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Diabierna 4 Juni 2021

Trump’s grip on GOP sparks fears about democratic process

(AP) - Seven months af- critical of Trump’s election is being challenged by Rep.
ter Election Day, former fraud claims. Jody Hice, whom Trump re-
President Donald Trump’s Grayson said a comparable cruited into the race and who
supporters are still audit- worry is that voting proce- voted to overturn the elec-
ing ballots in Arizona’s dures have become a partisan tion in the House of Repre-
largest county and may re- issue like taxes and abortion, sentatives.
vive legislation that would fomenting suspicion of elec-
make it easier for judges tion results. “Both sides are Georgia’s new elections bill
in Texas to overturn elec- really amping up their rheto- strips Raffensperger of some
tion results. ric to amp up their bases,” of his election duties and
Grayson said, acknowledg- gives the GOP-controlled
In Georgia, meanwhile, the ing that “there’s clearly a lot state legislature the ability
Republican-controlled state more bad stuff going on on to replace local election of-
legislature passed a bill allow- my side now.” ficials. Arizona’s Republi-
ing it to appoint a board that can-controlled legislature
can replace election officials. Nonetheless, democratically stripped Democratic Sec-
Trump loyalists who falsely possible to sustain a democ- to return to the presidency elected officials were able to retary of State Katie Hobbs
insist he won the 2020 elec- racy in a two-party system absent winning another elec- withstand that “bad stuff” in of her role overseeing elec-
tion are running for top elec- when one of the parties is not tion in 2024. Trump’s argu- 2020, despite Trump’s pres- tions, and state Rep. Mark
tion offices in several swing willing to play by the rules of ment that the last election sures. “When it came time for Finchem, who was at the Jan.
states. And after a pro-Trump the game.” was tainted has been roundly Republicans to do something 6 rally outside the Capitol
mob staged a violent insur- rejected by federal and state in the 2020 election, most of and is a central proponent of
rection at the U.S. Capitol to Republicans have already of- officials, including his own those in power did the right the Arizona audit, is running
halt the certification of Dem- fered a preview of how they attorney general and Repub- thing,” said Rick Hasen, an for her position.
ocrat Joe Biden’s election might operate. On Jan. 6, lican election leaders. Judges, election law expert at the Levitsky said the United
victory, Republicans banded the day of the Capitol riot, including those appointed University of California-Ir- States’ complex electoral sys-
together to block an indepen- a majority of House Re- by Trump, also dismissed his vine. tem stands out among inter-
dent investigation of the riot, publicans voted to overturn claims. national democracies by vest-
shielding Trump from addi- Biden’s victories in Arizona Georgia Secretary of State ing oversight of elections in
tional scrutiny of one of the and Pennsylvania. Biden still But Levitsky and others warn Brad Raffensperger and local, partisan officials. “We
darkest days of his adminis- would have won an Elec- there are several weak points Gov. Brian Kemp acknowl- rely a lot on local officials,
tration. toral College victory without in the U.S. system where a edged Biden’s win and re- and if one party decides not
those states, but the move political party could simply sisted Trump’s entreaties to to behave, we are in for a
To democracy advocates, signaled how the tradition- refuse to allow its opponent overturn it. Republican Gov. world of trouble,” he said.
Democrats and others, the ally ceremonial congressional to formally win a presidential Doug Ducey did the same in Still, that system has worked
persistence of the GOP’s certification process could be election. Arizona. And Mitch McCon- for more than 200 years.
election denial shows how weaponized. nell, who controlled the Sen- “There are a lot of safe-
the Republican Party is in- “I’m more concerned about ate on Jan. 6, gave a scorching guards,” Grayson said. “Now,
creasingly open to bucking For his part, Trump contin- this now than I was on Jan. speech condemning Trump’s we can blow through those
democratic norms, particu- ues to push Republicans to 7,” said Edward Foley, a law efforts to overturn the elec- safeguards and, if it comes
larly the bipartisan respect embrace his election lies. professor at The Ohio State tion. Only a handful of Re- down to one state like in
traditionally afforded to elec- He’s criticized his former University who studies elec- publican senators voted to 2000, you don’t have all 50
tion results even after a bit- vice president, Mike Pence, tion disputes. “It seems that, reverse Biden’s victories in safeguards.”
ter campaign. That’s raising for fulfilling his constitution- over the months, the lesson Arizona and Pennsylvania. Grayson also noted that vot-
the prospect that if the GOP al duty to preside over the has not been ‘never again,’ ers make the final decision.
gains power in next year’s congressional certification of but how to be more effective Still, Hasen said he doesn’t The secretary of state candi-
midterms, the party may take Biden’s victory. And Trump next time.” want to sugarcoat things. dates who argue Trump ac-
the extraordinary step of re- has gone a step further re- “There are a lot of warning tually won in 2020 will have
fusing to certify future elec- cently by giving credence to a Still, even critics of the for- signs,” he said. “It is a very to win a Republican primary,
tions. bizarre conspiracy theory that mer president and the elec- dangerous moment for de- then a general election to gain
he could somehow be rein- tion paranoia he spread in his mocracy.” power. Congressional can-
“We have to face the facts that stated into the presidency in party say it’s important not to didates may have to answer
Republicans — obviously August, according to a long- blow risks out of proportion. Trump has sought revenge questions about whether they
with exceptions — have be- time Trump ally who spoke against Republicans who would seat a president of the
come an authoritarian party,” on condition of anonymity to “This strikes me as being didn’t back his attempt opposite party.
said Steven Levitsky, a Har- discuss private conversations. overblown,” said Trey Gray- to overturn the election. “We are going to have these
vard political scientist and son, a former Kentucky sec- He’s backed GOP primary elections, and the voters are
co-author of the book “How There’s no constitutional or retary of state and a Repub- challengers to Kemp and going to have to weigh in,”
Democracies Die.” “It’s im- legal mechanism for Trump lican who has been sharply Raffensperger — the latter Grayson said.

Selma-to-Montgomery march camps top list of endangered sites

(AP) — The landmark voting tion’s most endangered historic plac- marchers spent the night before thou- ers at a time when voting rights and
rights march from Selma to Mont- es, according to a new assessment by sands followed the Rev. Martin Lu- racial justice are again a national issue.
gomery in 1965 didn’t happen in a preservation group. The sites, along ther King Jr. to the Alabama Capitol
just one day: Participants spent with 10 other locations in nine states, on March 25, 1965, to demonstrate “These 11 places celebrate the inter-
four nights camping along the need immediate attention or risk be- for voting rights for Black people. connection of American culture and
roughly 55-mile (89-kilometer) ing lost, according to the nonprofit acknowledge it as a multicultural
route through Alabama, sleeping National Trust for Historic Preserva- The march route looks different to- fabric that, when pieced together, re-
in tents and near farm buildings tion. day than it did 56 years ago — what veals our true identity as a people,”
under the watch of guards to pre- was then a two-lane road is now four said Paul Edmondson, president of
vent white supremacist attacks. Three of the campsites are privately lanes, with added traffic and new con- the Washington-based organization,
owned, rural acreage along U.S. 80, struction. While leaving the details of which releases a list of endangered
Now threatened by decades of which links Selma and the capital city, preservation to families that own the places annually.
weather and wear, the campsites used and the fourth is the City of St. Jude, camp land and local officials, the trust
by those marchers are among the na- a Roman Catholic complex where is shedding light on the sites and oth-