Over the weekend, news broke that in a rarely seen move, Trump has already endorsed state legislative candidates in Michigan and Arizona. Why endorse these candidates nine months ahead of the primaries?
Because the radical rightwing’s strategy to hijack our democracy starts in state legislatures.
State legislatures set the rules of the game for elections, from who can vote to how the winner is certified. More chillingly, we know the rightwing is propagating a false legal theory that state legislatures have unchecked constitutional rights including to appoint any presidential electors they like, even once an election has taken place. The fact that it’s untrue won’t matter if a majority of the Supreme Court signs off on this theory (spoiler alert: four rightwing justices have already signaled they will).
Trump endorsing pro-Big Lie state legislative candidates has nothing to do with 2020, and everything to do with 2024. If his cronies control enough state legislative chambers they will, simply, nullify the vote and declare him the winner.
If Trump or an ally runs in 2024 and rightwing state legislative majorities hand over the presidency despite their states’ popular vote, it would be the end of our democracy.
Friends, don’t lose hope. Majorities that would protect democracy are just three seats away from breaking majorities in each chamber in Michigan and one seat away in both the Arizona House and Senate. Legislatures that aren’t run by Trump loyalists are within reach in both states.
We must win Michigan, Arizona, and every majority we’re fighting for in 2022.
The radical right’s network is following Trump’s lead and working overtime on this strategy. Fuel this work now so we can build the community to combat it.
