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Simon Marks joins James O'Brien as the Trump administration declines to invite external election observers to witness the midterms.
This will be the first time that a regional security group won't be at a US election in more than two decades.
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0:00
Where do you want to start
0:01
Well, I think we should start with the midterms, James, which are now less than a month away
0:06
and the gathering evidence that President Donald Trump is absolutely planning some kind of jiggery-pokery
0:13
He spoke yesterday in Maryland and breathed new life into the suggestion
0:19
that he's not going to accept the outcome of any election that the Republicans lose
0:25
and he specifically cited in his speech a member of his government, Russ Vogt
0:32
the head of the Office of Management and Budget, who is really one of the chief strategists, one of the authors behind Project 2025
0:41
and one of the chief strategists behind Donald Trump's entire MAGA project
0:48
And just take a listen to what Donald Trump said yesterday in Maryland when he mentioned Mr Vogt
0:52
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vogt, who is fantastic. He's done a job. We have some big surprises coming up in another few weeks, right, Russ? He's going to be one of the very important people in the history of our country, in my opinion. He's got some great things happening
1:11
So something's in the pipeline, says President Trump, suggesting that he is not, as the Financial Times Ed Luce has suggested in recent days, in fact, serenely indifferent to the outcome of these elections
1:25
what might be in the pipeline. Well, last night on Real America's Voice TV
1:32
Trump-leaning web outfit, Ed Martin, a former acting US attorney who defended the January 6th rioters
1:40
and calls himself Eagle Ed made an appearance and cited a visit that took place yesterday to the White House by a convicted election denier a woman called Tina Peters Take a listen
1:55
Tina Peters, you know, from Colorado, was in the Oval Office meeting with the president on
1:59
election integrity, and they were talking about the plans. And the one thing that they know is
2:03
that Secretary Mullen of the Department of Homeland Security came out in late August and
2:09
conceded and said as a matter of law, a finding that there is the machines for voting, the election
2:16
voting machines use parts from China and Russia and foreign places and are therefore compromised
2:22
That's what Mullen said. That finding, when he finished that finding, he then said
2:27
and I have a billion dollars to help you states to do something other than use machines that are
2:33
compromised. And again, my point is this, you talk about local, it is a local election. I ran
2:38
the election board in St. Louis. There is local control. However, the laws that govern the system
2:43
like safety and national security, are federal laws. And so when Tina Peters
2:49
you know, famous Colorado clerk, was in the Oval Office today, just two hours ago
2:53
talking about this question, the president's taking it seriously. If the Congress won't pass
2:57
the Save America Act, and they won't, then the president's going to have to do what he's going to do. And it is not a local issue when it's national security. So they are building the case
3:07
for Trump to use the Insurrection Act, to put troops on the streets
3:12
to order his Secretary of Homeland Security, Mark Wayne Mullen, to seize election machines all over the country
3:18
Same machines that were used when he won the last election. Yes, audit them, see if they contain parts that have been provided by China or Russia I going to keep saying the same machines that were used when he won the last election This is the beginning of what could Do you really think so Well he clearly being urged to do this by these people And also James important to underscore if you were going to engage in a fair free and honest election
3:45
you almost certainly would abide by historical precedent and allow election monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
3:53
to travel to the United States to observe the poll. They've been there every year since 2002
4:00
They've observed 12 rounds of elections in the United States, including six sets of midterms
4:06
They were there in the 2018 midterms during Donald Trump's first term in office
4:11
They were there for the 2024 presidential election when he beat Kamala Harris
4:16
This time around, suddenly, they are not allowing the Organisation for Security
4:21
and Cooperation monitors into the country. It's a big deal. Yeah, I know it is
4:26
But we sit here, and you've been really good at this from quite a long, long time ago
4:32
And we think it's possible. And then something kicks in, doesn't it
4:36
And we start trying to talk ourselves out of it. But the evidence mounts
4:40
The evidence mounts. And the idea that there is certainly an appetite for complete corruption is there
4:46
And the fact that they're banning the international observers who are there to ensure that there isn't misbehaviour adds to that weight of evidence
4:56
Even if nothing happens, even if the election takes place and he does recognise the results of what looks increasingly like a significant Democratic Party victory
5:06
certainly in the House of Representatives and possibly now also in the US Senate by barring these OSCE election monitors He is stripping his own government and arguably successive American governments of their ability to criticise
5:23
elections in other countries that are blatantly unfree and unfair. How can you accuse Russia
5:29
for example of rigging an election in Vladimir Putin's favour? Because Russia and Belarus are the only other
5:35
countries that... Or barring OSCE monitors from monitoring the polls if you yourself have done exactly
5:41
the same thing. What a time to be alive. I don't know whether
5:45
we'll look back on today. Two things, really. Whether we'll look back on today and think that
5:49
that was the worst ever party conference speech by a leader that we've witnessed
5:53
including the one when Theresa May's bits started falling over. What's the worst
5:57
That, that you just heard. What's worse than that? I've heard loads worse than that. Really
6:03
Yeah. Okay, there you go. Or we'll look back on what Simon Marks had to say and think, why weren't we
6:10
paying more attention. Why weren't we manning the barricades? Not literally, because that's what the other lot
6:14
are more likely to do. But that is it from me for today. Remember, she's the
6:18
captain, the coach, and indeed the owner of the team. So it's all on her
6:23
If you missed any of today's show, you can listen back on our free Global Player app or the
6:27
LBC app, where you can also stay up to date with all the latest news, videos, and opinions. You can listen to
6:31
a range of podcasts, including James O'Brien Daily, the best bits from my show every day
6:36
Download the official LBC app for free from your app store now. Coming up at
6:39
Before on LBC, it's Tom Swarbrick. But now it's... Here you go. Here's another one
6:43
Jo says, will you shut up? Hurry up and go off the air. You're an idiot
6:47
Cammy's speech was fantastic. Was that from you? No, it wasn't from me. I would never say such terrible things
6:53
She'll throw your tears with you now. Sorry, I'll grant you the bit about... When she talked about Brexit
6:58
Imagine re-running those arguments she said. I'm like, no, don't even go there, love
7:02
Don't even go there. But anyway, she did
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