Trump said he “should have” ordered the National Guard to seize ballots during the 2020 election, but said he doesn’t know that they are “sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats.”

Monday, January 12

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If you’re a hardcore democracy news connoisseur, you probably read to the bottom of this newsletter and noticed our new addition last week, “Democracy Footnotes.” That’s where we’ll share shocking, amusing or generally noteworthy briefs on all-things voting rights and democracy. Have a footnote for us? Send them to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Lawmakers, former officials denounce DOJ’s criminal probe into Fed Chair Powell

- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned ([link removed] ) that President Donald Trump is pressuring the central bank into cutting interest rates through threats of criminal prosecution. The rare statement comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an unprecedented investigation into Powell over the weekend.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

Trump: ‘I should have’ seized ballots in 2020 election

- Trump said ([link removed] ) he “should have” ordered the National Guard to seize ballots during the 2020 election, but said he doesn’t know that they are “sophisticated enough in the ways of crooked Democrats.” The comments raise fears he will utilize the military in this year’s midterms.

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Sen. Kelly sues Pete Hegseth, warns Trump administration is weaponizing military discipline to punish dissent

- Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) sued ([link removed] ) the Trump administration over its attempt to reduce his retired Navy rank and pension. The U.S. senator argues the move is unconstitutional retaliation and part of a broader effort by Trump to weaponize the military against political opponents.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

Lawmakers say Noem is still illegally blocking ICE facility oversight

- House Democrats asked ([link removed] ) a judge to force the federal government to explain how a new DHS policy — which requires lawmakers to request oversight visits to ICE facilities seven days in advance — doesn't violate a previous court order blocking such restrictions.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

Dems move to defend Maryland voters in Republican purge lawsuit

- The Democratic National Committee (DNC) today moved ([link removed] ) to intervene in a Republican-led lawsuit targeting Maryland’s voter rolls, arguing the case threatens to purge eligible voters, undermine election access and divert resources to keep voters registered.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

Republicans are desperate to crack down on direct democracy

- Ballot initiatives are a lifeline for enacting progressive policies, and Republicans know this. GOP officials nationwide are now coordinating ([link removed] ) a sweeping campaign to shut down direct democracy, making it harder for voters to have a voice.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

Federal court blocks key parts of Trump’s anti-voting order, restores states’ control over elections

- In a major win for voters, a federal court blocked ([link removed] ) key parts of Trump’s anti-voting executive order. The judge ruled Trump had no authority to rewrite election rules, target mail-in ballots or force new barriers to voter registration.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

Virginia Democrats signal push for congressional map that leaves just one GOP seat in bid to counter gerrymanders

- Virginia Democrats are signaling ([link removed] ) a push for a new congressional map that would leave Republicans with just one U.S. House seat — a direct response to GOP-led gerrymanders pushed by Trump ahead of the midterm elections.

- Read the full story >>> ([link removed] )

New Republican election officials make voting harder in North Carolina

- Republicans have spent ([link removed] ) their first year back in power ramping up attacks on voting. In North Carolina, GOP-led election boards have shut down early voting sites across the state and sent personal voter data to the Trump administration, which is running the information through a federal database to find non-citizens who shouldn’t be voting.

- Deep dive into the North Carolina voting scene >>> ([link removed] )

JD Vance’s dangerous attack on independent media

- Marc exposes ([link removed] ) how the Trump administration and Vice President JD Vance are exploiting a tragic ICE killing in Minnesota to spread lies, smear a victim, and justify an alarming crackdown on independent media and free speech. He breaks down why targeting journalists and lawful speech is a direct threat to the First Amendment—and a key step in normalizing authoritarian power.

- Watch the video >>> ([link removed] )

DEMOCRACY FOOTNOTES

- Buzzfeed for the anti-democracy crowd? In a totally normal move, the White House published ([link removed] ) a listicle called “57 Times Sick, Unhinged Democrats Declared War on Law Enforcement.”

- We understand Sigal Chattah is unlawfully serving ([link removed] ) as U.S. attorney. We do not understand her cryptic ruminations ([link removed] ) on decay. And also, Smash Mouth...

- Today in play acting, Trump posted ([link removed] ) an image of a fictional Wikipedia page listing him as acting president of Venezuela.

- While Trump continues to destroy American democracy, his ally Laura Loomer and right-wing activist Amy Mek have launched ([link removed] ) a new organization for tilting at windmills: Defeat Marxism and Sharia PAC.

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