#61: Michael Bender - "Frankly, We Did Win This Election"

The President of the United States had been preparing for the moment for months, to claim he had won an election he actually lost. Early in the morning of November 4th, Donald Trump took to the TV cameras at the White House and said that despite early projections that Joe Biden had a chance to pull ahead in key states, he had indeed won reelection. With the now-famous phrase, "Frankly, we did win this election," Trump became the first president in history to claim that he had been victimized by fraudulent votes and tabulations. As soon as Wall Street Journal White House correspondent Michael Bender heard those words, he knew it had at least an outside chance of becoming the title of his account of the 2020 campaign.Bender's book, "Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost," describes behind-the-scenes moments as the president goes from seeming to have an advantage in the 2020 race to again playing catch-up. Bender describes Trump's responses to a global pandemic, the death of George Floyd, social justice marches and to fighting for his own life. Unlike the 2016 election, when much seemed to go Donald Trump's way, 2020 sees almost every political hit come against him. Bender also recaps the surreal experience of being summoned to the White House for a one-on-one interview with the president.Michael Bender is on Twitter at twitter.com/michaelcbenderHis book is published by Twelve Books: https://www.twelvebooks.com/titles/michael-c-bender/frankly-we-did-win-this-election/9781538734803/Support our show at patreon.com/axelbankhistory**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at twitter.com/axelbankhistoryinstagram.com/axelbankhistoryfacebook.com/axelbankhistory