11.07.2020

Sen. Bob Casey: Trump’s Election Fraud Claims Benefit Putin

Predictions told us that Pennsylvania could be decisive in the U.S. presidential election, and indeed it is proving to be. Christiane is joined by a friend of Joe Biden’s, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, who knows the state inside and out. He joins the show from Scranton — Biden’s hometown — to discuss what’s happening as the ballot count continues.

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AND HAVE YOU BEEN IN TOUCH?

YOU'RE VERY CLOSE TO VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN.

WHAT IS THE CAMPAIGN TELLING YOU, THE LATEST, HOW ARE THEY FEELING?

PARTICULARLY ABOUT YOUR STATE.

THEY'RE FEELING STRONG, POSITIVE, WHERE THEY ARE IN A STATE LIKE OURS.

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL A LOT BY THE BY VIRTUE OF HAVING MAIL-IN BALLOTS OUTSTANDING AND THE RATIO OF SUPPORT YOU GET AS THEY'RE COMING IN.

THEY FEEL GOOD.

THEY ALSO WANT TO RESPECT THE PROCESS.

I WISH PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD DO LIKEWISE.

BUT THEY'RE WATCHING THE PROCESS UNFOLD.

NOW THAT WE'RE DOWN TO A SMALLER NUMBER OF VOTES IN A FEW STATES.

I THINK THEY WANT THAT TO TRANSPIRE.

WHAT I'M NOT SURE OF IN TERMS OF WHERE PENNSYLVANIA WILL BE, HOW MUCH OF A MARGIN JOE BIDEN WILL HAVE SAY BY THE END OF THE DAY.

BY THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS TODAY.

BUT WE'LL SEE.

AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HE WILL WIN THE STATE.

WHAT DO YOU WISH PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD BE DOING NOW?

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HEARD HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES.

WE'VE HEARD AND REPORTED THAT HIS CLAIMS OF FRAUD AND THEFT AND GENERAL STEALING OF THE ELECTION ARE COMPLETELY BASELESS AND THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY'VE PRESENTED.

WHAT TO YOU IS THE BIGGEST THREAT?

THE BIGGEST RISK TO THE COUNTRY BY THESE KINDS OF ALLEGATIONS AND ACCUSATIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT?

IT WOULD BE ONE THING, IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO MOST AMERICANS IF THE PRESIDENT, I'LL JUST NOT EVEN ADDRESS WHAT HE SAID LEADING UP TO ELECTION DAY WHERE HE WAS FORESHADOWING THIS KIND OF LIE ABOUT MAIL-IN BALLOTS AND THE PROCESS.

BUT LET'S SAY THAT AFTER THE ELECTION, HE BELIEVES THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SOME PROBLEMS THAT HE WANTED TO HAVE A COURT MAKE A JUDGMENT ABOUT.

IF HE DID THAT, BUT ENCAPSULATED THAT IN A BROADER STATEMENT ABOUT RESPECTING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, EMBRACING, OR COMPLYING WITH THE PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, LANGUAGE LIKE THAT BURKS SAID I WANT TO THAT PURSUE THES ISSUES, OKAY.

BUT WHEN YOU HAVE NO EVIDENCE FOR THE, EITHER THE LAWSUIT YOU'RE BRINGING OR MULTIPLE LAWSUITS OR THE STATEMENTS YOU'RE MAKING, YOU'RE JUST UNDERMIGHT KNOW NOT JUST OUR SYSTEM OF VOTING BUT DEMOCRACY.

AND ULTIMATELY, NATIONAL SECURITY.

THE ONLY ONE WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS KIND OF CONDUCT BY THE PRESIDENT IS VLADIMIR PUTIN AND OTHERS LIKE HIM AROUND THE WORLD.

About This Episode EXPAND

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) discusses Pennsylvania’s decisive role in the presidential election. Trevor Potter, one of America’s foremost election law experts, analyzes the Trump campaign’s baseless claims of fraud in battleground states. Gun reform activists David Hogg and Alex King discuss the youth vote. Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb explains how this week of uncertainty is affecting mental health.

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