www.nbcnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a02:26f0:7100:19c::2506  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News"><button class="search-button"><span class="search-button-icon"><svg
          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor">
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

GET https://www.nbcnews.com/search

<form action="https://www.nbcnews.com/search" method="GET" class="search-form js-search-form"><label class="search-label" for="q" id="search_label">Search</label>
  <div class="search-inner"><input type="search" class="search-input js-search-input" aria-labelledby="search_label" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search NBC News"><button class="search-button"><span class="search-button-icon"><svg
          xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor">
          <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M13.773 11.649L20 17.876 17.876 20l-6.227-6.227a7.508 7.508 0 112.124-2.124zm-6.265.364a4.505 4.505 0 100-9.01 4.505 4.505 0 000 9.01z"></path>
        </svg></span></button></div>
</form>

<form class="nl-signup-input__form"><input class="nl-signup-input__input" name="emailAddress" placeholder="Enter your email" value=""><button class="animated-ghost-button animated-ghost-button--normal nl-signup-input__button"
    id="email-subscribe-button" type="button">Sign Up</button></form>

Text Content

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another
browser.
SKIP TO CONTENT
Sponsored By

 * Politics
 * Covid-19
 * U.S. News
 * World
 * Opinion
 * Business




Jan. 6 PowerPoint: What we know and what we don't about a pro-Trump election
plot

 * Share this —
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

Search


Sections

 * CORONAVIRUS
 * U.S. News
 * Politics
 * World
 * Local
 * Business
 * Health
 * Investigations
 * Culture Matters
 * Science
 * Sports
 * Tech & Media
 * Decision 2020
 * Video Features
 * Photos
 * Weather
 * Select
 * Asian America
 * NBCBLK
 * NBC Latino
 * NBC OUT

tv

 * Today
 * MSNBC
 * Nightly News
 * Meet The Press
 * Dateline

Featured

 * NBC NEWS NOW
 * THINK
 * BETTER
 * NIGHTLY FILMS
 * STAY TUNED
 * SPECIAL FEATURES
 * NEWSLETTERS
 * PODCASTS

More From NBC

 * CNBC
 * NBC.COM
 * NBC LEARN
 * Peacock
 * Next Steps for Vets
 * Parent Toolkit
 * NBC Archives
 * Help

Follow NBC News

 * 
 * 
 * 

Search

 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Email
 * SMS
 * Print
 * Whatsapp
 * Reddit
 * Pocket
 * Flipboard
 * Pinterest
 * Linkedin

Manage ProfileEmail PreferencesSign Out



Donald Trump


JAN. 6 POWERPOINT: WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE DON'T ABOUT A PRO-TRUMP ELECTION
PLOT

The exact origins of the 36-page PowerPoint are unknown. It appears to have
first surfaced online in full in early January.

President Donald Trump speaks as White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows listens
on July 29, 2020 in Washington.Alex Wong / Getty Images file
Dec. 14, 2021, 9:37 AM UTC / Updated Dec. 14, 2021, 5:00 PM UTC
By Allan Smith

A conspiratorial PowerPoint presentation that offered suggestions for how the
Trump administration could move to overturn the 2020 election results is getting
new attention after former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows submitted
similar slides to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the
Capitol.


HOUSE SET TO VOTE TO HOLD MARK MEADOWS IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS

Dec. 15, 202102:07


The exact origins of the 36-page PowerPoint document are unknown. It appears to
have first surfaced online in full in early January. Ahead of Jan. 6 — when a
mob of pro-Trump supporters tried to disrupt the electoral vote count
formalizing Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election before a joint
session of Congress — the presentation was one of a handful of documents that
outlined a rationale for overturning the election or disregarding the results
that were written and circulated by allies of President Donald Trump or by
people sympathetic to his baseless claims of fraud.




The PowerPoint presentation and its allegations and assertions were promoted by
ardent supporters of Trump who have repeatedly spread falsehoods about the
election.

Here's what we know — and what we don't know — about the presentation, its
contributors and who may have seen it.


THERE ARE TWO POWERPOINTS?

Most likely yes, but the material appears similar.

In a letter to Meadows on Wednesday, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the chair of
the Jan. 6 committee, referred to an email on Jan. 5 about a 38-page PowerPoint
briefing titled "Election Fraud, Foreign Interference & Options for JAN 6."



That PowerPoint document is two pages longer than the 36-page version
circulating online. A committee aide said that the 38-page version isn't page
for page what the committee received and that the presentation is unlikely to be
a major focus for the committee. Still, the titles of the presentations are the
same.

Meadows' lawyer, George J. Terwilliger III, told The New York Times and The
Washington Post that Meadows submitted the document to the committee because "it
was not privileged." He said Meadows had received the document in an email and
did nothing with it. Terwilliger didn't immediately respond to a request for
comment.

It's not yet clear who sent the email to Meadows.

Meadows initially cooperated with the committee but said later that he would no
longer engage with it. The House is expected to vote as soon as Tuesday on
whether to ask the Justice Department to prosecute Meadows over his refusal to
answer questions about the attack.


WHAT'S IN THE POWERPOINT?

The presentation includes baseless assertions that China and Venezuela took
control of the U.S. electoral system and that there was widespread voter fraud
in eight states.



It calls for the Trump administration to "declare electronic voting in all
states invalid," as well as to declare a national emergency and seize ballots.

More relevant to Jan. 6 — the date the Constitution sets out for the official
counting of Electoral College votes, a step that affirms a president-elect's
victory — the document called for then-Vice President Mike Pence to seat
alternate electors from swing states Trump lost, reject electors from those
states or delay the formal count.

Constitutional scholars have said there was no legal basis for Pence to
intervene, while a number of ballot recounts and the courts have repeatedly
affirmed Biden's win last fall and haven't turned up any evidence of widespread
fraud.


WHO IS BEHIND THE 36-PAGE PRESENTATION?

Phil Waldron, a retired Army colonel who said he visited the White House
multiple times after the election, has acknowledged having played a role as one
of the document's contributors. He told The Washington Post that he was part of
a team that briefed lawmakers about the presentation, adding that he focused on
claims of foreign vote manipulation.



Waldron was featured in a film by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a lead proponent
and financial backer of false election fraud claims.


RECOMMENDED


White House


WHITE HOUSEBIDEN SET TO TOUR KENTUCKY COMMUNITIES DEVASTATED BY TORNADOES


Politics News


POLITICS NEWSOFFICIAL: NOEM'S DAUGHTER GOT UNUSUAL TREATMENT IN LICENSING
APPLICATION

Waldron said by email that he "did multiple hours of interviews" about the
presentation "and released the slides publicly" in January. He didn't respond to
a follow-up asking him where the interviews and the release took place. (Fox
News personality Lara Logan tweeted a link to the slide deck on Jan. 5.)



Jovan H. Pulitzer, who has an outsize presence in the election denial community,
was linked to the document, too — but he said in an email that he didn't
contribute to it. The presentation floated retired astronaut Sidney Gutierrez as
someone to lead a national investigation into election fraud. Gutierrez couldn't
immediately be reached for comment.

Some paragraphs in the presentation were part of a Nov. 24, 2020, blog post by a
leading election denier, Patrick Byrne, the founder and former CEO of
Overstock.com.


WHO SAW THE PRESENTATION?

It's not yet clear, although those involved in the efforts to circulate the
scheme say members of Congress were briefed, as well as Trump administration
officials and other allies.



Waldron told The Times that members of his team — whom he didn't identify —
spoke to a group of senators about the allegations in the PowerPoint document on
Jan. 4. Waldron told The Post that he once briefed Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,
at the White House.

Asked about that, Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Graham, said in an email,
"Graham voted to certify the election."

Waldron also told The Post that he briefed Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and his
staff ahead of a Dec. 16 hearing the Senate Homeland Security Committee was
holding about election fraud. At the time, Republicans controlled the Senate and
Johnson chaired the committee.

In a statement obtained by NBC News, Johnson said: "The slides had not been seen
by my staff prior to the Washington Post forwarding" it as part of its recent
reporting.



"My staff took meetings from many who could offer their expertise on election
security and to hear from those who had concerns about irregularities ahead of
my December 16, 2020 hearing," he said.

Waldron told The Post that he personally briefed some House members about it on
Jan. 5.

Meanwhile, Waldron told The Times and The Post that he communicated to Meadows
through former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was Trump's personal lawyer.
Giuliani couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Waldron also told The Post that he attended an Oval Office meeting with Trump
and Pennsylvania lawmakers on Nov. 25, 2020. It's not clear whether the meeting
involved any version of the PowerPoint briefing or its contents.

Get the Morning Rundown

Get a head start on the morning's top stories.

Sign Up
This site is protected by recaptcha Privacy Policy | Terms of Service


Allan Smith

Allan Smith is a political reporter for NBC News.

Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed.


 * About
 * Contact
 * Help
 * Careers
 * Ad Choices
 * Privacy policy
 * Cookie Notice
 * CA Notice
 * Terms of Service
 * NBC NEWS SITEMAP
 * Advertise

© 2021 NBC UNIVERSAL


WE AND OUR PARTNERS USE COOKIES ON THIS SITE TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE, PERFORM
ANALYTICS, PERSONALIZE ADVERTISING, MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE, AND
REMEMBER WEBSITE PREFERENCES. BY USING THE SITE, YOU CONSENT TO THESE COOKIES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON COOKIES INCLUDING HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CONSENT VISIT OUR
COOKIE POLICY.
CONTINUE


COOKIE NOTICE

This Cookie Notice (“Notice”) explains how NBCUniversal and its affiliates
(“NBCUniversal” or “we”), along with our partners, including advertisers and
vendors, use cookies and similar tracking technologies when you use our
websites, applications, such as games, interactive TV, voice-activated
assistants, and other services that link to this policy, as well as connected
devices, including those used in our theme parks (“Services”). This Notice
provides more information about these technologies, your choices, and is part of
the NBCUniversal Privacy Policy available here. You should read the Privacy
Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your
information.

WHAT ARE COOKIES AND HOW ARE THEY USED?

Like many companies, we use cookies (small text files placed on your computer or
device) and other tracking technologies on the Services (referred to together
from this point forward as “Cookies”, unless otherwise stated), including HTTP
cookies, HTML5 and Flash local storage/flash cookies, web beacons/GIFs, embedded
scripts, ETags/cache browsers, and software development kits.

First-party Cookies

First-party Cookies are placed by us (including through the use of third-party
service providers) and are used to allow you to use the Services and their
features and to assist in analytics activities.

Third-party Cookies

Certain third parties may place their Cookies on your device and use them to
recognize your device when you visit the Services and when you visit other
websites or online services. These third parties collect and use this
information pursuant to their own privacy policies. Third-party Cookies enable
certain features or functionalities, and advertising, to be provided on the
Services.

Types of Cookies

The Services use the following types of first and third-party Cookies for these
purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These Cookies are required for Service
functionality, including for system administration, security and fraud
prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your browser
to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

Information Storage and Access: These Cookies allow us and our partners to store
and access information on the device, such as device identifiers.

Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of
and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences,
and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. We and
our third-party vendors use these Cookies to perform analytics, so we can
improve the content and user experience, develop new products and services, and
for statistical purposes. They are also used to recognize you and provide
further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes.

Personalization Cookies: These Cookies enable us to provide certain features,
such as determining if you are a first-time visitor, capping message frequency,
remembering choices you have made (e.g., your language preferences, time zone),
and assist you with logging in after registration (including across platforms
and devices). These Cookies also allow your device to receive and send
information, so you can see and interact with ads and content.

Content Selection and Delivery Cookies: Data collected under this category can
also be used to select and deliver personalized content, such as news articles
and videos.

Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about
your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your
interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of
delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party
sites. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising
Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests
on the Services and third-party services. If you reject these Cookies, you may
see contextual advertising that may be less relevant to you.

Social Media Cookies: These Cookies are set by social media platforms on the
Services to enable you to share content with your friends and networks. Social
media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the
Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you
visit.

We and third parties may associate Measurement And Analytics Cookies,
Personalization Cookies, Content Selection, Delivery Cookies, and Reporting, Ad
Selection, Delivery and Reporting Cookies, and Social Media Cookies with other
information we have about you.

COOKIE MANAGEMENT

Depending on where you live, you may be able to adjust your Cookie preferences
at any time via the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of relevant websites.
You can also use the methods described below to manage Cookies. You must take
such steps on each browser or device that you use. If you replace, change or
upgrade your browser or device, or delete your cookies, you may need to use
these opt-out tools again. As some Cookie-management solutions also rely on
Cookies, please adjust your browser Cookie settings carefully, following the
relevant instructions below.

Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through
your browser settings. If you use multiple browsers on the same device, you will
need to manage your settings for each browser. Please click on any of the below
browser links for instructions:

Google Chrome
Apple Safari
Mozila Firefox
Microsoft Internet Explorer

If the browser you use is not listed above, please refer to your browser’s help
menu for information on how to manage Cookies. Please be aware that disabling
cookies will not disable other analytics tools we may use to collect information
about you or your use of our Services.

Analytics Provider Opt-Outs: To disable analytics Cookies you can use the
browser controls discussed above or, for some of our providers, you can use
their individual opt-out mechanisms:

Google’s Privacy Policy and Google Analytics Opt-Out
Omniture’s Privacy Policy and Omniture’s Opt-Out
Mixpanel’s Privacy Policy and Mixpanel’s Opt-Out

The above are examples of our analytics providers and this is not an exhaustive
list. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of any other providers’
opt-out mechanisms.

Flash Local Storage: These cookies are also known as local shared objects and
may be used to store your preferences or display content by us, advertisers and
other third-parties. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of
your Flash Player Settings Manager.

Interest-Based Advertising: Most third-party advertisers offer a way to opt out
of their interest-based advertising. For more information or to opt out of
receiving interest-based advertising from participating third-party advertisers,
depending on your country of residence, please visit:

Digital Advertising Alliance in the US
Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada
European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance
Australian Digital Advertising Alliance

You can also opt out of some of the advertising providers we use by visiting
their opt-out pages:

Google’s Privacy Policy and Google Analytics Opt-Out Page
Facebook Privacy Policy and Facebook’s Opt-Out Page
Twitter Privacy Policy and Twitter’s Opt-Out Page
Liveramp’s Privacy Policy and Liveramp Opt-Out Page

These are examples of our advertising providers and this is not an exhaustive
list. In addition, we are not responsible for the effectiveness of any of these
providers’ opt-out mechanisms.

After you opt out, you will still see advertisements, but they may not be as
relevant to you.

Mobile Settings: You may manage the collection of information for interest-based
advertising purposes in mobile apps via the device’s settings, including
managing the collection of location data. To opt out of mobile ad tracking from
Nielsen or other third parties, you can do so by selecting the “Limit Ad
Tracking” (for iOS devices) or “Opt out of Ads Personalization” (for Android
devices) options in your device settings.

Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming
devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that
allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Typically,
to opt out, such devices require you to select options like “limit ad tracking”
or to disable options such as “interest-based advertising,” “interactive TV,” or
“smart interactivity”. These settings vary by device type.

Cross-Device Tracking: If you would like to opt out of our browser-based
cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, you may do so by using the
various methods described above. You must opt out separately on each device and
each browser that you use. For more information about cross-device matching,
please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising
Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we
may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics.

Consequences of Deactivation of Cookies: If you disable or remove Cookies, some
parts of the Services may not function properly. Information may still be
collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services
analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences.



CONTACT US

For inquiries about this Cookies Notice, please contact us at Privacy@nbcuni.com
or Chief Privacy Officer, NBCUniversal Legal Department, 30 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, NY 10112, US.

For inquiries from users who reside in the European Economic Area, the United
Kingdom or Switzerland, please contact us at Privacy@nbcuni.com or Privacy,
Legal Department, Central Saint Giles, St Giles High Street, London, WC2H 8NU,
UK

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

This Notice may be revised occasionally and in accordance with legal
requirements. Please revisit this Cookie Notice regularly to stay informed about
our and our analytic and advertising partners’ use of Cookies.

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These Cookies are required for Service functionality, including security and
fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities. You can set your
browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function
properly.


BACK BUTTON PERFORMANCE COOKIES



Vendor Search Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Close