GOP Rep. Mo Brooks clashes with Fox News’ Sandra Smith over 2020 election

Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks insisted during a Fox News interview Sunday that widespread voter fraud cost former President Donald Trump the 2020 election — forcing “Fox News Sunday” guest host Sandra Smith to intervene and push back.

The conversation with Brooks went off the rails after Smith asked the lawmaker about Trump pulling his endorsement from Brooks for the US Senate.

Brooks said the 45th president’s decision “revolved around his wanting to rescind the election.” 

“And I can understand him wanting to do that, okay? He was robbed, in my judgment, in 2020. In his judgment, he was robbed. And so I can understand that desire,” Brooks said.

“And just to go on the record, there has been still no evidence or proof provided that there was any sort of fraud in the –” Smith interrupted.

“Oh, no, that’s wrong,” Brooks lashed out. “I don’t know why you people in the media keep saying that, but that is absolutely false. That is absolutely false. You keep saying every time but that’s absolutely false.” 

“What is false, sir?” Smith asked. 

“You had 150 congressmen and senators who absolutely disagree with you on what you just said,” Brooks said. “So what are you calling them? What are you calling them when you say 150 Republican senators and congressmen look at the voter fraud issue and said there was a major problem?

“What are you calling the Commission on Federal Election Reform, a bipartisan committee with Jimmy Carter on the one hand and James Baker — Ronald Reagan’s White House chief of staff on the other — back in 2005 who analyzed the systemic weaknesses, systemic flaws in our election system and warned us that elections are going to be stolen if we don’t fix these problems and those problems were not fixed?” the congressman ranted.

“So I don’t know who’s telling you there’s no evidence, but that tells me you haven’t done your homework. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is,” he continued.

As the two repeatedly talked over each other, Smith attempted to point out that judges and other officials from the Trump administration have declared there was no widespread voter fraud in the election. 

“No, no, the courts – time out. Don’t go into that. Don’t go into that,” Brooks began.

“Wait a minute, no, no. I’m getting – I’m getting the last word on this on, because you just made a false statement, okay?” the Alabama lawmaker added. 

“The courts are not the final arbiter of who wins federal elections contests. Congress is. That is required by the United States Constitution. That is required by the United States Code for congressmen and senators and the president,” he said.  “So don’t be surprised the courts don’t usurp the power that is authorized in the United States Congress.” 

Since the 2020 Presidential Election, dozens of lawsuits filed by Trump or his allies alleging fraud have been dismissed by state and federal judges. 

In December of that year, even Trump-appointed Attorney General William Barr revealed the Justice Department had not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have altered the election outcome. 

However, Brooks continued to insist that Trump had been beaten unfairly, at one point telling Smith to watch a controversial documentary on election fraud directed by conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza. 

“Look at the ‘2000 Mules’ documentary that has come out. Look at how many mass mail out of ballots there were across United States for which we have no security,” he said. 

Smith hit back by noting that the documentary “has been looked at and fact-checked by multiple outlets, including Reuters, who have debunked that as any sort of proof that there was widespread voter fraud.”

The two continued to talk over each other for several moments and Brooks could be heard telling Smith, “you’re absolutely wrong, Sandra. But keep going with that story if you wish.”

Despite Brooks’ strong defense of the former president on Sunday, he lost the favor of Trump earlier this year after the Congressman urged supporters to move on from the 2020 loss.

“When I heard his statement, I said, ‘Mo, you just blew the Election, and there’s nothing you can do about it,’” Trump said in March. “Very sad but, since he decided to go in another direction, so have I, and I am hereby withdrawing my Endorsement of Mo Brooks for the Senate. I don’t think the great people of Alabama will disagree with me. Election Fraud must be captured and stopped, or we won’t have a Country anymore.”

Without Trump’s support, Brooks failed to garner enough votes to win the Republican primary Senate nomination outright on May 24. 

He will be facing off against Katie Britt in a runoff election on June 21, after Britt took home 44.8% of the vote, compared to Brooks’ 29.1%.