Sen. Chuck Grassley says he was unaware of PowerPoint on how to overturn Biden’s election

Sen. Chuck Grassley says he never saw a PowerPoint presentation outlining how Congress could challenge the 2020 presidential election results, including declaring a national security emergency and seizing paper ballots.

The Iowa Republican’s staff earlier issued a statement that neither the senator nor his staff were aware of the existence of the PowerPoint presentation that argued for overturning the 2020 election of Democrat Joe Biden.

“I never saw it. My staff didn't see it. I didn't know about it until public reports last weekend,” Grassley told reporters Wednesday.

A 38-page PowerPoint presentation titled “Election Fraud, Foreign Interference & Options for 6 JAN” was among emails former President Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows turned over to the House committee investigating the insurrection, according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the committee’s chairman.

Dated Jan. 5, the day before hundreds of Trump supporters violently breached the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Biden’s victory, it was intended to be shared on Capitol Hill, Thompson said.

Grassley said he is unaware that any of his colleagues saw the presentation. He also said he’s not sure what action should be taken to hold them accountable if any member saw the presentation or was briefed on it and did nothing to prevent the violence.

As the anniversary of the Capitol attack approaches, Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term in 2022, said he has not taken time to reflect on how it has — or hasn’t — changed the politics of Congress.

“I haven't reflected on it exactly,” he said. “But, you know, the partisanship in Washington, if you're talking about within the institution of the Congress, that was already bad. It's not worse because of Jan. 6.”

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