NY Times: “As Trump Rails Against Loss, His Supporters Become More Threatening”

 

A Georgia campaign rally with Donald Trump for Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue this month featured a ridiculous video that made it appear as though Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff was calling for violence against Trump supporters – which, of course, he has never done.[1] This example, coupled with Trump Republicans’ ongoing attacks on the 2020 election results and their promotion of wild conspiracy theories, is beyond reckless … and Senators Loeffler and Perdue have been supporting Trump and the Radical Right at every step. All of this shows in stark terms what’s at stake in Georgia. Besides the Senate majority being on the line, we cannot afford to have these two Trump enablers remaining in the Senate where they will continue to further Trump’s delusional conspiracy theories and hateful agenda even after he’s out of office. Ever since it became clear that Donald Trump decisively lost the election, he’s been attacking elections officials – regardless of their political party – in swing states that he’s falsely claimed to have won. As they have campaigned in advance of the January runoffs, both Loeffler and Perdue have joined him in making these egregious attacks. And the attacks have consequences. We’ve seen death threats, plots in other states to storm state capitals and kidnap governors – which are absolutely connected to the Trump Republican rhetoric in Georgia – and even Georgia’s Republican election officials are pleading with Trump, Loeffler, and Perdue to put an end to the incendiary accusations.[2] Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensberger, and Gabriel Sterling, another Georgia elections official, have both received death threats in the wake of the general election. Sterling, a Republican whose staff has also been threatened, pleaded with the White House and his fellow Republicans at an emotional press conference earlier this month to stop pushing reckless conspiracy theories. And he called out Senators Loeffler and Perdue by name for their cowardly complicity in Trump and the Far Right’s attacks. "Someone's going to get hurt, someone's going to get shot, someone's going to get killed," said Sterling.[3] The stakes couldn’t be higher. We’re running multiple ad campaigns across various channels and mobilizing our activists in – and out – of Georgia for calling, texting, and other voter contact programs. But we need you with us … all the way through Election Day on January 5. We have exactly 2 weeks left. Thank you for staying with us through the last stages of this fight. Together, we can and will take back the Senate from the Republicans’ dangerous majority. In solidarity, Sarah Medeiros, Digital Team     [1] “WATCH: Trump holds rally in Georgia ahead of Senate runoff election.” (WPSD NBC-6 Local, 12/05/2020.) [2] “As Trump Rails Against Loss, His Supporters Become More Threatening.” (NYT, 12/08/2020.) [3] “'Someone's Going To Get Killed': Ga. Official Blasts GOP Silence On Election Threats.” (NPR, 12/01/2020.)