### H3 Title: Why the ‘Brooks Brothers riot’ of 2000 inspired Trump’s campaign operative in 2020
A Donald Trump campaign operative urged supporters to “make them riot” on the day after Election Day in 2020, as Trump supporters gathered at the significant vote counting facility in Detroit. This call for a “riot” mirrored similar initiatives in other battleground states by Trump’s campaign in 2020, based on newly revealed accusations presented by special counsel Jack Smith in court in Washington, DC.
The warning resonates with events from the past 25 years in American politics, as the Trump operative, referred to only as Person 5, had been alerted to the possibility of disturbances reminiscent of the notorious “Brooks Brothers riot” that halted a recount in Miami-Dade County weeks after the 2000 Election Day. The Brooks Brothers incident involved well-dressed Republican operatives who descended upon Florida, disrupting the recount process.
Special counsel Jack Smith’s documents reveal that the objective for the Trump campaign in 2020 was to incite chaos, similar to the Brooks Brothers riot. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the legal actions against him are merely a “witch hunt.” He will not have the opportunity to defend himself against Smith’s claims prior to Election Day, largely due to his effective strategy of delaying the proceedings.
