Bernie Sanders says Trump can’t be trusted to run an ‘honest’ election
Bernie Sanders argued that President Trump’s call to “nationalize” elections would make it unfeasible to run an honest election, stressing that, by the Constitution, elections are conducted by the states, not the federal government. He chuckled at a CNN clip of Kaitlan collins pressing Trump on his remarks about taking over voting in at least 15 states and recalled Trump’s 2020 conversation about getting 11,000 votes in Georgia, calling such talk a demagogic threat that coudl prompt an insurrection.Sanders criticized Trump for wanting to expand federal control over elections and urged Republicans to push back against these ideas, calling Trump an authoritarian seeking more power for himself. he suggested Trump’s goal is to shift the political playing field to prevent losses in upcoming elections, and noted that Trump defended his stance in an Oval Office appearance after signing legislation to end a partial government shutdown.
Bernie Sanders says it’s ‘beyond comprehension’ that Trump can run an ‘honest’ election
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) argued that President Donald Trump cannot run an “honest” election after Trump said he wants to “nationalize” elections.
Sanders was seen laughing at a clip of CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins pressing Trump on his comments about “taking over the voting” in 15 states to make elections more “honest.”
“The idea that anyone would trust for one minute this guy running an honest election would be beyond comprehension,” Sanders said on CNN Tuesday night. “Not to mention that obviously he has not read the Constitution of the United States, which has states running elections, not the federal government.”
When Collins asked why he was laughing, Sanders said he was thinking about Trump contesting the 2020 presidential election results.
“I was thinking about this guy on the phone after the 2020 election, talking to the secretary of state in Georgia, and saying to him, ‘All I need, get me 11,000,’ whatever it is, ‘votes that I can win Georgia,’” he said. “This is Mr. Honesty and Mr. Integrity who provoked an insurrection on Jan. 6 so that the election would be overturned.”
TRUMP CALLED ON REPUBLICANS TO NATIONALIZE VOTING. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Collins questioned Trump in the Oval Office about remarks he made on former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino’s podcast, where he said Republicans should “take over” voting.
“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments came after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during the FBI’s execution of a search warrant in Fulton County, Georgia, in which 2020 election ballots were seized.
The president defended his remarks, arguing that if the state can’t run a fair election, then the federal government should step in. Trump listed several cities in battleground states that former President Joe Biden won in 2020, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Detroit.
Sanders said it is a “shock” that Trump wants the federal government to take over elections in the states he lost in 2020.
“No doubt that every state he won was perfectly honest,” Sanders said. “No problem. Just the states that he lost. Look, you got a guy who is a demagogue, who is an authoritarian, and is moving this country in a very, very dangerous direction.”
“His goals are pretty simple,” Sanders added. “He wants more and more power for himself.”
TRUMP RENEWS ELECTION INTEGRITY CRACKDOWN EVEN AS GOP SHOWS LITTLE APPETITE
Trump took questions from reporters in the Oval Office with Republican lawmakers standing behind him after he signed legislation to end a partial government shutdown.
Sanders criticized his Republican colleagues for not disagreeing with Trump when he was making those remarks about nationalizing elections.
“I have heard on the floor of the Senate for years, Republicans say, ‘We believe in small government. We hate big government. Get the government off of our backs,’” he said. “This guy is now telling every governor in America that he wants to run their elections.”
“The hypocrisy is enormous, and I hope you have Republicans standing up and saying, ‘Hey, we‘re conservatives. We believe in small government, not big government,’” Sanders said.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MESSAGING ON ICE AT ODDS WITH PUBLIC SUPPORT
Sanders said he believes Trump is instructing the federal government to run state elections to make sure Republicans do not lose the midterm elections, as Americans become more critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
“I think the Democrats are going to regain control over the House, maybe the Senate, and what he is now figuring out is how he can create a political situation where he won‘t lose in one way,” Sanders said.
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