And what Trump’s gonna do, is just declare victory. Right? He’s gonna declare victory. But that doesn’t mean he’s a winner. [Bannon chuckles] He’s just gonna say he’s a winner.
Two months before the January 6 US Capitol riots, Donald Trump’s one-time trusted adviser Steve Bannon predicted what the then president would do if he lost the election. US investigative news outlet Mother Jones published excerpts of the nearly hour-long meeting that took place on October 31, 2020, between Bannon and a group of associates.
Here’s a taste of what was in the tape:
Excerpt 1:
“The Democrats — more of our people vote early that count. Theirs voted mail. And so they’re gonna have a natural disadvantage and Trump’s gonna take advantage of it — that’s our strategy. He’s gonna declare himself a winner. So when you wake up Wednesday morning, it’s gonna be a firestorm. You’re going to have Antifa crazy, the media crazy, the courts are crazy. And Trump’s gonna be sitting there mocking, tweeting shit out, ‘You lose. [Hoots of laughter from Bannon’s captive audience] I’m the winner. I’m the king.’
“And he’ll be all over it. He’ll be, he’ll be going, ‘Where’s Hunter? Is Hunter on a crack pipe?’ I mean, no, he’ll be — because then it doesn’t matter. Remember, here’s the thing. After then, Trump never has to go to a voter again. He’s going to fire Wray the FBI director [Bannon, clearly overexcited, bumbles something unintelligible]. He’s going to say, ‘Fuck you. How about that?’
[Bannon’s audience enjoys this, again erupting into laughter]
“Because he’s, he’s never going to — he’s, he’s done his last election. Oh, he’s going to be off the chain, he’s gonna be crazy.”
Excerpt 2:
“Also, also, if Trump, if Trump is losing by 10 or 11 o’clock at night, it’s going to be even crazier. [Someone chimes in with their two cents] No, because he’s gonna sit right there and say, ‘They stole it. [General agreement from the room] I’m directing the attorney-general to shut down all ballot places in all 50 states.’ [Bannon chuckles in disbelief] It’s gonna be, no, he’s not going out easy. If Trump — if Biden is winning, Trump is going to do some crazy shit.”
And we all know how that ended.
The next “Trump” is going to be intelligent, not just rat cunning.
Unless the USA fixes it’s Electoral and Voting systems, Bannon’s “…After then, Trump never has to go to a voter again.” will become a reality.
Democracy only works if everyone plays by the rules. You only need one ill-meaning actor, or a patsy controlled by other interests, to start thinking about it seriously. It can happen very quickly, by buying key personnel in government departments with money/power/influence/social standing. Buy people in your own organisation. Have a compliant media, or make them compliant. How many times has this happened overseas. (Sri Lanka – the next military dictatorship?)
The other way is to do it by stealth. Have an institute full of sociologists changing the fabric of our society with the aid of somnolent media. And a somnolent population. Have them map out a strategy for you. Start changing legislation to suit your ends, and not as a benefit to the country. If you get caught (e.g. someone goes to the High Court and you are found guilty of whatever [ring a bell?]), change the legislation and backdate the change. Dilute the justice system – but don’t start small, why not remove the important principle of the Westminster System et al and remove the long held principle of “Innocent until proven Guilty”. Does that ring a bell? Remove the deliverance of justice from the Justices and give it to yourself, oops, I mean Ministers of the Crown. Does that ring a bell?
Moving on – declare pork-barrelling elections is just business as usual, does that rin… time to stop I think I’ve made my point.
We are not ever that far from losing the luxury and privilege (bought by others) of living in a Parliamentary Democracy.
A compliant media? How about Rupert Murdoch- not compliant, just implementing his world wide agenda.
and Biden’s the patsy in your story.
It was a coup d’état attempt. Pure and simple. And it was telegraphed for years! Why are people surprised?
Unfortunately the USA won’t learn from this experience. Despite the threat to their democracy, despite the shocking violence on Jan 6, despite ongoing bizarre revelations, the nation is not ‘Trump’ proof.
Only the next Trump pretender will benefit from this chapter, he/she will recognise where the original Trump strategies failed & avoid those missteps. One key factor was having a fool like Giuliani on the loose.
I was of the opinion, in 2016, that if Trump somehow miraculously got to power, it would end in civil war in the USA. I’m not a religious man but I could not pray more to be proven wrong.
It has come perilously close to my prediction coming true and my biggest fear is that the next ‘trump’ will be ever so more canny, sophisticated, prepared , and lets face it, smart.
I have watched over the years the American Empire slip, like all empires before it, into a state of decay and disrepair. Through bread and circuses they feed the populace on distractions and lies. The things we once saw as great about the American ideal have been polluted and turned into nothing more than an almighty grift. Be that from the military /industrial complex which Eisenhower warned about, to the casual acceptance of massacres at schools and public places. Their collective psyche has been gradually manipulated to accept the abhorrent as the real.
Electing Trump was the ultimate acceptance of the abhorrent..
Their blind adherence to the outdated Constitution and electoral college can not end well. They seem unable to change these institutions so more intense civil unrest/ war may be the only outcome… the ultimate lesson for others, particularly around income distribution. And on another note, if I was in the US now, I’d be protesting night and day for women to have choice for their bodies. The hypocrisy over this freedom is mind blowing.
Abraham Lincoln would rollover in his grave if he knew what his beloved Republican Party had become.