Donald Trump, Republicans, and Trump-appointed officials like Attorney General William Barr have been touting for months that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, universal mail-in voting is too easy for outside forces to rig and therefore can’t be used for the 2020 election.
But when Barr testifies before a House Judiciary Committee on July 28th, he admits that he has seen no evidence to support those claims.
Ms. Scanlon: That public health advice is really important to citizens in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, because we have a large population of seniors who are at higher risk for the Coronavirus. They shouldn’t have to choose between risking their lives and exercising their right to vote. But the problem we’re facing is that the President has repeatedly sought to cast doubt on the security of mail-in ballots, saying that the 2020 election could be rigged with quote, “Millions of mail-in ballots printed by foreign countries,” end quote. You sir have repeated this disinformation.
Wiliam Barr: Well it’s not disinformation.
Ms. Scanlon: I don’t have a question for you yet. Here it comes though. Last month, you echoed the President’s conspiracy theory when you suggested in at least three interviews that quot, “Foreign countries could manufacture counterfeit ballots,” end quote, to influence the Presidential election. Correct? You did that in at least three interviews?
Wiliam Barr: Yes.
Ms. Scanlon: Okay. But in fact, you have no evidence that foreign countries can successfully sway our elections with counterfeit ballots, do you?
Wiliam Barr: No I don’t, but I have common sense.
Ms. Scanlon: Okay. Well, and that’s what you responded when you were directly challenged on that. You said no, you didn’t have evidence, but it was obvious. According to state election officials, your alleged concerns here are not obvious, but in fact are outrageous. Every state in the union has absentee ballots. Two thirds of the states allow for vote by mail by for any reason. Five states, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Utah vote entirely by mail and have done so for decades. Even the US military uses mail-in ballots. Doesn’t it?
Wiliam Barr: Yes.
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