Just days before Tuesday’s much-anticipated presidential debate, Donald Trumpposted to social media late Saturday that he would jail “those people that CHEATED” during the 2020 election, including “Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials.” Speakingat a rally in Wisconsin on Friday, the former president promised that if reelected, he would “rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner unjustly victimized by the Harris regime” and sign their pardons on his first day back in office.
Kamala Harris’ campaign spokesperson, Sarafina Chitika, responded to the comments, saying that if Trump is reelected he will “use his unchecked power to prosecute his enemies and pardon insurrectionists who violently attacked our Capitol on January 6.” Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist David Rohde, author of “Where Tyranny Begins,” told NBC News on Friday that “To have the former President talking specifically about jailing his enemies … is a frightening thing.”
Some Republicans are also alarmed by Trump’s threats against democratic order. On Wednesday, former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney endorsed Harris, and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, followed suit on Friday, calling Trump a “threat” to democracy. Liz Cheney urged Republicans opposed to Trump to vote for Harris, warning that it’s “not enough” to simply withhold support. While Harris holds a narrow national lead, she faces a tighter contest in key swing states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where flipping Republican support would make a huge difference.
Now all eyes turn to the debate scheduled for Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET hosted by ABC News — the first major set piece between the candidates, and incidentally, the first time they will ever meet face-to-face.
Reminder: Join us Wednesday morning on X at 11 a.m. to unpack Tuesday’s debate. Set a reminder here.