The Will Power of a Fantasy World

President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

"The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry. And there's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've re-calculated."

"So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state."

"[There was] no way [I lost in Georgia]."

U.S. President Donald Trump

"If any other person did this ... there is no doubt in my mind that at the very least a criminal investigation would be opened right away."

Anthony Michael Kreis, law professor, Georgia State University

"Trump's contempt for democracy is laid bare. Once again. On tape."

"Pressuring an election official to 'find' the votes so he can win is potentially criminal. And another flagrant abuse of power by a corrupt man who would be a despot, if we allowed him."

"We will not."

Representative Adam Schiff, chairman, House intelligence committee

On Sunday, U.S.President Trump publicly revealed he had had a telephone conversation about voter fraud with Georgia's top election official, fellow Republican, Georgia Secretary of State Paul Raffensperger. "He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the 'ballots under table' scam, ballot destruction, out-of-state 'voters', dead voters, and more. He has no clue!", the president informed his public through his usual mode of presidential official communication: Twitter.

Trump alternately flattered, begged and threatened Raffensperger  The Washington Post

 

This is a man irreconcilable to fact and reality for he is accustomed to inventing his own to suit his very personal narrative. He appears to believe, irrationally, that conspiracies exist for the sole purpose of foiling his plans to continue representing the best interests of the United States. His fate conjoined with that of America. There must be a reason that the global community of former U.S. allies will breathe a sigh of relief at his forthcoming departure.

"Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out", responded Mr. Raffensperger. Who had earnestly attempted to dissuade his president from his self-serving fantasy world of fake news and skulduggery. All revealed through a recording of an hour-long call that had been released to the U.S. media. The call shared between the two the day before represented clear evidence of Mr. Trump's fantasy world that voter fraud has deprived him of a second term in office.

Mr. Raffensperger and the general counsel to his office informed the president outright throughout the call that his assertions had no basis in reality. Joe Biden won the presidential election by a margin of 306 to 232 in the state-by-state Electoral College vote, and in the overall general vote by over 7 million. Figures that are real and accounted for. All of which place Mr. Trump in the rare category of a one-term president, a well earned rejection of another four years of chaos overwhelming some successes.

 

Trump demands of Georgia's Secretary of State that additional votes be 'found'

When Electoral College results are set to be formally tallied in Congress on January 6, several of President Trump's allies in a long-shot effort to disrupt formal recognition of Mr. Biden's presidential win is scheduled to take place, led by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. The narrow victory realized by Mr. Biden in Georgia represented the first by a Democratic presidential candidate in a normally Republican state.

"[This recording captures] the whole, disgraceful story about Donald Trump's assault on American democracy."

"We now have irrefutable proof of a president pressuring and threatening an official of his own party to get him to rescind a state's lawful, certified vote count and fabricate another in its place."

Bob Bauer, senior adviser, President-elect Joe Biden