Every time Donald Trump alleges voter fraud in Georgia, he is discouraging Republicans from voting in the upcoming Senate runoff. The Trump remarks are becoming a major worry for the GOP who needs to win both seats to retain a majority in the senate. The Associated Press cites Brendan Buck, a past top adviser to former House Speaker Paul Ryan as saying “The president has basically taken hostage this race.”
Here’s the problem—the Republican incumbents are running to keep a GOP majority in the senate as a check on the Biden presidency, but that would mean acknowledging Democrats won the White House and that’s not allowed because it would make Trump angry. As the Washington Post writes:
In a new turn in this ugly saga, Georgia Republicans are now actively pleading with Trump to put an end to this problem for them. But what’s even more darkly absurd is how they’re going about doing this: They apparently do not believe that they themselves can explain to voters that the voting was actually legitimate in their own state — until Trump gives them permission to do so.
Trump is visiting Georgia this weekend, supposedly to campaign for Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, but will he talk of the importance of the election or complain about the vote count, or allege more wild conspiracy theories? Politico quotes Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) as saying:
“I would hope when the president is in Georgia Saturday he talks about the importance of turning out the vote… And I think what he says on that trip will probably matter more than what he’s said up until now.”
Ahead of Saturday’s visit, Donald Trump Jr. is also trying to turn the tide and encourage people in Georgia to vote. But his tactic could backfire because he is making this race about his father and not about the candidates running. In a new radio ad obtained by AXIOS he says people should cast their votes because “my father’s accomplishments are on your ballot.”
As we’ve reported before some Republicans are calling on voters to boycott the January 5th election or write in Trump or Mike Pence’s name on the ballot.
The New York Times writes, “While that remains a fringe position, some Republican strategists and officials worry that the argument for not voting could gain traction if the president continues his attacks.” And if we were betting people, we would almost certainly go all-in on Trump attacking Georgia’s voting system and those who run it in the coming days.
*This piece contains opinion and analysis
