Trump Praises Brandtjen ‘Election Audit’
Puts more pressure on Vos as Pocan calls for firing Gableman.
Janel Brandtjen. Photo from the State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-16.
Former President Donald Trump has found a new Wisconsinite worthy of his praise — and taken another shot at beleaguered Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
Vos is fast becoming a scapegoat for the QAnon-wing of the Republican party despite his having waded very deep into the falsehoods and misinformation about the 2020 presidential election, spreading them widely. At the same time, he’s had taxpayers pay former Justice Michael Gableman $11,000 a month to lead an election review, with a blank check for spending on whatever investigators and supplies he deems worthy. According to WisPolitics, Vos is also considering signing off on subpoenas for that effort.
This week the Journal Sentinel broke the news that GOP special counsel Gableman attended a ‘fact-finding’ mission at MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s conspiracy-fest in South Dakota along with Rep. Tim Ramthun (R-Cambellsport) and Wisconsin Election Commission member Bob Spindell.
Trump had nothing but adulation for Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls), who has begun her own investigation as head of the Assembly’s elections committee. Thursday the committee held a hearing with only one person speaking — Kent Mansfield, by invitation only — to do what amounted to an infomercial of his company Authentix and give the members of the committee “goodies,” as Brandtjen described them, to play with that he explained would add layers of security to Wisconsin ballots if the state purchased Authentix services.
At the meeting, Brandtjen and Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenfield) discussed what they’d seen on their trip to witness the widely discredited Arizona audit — where they are also looking into using Authentix ballots. In response, Democrat Rep. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) asked, “Are we to spend more to prevent a problem that doesn’t exist?”
“The people of Wisconsin are lucky to have a strong and great leader like Representative Janel Brandtjen, who issued subpoenas for Brown (Green Bay) and Milwaukee Counties, and all of their election evidence and so-called results. Wisconsin shows many (to put it mildly) signs of cheating in the 2020 election, and people want answers, now. … The Great American Experiment cannot withstand corruption. We must demand our elected officials follow the law, and WE MUST HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. All eyes are on Wisconsin as they begin their election audit.
“Hopefully Republican Speaker Robin Vos has the integrity and strength Wisconsin needs to support Rep. Brandtjen’s efforts. Our Country is counting on it!”
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, in a press release, had its own take on the MyPillow show and what the statement called Vos’ “GOP’s sham election review, which is currently going off the rails.”
“At the MyPillow QAnon bonanza, Gableman was ‘right in the middle trying to absorb everything’ according to Wisconsin state Elections Commissioner Bob Spindell, who was also in attendance. Mike Lindell’s own cybersecurity expert has admitted Lindell’s fringe views and claims about election fraud are bogus.”
Assembly Democratic leader Gordon Hintz expressed his dismay on Twitter:
“I wonder what the creator of MyPillow has to say about election administration. Just say it out loud. Make sure you are awake. Where is the bottom?”
“I wonder what the creator of MyPillow has to say about election administration.”
Just say it out loud. Make sure you are awake.
Where is the bottom?#peak2021 https://t.co/s3XpeIDjyb
— Gordon Hintz (@GordonHintz) August 13, 2021
And Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan is demanding Gableman’s removal by Vos and Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu:
“Gableman must be fired NOW,” Pocan tweeted. “This isn’t about a serious review of elections. This proves it is ONLY about continuing the Big Lie. No tax dollars should go to pay someone who has this terrible of judgment [sic]. Time for Vos and LeMahieu to act! Embarrassing!”
Gableman must be fired NOW. This isn’t about a serious review of elections. This proves it is ONLY about continuing the Big Lie. No tax dollars should go to pay someone who has this terrible of judgment. Time for Vos and LeMahieu to act! Embarrassing! https://t.co/of57UVqMol
— Mark Pocan (@MarkPocan) August 12, 2021
Trump’s valentine to Brandtjen as Vos-Gableman are “going off the rails” was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Let’s take Donald Trump’s statement point=by-point, starting with the extraordinary fact that it was written by a former President of the United States. First, he praises Ms. Brandtjen as a “strong and great leader.” While this probably thrilled her and has gotten her a “thumbs up” with the QAnon, MAGA, Proud Boys groups, she should probably think about the reality that no Trump favorite has ever emerged without their reputation, whatever it was before, tarnished or ruined. That includes the many favorites, all “strong and great leaders,” that Trump later turned on. Enjoy the moment.
Far more important, Trump cites “so-called results” of the 2020 Wisconsin election and the “many (to put it mildly) signs of cheating….” Once again, this is a former President telling these lies, ones that his fans clearly want to believe. What will happen next year, when polling place violence, voter suppression and, now almost-certainly disputed results, produce a true legitimacy crisis? While Janel Brandtjen is, at best, a bit player in this pathetic drama, down the road, we should not forget the destructive role she is playing today.
Finally, Trump says that “All eyes are on Wisconsin,” just another of his extreme narcissistic comments, and number 29,863 in his litany of recent lies. If “all eyes are on Wisconsin,” it is not because of him, but because of the possibility of a Bucks, Brewers, Packers Hat Trick.