An election denier in Washington, DC who had come to a small curbside gathering of people falsely claiming to passersby that Donald Trump has won the 2020 presidential election, Sunday, 15 November 2020. (Photo: B.A. Van Sise/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Empowered GOP Election Deniers Are a Direct Threat to US Democracy
The fact that election deniers around the country are running for office is just part of Trump’s destructive legacy.
With less than five weeks to go, we are heading into dangerous and uncharted waters for the midterm elections.
Former President Trump's continuous false claim, without a shred of evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him was only the beginning of a nationwide effort to discredit the integrity of our elections.
Trump's attacks spawned Republican clones in Congress and around the country who became known as "election deniers."
A new Washington Post report found that "a majority of Republican nominees on the ballot this November for the House, Senate, and key statewide offices -- 299 in all -- have denied or questioned the outcome of the last presidential election."
These candidates have already demonstrated an unwillingness to accept the true results of an election.
Any number of election deniers may win seats that put them in position to attempt to rig the 2024 presidential election in favor of the Republican nominee.
And, any number of election deniers who lose their races next month may well follow in Trump's footsteps and refuse to accept the results, charging without any basis that their elections were stolen.
This could create the greatest attack in our history on the legitimacy of our elections.
The fact that election deniers around the country are running for office is just part of Trump's destructive legacy.
There are reports of actual or threatened harassment of election workers and poll watchers around the country stemming from Trump's Big Lie.
There are reports of vigilante citizens challenging the right of registered voters to vote. NBC News recently reported on groups searching out election fraud that have reportedly been knocking on voters' doors in at least 11 states, raising concerns among civil rights watchdogs, some elections officials, and the Justice Department.
Trump's false claims incited violence in the January 6 attack on the Capitol and the continued threats of violence may intimidate voters from going to the polls next month.
Lately, Trump has been courting conspiracy-driven QAnon followers who believe that the former President has been "waging a secret war against a cabal of satanic cannibalistic pedophiles within Hollywood, the Democratic party, and the so-called 'deep state' within the United States Government."
It remains to be seen whether Trump will incite these QAnon followers into violent action.
This all adds up to not only a direct attack on the 2022 elections, but it's also a dry run by election deniers on rigging the 2024 presidential primaries and general election -- especially if Trump, as he has indicated, decides to run.
The Justice Department recently released information on a comprehensive series of steps DOJ plans to take to protect the right to vote and the integrity of the 2022 elections. Whether DOJ will be able to devote enough resources to address what may well be major problems around the country is unknown.
Many nonprofit organizations are also working to protect the integrity of our elections next month.
The test facing the country is whether we will be able to thwart these expected attacks on our elections by election deniers.
It is not too strong to say that our democracy and the integrity of our elections are on the line.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
With less than five weeks to go, we are heading into dangerous and uncharted waters for the midterm elections.
Former President Trump's continuous false claim, without a shred of evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him was only the beginning of a nationwide effort to discredit the integrity of our elections.
Trump's attacks spawned Republican clones in Congress and around the country who became known as "election deniers."
A new Washington Post report found that "a majority of Republican nominees on the ballot this November for the House, Senate, and key statewide offices -- 299 in all -- have denied or questioned the outcome of the last presidential election."
These candidates have already demonstrated an unwillingness to accept the true results of an election.
Any number of election deniers may win seats that put them in position to attempt to rig the 2024 presidential election in favor of the Republican nominee.
And, any number of election deniers who lose their races next month may well follow in Trump's footsteps and refuse to accept the results, charging without any basis that their elections were stolen.
This could create the greatest attack in our history on the legitimacy of our elections.
The fact that election deniers around the country are running for office is just part of Trump's destructive legacy.
There are reports of actual or threatened harassment of election workers and poll watchers around the country stemming from Trump's Big Lie.
There are reports of vigilante citizens challenging the right of registered voters to vote. NBC News recently reported on groups searching out election fraud that have reportedly been knocking on voters' doors in at least 11 states, raising concerns among civil rights watchdogs, some elections officials, and the Justice Department.
Trump's false claims incited violence in the January 6 attack on the Capitol and the continued threats of violence may intimidate voters from going to the polls next month.
Lately, Trump has been courting conspiracy-driven QAnon followers who believe that the former President has been "waging a secret war against a cabal of satanic cannibalistic pedophiles within Hollywood, the Democratic party, and the so-called 'deep state' within the United States Government."
It remains to be seen whether Trump will incite these QAnon followers into violent action.
This all adds up to not only a direct attack on the 2022 elections, but it's also a dry run by election deniers on rigging the 2024 presidential primaries and general election -- especially if Trump, as he has indicated, decides to run.
The Justice Department recently released information on a comprehensive series of steps DOJ plans to take to protect the right to vote and the integrity of the 2022 elections. Whether DOJ will be able to devote enough resources to address what may well be major problems around the country is unknown.
Many nonprofit organizations are also working to protect the integrity of our elections next month.
The test facing the country is whether we will be able to thwart these expected attacks on our elections by election deniers.
It is not too strong to say that our democracy and the integrity of our elections are on the line.
With less than five weeks to go, we are heading into dangerous and uncharted waters for the midterm elections.
Former President Trump's continuous false claim, without a shred of evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him was only the beginning of a nationwide effort to discredit the integrity of our elections.
Trump's attacks spawned Republican clones in Congress and around the country who became known as "election deniers."
A new Washington Post report found that "a majority of Republican nominees on the ballot this November for the House, Senate, and key statewide offices -- 299 in all -- have denied or questioned the outcome of the last presidential election."
These candidates have already demonstrated an unwillingness to accept the true results of an election.
Any number of election deniers may win seats that put them in position to attempt to rig the 2024 presidential election in favor of the Republican nominee.
And, any number of election deniers who lose their races next month may well follow in Trump's footsteps and refuse to accept the results, charging without any basis that their elections were stolen.
This could create the greatest attack in our history on the legitimacy of our elections.
The fact that election deniers around the country are running for office is just part of Trump's destructive legacy.
There are reports of actual or threatened harassment of election workers and poll watchers around the country stemming from Trump's Big Lie.
There are reports of vigilante citizens challenging the right of registered voters to vote. NBC News recently reported on groups searching out election fraud that have reportedly been knocking on voters' doors in at least 11 states, raising concerns among civil rights watchdogs, some elections officials, and the Justice Department.
Trump's false claims incited violence in the January 6 attack on the Capitol and the continued threats of violence may intimidate voters from going to the polls next month.
Lately, Trump has been courting conspiracy-driven QAnon followers who believe that the former President has been "waging a secret war against a cabal of satanic cannibalistic pedophiles within Hollywood, the Democratic party, and the so-called 'deep state' within the United States Government."
It remains to be seen whether Trump will incite these QAnon followers into violent action.
This all adds up to not only a direct attack on the 2022 elections, but it's also a dry run by election deniers on rigging the 2024 presidential primaries and general election -- especially if Trump, as he has indicated, decides to run.
The Justice Department recently released information on a comprehensive series of steps DOJ plans to take to protect the right to vote and the integrity of the 2022 elections. Whether DOJ will be able to devote enough resources to address what may well be major problems around the country is unknown.
Many nonprofit organizations are also working to protect the integrity of our elections next month.
The test facing the country is whether we will be able to thwart these expected attacks on our elections by election deniers.
It is not too strong to say that our democracy and the integrity of our elections are on the line.