The Insurrection Act, helluva twofer
~ Christopher Anderson, Vanity Fair
Shadow President Stephen Miller is itching to invoke the Insurrection Act his boss has fantasized about for years. Trump wants it now as part of his retribution campaign against anyone and everyone (“I am your retribution.”), but also as a way of suppressing the vote in fall congressional elections. Trump expects to lose control of the House, at a minimim, and face another inpeachment. Miller is just waiting for the right moment to yank Trump’s chain.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” the president wrote Thursday on Truth Social.
Rep. Veronica Escobar(D) of Texas responds to the threat:
“We knew this was part of his plan all along, and my fear—and I think the fear of many members of Congress and communities across the country—is that he will use the Insurrection Act during the midterm elections to suppress the vote…”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D):
Pritzker: The feds are supposed to be fighting to protect your civil rights, not to take them away. And the Insurrection Act is designed only for circumstances where your rights can’t be protected by local authorities or by whatever federal authorities are already there. Only then can federal troops be brought in to protect your civil rights. This is exactly the opposite. It’s like they’ve turned it on its head. Your civil rights are being infringed upon by CBP and ICE, and then they want to call in troops on top of that—not to protect your civil rights, but claiming that they’re protecting CBP and ICE. And it’s just false.
I don’t know if this can be stopped, or how widespread it could be. Trump cannot by law prevent elections, but the law seems of little concern to him, doesn’t it? And to Miller.