Today the Trump campaign lawyers' worst nightmare is a judge who has observed The Deplorables' behavior on Twitter, and clearly has an idea about the Republican Party and their desire to prevent "certain people" from exercising their right to vote. CNN reports that Trump's campaign asked for the votes taken after the polls were supposed to close (but exercised by people who were in line at closing time) be set aside by the County Clerk, Joe Gloria, to determine their legality. Trump's lawyers also asked that the election "records be preserved" as if to claim that election officials are shredding evidence. Or something. The judge had no time for that malarkey either. CNN:
"I am not ordering him (Gloria) to preserve anything," she said, adding, "This is Election Day. He has other things to be doing."
The registrar's office said in a statement that the Trump campaign's request to preserve the records "is required by state law, and so it is something we are already doing."
Nevada's Republican Party chairman, Michael McDonald, told a Trump audience in Reno on Saturday that polling locations were kept open late so that a "certain group" could vote.
The Trump campaign actually tried to sue Clark County Nevada for keeping early voting locations open by several hours so those in line at closing time could vote on Friday night. This is different from "extending voting hours." Trump's attorneys in court asked to have poll workers names and contact information made PUBLIC so they could be deposed as to the procedures taken during the voting hours extension.
The judge in the case has actually heard of Twitter and observed how Trump supporters, MAGA hashtaggers, and anonymous trolls with the word "deplorable" in their handle behave online, especially if they have a specific target.
Trump's attorney stated to the court that no harassment would take place. Judge Sturman scoffed, "How can you tell me that? Have you watched Twitter? Have you watched any cable news show?" The Hive:
Clark County judge Gloria Sturman tore into Trump’s lawyers on Tuesday afternoon. “Are [the votes] not to be counted?” she asked, exasperated, to Trump’s lawyer during a hearing on Tuesday. “What are you saying? Why are we here? You want to preserve the poll data? That is offensive to me. Why don’t we wait to see if the secretary of state wants to do this?”
“I am not going to expose people doing their civic duty helping their fellow citizens vote, that they are taking their personal time to preserve … to public attention, ridicule, and harassment,” Sturman continued, before commanding Trump’s lawyer: “Thank you, sit down.”
It should be noted that these are the Trump campaign's lawyers, not the Republican National Committee. I expect they get paid a retainer in advance, as we all know how Trump treats contractors with whose work he is not "satisfied."
