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Defending Democracy with Marc Elias: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Democracy Docket
Every week, election lawyer Marc Elias interviews lawmakers, policy leaders and changemakers about the problems facing our democracy and how we fix them.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today1h 30m
BREAKING: Trump Now DENYING Midterm Results He Just Accepted
After making it through almost an entire week of accepting Republicans' massive losses in the midterm elections, Donald Trump has returned to form and is now calling into question the legitimacy of the blue tsunami that washed over electoral politics last Tuesday. Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias discusses why this shouldn't come as a surprise, and why we are far from the "end" of this election – and GOP election meddling writ large. Meanwhile, Scott Colom's lead in the Mississippi U.S. Senate race continues to grow, so when will Republicans throw in the towel and accept their new Democratic senator? Plus, a Republican lawmaker just introduced articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth, and word in Washington is it will have strong bipartisan support.
- Yesterday16 min
Republicans Lost Big Because of This Surprising Top Issue
Exit polls from the midterms show that 33% of voters named the state of democracy as the most important issue facing the country. By comparison, health care, foreign policy and crime all registered in the single digits. Only the economy ranked higher, at 39%. Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias explains that candidates considering a run for president or other office in 2028 must understand that democracy is the single most important issue for Democratic primary voters, and act accordingly. That means prioritizing it in their campaigns rather than treating it as a secondary concern.
- 1 weeks ago30 min
My Top 5 Fears for Election Day
With less than a week before the final midterm election ballots are cast, Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias has been inundated with questions about what issues are putting him on alert. In this episode Marc outlines his top five concerns, from most immediate to most dire - including meddling by the Trump administration and the servile red state officials that seem willing to do anything to keep hold of power in Congress.
- 2 weeks ago31 min
BREAKING: Trump’s DOJ THREATENS Election Certification
When reporters asked Attorney General Todd Blanche if the Justice Department might try to block states from certifying midterm results, he didn’t say no. “Of course there are scenarios that we could all come up with hypothetically — some doomsday scenario,” he said. The federal government has no power over state certification. But this administration keeps leaving the door open to interfering with elections. Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias breaks down what Blanche said and why it’s a warning sign for what's to come.
- 2 weeks ago23 min
Ken Paxton’s Election Lies Exposed
On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, hours before the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took the stage at Donald Trump’s rally and told the crowd, “We will not quit fighting.” Now he’s running for the U.S. Senate.Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias walks through Paxton’s record of attacking free and fair elections. He sued to throw out the results in four states at the U.S. Supreme Court. His office spent more than 22,000 hours hunting for voter fraud and produced 16 prosecutions. He went after election officials, campaign volunteers and Beto O’Rourke. With Senate control on the line and Election Day less than two weeks away, Marc explains what’s at stake in Texas and why we all need to be paying attention if the race is close.
- 2 weeks ago27 min
LEAKED AUDIO: Mike Rogers Wants Off-Duty Cops to Intimidate Detroit Voters
Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers was caught on leaked audio telling county Republicans he wants the Republican National Committee to send retired or off-duty police officers to polling places in Detroit — and only Detroit — as poll watchers. “All you got to do is open your jacket and you see the badge on the belt,” he said.As Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias explains, this isn't a new tactic. In 1981, the RNC sent armed off-duty police officers to polling places in Black and Latino neighborhoods in New Jersey. The lawsuit that followed put the RNC under a court order that barred these programs for more than three decades. That order ended in 2017 as Donald Trump began his first term.
- 3 weeks ago34 min
Trump Prosecutors Threaten Election Officials: "I Will Hunt You Down"
On the first day of early voting in Texas, a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney stood next to a Bible and a framed photo of Donald Trump and warned election officials: “I will hunt you down and prosecute you.” Days earlier, the Justice Department’s No. 2 official told California election officials they could face criminal charges for counting about 20,000 ballots the administration calls “likely non-citizens.” The same official later admitted, “We’re not perfect.” Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias explains how Trump left election officials with no good options and why it’s part of a larger plan to challenge the results after Election Day.
- 3 weeks ago35 min
Trump's Constitutional Crisis is Here
With two weeks until the midterms, Donald Trump’s attacks on our elections have reached a dangerous new stage. Last week, the Department of Justice demanded that California and Los Angeles County review about 20,000 voters it claims may not be citizens. It gave officials 48 hours, then sued. By Friday, the DOJ’s No. 2 official was warning that election workers who count those ballots could face criminal prosecution. Over the weekend, Trump said California election officials will “all go to jail for a long period of time.” In this episode, Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias explains why the administration’s numbers keep collapsing under scrutiny, why California is likely only the beginning and why the legacy media and big law firms are staying silent.
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