My top takeaways and surprises in the Trump indictment re: 2020 election

 My top takeaways after reading the indictment of Trump re 2020 elections

Overwhelming volume ID'd by name of GOP supporters who were officially in charge of vote counting in the 7 targeted states for the fake elector scheme attempt.: There was not enough fraud after they investigated accusations to overturn the official results in their states and Trump was given that information, yet he claimed he believed the election was stolen and continued with the lie then and now. He will have a heck of a time convincing a jury or anyone reading the indictment he did not know he lost and lied intentionally.

Lying is not a crime in political first amendment discourse, but acting on that lie and using it to plot, attempt and conspire to force Pence and others to act on it is the crime and to act against the law to interfere with government proceedings is a crime, even if the coup failed. That was couched as fraud against the government. The intended and unintended victims were really the voters for Biden in the seven states, whose majority votes would not have been counted and those 1000 pleading guilty and 300 in prison who believed Trump's lies and rioted in Jan 6. The others: those who fell for Trump's lies and acted, voted or promoted them.

The most memorable lines: Guiliani (unindicted co-conspirator #1) to AZ House speaker who asked for evidence of election fraud: "We don't have evidence, but we have t lots of theories":

Trump to Pence when the nth time Pence told him he did not have the power to refuse to certify electors: "You're too honest".

The biggest surprise .Unexpected evidence: Pence's contemporary notes of conversations with Trump as he tried to pressure Pence to break the law and get Pense to refuse to certify the election. No one knew Pence took those notes or turned them over to Jack Smith until the reference in the indictment.

Trump per Pence threatened Pence to reveal he refused to delay or decertify the elections with "going public"...inferring per Pence staff Pence would face violence if he didn't go along. Pence's staff alerted Pence's security detail, he was so alarmed. The next day, the noose and Pence's near miss.

One surprise: left out of the charges were "seditious conspiracy" or being responsible for the Jan 6 violence. Trump tried to use it to convince Senators to vote against certification even after the rioters went home.

All reactions:

Wow

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