Posted on 05/17/2021 12:08:28 PM PDT by RandFan
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Monday that he accepts the results of the 2020 election, and urged Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, to focus on the upcoming midterm where the party wants to win back control of Congress.
“I accept the results of the election. ... 2020 is over to me, I'm ready to march on and hopefully take back the House and the Senate in 2022,” Graham told reporters in South Carolina.
Graham’s comments come as Trump has remained focused on the 2020 election, doubling down on his false claim that it was “stolen.” Trump’s legal team has lost dozens of challenges in court and GOP state officials along with former Attorney General William Barr have dismissed suggestions of widespread fraud, but that has done nothing to lower Trump’s rhetoric.
While Graham, who voted to certify the 2020 results in January, said he accepted the results, he added that he would endorse making changes to election laws heading into 2022, including tighter voter ID requirements.
“I think what we need to do is reform election systems. ... So I think it's smart to reform our laws to make sure you are who you are,” he said.
“I think there are a lot of people that feel like bad things happened in the election. ... But I think President Trump and the Republican Party needs to focus on election reform and the upcoming election,” he added.
Republican-controlled state legislatures have introduced and passed laws in the wake of Biden's win to place new restrictions on access to the ballot. State legislators this year have introduced 361 bills across 47 states that would restrict access to voting, according to a Brennan Center analysis.
While most Senate Republicans voted against challenges to Biden's Electoral College victory in Congress earlier this year — when a pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol — they also stayed silent for week after the November election as Trump tried to cast doubt on the results in key states.
Those false claims appear to have taken hold in a significant swath of GOP voters, according to polling.
Six in 10 Republicans believe Trump's false claim that the election was “stolen” from him, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last month. And a CBS News poll released over the weekend found that 67 percent of Republicans said that Biden wasn't the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.
Nearly half, 47 percent, also told CBS News that the party’s strategy for winning future elections should be changing voting laws.
In addition to legislation across the country, in Arizona state GOP leaders have launched an audit into the election results surrounding Phoenix, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing.
Graham, asked about Arizona, added, “I don't know what the audit is all about in Arizona ... but I'm ready to move on.”
The fraud of the 2020 election was not in the lack of election laws. The fraud was in the lack of enforcement of those laws.
Loser girlie man.
“false claim”
I tentatively accept the results pending the audits.
I’m just following in the heroic footsteps of Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
Move on out of office then Graham... because what that audit is about is YOU FAILING TO DO YOUR JOB!
Trump doesn't. You're either with him on this or you're against him so state your decision clearly.
Hey, S.C......
When are you going to take out your trash?
01-06-2021 was an unarmed mistake.
Rubio, Grahamnesty, Cornyn, Tillis, Hoeven, Cassidy, McConnell, Thune, Ernst, Scott, Scott, Boozman, Murkowsky, Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Shelby, Blunt, Sasse, Toomey, Rounds, Lankford, Portman, Burr, Lee, Capito, Barrasso, Collins and Romney are ALL Bush League Republicans.
We need to replace them ALL.
There is a guy named Joe living in the White House.
That much can be said.
What is the compelling need to say the election was honest? What do you get out of that? Who needs to say anything about it? I don’t go around telling people that Eisenhower won honestly in 1956. What’s the point? Why say it?
There are audits going on. Maybe we will learn something. In the meantime, just talk about the weather. Nothing good — absolutely nothing — can come from propping up Joe.
What in the heck are all these republicans doing coming out BEFORE the audits are even completed and saying stuff like this for? The Audit may very well prove the election was, as we all know, stolen- but rinos are coming out of the woodwork it seems to say ‘we accept the election results’-
They are like lemmings- I don’t understand what can possibly be gained by saying this before the audits are even concluded- there is NO upside to saying it- none- It can only result in beign made to look like a partisan moron when the audits find rampant cheating
How can Republicans hope to win the upcoming midterms without first making people go to prison for cheating up the last election?
“I accept the results of the election“
What a fool. I hope his next election is stolen from him. Then we’ll see how accepting he is.
He’s ready to move on back to being an Assistant Democrat, assisting them to a permanent majority with amnesty for illegal aliens.
South Carolina only elects Cheap Labor Express stooges.
So Graham doesn't think there was any voter fraud but agrees we need to reform election systems, got it.
Linsey making the tough, self serving calls.
“Graham, asked about Arizona, added, “I don’t know what the audit is all about in Arizona ... but I’m ready to move on.””
Statement is so stupid on many levels.
Sadly this was easily predictable and no surprise.
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