The missing piece that even the 1/6 Committee was unable to find was direct evidence that Trump was running the coup plot, but a new report has Trump directing others to overturn the election.
The Washington Post reported on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona:
After Trump’s call to Ducey, Trump directed Pence, a former governor who had known Ducey for years, to frequently check in with the governor for any progress on uncovering claims of voting improprieties, according to two people with knowledge of the effort.
Pence was expected to report back his findings and was peppered with conspiracy theories from Trump and his team, the person said. Pence did not pressure Ducey, but told him to please call if he found anything because Trump was looking for evidence, according to those familiar with the calls.
This isn’t Trump asking or making requests. The former president directed his then-vice president to pressure a sitting governor to overturn election results and then report back to him.
Trump was more than the beneficiary of the plot. He was the person running it. Rudy Giuliani was the fake elector plot coordinator, but Donald Trump was the point man for the whole scheme.
The story of the pressure campaign in Arizona puts Trump at the top of the plot. There are no other people that the former president can blame or set up to take the fall for him.
Pence was directed to pressure an elected official to overturn the election and report back to Trump by Trump.
It doesn’t get any more direct than that, and if the Washington Post story is correct, Trump should be facing charges for the attempted coup after the 2020 election.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association