Robocalls suck. Robocalls from Trump hoping to overturn the election are horrifying.

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( January 4, 2021 18. That's reportedly [how many attempts]( President Trump made to get Georgia's secretary of state on the phone after losing the election to Joe Biden roughly two months ago. As you probably know by now, the 19th try finally worked—and it has since [revealed an astounding effort]( by the president to force Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Republican secretary of state, to "find" nonexistent votes and declare him the winner of the 2020 election. The Washington Post first obtained the taped phone call and released it Sunday, and as with all the other countless scandals of the Trump era, Democrats and only a handful of Republicans have condemned the president. It's unclear exactly why Trump is so obsessed with Georgia. Even if officials relented and magically handed the state over to him, he'd still lack the electoral votes needed to overturn the election. But here is Trump reaching out nearly 20 times before Raffensperger finally picks up, and an hourlong bullying session ensues. Meanwhile, a group of Republican senators is set to back Trump's extraordinary abuse of power by [formally challenging Biden's win]( during Wednesday's certification. So Happy New Year. If you thought the madness wasn't going to trickle into 2021, I'm sorry to break it to you, but you haven't been paying attention. —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Brad Raffensperger Defended the Election—But Not the Right to Vote in Future Ones]( While he pushes back against Trump, Raffensperger is trying to limit voting options for Democratic constituencies. BY ARI BERMAN [Trending] [Trump tried calling 18 times before Georgia's secretary of state finally picked up]( BY INAE OH [Protests in DC this week may become violent. Rep. Louis Gohmert seemed to think that was fine.]( BY ALI BRELAND [Kelly Loeffler blows all the dog whistles at once]( BY BECCA ANDREWS [Challenge coins are the dirty currency of American law enforcement]( BY JACOB ROSENBERG AND DAVE GILSON Advertisement [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Health & Environment] [Special Feature]( ["I'll be fierce for all of us": Deb Haaland on climate, Native rights, and Joe Biden]( The 60-year-old representative will be the first Native American Cabinet secretary next month when she takes over at Interior. BY NINA LAKHANI [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Recharge] SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE [“United We Play,” a Fitting New Film of Jazz, Blues, and Symphonic Swing From Musicians’ Homes]( In the first few minutes of United We Play, a short new [livestream]( from musicians’ living rooms and distanced bandstands, the pianist and narrator Marcus Roberts makes a familiar point that bears repeating as the pandemic stretches on: “In jazz, we play the blues to defeat the blues in life.” In different contexts, this can sound like a totalizing theory that not every jazz innovator identifies with, but in the moving words and music of Roberts, it’s a foundational truth and the creative core of his life. It’s also the timely theme of the film, “inspired by the current turbulent times.” United We Play is free and powerful. [Catch it here](. Roberts joins the American Symphony Orchestra and the Modern Jazz Generation in a premiere of three works: America Has the Blues, Seeking Peace, and United We Play. “This is a very politically charged time in our history,” he says halfway through. “It’s so important that we do everything we can to listen to one another.” If you’re new to Roberts, start with his brilliant [solo spin of “Blue Monk.”]( —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755