How many ways did Trump cheat to win the 2016 election?

[Irish_Dem]

The major take away from the hush money trial is that Trump installed himself into the White House by using illegal and dishonest methods. This fact should receive more attention.

The question is not did Trump cheat to win the 2016 election, but how many ways did he cheat? What was his criminal plan to steal the White House?

By now we know that Trump is a ruthless and dangerous sociopath who will use any means to get what he wants. Money and power. He will break any law, rule, ethics.

I will start the list of ways Trump cheated to win the 2016 presidential election. Please feel free to add to the list.

1. Hush money to Stormy Daniels and others. Covering up his affair with a porn star. The Access Hollywood tape had just come out with Trump making comments indicating how happy he was that his fame and wealth allowed him to sexually assault women. His campaign could not take any more bad press. So it was critical he silence women coming forward with his many sexual crimes/misbehavior. We know that Stormy is not the only woman silenced, Karen McDougual was also paid off. How many others were there?

2. Russia connection. This probably should be an OP on its own. We know Paul Manafort was the go between, the link between the Trump campaign and Russia. Manafort had been working with Russians in Europe, trying to throw elections in their favor there. Manafort was working working with a Russian spy, Kilimnik who was the channel for underhanded and illegal methods used by the Russian military to hack into Democratic Party emails and leak them. There were other dirty tricks as well.

3. James Comey and the FBI. Comey did a last minute investigation of Hillary Clinton, Trump's opponent right before the election. This included a very public announcement that she was under FBI investigation and scrutiny for alleged crimes. This turned out to be frivolous, but had a big impact at the time. This was no doubt engineered by Rudy Guiliani.

[Lonestarblue]

2. The other anomaly was the Detroit where supposedly many thousand black voters simply did not vote for president.

Were their votes really blank, or erased somehow? Michigan was an important state for Hillary.

[Irish_Dem]

3. I didn't know about this.

I wonder who wiped out these votes and how.

[Meadowoak]

7. 80,000. I remember it well

[questionseverything]

51. It was 40,000

M moore actually paid to look at them

[Meadowoak]

8. I believe Rick Snyder had something to do with it.

[Botany]

17. Bottom Line; Republicans have to cheat to win. And they know that too.

Now why would the black voters in Detroit skip voting for President?

BTW Exit polls had Hillary winning Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina,
and Florida in 2016.

[PatSeg]

34. Yes, that sums it all up

We've known this for quite some time. Except for some really red districts or states, republicans can't win without cheating somehow. That is probably why they can so readily accuse Democrats of cheating. They undoubtedly think everyone does it.

[Botany]

40. If what they (the GOP) is really popular with Americans then they wouldn't make it so hard to vote ....

… and with the population demographics being what they are another key piece of their
keeping power is by putting “their people” on the courts through out America on the federal, state,
and municipal levels. Also control of what Americans hear from the media is part of their plan.

In 2005 2 women in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Cleveland) who worked @ the B.O.E. were found
guilty of rigging the recount of the vote but after being sentenced by a neighboring county’s
judge who told them he wished they had been honest a republican judge dropped the charges
against them.

[PatSeg]

42. I've learned so much in recent years about politics,

government, and minority rule. Republicans can't compete with Democrats on policy, character, or personality, so they have to cheat. They resented popular figures like FDR and JFK, because their own candidates were so wanting in charisma and popularity. They even had to hire an actor to play a popular president!

Unfortunately, Democrats tend to focus primarily on national elections, often ignoring the rot on the state and local level, not to mention the courts. I certainly was guilty of it for many years. Older and wiser I am now!

[czarjak]

4. Vlad watched W and Karl "create our own reality" and figured how hard can it be.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Putin is an old KGB agent. He had many tricks up his sleeve.

But yes he saw Rove and Bush cheat and lie to get into the WH.
So he knew the American people were easily duped.
Like taking candy from a baby.

[czarjak]

6. "Former KGB Agent"?

Not likely. But we're the Communist?

[Irish_Dem]

10. It is well known that Putin was a KGB agent.

And he still is as a matter of fact.
He still operates like one.

[Dave Bowman]

25. He was a KGB agent before going into politic.

"1975, Putin joined the KGB and trained at the 401st KGB School in Okhta, Leningrad. After training, he worked in the Second Chief Directorate (counterintelligence), before he was transferred to the First Chief Directorate, where he monitored foreigners and consular officials in Leningrad."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin

[czarjak]

28. He was in Berlin when the wall came down.

This is all revenge. If a trained KGB agent isn’t Communist, nobody is.

[Irish_Dem]

33. When the USSR broke apart Putin blamed the US and vowed revenge.

He is now getting that revenge.
He is breaking apart the US, causing great damage and divisions.
And capturing the US government.

[czarjak]

50. Russia is bad in The Holy Bible.

Fact. Period.

[Maraya1969]

9. The Mueller Report conclusion lists different ways Russia interfered with the intent of putting Trump in

https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/other-resources/key-findings-of-the-mueller-report/

Russia engaged in extensive attacks on the U.S. election system in 2016
Russian interference in the 2016 election was “sweeping and systemic.”
[1]
Major attack avenues included a social media “information warfare” campaign that “favored” candidate Trump

[2]and the hacking of Clinton campaign-related databases and release of stolen materials through Russian-created entities and Wikileaks.

[3]
Russia also targeted databases in many states related to administering elections gaining access to information for millions of registered voters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Special Counsel investigation uncovered extensive criminal activity
The investigation produced 37 indictments; seven guilty pleas or convictions; and compelling evidence that the president obstructed justice on multiple occasions. Mueller also uncovered and referred 14 criminal matters to other components of the Department of Justice.
Trump associates repeatedly lied to investigators about their contacts with Russians, and President Trump refused to answer questions about his efforts to impede federal proceedings and influence the testimony of witnesses.
A statement signed by over 1,000 former federal prosecutors concluded that if any other American engaged in the same efforts to impede federal proceedings the way Trump did, they would likely be indicted for multiple charges of obstruction of justice."

Much more at link

[Irish_Dem]

11. Excellent, thank you!

This is a national disgrace, Russia interfered with US elections to install his puppet into the WH.
Putin is doing the same thing across Europe.

[mopinko]

12. #3- it wasnt rudy. it was macgonegal.

a russian spy.

[kwolf68]

13. So the 2016 election was rigged

This is where we are now. Trump won fair and square, much of a monkey turd as he is. And Biden won fair and square. I guess the new model is when you lose blame it on fraud. Hillary simply didn't run a winning campaign and as horrible as Trump is he actually did speak in populist rhetoric, saying he's going to do this and that and everything else. His presidency was a sham, but his campaign in 2016 was effective. Once Dems start discrediting elections then we are creating our own false equivalency so the Repukes can do the same over 2020 and 2024, should they need it. Both sides basically saying the same stuff, no wonder voter apathy is so off the charts.

[Wednesdays]

14. "Both sides do it!"

"Both sides are the same!"

[betsuni]

15. Trump made the election all about anti-immigration, xenophobia, white identity, sexism, "Crooked Hillary."

How did Hillary "not run a winning campaign" exactly? Same as now with Biden? What, exactly?

[sagetea]

16. So...

Hillary DIDN'T win the popular vote? I thought she did.


sage

[Marthe48]

18. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote

By over 3 million. I'm on the fence about getting rid of the Electoral College. It wasn't established to get traitors into office. But rwnj keep finding ways to subvert the vote. If you look at recent elections, Dems try to defend and expand voting rights, rwnj keep coming up with limits on who can vote and where. Dems don't find ways to interpret election laws to pervert the results. The things Dems promote overall help the common good, and unlike rwnj, respect the rule of law.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

22. Read the Mueller report, Senate intelligence report, or at least the current NY trial transcripts.

[llmart]

27. Trump won fair and square???

WTF??? Are you kidding me? The op along with other posters just gave us plenty of reasons to know he didn't win "fair and square".

[betsuni]

29. He went along with the usual establishment tax cuts for the wealthy/corporations, deregulation, nothing

for the working/middle class. Broke all of his ridiculous promises. Yet he got more votes in 2020. Obviously it's not about populist polices. How was that good messaging if he lied?

"Both sides basically saying the same stuff" --

[uponit7771]

59. Nope and TFG still cheated both can be true

[B.See]

62. Bullshit. This is not "both sides do it." There's a BIG DIFFERENCE

between acknowledge the DOCUMENTED factors that influenced an election outcome and just INSIPIDLY claiming the voting results are outright WRONG.

And it's an insult to our intelligence to suggest it's the same thing.

[malaise]

19. One day we will find out

how this went down

[erronis]

23. Only if "they" don't control the narrative from now forward

They being the oligarchs/plutocrats, right-wing christo-fascist domestic and foreign enemies of democracy.

[orangecrush]

20. Putin did this

I have to have a certain grudging respect for his skill.

How many nations are going to trust a superpower that has a candidate facing a plethora of felony charges as one of the candidates in it's two party system, and that candidate has enough support to be a threat?

It is ridiculous that the situation was allowed to reach this point.

The only power I have is my vote.

If Putin succeeds in putting his toady in office, that will be gone as well, and I believe that firmly.

Those who have other power to bear in this country need to realize they either stick their necks out, despite the risks, to stop this monster or watch democracy go away forever.

[Irish_Dem]

35. Yes Putin is an evil genius.

He captured the US government without firing a shot.
He got the GOP and American people to hand him everything.

But it was like taking candy from a baby.
Too many Americans all too ready to sell out their country to the Russians.

[twodogsbarking]

21. There should have been recounts in states where drump won narrowly.

[Irish_Dem]

37. The corrupt Supreme Court would forbid a recount.

[twodogsbarking]

43. You stomped my dream with reality. How dare you.

[Irish_Dem]

44. The flip side of idealism is cynicism.

It comes from being stomped down more than once.

[questionseverything]

52. Hillary considered a recount for Wisconsin

Trouble was too many voting machines with no paper

[Kid Berwyn]

24. Moscow Mitch McConnell refused to condemn Trump-Putin conspiracy, so Obama and Biden shut up.

Biden: McConnell Refused To Sign Bipartisan Statement On Russian Interference

by Scott Neuman
NPR, January 24, 2018

Former Vice President Joe Biden says he and President Barack Obama decided not to speak out publicly on Russian interference during the 2016 campaign after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to sign a bipartisan statement condemning the Kremlin's role.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Council on Foreign Relations, Biden said the Obama administration sought a united front to dispel concerns that going public with such accusations would be seen as an effort to undermine the legitimacy of the election.

However, McConnell "wanted no part of having a bipartisan commitment saying, essentially, 'Russia's doing this. Stop,' " he said.

SNIP...

"Can you imagine if the president called a press conference in October, with this fella, Bannon, and company, and said, 'Tell you what: Russians are trying to interfere in our elections and we have to do something about it,' " he said. "Would things have gotten better, or would it further look like we were trying to de-legitimize the electoral process, because of our opponent?"

"Had we known what we knew three weeks later, we may have done something more," Biden added.

CONTINUES...

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/24/580171396/biden-mcconnell-refused-to-sign-bipartisan-statement-on-russian-interference

[BlueMTexpat]

26. McConnell

can NEVER be f*cked enough, IMO, and fully deserves the lowest circle in Hell!

[Kid Berwyn]

31. Oleg Deripaska tapped Mitch and FBI Agent Charles McGonigal and who-else?

The Russian oligarchs looted their country, mafiya-style, and used the money to buy America's GOP and all the weasel apparatchiks they needed to get away with their crimes.

[Irish_Dem]

39. Yes exactly. The oligarchs looted Russia and then came to loot the US.

By installing their puppets into all three branches of government.

[Traurigkeit]

63. the Ninth Circle of Hell

Frozen in a lake for eternity
Concious of your body parts twisting in circles in relation to your standing body
In continuous pain but frozen so cannot scream

[Irish_Dem]

38. Moscow Mitch knew exactly what Putin was doing to help the GOP steal the election.

He was in on the scheme.
He was glad to sell out his country to the Russians in exchange for more wealth and power.

[bucolic_frolic]

30. Whatever occurred on the ground in rural red counties of PA MI WI

Working class people who never vote, half of whom cannot spell "politics", turned out for a billionaire who visited their area often. Make of that what you will. Network marketing, religious connections, motivational campaign workers, cash ............

[betsuni]

36. But I thought the number of votes for Trump in swing states was about the same as for Romney.

There wasn't a surge in Republican votes.

[Irish_Dem]

41. Russia had stolen a lot of voter information. Manafort gave it to them.

Also probably Russian military hackers got it.

And other demographic information.

What were they doing with that information?
Something along the lines you suggest.

[bucolic_frolic]

45. Now that is a plausible connection to explore

Unlike 2020, 2016 was not plumbed very much for interference. We were in too much shock.

[Irish_Dem]

46. Amazing that no one seems to care that the Russians rigged the 2016 election.

And exactly how did they do it.

[NanaCat]

48. Studies have shown that state visits

Don't have much effect on voting.

https://ecommons.udayton.edu/pol_fac_pub/116/

I'm sorry you believed lies from morons who don't know what they're talking about.

[bucolic_frolic]

49. I didn't say I believed them. You put words in my mouth!

I asked a question as to possible explanations, all of which were possible, plausible, and could be carried out legally.

[live love laugh]

32. Blatant brash Republican "extra" voting was and is a factor.

Online I saw Republicans openly brag about voting multiple times. ( I don’t have a link because I didn’t screen capture it but I was able to google a few articles about it.)

The spotty investigations of vote fraud only happened where Republicans contested results.

My rhetorical question is who and how were they directed to do that? Of course we’ll never know because the media will not cover anything not handed to them on a silver platter.

Mail in voting is a threat too now that Republicans who were previously against it are pushing for it.

[Irish_Dem]

47. Yes fiddling with the votes.

The media is not interested in the topic of rigged elections unless it is Trump accusing everyone else of doing it.

[SWBTATTReg]

53. As many different ways tRUMP tried to cheat, enhance his 2020 results, I wouldn't be one bit surprised that

tRUMP did do all sorts of things to enhance his voting results...would not be one bit surprised.

[Irish_Dem]

54. Trump cheats at everything else, of course he cheats during the elections.

He cannot even play an honest game of golf.

[SWBTATTReg]

55. Yes. I bet his real golf handicap is twice at least what he says it is.

tRUMP BS at everything. Everything.

[Irish_Dem]

56. He cheats at golf, then gives himself the grand prize, and brags how well he plays.

He is not capable of being honest about anything.
Everything is a stage play where he is the star and he makes it up as he goes.

[gab13by13]

57. What did TSF do wrong in 2020?

Overconfidence?

Did Biden really win by a much larger margin than was recorded?

[Irish_Dem]

58. Good question.

Overconfidence.

Or did Putin cut back assistance for some reason.

[Tribetime]

60. Great Post this asshole always faces no consequence his whole life

Hopefully he gets convicted in new york

[Irish_Dem]

61. I sure hope the karma train comes for Mr. Trump.

It is certainly late arriving at the station.