Roger Stone tells Trump to invoke 'martial law' if he loses election, arrest Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and Clintons
Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, is now busy making accusations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election and urging the POTUS to seize total power if he were to lose the November general elections.
He made the controversial comments during a September 10 appearance on far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars network. Stating that the only legitimate outcome to the 2020 election would be Trump's victory, Stone claimed early voting has already been marred by widespread voter fraud.
Stone said, "The ballots in Nevada on election night should be seized by federal marshalls and taken from the state" as "they are completely corrupted" and claimed that "we can prove voter fraud in the absentees right now". Trump should have absentee ballots seized in Clark County, Nevada, which traditional votes Democratic, Stone suggested. He also went on to claim that "the votes from Nevada should not be counted. They are already flooded with illegals."
Apart from focusing his energy on attacking Nevada, he also recommended that Trump should appoint former Rep Bob Barr (R-GA) as a special counsel "with the specific task of forming an Election Day operation using the FBI, federal marshals and Republican state officials from across the country to be prepared to file legal objections and if necessary to physically stand in the way of criminal activity."
Some of the other bizarre suggestions that he had for the president was to invoke "martial law" or the Insurrection Act of 1807 if he loses the election, which would allow him to deploy military and federalized National Guard troops within the nation, normally done in particular circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, insurrection and rebellion.
Stone also told Trump to arrest Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, "the Clintons" and "anybody else who can be proven to be involved in illegal activity," using the complete authority that he had.
He did not stop there. Stone said that journalists should be rounded up for "seditious activities" pertaining to the elections. "They wanna play war, this is war... I'm for a legal election. Everything I'm going to be involved with in terms of helping Donald Trump get elected will be perfectly transparent and legal," Stone claimed.
Stone's interview was met with an array of remarks by social media users. "Kept playing this scenario in my head in the last couple of days. when Trump loses and decides the election was rigged and that he's not going to step down, who's going to make sure he steps down? All those that re s'posed to are compromised af," one person wrote.
Kept playing this scenario in my head in the last couple of days; when Trump loses and decides the election was rigged and that he's not going to step down, who's going to make sure he steps down? All those that re s'posed to are compromised af.
— Manchester United (@YoungSaeed) September 12, 2020
A user followed up with the comment, "I have believed for 4 years that THIS is @realDonaldTrump’s Ultimate PLAN," pointing out that they truly believe Trump will enforce martial law.
I have believed for 4 years that THIS is @realDonaldTrump’s Ultimate PLAN.
— The Resistor Sister ♥️🇺🇸🦅🙏🏻 (@the_resistor) September 12, 2020
Another user added, "Remember all those years they told us that big bad Obama was gonna declare martial law, abuse his power, all that? But it's Trump and his boys who want to. A police state run by his presidential thugs. They think that's cool, until... it's their family, their guns, they come for."
Remember all those years they told us that big bad Obama was gonna declare martial law, abuse his power, all that? But it's Trump and his boys who want to. A police state run by his presidential thugs. They think that's cool, until... it's their family, their guns, they come for.
— Meagan Paullin (@SunandSipCups) September 12, 2020
Stone was convicted of lying to Congress and tampering with witnesses as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into the 2016 election interference. Stone lied about his contacts with WikiLeaks which released hacked emails with the sole purpose of boosting Trump's campaign. On July 10, Trump commuted a 40-month prison sentence that was handed down to Stone.
Stone made a number of media appearances in the weeks leading up to the commutation, where he was seen asking Trump to grant him clemency. He said in exchange for the president's generosity, he would be a more effective campaigner for the POTUS' 2020 reelection efforts. At the time of granting clemency to Stone, Trump explained that Stone's trial had been unfair.
Stone's efforts to influence elections dates back to 2000 when he was reportedly an organizer of the so-called "Brooks Brothers riot" during the presidential race that led to vote counting being suspended in Miami-Dade County, Florida.