Heated discussions and “raised voices” reportedly ensued at a meeting attended by President of the United States, Donald Trump on Friday, 18 December, during which the outgoing head of the state discussed naming Sidney Powell to be special counsel in charge of his long-drawn, yet unsubstantiated charge of voter fraud.
Apart from Powell, the meeting was attended by Rudy Giuliani and General Michael Flynn, among others.
WHY WERE VOICES ‘RAISED’ ?
Sidney Powell - A lawyer for the Trump campaign, Powell had blamed a Venezuelan plot to rig voter machines behind Biden’s win and has filed several court cases alleging election fraud, many of which have been rejected by courts. The idea of her as special counsel was hotly opposed by House chief of staff Mark Meadows and counsel Pat Cipollone, reports CNN.
Michael T. Flynn - The former US National Security Advisor, who was recently pardoned by President Trump, had earlier suggested that the President could invoke martial law deploy the military to “rerun” the election. While the idea arose at the meeting, it was reportedly pushed back by others.
WHAT ELSE HAPPENED AT THE MEETING?
The meeting, which sources told CNN was ugly, also featured a discussion on an executive order that would allow the government to inspect voting machines.
Multiple reports suggest that the suggestions were opposed by those considered some of Trump’s staunchest of supporters.
“It’s basically Sidney versus everybody...that is why voices were raised.”A source told Axios.
Rudolph W. Giuliani, the President’s personal lawyer also opposed the ideas discussed at the meeting. According to Axios, Giuliani, had on Thursday, 17 December, called Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to find out if the department could seize voting machines.
Cuccinelli reportedly told Giuliani that there was no way in which the DHS could assert control over voting machines in states.
WHY IS IT CRUCIAL?
President Trump, who lost to Joe Biden by a margin of seven million votes, is yet to concede the election.
Supported by conspiracy theorists like Powell and Flynn, Trump remains hold up inside the While House and continues to believe in unsubstantiated claims that he had actually won the election.
Many are afraid that barely a month before Joe Biden takes over, President Trump, assisted by Powell and Flynn, could use government power in a last bid to overturn election results that have clearly declared Joe Biden as winner.
(With inputs from CNN and Axios)
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