Fox News contributor Mara Liasson smacked down Donald Trump’s evidence-free attacks on the vote counting in Florida and Arizona.
It began with anchor Bret Baier asking about Trump’s tweet:
The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2018
“He’s wrong,” Liasson said. “It sounds like he doesn’t want any of those military ballots counted, and this is Veterans Day. I think that’s really just wrong because Florida is doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s counting the votes.” She also noted that Republicans Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott would likely win their races.
“To undermine America’s faith in the most basic democratic institution, the ballot box, I think is wrong,” she underscored.
Baier legitimized Trump’s attack on democracy: “OK, but let’s just say the election supervisor in Broward County does not have a great track record.”
No, Liasson acknowledged, “but they haven’t found any evidence of what the president is talking about, nor has he presented any.”
Mollie Hemingway, also on the panel, played her usual role as Trump media monitor. “I feel like people are having sudden losses of memory,” Hemingway scolded. “We’re not talking about Florida, in general, but a couple of counties in particular that have a history of having problems with Election Day vote tallying. We have multiple judges down there in Florida who have already said that the election supervisors in Broward County and Palm Beach County have violated the constitution and state law. “
“[Broward County supervisor] Brenda Snipes … had been previously found by a court of law to have messed up an election earlier this year,” Hemingway continued. “So this idea there’s nothing beyond reproach --”
Liasson stuck to her guns: “I didn’t say there’s nothing beyond reproach. I said there’s no evidence of fraud.”
Baier acknowledged Liasson was right, though he took a swipe at the process anyway. “Sloppiness as opposed to what we don’t know of fraud,” he said.
Liasson additionally pointed out that Trump has also baselessly claimed there was fraud in Arizona. “This throwing around ‘fraud’ I think is bad,” Liasson continued. “I think that you should wait for evidence, especially when you’re going to try to undermine Americans’ confidence in the ballot box.”
Good for her!
Watch it below, from the November 12, 2018 Special Report.
I’ve often wondered about the phrase ‘bully pulpit’ over the years. Now it makes perfect sense.