The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell S2 Ep144: Trump Is Treating Elections Like Crimes (w/ Elliot Williams)
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Feb 6, 2026 Elliot Williams, lawyer and CNN legal analyst and author of Five Bullets, breaks down recent norm-bending legal moves. He walks through charges tied to a Minnesota protest and the Don Lemon indictment. He explains the Fulton County raid, the risks of federalizing elections, Trump’s $10 billion IRS lawsuit, and legal limits on altering the Kennedy Center.
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A Kernel Of Truth Can Undermine Trust
- Casting a small kernel of truth about localized fraud can be amplified to delegitimize future elections.
- Williams warns Trump uses tiny grains of truth to seed doubt about 2026 and 2028 outcomes.
Appointees At Raids Create Pressure
- Having political appointees physically present during sensitive law enforcement actions exerts pressure on agents.
- Williams says such visibility creates an improper thumb on the scale and risks politicizing investigations.
States, Not The White House, Run Elections
- The Constitution vests election administration with states, not the president.
- Williams stresses nationalizing elections would upend federalism and requires congressional action to change.
