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Shameful History
"To circumvent constitutional amendments passed in the wake of the civil war, southern states approved a slew of discriminatory laws and introduced literacy tests and good character tests (also adopted in parts of the north) that made it next to impossible for black voters to cast their ballots." https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/13/america-history-voter-suppression-donald-trump-election-fraud -
Motivation
"'I don’t want everybody to vote,' Paul Weyrich, an influential conservative activist, said in 1980. 'As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.'" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/30/trump-republican-party-voting-reform-coronavirus -
Obama
"Since the 2008 election, when high turnout by young voters and voters of color propelled Barack Obama to the presidency, a wave of restrictions on voting have been passed by state legislatures or put in place by state election officials. Early voting periods have been shortened, polling places shuttered, and voter ID requirements implemented that have made it more difficult to vote in many states." https://www.aclu.org/issues/voting-rights/voting-rights-2010 -
False Claims
"When Kris Kobach was first running for office in Kansas in 2010, he claimed he’d found evidence that thousands of Kansans were assuming the identities of dead voters and casting fraudulent ballots – a technique once known as ghost voting." https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/13/america-history-voter-suppression-donald-trump-election-fraud -
Senate Takeover
"Republicans swept to power in the US Senate after a rout for Democrats in midterm elections that were dominated by criticism of Barack Obama’s presidency and are likely to hobble his last two years in Washington." https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/04/us-midterm-elections-republican-wins-senate-takeover -
Voting Restrictions Ramp Up
"Critics of voter restrictions argue that they can disproportionately hit, and effectively disenfranchise, ethnic minority voters. They say there is a trend for states with Republican administrations to do this in areas where some ethnic minority voters show a high level of support for Democrats." https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/13/voting-restrictions-2010-election -
Shelby County v. Holder and the Future of the Voting Rights Act
"...the 1965 Voting Rights Act... gave the justice department veto power over any new election rule or law passed in parts of the country with a proven history of racial discrimination... in 2013, this provision... was scrapped when the supreme court decided in a... controversial 5-4 decision that racial discrimination was no longer pervasive enough in the south to justify it." http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/13/america-history-voter-suppression-donald-trump-election-fraud -
Voter Suppression: How Bad? (Pretty Bad)
"Race has been a significant factor. In 2008, voter participation among African Americans and certain other groups surged. Then came backlash. The more a state saw increases in minority and low-income voter turnout, the more likely it was to push laws cutting back on voting rights, according to the University of Massachusetts study." https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/voter-suppression-how-bad-pretty-bad -
Voter Suppression Laws Cost Americans Their Voices at the Polls
"But many Americans were unable to exercise their right to vote because of voter suppression laws. Those people’s voices were not heard on November 8. They could not exercise their power in choosing their own government—a tragedy for American democracy." https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/reports/2016/11/11/292322/voter-suppression-laws-cost-americans-their-voices-at-the-polls/ -
Trump Attacking the Election
"Trump: 'Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country, because they're cheaters. They go and collect them. They're fraudulent in many cases.' In reality, mail-in ballots had been used safely by several states for years, with insignificant instances of fraud. The president himself had voted by mail." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
The GOP Chorus
"Attorney General William Barr followed Trump's lead. He questioned mail-in ballots, raising the specter of counterfeiting — even though he acknowledged in an NPR interview that his concern had no basis in fact. 'Did you have evidence to raise that specific concern?' he was asked. 'No,' Barr replied. 'It's obvious.'" https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Trump TV Interview
"...Trump was consistently behind in polling against... Biden. [He] told Fox News that "mail-in voting is going to rig the election." Wallace: 'Are you suggesting that you might not accept the results of the election?' Trump: 'I have to see,' Wallace: 'Can you give a direct answer: Will you accept the election?' Trump: 'I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no'"
http://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
"I appreciate" People Who Believed a Conspiracy Theory
"At a White House briefing, a reporter asked Trump what he thought of the QAnon movement, adherents of an elaborate, false conspiracy theory. The FBI had previously warned that this conspiracy would likely cause people to 'carry out criminal or violent acts.' Trump: 'Well, I don't know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.'"
http://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
"Stand back and stand by."
"Wallace asked Trump if he was willing to denounce white supremacists. Trump told the Proud Boys — which the Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a hate group associated with white nationalism — to 'stand back and stand by.' 'Stand by' is thought of as a signal to them that's actually quite positive,' Trump later said he meant for them to 'stand down.'" https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Election Night
"The president was widely expected to claim victory on election night, when he might be leading in early ballot counts. At a White House event at 2:30 a.m. ET as ballot counting continued, he falsely claimed victory: 'We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.' In days that followed, Trump supporters mobbed ballot-counting sites." http://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Biden Wins
"News networks, including NPR, accurately reported that Joe Biden had won the election, based on state and local vote tallies across the nation. Rather than acknowledge the result, Trump's allies launched dozens of baseless lawsuits, often over minor issues that would not have changed the election even if true." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Republicans Offer Cover
"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not repeat the president's false claims of fraud — but still defended the president's refusal to concede: 'A few legal inquiries from the president do not exactly spell the end of the republic.'" https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Giuliani and Powell
"In court: Trump lawyers [say] they were not alleging fraud; they could be punished for lying in court. Outside court: Lawyers Giuliani, Powell held a press conference at RNC
Giuliani: 'I know crimes, I can smell them. You don't have to smell this one. I can prove it to you 18 different ways,' (He never did.)
Powell [links] ballot fraud to the long-deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez."
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
The Warning
"Gabriel Sterling, a Georgia election official, made an appeal directly to the president at an Atlanta news conference: 'Stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someone's going to get hurt. Someone's going to get shot. Someone's going to get killed.'" https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
The Electoral College Votes
"Presidential electors met in their state capitals and cast their votes for president. A last-ditch lawsuit to disrupt the count, supported by numerous Republican state attorneys general, had been dismissed by the Supreme Court." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
An Unsuccessful Effort to Reign in Trump
"McConnell signaled that the time for the "few legal inquiries" had passed. 'Today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,' McConnell said." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
"Will be wild!"
"Trump tweeted about the upcoming joint session of Congress, where the electoral votes submitted by the states were to be formally counted. 'Big protests in D.C. on January 6. Be there. Will be wild!' It was one of several times he promoted a rally his allies were organizing." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
The Objection
"Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley announced he would object to the certification of the election on Jan. 6. Republicans in the House had already indicated they would object, but it was necessary for at least one senator to join House members to force debate; Hawley's move assured this." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
The Phone Call
"Trump phoned Georgia Secretary of State... Raffensperger, asking him to change the state's vote total... for Trump to prevail by a single vote. 'There's nothing wrong with saying that, you know, um, that you've recalculated.' Raffensperger [refused]. The Proud Boys announced that they would attend the Jan. 6 protest. ...other senators... join Hawley in raising objections..." www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
The Campaign Speech
"In a failing effort to win two Senate seats for his party in Georgia, the defeated president talked extensively about his false claims of fraud and said he would 'fight like hell.'" https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Unexpected Consequences
"In particular Trump’s comments have spurred conspiracy theories that the state’s electoral system is rigged and prompted some of his supporters to make calls for a boycott of the coming vote – something that local Georgia Republicans desperately do not want. 'His demonization of Georgia’s entire electoral system is hurting his party’s chances at keeping the Senate,' warned an article published by Politico." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/27/trump-georgia-senate-runoff-election -
Jan 6: 4:17 p.m.
"After lawmakers appealed to Trump to call off the attackers, Trump eventually released a video that repeated his election claims, but also called for peace: 'So go home. We love you. You're very special.' Rioters followed the president's instructions and began to disperse. Congress eventually reconvened that night and formally certified Biden's election."
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Jan 6: Between Noon and 2:00 p.m.
"When the mob reached the Capitol complex at about 12:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday, it took about 15 minutes for the west side perimeter of the building to be breached, he says. The Capitol Police contingent, which numbered around 1,400 that day, was quickly overrun by the estimated 8,000 rioters." https://www.npr.org/2021/01/11/955548910/ex-capitol-police-chief-rebuffs-claims-national-guard-was-never-called-during-ri -
Jan 6: 2:24 p.m.
"Trump [tweets] denouncing then-Vice President Pence, who was overseeing the vote count... [He] declined Trump's demand that he disrupt the count... following his duty under the Constitution.
Rioter on phone: 'Can I speak to Pelosi? Yeah, we're coming, b*. Oh, Mike Pence? We're coming for you too you f traitor.'
Mob: 'Bring out Pence,'
Rioters: Trump told them to [attack]."
http://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Jan 6: 6:01 p.m.
"In one of his last tweets before his account was removed from Twitter, [Trump] appeared to justify and celebrate the attack: 'These are the things and events that happen, Go home with love and in peace, remember this day forever!' It would not be until a week later, the day the House impeached him, that Trump delivered an unequivocal denouncement of the attack." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Jan 6: Midday
"As Congress [was]... counting... votes... a crowd that included Proud Boys, assorted extremist groups, numerous people wearing QAnon [gear]. Giuliani: 'Let's have a trial by combat!' Trump: 'You'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.' ..crowd that he had been priming with lies for most of year... toward Capitol." https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965342252/timeline-what-trump-told-supporters-for-months-before-they-attacked -
Twitter Acts Ethically. Finally Someone Does!
"9:46 a.m.: 'The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!' 10:44 a.m.: 'To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.'" https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2021/01/09/twitter-bans-trump-what-tweet-got-president-banned/6607968002/ -
Consequences
"Gallagher, the army veteran, said that one of the deepest similarities between the aftermath of the Capitol attack and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was that there was no clear end in sight... 'Everybody knows this is the beginning of something,' Gallagher said. 'Getting through the inauguration may be the short-term goal, but it is hardly the end of whatever this is going to be.'" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/20/capitol-breach-washington-dc-war-zone