# DOJ/Jack Smith Investigation into Trump and Election Interference, January 6th Insurrection (Re-Indicted August 27, 2024) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 23, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455 "2022-11-23T20:14:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 44
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/862 "2023-08-07T16:07:17Z")
> “All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump says, according to audio of the call. “There’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you’ve recalculated.” Note, he does not say he wants them to do a recount. He does not say he wants all votes counted. He does not say there was anything wrong with the initial count. He just wants them to **SAY** they’ve “recalculated” to “find” votes. Not actually recalculate or recount - just SAY they’ve done so. It’s pretty clear that he is asking them to just report different numbers. To make shit up. > **[In recorded call, Trump pressures Georgia official to 'find' votes to...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKBN2980MG/)** > > U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Georgia's top election official to "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat in the southern state, according to a recording of the hour-long call published by U.S. media on Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/863 "2023-08-07T16:08:49Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > He just wants them to “recalculate” to “find” votes. It’s pretty clear that he is asking them to just report different numbers. To make shit up. Worse, he doesn’t even want them to actually “recalculate.” He wanted them to “say you’ve recalculated.” So, yes, make shit up. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/864 "2023-08-07T16:09:32Z")
Ha! Yes, I just edited that part in! ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/865 "2023-08-07T16:11:33Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > > > He just wants them to “recalculate” to “find” votes. It’s pretty clear that he is asking them to just report different numbers. To make shit up. > > Worse, he doesn’t even want them to actually “recalculate.” He wanted them to “say you’ve recalculated.” So, yes, make shit up. Well, to be fair, he also wants them to put a stop to all the ballot shredding and machinery removal that’s happening (in his opinion, based on what he’s heard). If they’d done that, the 11,780 votes would have been easy to find. 🙄 🙄 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/866 "2023-08-07T16:21:53Z")
[quote=“Euphonious\_Polemic, post:862, topic:975455”] quoting Trump “There’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you’ve recalculated.” [/quote] Thinking more about this, it really is the single most damning piece of evidence I’ve seen. Perfect phone call my ass. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/867 "2023-08-07T16:22:47Z")
I’m also thinking this part of Trump’s quote is relevant now: > [@Atamasama](#): > > > And you are going to find that they are — which is totally illegal, it is more illegal for you than it is for them because, you know what they did and you’re not reporting it. That’s a criminal, that’s a criminal offense. And you can’t let that happen. Trump’s big claim is that he didn’t think what he was doing was illegal, so he can’t be guilty. But here he is, telling these guys the exact opposite: It doesn’t matter that _they_ think they’re acting within the bounds of the law, Trump is telling them it’s illegal, so they’re going to be guilty if he has anything to say about it. Trump, having a double standard? Unthinkable! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/868 "2023-08-07T16:46:00Z")
Thank you. Actually I was far too high. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/869 "2023-08-07T16:48:30Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > That’s why I hate that phrase when it’s naked. It’s a _presumption of innocence until proven guilty._ Yes, and it’s not only misquoted, it’s often misconceived. The technical presumption of innocence is not at all the same thing as _actual_ innocence. An underlying state of guilt or innocence must exist prior to the trial, the trial does not manufacture the guilt. The presumption of innocence just an expression of the burden of proof in our legal system, that we don’t punish people unless we can prove that they are guilty. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/870 "2023-08-07T18:25:05Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state. Look, and it genuinely pains me to say this, but I think that’s going to be a tough sell to 12 people in a “beyond a reasonable doubt” situation. _I meant that we both know the votes are there, so do your job and find them before they’re destroyed._ You don’t think one person in 12 can be convinced that Trump did NOT mean “manufacture” and meant “uncover the truth?” My one time on a jury (civil case) had a person who wanted to award the injured plaintiff because, while they acknowledged it wasn’t the defendant (landlord’s) fault, they felt bad for her. I don’t really think most people are stupid or naïve, but I do think \>8.3% are. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/871 "2023-08-07T18:27:17Z")
Good thing that statement is far from the only evidence Smith has. Let’s remember, it’s not what Trump _said_. It’s the totality of what he _did_. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/872 "2023-08-07T18:35:29Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > You don’t think one person in 12 can be convinced that Trump did NOT mean “manufacture” and meant “uncover the truth?” Given the totality of what he said and did, yes, I think that you’re not going to have a hard time convincing 12 jurors of what he was trying to do. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/873 "2023-08-07T19:05:52Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > is no longer a member of trump’s golf clubs. He makes a shitty 9 Iron anyway. And doesn’t fit in the bag. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/874 "2023-08-07T19:12:56Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > Fox and Friends tried out this new defense this morning. It went something like this: > > “When President Trump mentioned to the Georgia Secretary of State that he needed 11,000 votes, he wasn’t asking him to find them, it was just aspirational. Yeah, more horse shit. Trump : “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” And the veiled thinly threat from Trump : “You know what they did and you’re not reporting it,” the president said during the call. “You know, that’s a criminal — that’s a criminal offense. And you know, you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. That’s a big risk.” “Nice place you have here, shame if something would happen to it”. It’s the same mobster shit that Trump does. Poorly. ---
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/875 "2023-08-07T19:20:06Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I understand that Trump’s lawyers must file a response by 5:00 pm Monday. I guess we’ll see if they do so by the deadline. Well, it’s Monday, but D.C. is shutting down due to extreme thunderstorm and tornado warnings…do you think they got their response in under the wire, or will they claim ‘acts of God’ prevented them from timely response? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/876 "2023-08-07T19:21:21Z")
They can hide in their bunkers and e-file. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/877 "2023-08-07T19:55:20Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > it genuinely pains me to say this, but I think that’s going to be a tough sell to 12 people in a “beyond a reasonable doubt” situation. > > You don’t think one person in 12 can be convinced that Trump did NOT mean “manufacture” and meant “uncover the truth?” I think you’re right–it is a tough sell, and Trump will not be found guilty. For the last week or two, there’s been a huge celebration going on, as everybody keeps saying “this it it!! The final nail in Trump’s coffin!!! There’s no other possible conclusion!! …The only question now is how the secret service bodyguards will accompany Trump to his prison cell.” But it’s waaaaayyy too early to celebrate, folks. For a Republican on the jury in Georgia who reads Trump’s words literally–there is no criminal act there. And in Washington for the Jan 6 trial, the same juror can read Trump’s words literally, and honestly say that there is no criminal act there. All he said was “we will walk peacefully” to the Capitol. In the Georgia trial,Trump said something totally correct, and very logical. (for a Republican definition of “logical”). And you can see that the logic is simple: just read what Trump clearly said 1. There were “ballots being shredded and voting machines being moved”.–which are criminal acts. This is an absolutely true fact, because I (Trump;) said so… 2. You, as Georgia’s top election official, are responsible for preventing criminal acts, and are responsible for doing the count properly…You have not yet prevented those criminal acts,. so you yourself are committing a crime. Be careful, buddy…you don’t want to get into trouble now, do you?.. 3. I am notifying you that “we won the state”. 4. Therefor, to avoid being a criminal, you must correct the criminal mistakes, and find 11,780 votes. Which you can explain by admitting that you found mistakes, so you re-calculated the totals. See, folks? It;s easy to prove that Trump didn’t do anything wrong|!!! All he did was what any good leader should do–make sure that the official in Georgia enforced the law. and properly counted the votes. Since Trump already said that he won the state, obviously the vote count was wrong, and needs to be corrected. But you don’t need to do a total recount…just a short recount, enough to find 11780 votes… And yes, I do believe that one of the 12 jurors will believe this shit. Result: Trump walks out of the courtroom a free man, to THUNDEROUS applause. And a few months later , he walks into the White House victoriously… ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/878 "2023-08-07T20:02:35Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Perfect phone call my ass. But it _is_. Perfect for the prosecutor. > [@Horatius](#): > > Trump, having a double standard? Unthinkable! He _has_ become Republican enough to that talking out both sides of their ass thing I’ve mentioned before. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/879 "2023-08-07T20:04:08Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > And yes, I do believe that one of the 12 jurors will believe this shit. > Result: Trump walks out of the courtroom a free man, to THUNDEROUS applause. And a few months later , he walks into the White House victoriously… You left out the retrial, which would almost certainly follow a mistrial due to a hung jury. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/880 "2023-08-07T20:06:36Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > And in Washington for the Jan 6 trial, the same juror can read Trump’s words literally, and honestly say that there is no criminal act there. All he said was “we will walk peacefully” to the Capitol. Good thing he wasn’t charged with anything related to the Jan 6 riot. ALL of the charges were about the fake electors, getting other people to break the law; trying to get Pence to break the law; etc. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455/881 "2023-08-07T20:09:34Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > For the last week or two, there’s been a huge celebration going on, as everybody keeps saying “this it it!! Perhaps this is in your imagination, because I’m not hearing _everybody_ saying anything remotely like this. In fact, the vast majority of folks here are NOT saying anything like this. There is some pushback against theories of “Trump will walk because every single jury will have a MAGA person on it who will never convict” There is celebration that he’s finally been arraigned. There is hope that more charges will be brough in the Georgia case. There is hope that one of his many trials on the 78 charges he faces will result in a guilty verdict. There is acknowledgment that even ONE not guilty verdict on one of the 78 charges will have Trump bleating “Totally Innocent! Vindicated! Witch Hunt!!!1!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455.md?page=43) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doj-jack-smith-investigation-into-trump-and-election-interference-january-6th-insurrection-re-indicted-august-27-2024/975455.md?page=45)