McConnell Says GOP Shouldn’t Be ‘Talking About The Past’—As Trump Continues False Election Fraud Claims
Topline
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on fellow Republicans to embrace “the future, and not the past” on Tuesday as the party prepares for the 2022 midterm elections, breaking with former President Donald Trump, who said concerns of fraud in the 2020 presidential election must continue being investigated or else Republicans won’t vote in the midterms.
Then-President Donald Trump speaks alongside Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as they hold a meeting … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
McConnell told reporters he hopes the 2022 midterms will be a referendum on President Joe Biden and his administration’s performance—not “a rehash on suggestions about what may have happened in 2020.”
The senator was responding to a question about Trump being invited to give a private speech last week at a donor retreat for the National Republican Senatorial Committee—one of the GOP’s top traditional fundraising arms.
Trump reportedly used the speech to spout continually disproven claims that widespread fraud kept him from winning the 2020 election, while blasting Republican officials who’ve spoken against him.
The speech came a day after Trump released a statement saying Republican voters wouldn’t show up to the polls in 2022 or 2024 unless GOP officials “solve” the fraud claims—though it’s unclear what he meant by that—before adding, “it is the single most important thing for Republicans to do.”
Crucial Quote
“I think the American people are focusing on this (Biden’s) administration—what it’s doing to the country,” McConnell said.
What To Watch For
Republicans appear in a strong position to regain control of at least one chamber of Congress in 2022, due to a combination of House redistricting and the potential to unseat some vulnerable Democratic incumbents in both the House and Senate. As of Tuesday afternoon, the election betting site PredictIt gave the GOP a 56% chance of taking the Senate and a better than 70% chance of flipping the House.
Key Background
Trump has not backed down from election fraud claims despite lacking any evidence to back them up. The former president has turned support of his fraud claims into a litmus test for Republican candidates, with it being required to secure Trump’s endorsement, which has been extremely influential in deciding GOP primaries. Conspiracy theories around the election results are also widely accepted among Republican voters, with numerous polls showing most don’t believe Biden legitimately won the election. Biden defeated Trump by 74 votes in the Electoral College and carried the popular vote over Trump by more than 7 million.
Surprising Fact
Trump remains a massive fundraiser for Republicans. A shared account between the Republican National Committee and Trump raked in over $34 million during the first half of 2021—nearly $8 million more than any other GOP fundraising group did.
Further Reading
Trump asserts his dominance inside GOP, pushing Republicans to embrace his false claims of fraud (The Washington Post)
Trump Out-Raised Other Republicans Online In First Half With Over $56 Million (Forbes)
More Than Half Of Republicans Believe Voter Fraud Claims And Most Still Support Trump, Poll Finds (Forbes)
