Nothing proves the Republican Party is in the pocket of a loser ex-president quite like their endorsement of Donald Trump’s big lie. Instead of condemning the constant attacks on our democracy by a man who lost the popular vote twice and incited a deadly attack on our Capitol and police officers, Republican leaders continue to indulge his big lie and have refused to hold him, or anyone else in their party, accountable for blatantly undermining our democracy. 

Politico: ‘It’s spreading’: Phony election fraud conspiracies infect midterms

  • “It started as one big, false claim — that the election was stolen from Donald Trump. But nearly a year later, the Big Lie is metastasizing, with Republicans throughout the country raising the specter of rigged elections in their own campaigns ahead of the midterms.”
  • “It may ultimately be terrible for the Republican Party, too. In Georgia last year, Trump’s baseless claims about rigged elections depressed Republican turnout in two critical Senate runoffs, the loss of which cost Republicans their Senate majority. An erosion in GOP voter confidence in election integrity could once again persuade some of them to stay home in competitive House and Senate races next year — and in the presidential race in 2024 — with nothing less than the balance of power in Washington at risk.”

The Guardian: California recall vote shows Trump’s big lie is now Republican playbook

  • “Former president Donald Trump warned that the ballot would be ‘rigged’. The Republican candidate Larry Elder predicted ‘shenanigans’. The conservative media star Tomi Lahren suggested that ‘voter fraud’ was inevitable.”
  • “Trump himself weighed in during the closing days of the campaign, including a statement that asked rhetorically: ‘Does anybody really believe the California Recall Election isn’t rigged?’”
  • “Last year Republicans feared that Trump’s claims about widespread fraud due to an expansion of mail-in voting during the pandemic would persuade many Republicans to stay at home. His constant crying foul in Georgia may have cost Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue their seats in a Senate runoff last January.”

National Journal: Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party is complete

  • “Even as he lacks the power of the presidency and no longer commands the center of political attention, former President Trump is slowly and surely solidifying his takeover of the Republican Party. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez’s decision this week to retire instead of facing off against a Trump-endorsed primary challenger in Ohio underscores how endangered Trump-critical Republicans are in the political ecosystem.”
  • “Out of office and without access to social media, Trump’s hold on the GOP is greater than ever. He’s handpicking favored candidates in open primaries and exacting vengeance against those who personally crossed him. Ambitious GOP candidates are now mimicking his approach to politics. Even if it prevents the party from winning, the Trump takeover is complete.”

Associated Press: Trump endorses ‘big lie’ proponents for state election posts

  • “[Trump]’s throwing his support behind candidates who have not only perpetuated the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, but in some cases also actively tried to overturn the results. The moves reflect Trump’s desire to exert influence on all levels of the Republican Party and install allies into critical roles in the states that may be more amenable to helping him subvert future election results.”
  • “Despite a lack of credible evidence to support Trump’s allegations of mass voter fraud, the former president has continued to push the ‘big lie,’ turning it into a litmus test for GOP candidates. Trump remains deeply popular with Republican voters, a majority of whom continue to believe the election was stolen, despite dozens of state and local elections officials, numerous judges and Trump’s own attorney general saying President Joe Biden won fairly.”
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