.

(Which, for the record, the most recent killing, that of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, was ruled a homicide this week by the medical examiner’s office.)

So, what 15 midterm elections does Trump want the Republicans to “take over”? Probably not Florida’s or any other red state, right?

Four things about this:

1. Trump swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. The Constitution clearly empowers the states to organize congressional elections, language that has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

2. When Trump was urging “Republicans” to usurp state duties, he was referring to the majorities in the United States House of Representatives and the Senate.

3. So, not to put too fine a point on it, we have a sitting president, trying to put political pressure on Congress to violate the Constitution, to throw an election his way because he is terrified if Democrats regain the House of Representatives, he will be impeached. Again.

4. That is an impeachable offense in and of itself.

What can we do?

My wife, Sandy, shared a stirring video from MS NOW commentator Ali Velshi in which he compares the Kent State massacre in 1970 at the height of the Vietnam War to the recent murders in Minnesota.

Much of the focus of the video has to do with the protest music that arose from those tragedies, Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young then, Bruce Springsteen’s Streets of Minneapolis, more recently.

The parallels are chilling: Troops murdering innocents on streets and college campuses. A president, Richard Nixon, trying to rig an election that resulted in a scandal known as Watergate— and his resignation in the face of impeachment. Now, more attempts by Trump to subvert our democracy while blood runs in the streets of our cities.

Here’s the link:

Velshi closes the video with these words:

“We are not just witnesses to history. We are its authors. And the next verse is ours to write.”

I found that powerful and compelling.

It is why, shortly after Trump’s re-election, I decided I had to set aside writing novels and jump back into journalism. I simply could not sit idly by and do nothing. Hence, this newsletter. And, of course, I am not alone.

So, what can you do? I get that question a lot.

Here’s my brief action plan:

Stay informed.

Vote.

Talk to your friends and call your representatives.

Volunteer if you can.

Share.

When you read or view something that inspires or infuriates or informs, take advantage of the technology: Like, Comment, Share.

So far, this publication currently reaches more than 750,000 Democrats in Florida every day. I am so thankful for every one of you who has chosen to subscribe.

But, while a big number, we have to remember that there are 4 million registered Democrats in Florida, and we need to find ways to reach them, too, and encourage them to become engaged and, most importantly, vote.

You can help.

See something you like, hit the forward button on your email, and send it to a friend. Or use the Share button. Both work.

We need to be more than mere witnesses to history as it is unfolding. This is our time.

Thank you,

J.C. Bruce

Related source material and links:

Donald Trump repeats controversial ‘You won’t have to vote any more’ claim

Trump suggests Republicans should ‘take over’ election to protect the party

Constitution Annotated: Article I, Section 4, Clause 1

Ohio

Trump’s call to Raffensperger

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J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a Florida online news service dedicated to sharing news and commentary relevant to Florida readers, whether it originates in the Sunshine State or elsewhere. Bruce is an award-winning former newspaper editor, journalist and author living in Florida, his native state.

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As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 750,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

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