State election chiefs condemn Trump’s long-debunked election lies
State election officials widely condemned President Donald Trump’s Thursday night speech, which pushed debunked election lies alleging foreign interference in the 2020 election.
Many election chiefs gathered in Rapid City, South Dakota this week for a conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) to discuss preparations for the midterm elections. When Trump delivered his address to the nation, the secretaries attended a dinner at Mount Rushmore.
“When he casts doubt on elections, it is a disservice to the country,” Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas (D), who attended the conference, said in an interview with Democracy Docket.
Thomas said she’s frequently stopped by voters in her state who tell her they’re scared to vote because they’re worried “something might happen” at polling sites.
“To create that environment has a chilling effect on turnout,” Thomas added. “And like every other election administrator in the country, we are in this business to make sure that every eligible voter can go out and cast a ballot. We don’t want a chilling effect. We want to build strong processes and continue running elections as we always have.”
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon (D), who spoke with Democracy Docket at the conference before Trump’s speech, reiterated that Trump’s bogus 2020 election claims — which accused intelligence officials of suppressing foreign election threats — happened when he was president.
“The FBI director, the CIA director, the NSA director, the director of national intelligence, were all Trump appointees,” Simon said. “He controlled the machinery of government entirely and thoroughly from top to bottom heading into that election. So, if what he announces is what he perceives is some smoking gun insight about outside actors, intentions or even actions, then it seems to me that he and his first administration would be to blame. So, is he saying that they didn’t catch it, that they dropped the ball, or is he saying something else?” [Continue reading…]