'It’s getting worse': Legal experts brace for what 'desperate' Trump will 'do to stay free'
Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias is "really worried" about what ex-President Donald Trump might do next.
The leader of the organization, which identifies as "the leading progressive source for information, analysis and opinion about voting rights, elections and democracy," spoke with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace Monday about the former president's efforts to have the Supreme Court of the United States "intercede" on his behalf as he faces four criminal indictments.
CNBC notes:
While the Supreme Court has in the past been tasked with making major decisions about presidential elections — perhaps most notably by ruling on a disputed recount in Florida in 2000 — it’s far from clear what Trump expects the high court to do about his 78 criminal charges. In most cases, the Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction, meaning it considers cases that have been appealed from lower courts.
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"You know, Marc," Wallace said. "I want to ask you to pull the thread forward and ask you what you think it means he will do next time when it comes to the Supreme Court, because Trump doesn't come up with new plays but he does sort of innovate the old plays and they become more and more audacious."
Elias replied, "So I'm really worried. I'm really worried. I mean, look what Donald Trump and his allies were willing to do to keep him in power. Now, project forward to 2024, when he believes that his only chance to maintain freedom, to not be a convicted felon, to not potentially face prison is to regain the White House and pardon himself or whatever. And look at who those 126 members are. you know, it was 126 in December. By the time you got to — by the time you got to the evening of January 6th, he got more than 140 votes in the House. Look at the House of Representatives today. He would get probably 200 members of the Republican conference today.
He continued, "Nicolle, I'm worried because it's getting worse. He's gotten more desperate. the Republican Party has become more anti-democracy. Our systems of elections have become weakened from the battering that they have taken from Republican election deniers and election subverters. And so, as we move towards elections in 2024, we're all going to have to do more to lift up and strengthen the people who run our elections, our election laws, our election systems, because I fear that Donald Trump has more in store."
Wallace replied, "I think it turns on what you just articulated too. The things he was willing to do to stay powerful, right? That's what we are mining for clues. But that's not apples and apples. These are the things — what he's going to do to our country next are the things that he has to do to stay free. And freedom is much more important to him than running the country. I think you always have your eye on the things we should be looking at, Marc Elias. Thank you for being here and keeping our eyes on it as well."
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