In response to the RNC inviting an ultra-MAGA conspiracy theorist and election denier to an event where he told Americans “it doesn’t matter who votes,” DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:

“Donald Trump rebranded the RNC in his election-denying image, and now his handpicked RNC leaders Michael Whatley and Lara Trump have decided to embrace far-right conspiracy theorists and MAGA extremists like Jack Posobiec, who promoted the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement and said his goal is to ‘overthrow’ democracy. No matter what RNC-platformed election deniers say, Democrats know that voters do matter – and that they are ready to reject Trump and JD Vance’s relentless attacks on our democracy and turn the page this November.” 

NEW: The RNC invited ultra-MAGA conspiracy theorist and election denier Jack Posobiec to train poll watchers – he told them “it doesn’t matter who votes. It matters who counts the votes.”

New York Times: “The R.N.C. Asked a Conspiracy Theorist to Train Poll Watchers. Here’s What He Told Them.”

“A few years ago, Jack Posobiec was a fringe figure and a right-wing agitator best known for helping spread ‘Pizzagate,’ a conspiracy theory about Democrats running a satanic child abuse ring underneath a Washington pizza parlor. 

“This month, he was invited by the Republican National Committee to speak to a group of volunteers about how to monitor elections in Michigan.

“The invitation was one sign of how the party uses figures and fictions that were once considered out of bounds to energize its activists…

“The key to elections, he said, is that ‘it doesn’t matter who votes. It matters who counts the votes.’ …

“In recent years, after Donald J. Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 election, Republican monitor roles are increasingly being filled by activists who believe elections are fraudulent, and they have taken on a different mission…

“In his recent book… Mr. Posobiec wrote about people involved with Black Lives Matter and the Civil Rights Movement as being part of a series of left-wing efforts to destroy civilization. (Mr. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, wrote a blurb endorsing the book.)

“In addition to the Michigan training, Mr. Posobiec was also scheduled to speak to a group in Wisconsin a few days later.

“In a statement, Mr. Posobiec stood by his comments at the training session…

“Others who have participated in recent training sessions include Kari Lake, the party’s Senate candidate in Arizona and former candidate for governor who never conceded her defeat. Also invited was Rogan O’Handley, a social media influencer who uses the handle DC Draino and often spreads misinformation about ‘rigged’ elections, and Colby Covington, an Ultimate Fighting Championship star who calls himself ‘Donald Trump’s favorite fighter.’ …

“Election officials have raised worries again this year now that Mr. Trump is at the top of the Republican ticket. The former president has repeatedly spread falsehoods about the election system, suggested that local election officials are breaking the law and that individual citizens must guard the vote from forces out to steal it.”

Posobiec is a conspiracy theorist who was a part of the “Stop the Steal” movement to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in 2020 and said his goal is to “overthrow” democracy – and he has earned the support of JD Vance.

Mother Jones: “J.D. Vance Endorsed Book That Calls Progressives “Unhumans” and Praises Jan. 6 Rioters”

Media Matters: “Posobiec was part of the election denial ‘Stop the Steal’ movement that led to the insurrection on January 6, 2021.”

CNN: “Far-right speaker tells CPAC attendees that his goal is to ‘overthrow’ democracy”

Daily Beast: “Infamous Pizzagater Jack Posobiec Pushed Hoax About Pipe Bombs Being Planted at Korean War Memorial”

Extreme election deniers and RNC leaders Michael Whatley and Lara Trump have pushed baseless lies about the 2020 election and attempted to whitewash January 6.

New York Magazine: “Trump Taps Election Deniers Lara Trump, Michael Whatley to Lead RNC”

CNN: “RNC under Lara Trump spreads ‘massive fraud’ claims about 2020 election”

New York Times: “Mr. Trump likes Mr. Whatley for one overwhelming reason, according to people who have discussed him with the former president: He is ‘a stop the steal guy,’ as one of the people described him. He endorses Mr. Trump’s false claims about mass voter fraud … Mr. Whatley has baselessly claimed that election security efforts from Republicans in North Carolina stopped Democrats from cheating.”

New York Times: “Trump’s Man at the R.N.C. Will Face Pressure to Satisfy His Election Lies”

CNN: “Likely frontrunner for RNC chair parroted Trump’s 2020 election lies”

Media Matters: “On her podcast, RNC co-chair Lara Trump says she doesn’t believe 81 million people voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election” 

Lara Trump: “Because here’s the goal, folks. I don’t ever – and I know you don’t either – want to repeat 2020 and the atrocities of that election ever again.”

Lara Trump: “The bulk of the staff you will see in our building is focused solely on election integrity. Because let’s be honest, we can never repeat 2020 ever again. We’re never going to do that.”

Lara Trump ahead of January 6: “We want to make sure that if there is a contested vote, anybody who doesn’t want to certify the votes for Joe Biden, that they get their chance to debate that.”

Lara Trump: “There is no evidence whatsoever to have any indication that Donald Trump had anything to do with what happened [on January 6].”

REMINDER: Trump is still pushing baseless lies about his loss by over 7 million votes in the 2020 election.

Associated Press: “[Trump] is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.”

NBC News: “Re-litigating the 2020 election, repeating false claims it was stolen and casting aspersions on the security of mail voting remain major fixtures for [Trump] on the stump. … He regularly refers to the 2020 election as ‘rigged’ on his social media channels.”

Trump continues to praise and promise pardons for the violent insurrectionists he rallied to storm the Capitol on January 6, calling them “hostages” and “patriots.” 

Washington Post: “Trump vows pardons, government apology to Capitol rioters if elected”

Rachel Scott, ABC News: “140 police officers were assaulted [on January 6]. Their injuries included broken bones, at least one officer lost an eye, one had two cracked ribs, two smashed spinal discs, another had a stroke. Were the people who assaulted those 140 officers, including those I just mentioned, ‘patriots’ who deserve pardons?”

[Trump refuses to answer]

Scott: “But sir, my question is on those rioters who assaulted officers. Would you pardon those people?”

Donald Trump: “Oh absolutely I would. If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”

Scott: “They’ve been convicted.”

Trump: “Those people were treated very harshly… nobody was killed on January 6. But I think that the people of January 6 were treated very unfairly… they were there to complain about an election, and you know it’s very interesting, the biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken to.”

The Hill: “Trump describes imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as ‘hostages’”

TIME: “Trump has sought to recast the insurrectionist riot as an act of patriotism. ‘I call them the J-6 patriots,’ Trump tells TIME. When asked whether he would consider pardoning every one of them, he says: ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

Trump has threatened political violence and warned of a “bloodbath” if he loses in November, and he is vowing to be a dictator on “day one” if he wins.

Associated Press: “Trump threatens to jail adversaries in escalating rhetoric ahead of pivotal debate”

Edward-Isaac Dovere, CNN: “Many people have lost American presidential elections over the last 230 years – Trump is the only one to say about violence if he loses ‘it depends.’”

The Atlantic: “Trump Says He’ll Be a Dictator on ‘Day One’”

NBC News: “Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election”

Associated Press: “Trump declines to rule out abusing power to seek retribution if he returns to the White House”

Washington Post: “Trump calls political enemies ‘vermin,’ echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini”

The Guardian: “Donald Trump says he will lock up his political enemies if he is president again.”