Flickr/Michael Vadon
In a “Fox & Friends” interview Monday morning, President Trump came out and said what everyone’s been wondering — Republicans in Congress opposed expanding voting access in the coronavirus stimulus package only because it would hurt them politically.
During his appearance on the news show, Trump called provisions presented by the Democrat-controlled House to make voting easier “crazy.”
Source: Screenshot / YouTube
Trump once again said the quiet part out loud…
“The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you ever agreed to, you would never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Trump openly admitting if we made voting easier in America, Republicans wouldn't win elections
Trump: "The things they had in there were crazy. They had levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it you'd never have a Republican elected in this country again." pic.twitter.com/x5HmX6uogo
— Lis Power (@LisPower1) March 30, 2020
Source: Canva
The provisions would have allotted $4 billion to promote safe polling options during the pandemic through vote-by-mail and absentee ballots. States would also need to send every registered voter absentee ballots.
It also called for online and same-day voter registration and expanding early voting by 15 days.
Factual Reminder: Popular vote did not elect Trump.
— SeanNaughknee (@naughknee) March 30, 2020
Source: Pixabay
Trump has always been skittish about vote-by-mail — In the past, he even speculated that millions of fraudulent votes helped Democrats in the 2016 polls.
A report in the Business Insider noted that Trump’s claims, however, were “baseless.” Especially because states that vote exclusively by mail still elect Republicans to every level of government.
Utah is a good example as it’s a GOP stronghold despite relying on mail-in votes.
Wikimedia
House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) who pushed for the addition of the election provisions to the package, called Trump’s comments “morally bankrupt.” Lofgren said in a statement:
“The President says that if we make it easier to vote, Republicans will lose elections. He is apparently willing to expose voters to the deadly COVID-19 for purely partisan political advantage. This is morally bankrupt and a monstrous example of putting party ahead of America. Every American, regardless of party affiliation, should condemn the President’s apparent belief that it’s a good thing for American voters to risk their lives when safer voting alternatives are possible.”
The White House
It is not exactly surprising that the GOP wants to restrict voting access. The Republican party has a long history or using less than Democratic tactics to hold on to their power.
From gerrymandering to purging voter rolls, they have been attempting to suppress the vote for years.
.@POTUS openly admits @GOP is opposed to putting reasonable measures in place (Election Day Holiday, Voting By Mail) to ensure that EVERYONE could exercise their constitutional right and duty to #VOTE. This is #VoterSuppression
— David Jenkins (@davidjenkinsa2) March 31, 2020
