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Hundreds of Republican midterm candidates have questioned or spread misinformation about the 2020 election.

Hundreds of Republican midterm candidates have questioned or spread misinformation about the 2020 election.

Together they represent a growing consensus in the Republican Party, and a potential threat to American democracy.

Together they represent a growing consensus in the Republican Party, and a potential threat to American democracy.

They include candidates for the U.S. House and Senate, and the state offices of governor, secretary of state and attorney general many with clear shots to victory, and some without a chance. They are united by at least one issue: They have all expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. And they are the new normal of the Republican Party.

About the data Karen Yourish and Danielle Ivory collected and analyzed statements of more than 550 Republican midterm candidates. Read more about their reporting.

More than 370 people a vast majority of Republicans running for these offices in November have questioned and, at times, outright denied the results of the 2020 election despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, according to a monthslong New York Times investigation. These candidates represent a sentiment that is spreading in the Republican Party, rupturing a bedrock principle of democracy: that voters decide elections and candidates accept results.

This skepticism has stretched into political races in every state and is still frequently being raised as a campaign issue, The Times has found, nearly two years after Donald J. Trump was defeated. Hundreds of these candidates are favored to win their races.

Far from fading over time, as many Americans had hoped, election lies and misinformation have proved strikingly resilient, even amid a political campaign season in which far more is being said by candidates and their party officials about issues like inflation and abortion. The Times has for the first time identified more than 240 candidates who are still casting doubt on the presidential election this year many of them within the last couple of months.

The Times analysis is a detailed accounting of the spread of election denial in the Republican Party. The analysis incorporates not only what candidates have said, but also when. Many candidates views have changed over time as new conspiracies were born, as Mr. Trump demanded fealty, and as primary voters weighed in, The Times found. Some candidates became less vocal after the Capitol riot, and some have consistently pushed falsehoods about the election.

The timeline below tracks the candidates expressions of doubt over three distinct periods: on the day of or before the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, after the riot, and this year as the midterm elections have approached.

74 candidates questioned the 2020 election through the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

On or beforeJan. 6, 2021

Rest of 2021

2022

Michael Cloud, 27th District, TexasThe allegations of irregularities in the vote-counting process should be concerning to everyone. Nov. 6, 2020

Michael Cloud, 27th District, TexasThe allegations of irregularities in the vote-counting process should be concerning to everyone. Nov. 6, 2020

136 candidates questioned the 2020 election on and off in the last two years.

On or beforeJan. 6, 2021

Rest of 2021

2022

Diana Harshbarger, First District, Tenn.There's ample evidence that unchecked ballot harvesting has led to mischief and voting irregularities. June 24, 2022

Diana Harshbarger, First District, Tenn.There's ample evidence that unchecked ballot harvesting has led to mischief and voting irregularities. June 24, 2022

64 candidates questioned the 2020 election in 2022.

On or beforeJan. 6, 2021

Rest of 2021

2022

Scotty Moore, Ninth District, Fla.The movie 2000 Mules proves election fraud happened and President Trump won in a landslide. May 9, 2022

Scotty Moore, Ninth District, Fla.The movie 2000 Mules proves election fraud happened and President Trump won in a landslide. May 9, 2022

103 candidates have persistently questioned the 2020 election.

On or beforeJan. 6, 2021

Rest of 2021

2022

Mary Miller, 15th District, Ill.They know even a glancing review would uncover the greatest heist of the 21st century. Dec. 29, 2020

Mary Miller, 15th District, Ill.They know even a glancing review would uncover the greatest heist of the 21st century. Dec. 29, 2020

Note: Some candidates were not public figures until recently. Their records of casting doubt on the 2020 election may not be publicly available.

No evidence of widespread irregularities was found by top Trump administration officials in the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which investigated the election, or by judges throughout the country and even auditors commissioned by political operatives intent on proving fraud.

The Times scoured the public records of more than 550 Republican candidates in all 50 states, examining their social media accounts, political emails, newsletters, speeches, interviews and campaign materials. The analysis distinguished between the many dozens of candidates who said unequivocally (and inaccurately) that the 2020 election was stolen, and those who stopped short of that falsehood but criticized the election, often persistently, in ways that were seemingly more reasonable but perhaps more influential.

The Times did not automatically categorize candidates who objected to the 2020 Electoral College results or who supported lawsuits challenging the results as denying the election outright. As a recent Times investigation reported, those candidates often cited more nuanced arguments for their votes or said they did not want to overturn the outcome.

The Times investigation found that about 70 percent of Republicans running for Congress had questioned the election of President Biden, who won seven million more votes and 74 more electors than Mr. Trump. Of those, nearly two-thirds are favored to win their races, according to the Cook Political Report, which provides race ratings for Congress and governor.

Among Republican candidates running for state offices that can play a significant role in elections and recounts governors, attorneys general and secretaries of state more than half expressed misgivings about the 2020 election. The share was higher, about 65 percent, among candidates running for governor. About half of those candidates for governor are favored to win.

For Republican candidates who would rather talk about something other than the last presidential election, some have learned that the partys base, and its unofficial leader, Mr. Trump, wont let them drop the issue. It has become, in many cases, the price of entry to the Republican ticket.

Wisconsin Republicans learned this lesson the hard way.

In early June, Mr. Trump upended the Republican primary for governor in Wisconsin by endorsing Tim Michels, a wealthy construction magnate, over Rebecca Kleefisch, a former lieutenant governor of the state and a favorite of local Republicans.

The endorsement apparently came with strings.

During a July debate, Mr. Michels said he would not prioritize decertifying the 2020 election in Wisconsin, a legally implausible process that nonetheless remained a fixation of Mr. Trump.

I have to focus on beating Tony Evers this fall, he said, referring to Wisconsins incumbent Democratic governor.

A roar came from Mar-a-Lago, communicated through aides to Mr. Michels, demanding that he embrace the decertification movement, according to people familiar with the conversations.

Mr. Michels reversed course, saying that he was very, very fired up about this election integrity issue and pledging to consider signing a decertification bill if legislators passed one.

By the final days of the primary, Mr. Michels was promoting the election conspiracy theory amplified in the film 2000 Mules and was promising to consider signing legislation clawing back Wisconsins 10 electoral votes from the 2020 election.

The former president has backed nearly 70 percent of the candidates that The Times identified as questioning the 2020 election and who are favored to win their races.

Of the more than 370 candidates who expressed skepticism about the 2020 election, about half are incumbents, nearly all of whom are favored to keep their seats.

About a fifth of the candidates are current members of Congress who, on Jan. 6, 2021, objected to the Electoral College results a distinction that, according to a recent Times report, has become politically (and financially) profitable.

In the months following the Capitol riot, nearly 80 percent of the objectors who are running for re-election took some kind of official action that, in effect, continued to promote questions about the 2020 election. These included signing congressional letters alleging widespread fraud or inappropriate interference in the 2020 race; co-sponsoring legislation to fix what they deemed to be problems that emerged during that election; and joining a new Election Integrity Caucus, which has spearheaded a lot of these initiatives.

The candidates identified by The Times include people who have questioned the 2020 election in ways both explicit and subtle.

Fewer than one-third have staked out the most extreme position stating, without any evidence, that the election was stolen or rigged.

An even smaller number of the candidates who explicitly said the election was stolen, about three dozen of them, are favored to win. They include incumbents like Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama, Representative Lance Gooden of Texas and Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida all of whom have tweeted falsely, sometimes repeatedly, that the election was stolen as well as candidates running for the House, like Mike Collins in Georgia, Joe Kent in Washington State and Anna Paulina Luna in Florida.

In a recent video, Mr. Collins walks toward the camera with a gun, saying: You count the legal votes that were cast in the state of Georgia? Donald Trump won this state, period. At the end of the video, he shoots what appears to be a voting machine, and it explodes. Mr. Biden won the election in Georgia by more than 11,000 votes.

The video below shows how some of the most ardent election deniers have made their claims, even though Mr. Biden received more than 51 percent of the popular vote, winning in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Mark Finchem for Ariz. Secretary of State We know it and they know it.

Mark Finchem for Ariz. Secretary of State Donald Trump won.

Brian Flowers for Miss. 2 Trump won, and everyone knows it.

Blake Masters for Ariz. Senator I think Trump won in 2020.

Mike Collins for Ga. 10 You count the legal votes that were

Mike Collins for Ga. 10 cast in the state of Georgia.

Mike Collins for Ga. 10 Donald Trump won this state.

Tudor Dixon for Mich. Governor Do you believe Donald Trump legitimately

Tudor Dixon for Mich. Governor won the 2020 election in Michigan?

Tudor Dixon for Mich. Governor Yes.

Anna Paulina Luna for Fla. 13 Yes, I believe that

Anna Paulina Luna for Fla. 13 President Trump won that election,

Anna Paulina Luna for Fla. 13 and I do believe that voter fraud occurred.

Karoline Leavitt for N.H. 1 I am the only candidate in this race

Karoline Leavitt for N.H. 1 to say that President Trump won in 2020.

Kari Lake for Ariz. Governor We had a fraudulent election, a corrupt election,

Kari Lake for Ariz. Governor and we have an illegitimate president

Kari Lake for Ariz. Governor sitting in the White House.

J.R. Majewski for Ohio 9 Do you believe that Joe Biden is the legitimate president

J.R. Majewski for Ohio 9 of the United States?

J.R. Majewski for Ohio 9 Hell, no.

Lisa McClain for Mich. 9 Tell me Joe Biden won.

Russell Fry for S.C. 7 It is very clear that it was rigged.

Lance Gooden for Texas 5 I will not accept the results of a rigged election.

Morgan Luttrell for Texas 8 It was taken from us.

Morgan Luttrell for Texas 8 Yes, maam.

Jim Bognet for Pa. 8 In 2020, President Trump endorsed me for Congress.

Jim Bognet for Pa. 8 But that election was stolen from us.

Marjorie Taylor Greene for Ga. 14 The dirty, rotten Democrats stole the election.

Rand Paul for Ky. Senator The election in many ways was stolen.

Rayla Campbell for Mass. Secretary of State We watched our elections

Rayla Campbell for Mass. Secretary of State be stolen.

J.D. Vance for Ohio Senator I think the election was stolen from Trump.

Kay Ivey for Ala. Governor The fake news,

Kay Ivey for Ala. Governor Big Tech and blue-state liberals stole the election

Kay Ivey for Ala. Governor from President Trump.

Most election skeptics, however, have not denied the 2020 results entirely. Instead, The Times found, they have sown doubt by suggesting, sometimes repeatedly, that there are unresolved questions or that further investigation is needed.

Some have said they do not know who legitimately won the election, or they have conceded that Mr. Biden is the president, but not necessarily because he was elected fairly. Some have said that there were irregularities or interference in the election but that perhaps those did not change the results.

Others have changed their positions, like Don Bolduc, a Senate candidate in New Hampshire. At an August debate, Mr. Bolduc said, I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying that Trump won the election, and, damn it, I stand by my letter.

Im not switching horses, baby, he said.

On Sept. 15, he did.

Read more here:
These Republican Candidates Questioned the 2020 Election. Many Will Win - The New York Times

Peppered among the lush green oak and palm trees of the Rio Grande Valley, a mostly Hispanic region along the U.S.-Mexico border that has voted solidly Democratic, there are Republican outposts popping up.

The Hidalgo County GOP headquarters was busy on the mid-September day when CBS News knocked on its doors in McAllen, Texas. The foyer was filled with candidate signs and stickers from a slate of Republican candidates. Inside, Hidalgo County GOP Chair Adrienne Pena-Garza was running a phone bank for GOP candidates something she says was unheard of just a few election cycles ago.

"Family, faith and freedom. I mean, that's the messaging that's been working for us," Pena-Garza said in an interview airing on the special "CBS Reportes: El Poder" streaming on CBS News.

A similar slogan worked for newly elected Rep. Mayra Flores, who became the first Mexican-born woman sworn into Congress in June. Her campaign, with the help of the GOP, spent over a million dollars.

"God, Family, Country" is front and center on the Flores campaign signs that dot the highways and front lawns of homes.

The 36-year-old, who is married to a U.S. Border Patrol agent, won Texas' 34th Congressional District special election to fill Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela's seat.

"The Republican Party is investing in the Hispanic community, because they understand that the Hispanic community is the future of this country," Flores told CBS News in Washington, D.C. "It is time that we talk about our faith and not allow anyone to shame us for believing in God and for fighting for strong family values."

It's a message Pastor Luis Cabrera of City Church of Harlingen preaches from the pulpit on Sundays. Cabrera, who identifies as Republican, calls himself Flores' spiritual counselor.

His evangelical church sits on the access road off a busy highway. A drum kit, along with guitars and other instruments sit on the stage for the musicians who play and pray. A new kind of MAGA flag hangs from the rafters it reads "Make America Godly Again."

Cabrera says Flores approached him and said she liked the message and wanted to use it for her campaign.

"I'm like, Are you serious, Mayra? Like, [those are] fighting words. Not everyone's going to agree," Cabrera recalled. But Cabrera says Flores insisted.

Cabrera says Hispanic Republican candidates in the Rio Grande Valley who openly talk about their faith are finding sympathetic ears. One issue Cabrera highlighted was gay marriage, which he says shows a stark difference between Democrats and Republicans.

"Their God to them is just obsolete. You know why? Because of our traditional values of a marriage between one man and one woman. They don't believe in that. They believe in gay marriage, which is that's their right. But as a Christian, that affects us. I don't want my son and daughter to be told it's okay to be gay. No, it's not okay to be gay. It's against the word of God. And so, that right there speaks volumes," explained Cabrera.

Recent CBS News pollingof registered voters shows that nearly half of registered voters, 49%, believe that LGBTQ people will have fewer rights and freedoms if Republicans win control of Congress in the fall.

While campaigning from the pulpit may be taboo in some churches, Cabrera says his church is not a 501(c)3, not a non-profit, so he has no problem talking about his politics to his flock.

"We have the power to elect and we have the power to fire people. That's awesome. That's the greatest weapon that we have, but we don't use. Why not?" Cabrera asked.

Flores supporter Celina Tafolla openly talks about her political views and her faith. Tafolla says she was raised a Democrat, but after President Trump's election, she decided to not be quiet about being a Republican in the Rio Grande Valley.

"You know, God first. Your loyalty isn't to a political party, your loyalty is God. And that's why you should be voting red, because it aligns with our values," she said.

Discussions about border security envelop the region. Government data shows that this fiscal year, the border patrol made more than 400,000 arrests in the Rio Grande Valley,a record for the sector.

Hidalgo County Democratic chair Richard Gonzales said key issues of the Democratic Party like abortion, gun control and the environment, are not as important to some as the economy, crime and immigration a major focus for Republicans.

"The biggest misconception is that we are (a) cartel-run, open-borders, poor, crime-ridden city, crime-ridden community. That is absolutely not true," said Gonzales. "The national [GOP] message was basically, Hey, the Valley is just an open borders area. It's full of illegal immigrants. They are taking your jobs...taking your money."

But as campaign season comes to a close, which issues will be decisive in the outcome of the midterm elections?

University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley Political Science professor Mark Kaswan says it's worth watching the Rio Grande Valley, though he's not expecting a red wave. There's a better-than-even chance Democrats will win back Flores seat, Kaswan predicts, though he said her victory has given Rio Grande Valley Republicans hope.

"They have cracked that door open," Kaswan said. "They see an opportunity to make gains."

Republicans are continuing to hold onto their lead in the House, though their margins for capturing the majority are growing narrower,according to the CBS News Battleground Tracker. Republicans and Democrats alike are concerned they would have fewer rights and freedoms than they currently have if the opposing party wins, CBS News polls show.

Omar Villafranca is a CBS News correspondent based in Dallas.

Read more here:
How Republicans in the Rio Grande Valley are using faith to draw in Latino voters - CBS News

A simple dollars-to-dollars comparison likely understates the hole some Republican candidates find themselves in. Generally, candidates can buy television ads at a cheaper rate than outside groups so a dollar from a candidate effectively buys more eyeballs than a dollar from an ad buy backed by a super PAC or a national party committee.

I heard a rumor that campaigns need money to run ads. I dont know if that rumor is true, but if it is then we have the reason why Kari Lake isnt up on TV, said Barrett Marson, an Arizona Republican operative who worked for a super PAC supporting one of Lakes primary opponents and who has been critical of the electability of the statewide GOP ticket.

There has been a dearth of advertising on the Republican side of this race, Marson continued. About the only message TV viewers really get of Kari Lake is her own earned media interviews, which often are not positive.

Lake herself has downplayed the importance of ads as a cornerstone of a successful campaign. She told POLITICO in a recent interview that she was not a huge believer in running TV ads, cutting them off at the end of a contentious primary in which her opponent was outspending her 17-to-1 and then winning the nomination anyway.

I think Im a unique candidate in that I didnt need to run as much advertising to let people know who I am, because they already knew who I was, Lake said in the interview.

She has, however, gotten significant air cover in the state from the RGA for the final weeks of the election, which Marson notes could be a difference maker in a close campaign. The RGA has also sidestepped dealing with the state party, routing millions of dollars worth of spending through the Yuma County Republican Party. That allows the county party to coordinate with the Lake campaign and critically, get a lower ad rate.

While theres a big gap in spending in Arizona, theres little separating Lake and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs in public polling. Polling averages show them separated by less than a point, and POLITICO forecasts the race as a tossup.

The same, however, can not be said for Mastriano in Pennsylvania, where Democrat Josh Shapiro has clobbered him on the airwaves for months largely without a response, as Shapiro ran up a fairly comfortable lead in recent polls.

Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano stands after concluding his speech during a campaign stop in Erie, Pa. on Sept. 29, 2022.|David Dermer/AP Photo

Mastriano has largely been abandoned by national Republicans his campaign adviser even tried to pick a fight with the RGA for not backing him and an in-state group that was running ads attacking Shapiro apparently cut bait in September.

Mastriano, did, however, launch his first TV ad of the general election last week, in what his campaign called a million-dollar buy skipping most of the far-right talking points he regularly espouses on the trail or in interviews and instead focusing on his military service.

Still, hes being dramatically outspent, in no small part due to Shapiros significant fundraising advantage.

Mastriano didnt have to run a lot of TV in the primary, and Josh Shapiro has had more than $20 million [on air] and Mastriano has had nothing, said Chris Nicholas, a veteran GOP consultant in the state. Through the end of the election, Shapiros total is expected to be even higher: at least $35 million since he launched his campaign.

Even so, Nicholas noted that a spending gap of that size normally means a race is over but that was not the case this year. For Mastriano, running TV ads no matter when you start to do it is a positive, even if it is belated, he said.

Dixon, the Michigan gubernatorial candidate, is also not on television herself, and she has been trailing significantly in recent polls. Instead, her campaign has largely relied on an allied super PAC called Michigan Families United, which was the only Republican entity on air for the month of September.

She has relied on the group to a heavy degree, both in the primary and in the general election. Dixons site at one point contained an unusually extensive memo, which was shared with POLITICO, entitled television, radio, and digital advertising. It laid out specific ad themes that would be helpful for the campaign. Her website also currently links to a Google Drive folder that has over an hour of b-roll footage, which is useful for outside ad makers.

Read more:
Republicans are chasing key governorships. There's one big thing missing. - POLITICO

This is a rush transcript of "The Five" on October 12, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Hello, everybody. I'm Jesse Watters, along with Judge Jeanine Pirro, Harold Ford, Jr., Dana Perino, and Greg Gutfeld. It's five o'clock in New York City and this is THE FIVE.

President Biden losing touch with reality with just 27 days to go until the midterms. After decimating American energy, letting inflation ramp up to record highs, allowing a historic flow of migrants to cross the border and unleashing a violent crime surge under his watch. Biden is delusional enough to think America loves what he's doing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Look what I've gotten done. Name me a president in recent history has gotten as much done as I have in the first two years. Not a joke. You may not like what I got done, but the vast majority of American people do like what I got done. And so, I just, it's, it's a matter of can you do the job? And I believe I can do the job. I've been able to do the job. I've got more done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: Not a joke. If Biden thinks he's so great, why are so many vulnerable Democrats afraid to be seen in public with the guy. And get this. Biden actually thinks the Republican Party has nothing to campaign on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: What's the Republican platform to run? What are they running on? What are they for? The first thing they said they're going to do is get rid of the Inflation Reduction Act. And so, what's that do? They're going to raise drug prices, raise medical costs again, be sure that we're going to no longer be able to have the ability to have tax credits for weatherizing your homes, saving money?

JAKE TAPPER, HOST, CNN: Right.

BIDEN: I mean, I don't know what they're for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: Even Bernie Sanders is begging Democrats to actually listen to the people who get them elected and focus on top polling issues that voters actually care about. A concept that Democrats just seem not to be able to grasp.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT): I think the Supreme Court's decision was an outrage. It has to be an important issue in this campaign, but it cannot be the only issue. Poll after poll shows what everybody understands to be true. Working people are hurting. They're worried about the economy. They're worried about inflation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: All right, so Joe Biden comes out and says, everybody loves what I've done. How is that going to play.

HAROLD FORD, JR., FOX NEWS CO-HOST: Well, it's good to be back.

WATTERS: Nah, it's good to be back here.

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: You can't say you agree with us because you're first.

FORD: I agree. I think I'm going to agree with a lot of where the table is going to go, but I do think, I do think that Biden -- Biden has done some things. I thought the best part of what he said there was, look, you may not agree with everything I've done, but the Inflation Reduction Act had a lot of energy incentives.

We should do more in energy. We should be drilling more here to increase our domestic supply, not only for ourselves, but even for allies around the globe.

The CHIPS Act which is going to allow us to make Javelins here and the conduct -- the semiconductors that go into that. That's a national security issue. Gun reform.

Who would've thought a Democrat with working with the Republicans in the House and the Senate could get a gun reform bill as he's been able to do an infrastructure. Some of the Republicans who voted against the infrastructure bill are now applying for money to have the infrastructure money brought to their district, which I think is a good thing. Even if you didn't vote for it, you ought to be able to help your constituents and help your districts.

Finally, I think he's right in one regard about what the Republicans are for. You look at what Rick Scott has released. He released a plan I think called renewal -- the renewal plan for America that McCarthy has the commitment to America.

When Newt Gingrich did this in '94 they all ran on a contract with America. If you look at some of the differences between the two, one raises taxes, one raises prescription drug prices. So, I do think, you know, Republicans have some explaining to do is you would say preferably in politics and we'll see if they're able to do it.

I think the best thing about all of this is Republicans, whether it's one or two things they're standing for, they at least have a moniker out there. And they have to defend that moniker if that's what they want to do. And Democrats have a moniker.

Where, you're right, Jesse, is that they're not probably half the Democrats want Biden there campaigning with them. They all want him to raise money, but not everyone wants him with them campaigning. We'll see how it works out in the next -- next three or four weeks.

But I know this. This race is tight in the Senate, 50 seats where what Republicans were supposed to win eight, 10 weeks ago. There's no doubt abortion and reproductive rights have narrowed that. I still think Republicans have an advantage in the House, but I think it's a jump ball in the Senate and we'll see what happens.

WATTERS: You know, Harold rattles off a bunch of things. They got passed. I mean, anybody can cook a lot of meals. But if people don't think it tastes very good, then so what?

JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: You know what it reminds me of when Joe says that everybody loves him? It's like if a -- if a girl breaks up with her boyfriend and she doesn't say anything bad about the boyfriend, you know, but she's broken up with him and she's onto a new guy. But the boyfriend keeps saying she loves me. She loves me. She only says good things about me. She still loves me.

No, she doesn't. She's onto the next guy, but that's like Joe Biden in this country.

WATTERS: Yes.

PIRRO: You know?

FORD: I agree with that.

PIRRO: They're like onto the next guy. But what I think that, I think that Bernie Sanders is smart, but Bernie Sanders always understood, I think the working people. He understands it's about the economy. He's smart enough to tell the Democrats that that's what you have to focus on.

And what the Republicans have to focus on is crime and the border. And every day I just see it and I just say it can't get any worse. It can't get any worse, but every day it does get worse. So, I think that, you know, Joe Biden is I don't think he's going to end up running in 2024, but I also think that the party is running from him more than are sticking with him.

WATTERS: Jeanine and Bernie Sanders both make great points, is that if you have the number one issue --

(CROSSTALK)

FORD: You don't think my --

WATTERS: -- by a mile, which is the economy. The Democrats don't even talk about the economy.

DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS CO-HOST: However, Bernie Sanders not that smart because --

PIRRO: Thanks.

PERINO: -- the bill that they gave, the bill that Biden passed was basically the blueprint from Bernie. And what did that result in? Increased inflation.

WATTERS: You're right. He always gets at of stuff.

PERINO: So, it's like what Bernie Sanders wants to do is to spend more money.

WATTERS: Yes.

PERINO: He wants, I think that's not, that's not very smart.

WATTERS: Good point. I take out what I said about him.

PERINO: Now but he is -- he is smart to be able to say, I'm not -- I'm not Biden, I would be different. You got to do this or that. And he tries to be both things, all things to all people.

WATTERS: Yes.

PERINO: But he's not. We actually know what he really is for, which is not what Americans are for. Biden's presidency is getting a one-star Yelp review, but he's looking at it saying, I'm -- I'm doing great. And I think when he gets his clips, because you used to call them clips, you know, like all the newspaper articles, they give him a folder in the morning.

It seems like they just put all the good stuff. Like the five articles that they can find that make things look really good. However, the other -- the other thing that's happening here is that a midterm election when you have one party rule, that means it's a check on one party rule, and it's a referendum on Biden. It's not a choice between Biden and Trump or whoever else.

So, people are going to say, well, what can the Republicans do? The number one thing the Republicans want to do if they take back the majority, is to stop bad things from happening. That's the number one job, and then they can start to talk about what they are for.

The House, if the Republicans take over, they're going to pass so many bills and Biden is going to ignore them. And you know what happens that night as soon as it's called, who has the majority in the Senate and who has the majority in the House, the first thing that happens is we're onto the 2024 election.

WATTERS: And last night, Greg, he said that he hasn't decided yet whether he's running or not.

GUTFELD: Yes. Well, he didn't know what they were talking about. When he says that Republicans have nothing to run on, he's wrong. They can run on him.

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: And they could run on the Democrats who continued to deny that will claim that crime doesn't exist, that inflation is a mirage and that the border is secure. Their strategy is like a drug addict in an intervention. It's just I'm, well, nothing happening here.

Twenty twenty-two has been like a long exercise in denial. But the big story, one of the two big stories, Biden begged the Saudis not to cut oil production until days before the midterms.

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: And why would he do that? It smells just like, I mean, it's a -- it's almost just like the hiding the laptop. It's like, here's a big problem, let's bury it, hide it, or delay it so it won't hurt us politically.

So, he didn't really care that the Americans were -- Americans were suffering at the gas pump. He just didn't want it to affect the Democrats. That's kind of sleazy. It sounds a lot like bearing the laptop to me.

And lastly, you know what's happening tomorrow is another January 6th hearing. And I dropped my pen.

PERINO: How about that?

GUTFELD: So, in the midst of this economic malaise, crime waves. We've got a war going on. It's like washing your windows as your house is on fire. Why are they doing this? I think that everybody who -- people should just not watch that hearing symbolically to say like, we've had enough of this crap. We've had enough of this circus. We've got real problems here. And none of them are political.

There are actually real personal family economic problems. We don't look at our problems politically the way you do. That's the problem. That's why I think Democrats are better on the outside and Republicans are better on the inside.

Like when the Republicans in power, they actually attack things that Americans want, like crime and like the border. Democrats are really good at attacking Republicans.

WATTERS: Yes, they are.

GUTFELD: So, keep them on the outside. That's the way it goes. It's like - - it's like a nice little.

WATTERS: A lot of analogies there.

GUTFELD: Yes, none of them made sense.

WATTERS: Are you -- are you going to be excited to watch the January 6th hearings tomorrow?

FORD: I probably won't watch them tomorrow, but I do think holding someone accountable for what happened that day is something that should be --

(CROSSTALK)

WATTERS: Do you think doing the January 6th hearings on the same days the inflation number drops, is good or bad politics?

FORD: Probably good politics.

WATTERS: You think it's good politics?

(CROSSTALK)

FORD: I'm going to go --

PERINO: Well, remember it got you late.

FORD: It's probably good school if we do that.

PERINO: They were supposed to -- but remember, Jesse, they were supposed to have this hearing two weeks ago, but then the hurricane happened. And they moved it so that they wouldn't get blown out on coverage.

GUTFELD: Literally.

WATTERS: Blown out. Very well done.

PERINO: Thank you.

WATTERS: A lot of good analogies around the table.

PIRRO: Yes.

WATTERS: Dating.

GUTFELD: Yes.

WATTERS: Yelp reviews.

GUTFELD: That's a great dress, by the way.

WATTERS: It is a great dress. We're going to talk a lot about that dress.

FORD: I agree with that too. That's a great dress.

WATTERS: OK, now she's getting uncomfortable. We're going to move on. Coming up next, Biden's migrant whipping hooks just got more scandalous. Damning new e-mails on what the White House knew before smearing the agents.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FORD: Brand new details surrounding the now infamous whip gate controversy. We saw President Biden and others in administration falsely accusing border patrol agents of whipping Haitian migrants. It turns out it was just horse reins and those agents were later exonerated after an investigation.

But before the White House had all the facts, both President Biden and Vice President Harris were slamming the agents involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: To see people treat it like they did horses, really running them over, people being strapped. It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay.

Link:
'The Five' on Biden's first two years, his claims about Republicans - Fox News

About a month ago, Bill Clinton said Democrats still had a chance to hold on to the House and Senate, but itd be a real challenge. We have to note the Republicans always close well, the former president said. Why? Because they find some new way to scare the living daylights out of swing voters about something.

There is no doubt that this is a key chapter in the GOPs election playbook, and the party follows it faithfully. The thing voters are supposed to be terrified of changes the last time a Democratic president saw a midterm cycle, the scary thing was Ebola, which Republicans promptly forgot about after the 2014 elections but the underlying strategy remains the same.

Headed into the 2022 cycle, the original plan appeared to be scare the living daylights out of swing voters by talking about critical race theory, immigrants, transgender athletes, or transgender athletes who are also immigrants talking about critical race theory. But as The Wall Street Journal reported this week, Republicans have instead settled on a message focused on crime.

Republicans in competitive House and Senate districts are hitting Democrats with a barrage of ads focused on voters increased fears about the surge in violent crime in recent years, with the issue playing a central role in many tight races. Republicans have called Democrats too tolerant of crime after social-justice protests in 2020 swept through the country over policing abuses, and they have criticized some Democrats support of measures such as eliminating cash bail.

If this sounds at all familiar, youve either seen the avalanche of ads, or youve seen some of the recent coverage. NBC News reported last week that Republicans have unleashed a barrage of negative ads in the final weeks of the midterms that hammer Democrats on crime.

The Associated Press added, The issue of crime is dominating advertising in some of the most competitive Senate races, including those in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Nevada, along with scores of House and governors campaigns.

The thinking behind the strategy is obvious: Much of the public is concerned about an increase in crime rates a trend that began during the Trump era and since Democrats are currently in office, GOP officials and candidates are telling the public to simply blame the party in power for the fact that many are feeling less safe.

Take some hysteria from conservative media outlets like Fox News, add a hearty dose of defund the police lies from Republicans who know better, and were left with a potent election season message custom-made to scare the living daylights out of swing voters.

Itd be even better if it were fair and accurate, but its not. Lets keep some factual details in mind:

1. The evidence of soaring crime rates is dubious. The latest data from the FBI actually showed a decline in violent crime, and while there are legitimate concerns about the figures being incomplete, there are other recent reports pointing in similar directions.

2. Republicans may need to take a long look in the mirror. As Dana Milbank explained in his latest column:

Earlier this year, the centrist Democratic group Third Way crunched the 2020 homicide figures and found that per capita homicide rates were on average 40 percent higher in states won by Trump than by Joe Biden. Eight of the 10 states with the highest homicide rates have been reliably red states for the past two decades. Republican-led cities werent any safer than Democratic-led cities. Among the 10 states with the highest per capita homicide rates Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, New Mexico, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee most were in the South and relatively rural. The findings were broadly consistent with other rankings of states (and counties) by violent crime.

3. The GOP seems awfully selective about its crime-related interests. Many of the Republicans trying to leverage crime as a campaign issue are the same Republicans who appear wholly indifferent to serious crimes such as the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and Donald Trumps alleged felonies. Take Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, for example.

4. If Republicans were serious about crime, theyd have to get serious about guns. And the GOP simply has no intention of doing that.

5. The GOP has a credibility problem on the issue. Only one major political party in recent years has raised the prospect of defunding law enforcement while opposing increased federal funding to local police departments. Ill give you a hint: Its not the Democratic Party.

6. The role of race in this strategy is hardly subtle. Take one look at the kind of ads Republicans have aired in Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race targeting Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black and it becomes painfully obvious that race is playing a key role in the GOPs strategy.

7. Republicans want to highlight crime without proposing real solutions. The House GOPs Commitment to America offered some vague and dishonest platitudes, but voters expecting Republicans to actually address crime rates through meaningful governing solutions are going to be disappointed.

Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics."

Visit link:
The problem(s) with the Republicans election focus on crime - MSNBC