Former President Donald Trump's delusion that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him by Democrats engaging in widespread election fraud irrevocably eroded public faith in American democracy and resulted in a deadly failed insurrection mounted by his supporters hoping to halt the centuries-long peaceful transfer of presidential power.
The House Select Committee investigating the origins of the January 6 insurrection has steadily been subpoenaing Trump's circle in hopes of uncovering the extent of the Trump administration's culpability for the riot.
One target of these subpoenas was Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who abruptly halted his prior cooperation with the committee earlier this week, claiming representatives sought to probe exchanges between Meadows and the former President that undermined what Meadows believes to be executive privilege.
Before his reversal, Meadows had already submitted a number of documents to the House committee for scrutiny, and a newly-leaked powerpoint included in one of those documents reveals just how unhinged the options put before the White House were in their efforts to secure another term for Trump.
According to the Guardian's congressional reporter, Hugo Lowell, Meadows turned over to the House an email referring to a deranged powerpoint guiding Trump on how to undermine the election.
Latest: Trump White House chief Mark Meadows turned over to Jan. 6 committee an email that referred to a PowerPoint calling for Trump to declare a NatSec emergency and have VP Pence delay Biden’s certification pic.twitter.com/D2wgLS6AoD
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 9, 2021
One option offered was that Trump declare a national security emergency that would "declare electronic voting in all states invalid," and task Congress with determining "LEGAL & Genuine Paper Ballot counts".
The full powerpoint, available here and dated January 5, also includes long-debunked conspiracy theories regarding electronic voting systems and supposed Chinese infiltration of U.S. elections.
It's unclear the extent to which Meadows and the Trump administration considered options laid out in the document, but the revelation that it reached the White House at all was deeply unsettling to social media users.
‘Declare national security emergency’
Chilling, absolutely chilling to see this in writing. https://t.co/pU3nTDpECm
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) December 9, 2021
The Jan 6 insurrection and the call to violence by Trump that morning were intended to create a chaotic sense of unease for whatever “national security” emergency was going to be invoked. Remember, Trump told them to make noise… he would do the rest. https://t.co/NGgSmy5mCH
— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) December 9, 2021
We came really, really close to an outright coup. https://t.co/yDE3vyrnC0
— Melissa (she/her) (@LiteraryMouse) December 9, 2021
This is key evidence of possible federal & state crimes
Like 18 USC 381, conspiracy to defraud the US
Or 18 USC 241, conspiracy to deprive persons of civil rights
Or Ga. Code 21-2-604, solicitation of election fraud
And many, many more possible offenses https://t.co/zBWwqpr7hv
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) December 9, 2021
A special shoutout to everyone who called us "alarmist" when we warned, for years, that Trump was an unprecedented authoritarian threat to American democracy https://t.co/xWjPF7681H
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) December 9, 2021
Let's call this what it was: a coup attempt by a sitting president who lost re-election. Yet 95% of Republicans want him back in office. https://t.co/yfL9ShuJAS
— Patrick W. Watson (@PatrickW) December 9, 2021
People were amazed it was ever put in writing.
I'm barely a lawyer anymore but one piece of advice I'd give to all my clients is as follows: If you're planning on doing a coup, don't memorialize those plans in a slide deck entitled, like, insurrectionoutline.pptx https://t.co/3maX8bUfwb
— Jay Willis (@jaywillis) December 9, 2021
How boldly are Republicans trying to overthrow the Biden government? They had a PowerPoint plan. Why were they so bold? Because they think you and DOJ don’t care and thus they can’t be stopped. We are in a battle for democracy. It’s on life support. https://t.co/SKSqFL8c87
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) December 9, 2021
They took notes on a coup attempt https://t.co/qSW2zHO0wD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 9, 2021
More details will likely emerge as the January 6 Committee continues its investigation.
