january 6th and everything that led to that day were essentially stress tests for the health of our american democracy and its institutions. just like putting our hearts through the ringer. every what if associated with donald trump s attempt to overturn the election helps identify areas of concern. what if mike pence had followed trump s orders and nullified millions of votes? what if georgia s secretary of state brad raffensperger had found the votes donald trump called and asked him to find? chad wolf and the voting machines, judges and the big lie lawsuits, jeff rosen and those massive threats of resignation at doj, each and every one, results of a stress test. something jonathan carl addresses, writing quote, none of these people had the authority to do what trump demanded, but there s no guarantee the orderly transfer of power on january 20th would have happened if they had tried to do what he demanded.