Bernier denounces election conspiracy believers in ’60 Minutes’ interview
CHIPPEWA FALLS — When a staffer from CBS news magazine 60 Minutes called Sen. Kathy Bernier’s office, she didn’t hesitate to take the call. The national news organization wanted to interview the Lake Hallie-area Republican about her statements that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in a fair and free presidential election.
“I didn’t have to think long and hard about saying yes to that,” Bernier said.
A crew from 60 Minutes interviewed her at a hotel in Madison on Feb. 8. The segment lasted about 15 minutes during the episode that aired Sunday, March 13. 60 Minutes was the highest-rated prime-time program on Sunday, averaging 8 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s ratings.
Bernier said she voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, and generally agreed with his policies. However, she is discouraged at his attacks on the election process, both in Wisconsin and nationwide, since he lost in November 2020.
Overall, Bernier was happy with the experience of being on a nationally-viewed news program.
“There was a lot more detail,” Bernier said. “I sat in that chair and answered questions for two hours.”
Even last week, leading up to the airing of the episode, Bernier’s office was still verifying information with 60 Minutes to make sure everything was accurate.
“The folks at 60 Minutes were very professional. They verified, and verified, and verified information,” she said. “What impressed me was their attention to detail. It was an honor and privilege to sit for 60 Minutes.”
The reaction has been somewhat expected, she added.
“It’s about 50-50 of calls coming in to yell at me, or to praise me,” she said.
Bernier says her Christian values have led to her decision to break with Donald Trump and Republicans who say, without offering proof or evidence, that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.” When she receives negative emails, she writes back the words of the Bible verse II Peter 2:1, which warns about following false prophets.
“I will not apologize for speaking the truth,” Bernier said. “I’ve had people from across the country calling me, telling me I’m a liar and not a Christian. I don’t dislike Donald Trump for his ‘mean tweets.’ If he really cared about the Republican Party, he would step back and stop spewing lies about the election.”
Bernier, who served as Chippewa County Clerk for 13 years before being elected to the Legislature, knows election laws and has routinely defended the practices implemented across the state. She doesn’t hold back on her thoughts on former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who is investigation the Wisconsin election outcome.
“Their logic baffles me,” Bernier said. “We’ve mad months of review on election integrity. Michael Gableman (in his report) came out with nothing new. I can’t grasp what they are thinking; we can’t decertify the election. He’s a charlatan, in my opinion.”
But no one should think Bernier, a staunch Republican, has had a change of heart. She quickly criticized Biden’s job as president.
“I can’t stand the left or the right — they are driving me crazy,” Bernier said. “I don’t know what they want from (Assembly leader) Robin Vos, or from me.”
Bernier announced in January she would not seek re-election.
The 15-minute segment also featured an interview with Secretary of State Doug La Follette, and Meagan Wolfe, head of the non-partisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which was established by Republicans under then-Gov. Scott Walker. The news piece also focused on Gableman’s investigation into the election. Besides Bernier, no Republicans would agree to appear on the national program.
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