Trump Says Republicans Won’t Vote Unless GOP Makes “Presidential Election Fraud” Top Priority

President Trump Participates In National Dialogue On Safely Reopening Nation's Schools — WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 07: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an event with students, teachers and administrators about how to safely re-open schools during the novel coronavirus pandemic in the East Room at the White House July 07, 2020 in Washington, DC. As the number of COVID-19 cases surge across southern states like Florida, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Arizona, Trump joined with guests from across the country to discuss how to responsibly return to the classroom. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In what would appear to be a gift to Democrats, ex-president Trump has released a statement on Wednesday saying Republicans won’t vote in 2022 or 2024 unless the GOP makes “Presidential Election Fraud” its top priority.

Democrats would have scripted this line. https://t.co/VjbJ1rz3oD
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 13, 2021

That's hardly an empty threat. The same fabricated claims of fraud arguably depressed GOP turnout in the Georgia runoffs and helped Democrats win the Senate.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 13, 2021

This could be an absolute nightmare scenario for the GOP, and one reason some in the party are privately worried about full-throated support of the former president. Trump’s claims of fraud in Georgia are a big reason the GOP lost the Senate in 2020.

Trump released the statement after a Georgia judge dismissed a 2020 ballot inspection case because no fraud was found. The Washington Post writes:

Robb Pitts, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, welcomed the decision, describing it as “a win for democracy.”

“This lawsuit was the result of the Big Lie, which is nothing more than a meritless conspiracy theory being spread by people who simply cannot accept that their side lost,” Pitts said in a statement. “Its defeat here today should echo throughout the nation.”