A draft executive order never signed by former President Donald Trump from December 2020 would have ordered the Defense Department to seize voting machines 'effective immediately' and appoint a special counsel to oversee claims of election fraud being pushed by Trump allies.
The order, which was obtained by Politico, lists a wealth of conspiracy theories that were circulating amid Trump's election overturn effort – including that voting machines by Dominion, Smartmatic and other voting machine and software firms had 'flaws' that were 'subject to foreign interference in the 2020 election.'
The Dec. 16th order has a line for Trump's signature at the bottom, and is prepared in Trump's voice.
The order, the first major piece of evidence to emerge since Congress obtained information from the Trump White House, came on a day Trump golfed at his Mar-a-Lago course.
Donald Trump was seen golfing at the Trump International golf club in West Palm Beach on Friday. A draft executive order prepared for Trump in December 2020 would have ordered the Defense Department to seize voting machines
'I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, find that the forensic report of the Antrim County, Michigan voting machines, released December 13, 2020, and other evidence submitted to me in support of this order, provide probable cause sufficient to require action under the authorities cited above because of evidence of international and foreign interference in the November 3, 2020, election,' the order begins.
The report does not identify the author, although the date came just days before 'Kraken' lawyer Sidney Powell pitched the idea of seizing voting machines, according to reports at the time.
It came after the Electoral College had met, but weeks before Congress met to count the votes, with Trump allies still fighting a rearguard action to try to overturn the result.
Trump's lawyers sought to keep the document and other White House information out of the hands of the House January 6th committee, although it began receiving documents this week after a Supreme Court ruling against Trump.
Trump's time on the course came on a week when he suffered legal setbacks, including at the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled the House could gain access to White House papers pending a court fight
Trump golfed near his Mar-a-Lago club
Trump is also facing a civil probe of his business in New York and new developments in a probe of his election overturn effort in Georgia
A December 2020 draft executive order, unsigned by President Trump, would have ordered the Defense Secretary to seize voting machines. A draft speech also has Trump telling Capitol rioters: 'You belong in jail'
The Jan 6th committee has obtained draft remarks by President Trump after the Capitol riot
The order would have directed the Pentagon to seize voting machines
