“Our Little Secret”: Trump Hints at Post-Election Plan with Speaker Mike Johnson Amid Rally of “Anger, Vitriol, and Racist Threats
(AP)
During a six-hour rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, former President Donald Trump stirred controversy with hints of a “little secret” he shares with newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. This cryptic statement, made amid what The New York Times labeled “a closing carnival of grievances, misogyny, and racism,” has sparked alarm among legal and constitutional scholars.
The rally began with inflammatory remarks from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who targeted various minority groups. Addressing Puerto Rico, Hinchcliffe referred to it as a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” He went on to make racially charged statements about Latinos and Black attendees, further intensifying the rally’s divisive tone. “And these Latinos, they love making babies, too, just know that,” he told the crowd.
Pointing to a Black man in the audience, he joked, “What the hell is that, a lampshade? Look at this guy! Oh, my goodness.” In his coverage, The New York Times described the event as a “capstone” to Trump’s increasingly divisive campaign. However, it was Trump’s comment about a “little secret” with Speaker Johnson that raised constitutional concerns.
“I think with our little secret, we are gonna do really well with the House,” Trump remarked. “He and I have a secret, we will tell you what it is when the race is over.” The statement, which some have interpreted as a veiled threat or tactic, was highlighted by Politico Playbook as a potentially “sinister” hint at a post-election strategy involving the House of Representatives.
Historian Heather Cox Richardson speculated in her Substack newsletter that Trump’s comment may signal an attempt to leverage House power in a contested election, similar to efforts surrounding the 2020 election. “It seems possible—probable, even—that Trump was alluding to putting in play the plan his people tried in 2020,” she wrote.
Richardson explained that Trump could attempt to disrupt the certification process, forcing a vote in the House where Republicans hold a majority of state delegations, potentially securing Trump a victory. Other experts echoed her concerns.
Melissa Murray, a professor of law, outlined the mechanics of this “contingent election” scenario, noting that contesting swing-state votes could create an Electoral College tie, which would then be decided in the GOP-led House. Harvard constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe issued a stark warning: “At his racist MSG rally, Trump spoke of the ‘little secret’ he and Mike Johnson would unveil… involving the House—and how he plans to use its 50 State delegations to wreak havoc and hand him back ‘his’ power.”
The legal implications of Trump’s words have sparked widespread concern. Attorney Jacob Glick and civil rights lawyer Andrew L. Seidel both suggested Trump may be signaling an intent to leverage House procedures in the event of an electoral loss. Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, shared a clip of Trump’s statement, asking, “What is he confessing to here?”
