The White House is attempting to clarify President Joe Biden’s remarks about the legitimacy of the 2022 elections.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement on her Twitter account, saying, “Lets be clear: [President Joe Biden] was not casting doubt on the legitimacy of the 2022 election. He was making the opposite point: In 2020, a record number of voters turned out in the face of a pandemic, and election officials made sure they could vote and have those votes counted.”
She continued, “He was explaining that the results would be illegitimate if states do what the former president asked them to do after the 2020 election: toss out ballots and overturn results after the fact. The Big Lie is putting our democracy at risk. We’re fighting to protect it.”
He was explaining that the results would be illegitimate if states do what the former president asked them to do after the 2020 election: toss out ballots and overturn results after the fact. The Big Lie is putting our democracy at risk. We’re fighting to protect it.
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) January 20, 2022
During his press conference, Biden was asked if he thinks the upcoming midterm elections will be “fairly conducted” and have “legitimate” results if voting rights legislation does not pass, as IJR reported.
“Well, it all depends on whether or not we’ll be able to make the case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election,” Biden said.
The president was then asked to clarify if he was saying the election could be illegitimate.
“Oh, 2022. I mean imagine if those attempts to say that the count was not legit. You have to recount it, and we’re not going to count, we’re going to discard the following votes,” Biden explained.
He continued, “I mean, sure, but I’m not saying it is going to be legit. The increase and the prospect of being illegitimate is in direct proportion to us not being able to get these reforms passed.”
On Wednesday, Republicans blocked Senate Democrats’ effort to pass voting rights legislation, as IJR reported.
Biden reacted, saying he is “profoundly disappointed that the United States Senate has failed to stand up for our democracy. I am disappointed — but I am not deterred.”