We’ve reached the Friday after the election, and let’s not lie, it’s been rough as hell. Amidst talk of rage, depression, disbelief, and queer plans for a yassified January 6th, however, something’s been missing. And that something is good old fashioned American skepticism.
As in—wait—how did this happen? Are people really this Trump pilled? And in the words of a recent Substack note, is everybody secretly a Republican?
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Possibly, but there are some other possibilities to contend with as well. We don’t want to fall down the rabbit hole of false hope, but there are a few questions that do need to be asked, and as usual, sapphic icon Rachel Maddow is the one asking them.
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In a recent MSNBC segment, Maddow called our attention to a detail that many have missed. In addition to Trump’s cryptic comments about how those who voted for him will “never have to vote again” after this election, he insisted while on the campaign trail that he had enough votes and didn’t need any more.
To which Maddow said…huh?
“We don’t need the votes, I have so many votes,” Trump told the hosts of Fox & Friends before the election. It’s far from the only time he said something like “we have the votes.” In a supercut, we can see Trump telling people they don’t actively need to vote for him. This weird detail, along with the “secret” he said he had with Mike Johnson, is creating some questions in voters who feel like the numbers just don’t add up.
“I’m not supposed to say it, but we’re way ahead,” Trump said recently, failing to note who was telling him not to say that.
It’s a little strange that we’re simply rolling over and accepting these numbers given Trump’s history with Russian interference. Obviously what’s done is done, but we can keep asking questions.
Has there ever been a politician in American history who’s urged people to actively not vote for him?
Who knows if this will lead to anything substantial. For now, it’s certainly an interesting thing to ponder.
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