‘No defense.’ Some Republicans criticize Trump’s misinformation about voter fraud

Some Republicans criticized President Donald Trump’s misinformation about voter fraud during a speech Thursday night while others jumped to his defense.

Trump in the White House briefing said — without basis or evidence — that Democrats and election officials are attempting to “steal an election” while also applauding Republican gains in congressional races.

“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” Trump said without evidence.

By Friday morning, former Vice President Joe Biden was leading the president by over 3.8 million in the nationwide popular vote and took the lead in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Trump ally who was a U.S. attorney, said it’s Trump’s “right to pursue legal action. But show us the evidence. We heard nothing today about any evidence.”

“This kind of thing, all it does is inflame without informing, and we cannot permit inflammation without information,” Christie said. He earlier said there was “no basis” for Trump’s comments early Wednesday declaring victory before all the votes were counted.

Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said Trump’s claims have “no defense.”

“There is no defense for the President’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process,” Hogan tweeted. “America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before. No election or person is more important than our Democracy.”

Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger tweeted “STOP spreading debunked misinformation... This is getting insane,” shortly after Trump’s remarks.

Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd tweeted: “A sitting president undermining our political process & questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous & wrong, it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon.”

Other GOP leaders offered help to Trump.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham offered $500,000 to the Trump campaign’s legal efforts during a Fox News appearance on “Hannity,” saying without evidence that elections in Philadelphia are “crooked as a snake.”

“I’m here tonight to stand with President Trump,” Graham told host Sean Hannity. “He stood with me — he’s the reason we’re going to have a Senate majority.”

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz also appeared on “Hannity” and called ballot counting since Election Day “outrageous” and “lawless” without evidence.

“We’re seeing this pattern in Democratic city after Democratic city, but the worst in the country right now is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they’re not allowing the election observers in,” Cruz said.

But The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that “we photographed one observer using binoculars during the vote count inside the Convention Center on Tuesday. The city allowed observers to be six feet from the first row of counters’ tables after a Commonwealth Court judge’s order Thursday.”

Other members of the Republican party have called for “legal votes” to be counted without rebuking or directly addressing Trump’s claims.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, released a statement Friday morning.

“Here’s how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted,” McConnell said. “Any illegally-submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes. That’s how Americans’ votes decide the result.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 9:26 AM with the headline "‘No defense.’ Some Republicans criticize Trump’s misinformation about voter fraud."