Thread by @LauraJedeed, Gonna start a new thing that I may or may not abandon [...]

Gonna start a new thing that I may or may not abandon immediately: the Daily Coup thread

I'm going to rate us at about 4/10: a number I made up that's based on nothing

Here's Mike Pompeo saying "there will be a smooth transmission to a second Trump administration" https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1326228853610647554

https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1326228853610647554

Here's Trump ordering federal agencies to begin implementation of his budget plan for 2021 https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/11/10/trump-federal-budget-post-election/

White House tells federal agencies to proceed with plans for Trump’s February budget in latest sign...

“They’re pretending nothing happened,” one administration official involved in the federal budget process said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/11/10/trump-federal-budget-post-election/

Yesterday's news but also a thing:

"Emily Murphy, a Trump political appointee...is refusing to sign paperwork that releases Biden’s $6.3 million share of...transition resources and gives his team access to agency officials and information." https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-transition-agencies-biden/2020/11/09/ad9f2ba2-22b7-11eb-952e-0c475972cfc0_story.html

White House, escalating tensions, orders agencies to rebuff Biden transition team

With high stakes during one of the most volatile periods in U.S. history, a shadow transition is beginning to take shape.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-transition-agencies-biden/2020/11/09/ad9f2ba2-22b7-11eb-952e-0c475972cfc0_story.html

We have mounting disinformation campaigns started and endorsed by Trump's people https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/technology/false-claims-that-biden-lost-pennsylvania-surge-and-tech-companies-struggle-to-keep-up.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

False Claims That Biden ‘Lost’ Pennsylvania Surge, and Tech Companies Struggle to Keep Up

Some of President Trump’s most prominent allies helped to set the rumors in motion.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/technology/false-claims-that-biden-lost-pennsylvania-surge-and-tech-companies-struggle-to-keep-up.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

NPR has a list of all the absurd lawsuits Trump has going on right now

tl;dr: all of them are ridiculous and none of them seem likely to go through or have the slightest effect https://www.npr.org/2020/11/10/933112418/the-trump-campaign-has-had-almost-no-legal-success-this-month-heres-what-they-ve

Trump Election Lawsuits Have Mostly Failed. Here's What They Tried

"The claims are baseless, and at this point folks are grasping at straws," said one secretary of state, of the Trump campaign's legal strategy.

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/10/933112418/the-trump-campaign-has-had-almost-no-legal-success-this-month-heres-what-they-ve

Even conservative media agrees these suits are mostly hot air

HOWEVER: they're clearly prepared to pivot if something sticks, and supporting the lawsuits in the name of restoring confidence in the electoral process (a nice bit of semantic legerdemain) https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-election-fraud-may-not-alter-outcome-1546252?fbclid=IwAR2OziUqmUnIfzskU8Ll--Anw4ujIsrFX7VzwRB_J_Ek1soKNKIiZmsGSoc

Tucker Carlson says there's not enough fraud to change election results: "We should be honest"

The Fox News host said that while he believes fraud allegations must be pursued, those that he said can be confirmed still might not change the outcome of the election.

https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-election-fraud-may-not-alter-outcome-1546252?fbclid=IwAR2OziUqmUnIfzskU8Ll--Anw4ujIsrFX7VzwRB_J_Ek1soKNKIiZmsGSoc

You probably know that Trump fired SecDef Mark Esper yesterday. Christopher C Miller, his replacement, doesn't seem particularly menacing from a coup perspective

Esper publicly criticized Trump's desire to deploy the military against protesters in June https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/acting-defense-secretary-chris-miller/2020/11/09/43a4296e-22d0-11eb-8599-406466ad1b8e_story.html

Christopher Miller, Trump’s surprise acting defense secretary, has a thin resume for the job but...

Miller takes over on an acting basis after the president fired Mark Esper.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/acting-defense-secretary-chris-miller/2020/11/09/43a4296e-22d0-11eb-8599-406466ad1b8e_story.html

Esper isn't the only person shitcanned. @RadhikaAN points out that Trump fired three agency heads right after the election: the NNSA, US Agency for International Development, and FERC

(I don't see how the firings help Trump, but it's an interesting move) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-administration-agency-heads-us-election-b1680496.html

Trump administration fires three agency heads in wake of US election

‘If, in fact, this was retribution for my independence, I am quite proud of that,’ says Neil Chatterjee

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-administration-agency-heads-us-election-b1680496.html

After Esper's "termination" via Twitter, James Anderson resigned as the Undersecretary of Defense. His replacement: Anthony Tata, who was nominated for the position a few months ago but rejected by both Democrats and Republicans because...well... https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/10/pentagon-top-policy-official-resigns-435693

Official who once called Obama a 'terrorist leader' takes over Pentagon policy

The departure of James Anderson, acting undersecretary of defense for policy, potentially paves the way for Anthony Tata to take over the policy shop.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/10/pentagon-top-policy-official-resigns-435693

"Tata...speculated the Iran deal was born out of Obama's "Islamic roots...to help Iranians and the greater Islamic state crush Israel.""

He's called Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi "violent extremists" and Waters a "vicious race baiting racist" https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/12/politics/pentagon-nominee-tata-trump-kfile/index.html

Top Pentagon policy nominee has a history of Islamophobic and offensive comments

The White House's nominee for a top position at the Pentagon has a history of making Islamophobic and inflammatory remarks against prominent Democratic politicians, including falsely calling former...

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/12/politics/pentagon-nominee-tata-trump-kfile/index.html

Tata "also spread conspiracy theories that a "deep state cabal" of officials would rather see Trump fail than succeed in office, a sentiment echoed by the President and his allies, using extreme rhetoric."

Super neat https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/politics/pentagon-policy-official-resigns/index.html

Top Pentagon policy official resigns day after Trump fires defense secretary

The Pentagon's top policy official, James Anderson, resigned Tuesday, according to two US defense officials, a day after President Donald Trump fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/politics/pentagon-policy-official-resigns/index.html

The Electoral College is like a horrible rusty car that just keeps running. And now it's making weird clunking noises and we have to lift the hood to figure out what the hell is in there

Here's a guide to the actual arcane process. Thanks @EmiHeb!

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641?fbclid=IwAR1HgIRR7mzH7VBExoFSqOQi2pDDE0DDiEhRshqQbjZJa2DZPh-emRFG9wo#:~:text=December%2014%2C%202020%3A%20Electors%20Vote,meeting%20is%20on%20December%2014

(I would like to go on record and state that Tony Tata is a really funny name)

https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1326258800777682945?s=20