Trump chose 'the stupidest way possible' to try to steal an election: law professor
Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig outlined a detailed analysis of all the possible scenarios that could lead to the stealing of a presidential election — and blasted Donald Trump for choosing the "stupidest possible way" of doing it.
In their new book, "How to Steal a Presidential Election," which Lessig co-authored with Matthew Seligman, they show that there were smarter ways Trump and his allies could have used in an attempt to steal the 2020 election. The way that was chosen was deeply flawed because it relied on blatantly false documents and crackpot legal theories.
And, speaking to Salon, Lessig warned that unless Congress enacts some much-needed reforms, the more competent methods still pose a threat to democracy.
Lessig points out that Trump is almost guaranteed to be the GOP nominee in 2024, and he expects him to be even more extreme over election claims than he was in 2020.
The book outlines several scenarios in which the election could be manipulated, the most serious ones involving "malicious actors," Salon reported.
"As Lessig told me during our recent conversation, the most dangerous possibilities involve rogue state legislatures — and let's be real, rogue Republican state legislatures — giving themselves final power over electoral outcomes, either by finding an excuse to override the popular vote, directly appointing their own slates of electors or simply dictating exactly how the existing electors will vote," wrote Salon's Executive Editor Andrew O'Hehir.
"We today have as many people who believe the election was stolen in 2020 as believed it was stolen on Jan. 6, 2021," Lessig said, adding that in a world "where the public can't be brought around to the truth, it's easy for either side to play games and get away with it because denialism will reinforce itself, especially in the light of the most extreme actions taken."
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Lessig said that it's understandable that there are throngs of people who don't trust the democratic process because we "have systems that constantly benefit the insiders or people with money and don't serve the people democracy is supposed to serve, namely the people."
"This is the most terrifying reality, that we continue to spin in this direction of hopelessness about democracy, for most people, and that means the hollowed out institutions of democracy can do even more extreme and outrageous things without any political check," he continued.
When asked during the interview if Trump has total immunity from alleged crimes committed while in the White House, Lessig said the question itself is embarrassing.
"No, he does not have total immunity," Lessig replied.
When asked if states have the authority to boot Trump from the ballot, Lessig said that question is a little more complicated.
"...But I don't think that without a statute by Congress anybody has the right to exclude federal officers, whether it's congresspeople or the president, from being candidates."
Read the full interview over at Salon.