11.07.2020

Election Law Expert Analyzes Trump’s Election Fraud Claims

Despite the handwriting on the wall, President Trump and his team are waging legal warfare, citing baseless claims of fraud in Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Trevor Potter is one of America’s foremost election law experts. The former head of the Federal Election Commission, he now serves as president of Campaign Legal Center. He joins Christiane from Marshall, Virginia.

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BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE NOW, WHAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM ALL THE RELEVANT STATES OFFICIALS.

WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS HAS A CHANCE OF GOING?

WELL, I THINK MAYBE THE BEST ANALOGY AT THIS STAGE IS THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN FEES THE WALLS CLOSING IN ON THEM.

THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN STATES ARE SLIPPING AWAY.

BIDEN IS ON THE VERGE OF AN ELECTORAL COLLEGE MAJORITY WHICH I THINK WE WILL SEE THE PRESS WILL DECLARE WITHIN THE NEXT DAY.

SO THEY'RE TRYING EVERY DOOR, EVERY WINDOW, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY EXITS FROM THIS BOX.

THEY'RE DOING WHAT ANY GOOD CAMPAIGN LAWYER WOULD DO.

TRYING TO LOOK FOR PROBLEMS IN THE STATES WHERE THE VOTE COUNTS ARE NOW FAVORING BIDEN.

NONE OF THESE ARE WHAT I WOULD CALL MAJOR ISSUES.

I THINK THE HOPE IS THAT AS THEY TRY ONE AND THEN ANOTHER, THEY'LL FIND SOMETHING MIGHT WORK.

THE CLOCK IS AGAINST THEM.

IT IS ONE THING TO SLOW THE COUNT DOWN OR TO STOP THE COUNT BY SAYING WE NOTED MORE OBSERVERS IN THE ROOMS THAN THERE ARE.

BUT THAT TACTIC HASN'T WORKED.

THEY'VE TRIED THAT AND BEEN REJECTED BY A NUMBER OF JUDGES.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIE.

ONCE THE FINAL BALLOT IS COUNTED, IT IS MUCH HARDER TO UNSCRAP BL THOSE EGGS.

SO LET ME PUT THIS TO YOU.

THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN LAWYER SAID, ROBERT BECAUER.

THIS IS PART OF A BROADER MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN.

IT IS LIKE A TACTIC TO KEEP SHAKING THE FOUNDATION OF THE CREDIBILITY AND THE FACE IN THE ELECTION SYSTEM.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

DO YOU THINK THAT'S AN UNDERLYING REASON?

PERHAPS LAYING THE TABLE FOR A PUT TO TRUMPISM?

ONE OF THEM IS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE WOULD BE IN THE SUPREME COURT THE NEXT MORNING WHICH WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF LOYAL TRUMP WORKERS WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST TO SHOW THE PRESIDENT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.

THEY'RE TRYING TO PRODUCE THOSE LAWSUITS.

THEY'RE NOT GOING ON CHANGE THE ELECTION.

BUT I THINK THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT WILL PLEASE THEIR BOSS.

IT FEEDS HIS NARRATIVE THAT THERE IS FRAUD AND CORRUPTION AND HE CAN'T POSSIBLY HAVE LOST IN ANY RATIONAL WAY, SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ELECTION PROCESS.

About This Episode EXPAND

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) discusses Pennsylvania’s decisive role in the presidential election. Trevor Potter, one of America’s foremost election law experts, analyzes the Trump campaign’s baseless claims of fraud in battleground states. Gun reform activists David Hogg and Alex King discuss the youth vote. Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb explains how this week of uncertainty is affecting mental health.

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