California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is pushing back against President Donald Trump and other Republicans in defense of voting by mail.
During Wednesday’s appearance on “The Today Show,” Newsom advised the president, “Let’s just stick with the facts, not opinions.”
“Mail-in ballots, absentee ballots are well utilized all across the spectrum, all across this country and have been done so thoughtfully and safely for a generation,” Newsom said.
Noting that the president and servicemen have safely and securely used mail-in voting processes in the past, Newsom also highlighted multiple studies that have determined mail-in voting does not lead to widespread voter fraud.
“There’s been study after study — don’t take my word for it, don’t take the president’s — study after study that just lays claim to no evidence whatsoever that there’s widespread voter fraud,” Newsom said.
The Democratic governor went on to stress the importance of early preparation for the November general election. Due to the pandemic, Newsom’s focus is to ensure public safety while protecting Americans’ constitutional right to vote.
“We want to prepare to keep people safe and allow them to have their constitutional rights protected, constitutional right to vote, without putting their health at risk.”
See Newsom’s full interview below:
Watch @savannahguthrie’s full interview with California Governor @GavinNewsom about the cautious approach being taken in California and what happens next as the country enters what he calls “the unknown.” pic.twitter.com/mYHcEqOfi7
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 27, 2020
Newsom’s remarks come amid lawsuits from multiple Republican groups and series of tweets from the president sounding off with concerns about the possibility of voter fraud.
The lawsuits were filed on Sunday in response to Newsom’s executive orders allowing mail-in votes for the November general election, as previously reported on IJR.
“Democrats continue to use this pandemic as a ploy to implement their partisan election agenda, and Governor Newsom’s executive order is the latest direct assault on the integrity of our elections,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
On multiple occasions, the president has also mistaken ballot applications for mail-in votes as actual ballots as he has accused states of attempting to commit voter fraud. He has also threatened to withhold funding for states over mail-in voting.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson both responded to Trump’s accusations with clarity on what was sent out, as previously reported on IJR. Benson confirmed main-in ballot applications would be sent out to registered voters.
Hi! 👋🏼 I also have a name, it’s Jocelyn Benson. And we sent applications, not ballots. Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia. https://t.co/kBsu4nHvOy
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) May 20, 2020
On a previous occasion, Trump urged his party to fight back against mail-in votes as he insisted it “doesn’t work out well for Republicans.”
Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans. @foxandfriends
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2020
Although the president has raised concerns about mail-in voting, it is legal to do so in the United States.
