SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the DFL Party sharply criticized Minnesota Republican leaders for supporting President Trump’s efforts to undermine American democracy as mail-in ballots began to tip the scales against Trump in key swing states.
During a news conference on Thursday evening, President Trump began by falsely declaring that, “if you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.” Trump went on to claim that “officials overseeing the counting in Pennsylvania and other key states are all part of a corrupt Democrat machine” which is trying to “silence our voters and manufacture results” without a shred of evidence.
Trump’s claims are aimed squarely at damaging the legitimacy of a free and fair American election, and they come amidst armed and escalating protests at ballot-counting sites and even possible threats of violence.
Despite this, Minnesota Republican leaders have offered their support for Trump’s baseless, dangerous, anti-democratic claims:
Jennifer Carnahan echoed Trump’s rhetoric when she said the following of recent changes to election-law:“When changes like that are brought forward at a mass level in multiple states, it does raise questions, it does raise some doubt cast doubt on the integrity.”
Congressman Jim Hagedorn claimed that “there is an eerily exact emerging pattern that makes the vote counting in Democrat-run battleground states suspicious” and that the election results are “very concerning and worthy of scrutiny.”
Congresswoman-elect Michelle Fischbach expressed the belief that Donald Trump won the presidential election and that Democrats “didn’t win the votes of the American people, they’re just finding votes at this point.”
Congressman Pete Stauber was asked about President Trump’s claims that the election was rigged and declined to defend the integrity of American elections by claiming “I’m not a lawyer and I’m not going to play one in any conversation.”
DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement on Minnesota Republicans’ open and tacit support for Trump’s attacks on democracy:
“Right now, President Trump is attacking American democracy in order to overturn the likely results of a free and fair election and it’s incredibly disappointing and alarming to see Minnesota Republicans support Trump’s dictatorial aims.
“Attacks on American democracy erode the most basic freedom of the American people to elect our political leaders and jeopardize the peaceful transfer of power that has been the pride of our nation since its inception. If Minnesota Republicans like Jennifer Carnahan, Pete Stauber, and Michelle Fischbach would sooner attack American democracy than defend it, they should resign their offices and discontinue any political work for the good of our nation.”