Behind the scenes
A newly released audio recording offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former US president Donald Trump’s campaign team in a pivotal battleground state knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election.
But even as they acknowledged defeat, they decided to “fan the flames” of allegations of widespread fraud costing Trump victory there, which were ultimately debunked – repeatedly – by elections officials and the courts.
In other words they decided to amplify a lie, knowing it was a lie. Not surprising on one level, but there are other levels.
The audio from 5 November 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while continuing to lie about the legitimacy of the outcome and Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 win.
…The audio centers on Andrew Iverson, who was the head of Trump’s campaign in the state.
“Here’s the deal: comms is going to continue to fan the flame and get the word out about Democrats trying to steal this election. We’ll do whatever they need. Just be on standby if there’s any stunts we need to pull,” Iverson said.
“Stunts we need to pull”=lies we want to tell.
Iverson is now the midwest regional director for the Republican National Committee. He deferred questions about the meeting to the RNC, whose spokesperson, Keith Schipper, declined comment because he had not heard the recording.
How convenient. “Talk to the bosses, who will say they know nothing, nothing. Repeat forever.”
The meeting showcases another juxtaposition of what Republican officials knew about the election results and what Trump and his closest allies were saying publicly as they pushed the lie of a stolen election. Trump was told by his own attorney general there was no sign of widespread fraud, and many within his own administration told the former president there was no substance to various claims of fraud or manipulation – advice Trump repeatedly ignored.
To put it more bluntly, the meeting is yet more evidence of how shamelessly Trump and his gang tell lie after lie after lie.
Why not “Not surprising”, period?
Politicians lie, sure, but on one level we might be surprised about that. But this isn’t just politicians. This is the Trump team. What’s the surprise?
Because that’s what I wanted to say, that’s why. It’s entirely predictable that Trump and trumpists are shits, but at the same time, I always find specific instances of shittism surprising, and I don’t really want to stop being surprised, because that way despairing cynicism lies.
I read “stunts we need to pull” as something more than just more lies — think more like the “Brooks Brothers Riot” in Florida in 2000, where a “spontaneous” (pre-planned) group of “outraged voters” (GOP operatives) showed up to “protest” (intimidate election workers).
I read “stunts” as more than just lies too. The January 6 insurrection was a “stunt.” Wasn’t it promoted as a “Take America Back” rally, organized within and fed with the unfolding fantasy of the “stolen” election? Trump and his cronies were assembling a powderkeg, hoping the fuse they were lighting would be long enough that it wouldn’t blow them up too. Why risk yourself when so many others are willing to do your bidding? Then, once the smoke cleared, he could take control in a much stronger position. Not legally stronger of course, but in a facts-on-the-ground sense of advantage. It almost worked. With just a small change in timing, I’ve no doubt that we would have seen the execution-style murders of both Pelosi and Pence, among many others standing in the way of all those “patriots.”