In response to Donald Trump saying he picked Michael Whatley to lead the RNC because of his election denial credentials, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump is once again openly touting his anti-democracy credentials by proclaiming himself ‘the greatest [election] denier in history’ while admitting that he handpicked MAGA extremist Michael Whatley to lead the RNC solely because of his dangerous record of election denialism. Trump is already refusing to commit to accepting this year’s election results and his MAGA minions at the RNC are now following right along with a massive staff purge and an election denier litmus test for new hires. The American people understand that our democracy is on the line in this election, and come November, they’ll make sure the greatest election denier in history never gets anywhere near the Oval Office again.”

NEW: While calling himself “the greatest denier in history,” Donald Trump said he handpicked Michael Whatley to lead the RNC because he embraced Trump’s MAGA election denialism. 

Washington Post: “Trump repeated his false claims of the 2020 election being stolen and said that Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley was the most important person in the room because he is ‘going to stop the cheating.’

“‘We call it save the vote, guard the vote, stop the steal,’ he said, referring to what the RNC needed to be doing.” […]

“He said he picked Whatley for the job because he did not lose North Carolina ‘in the middle of the night’ like he did some other states, when he alleged more ballots came in to cost him the election. Before his current position, Whatley was chair of North Carolina’s Republican Party.

“‘If you talk about it, you’re a denier,’ he said of his false claims of the 2020 election, according to the notes. ‘I’m the greatest denier in history.’”

Donald Trump’s MAGA takeover of the RNC has elevated extreme election deniers like Michael Whatley and Lara Trump.

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.”

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

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

CNN: “People seeking employment at RNC asked whether they believe the 2020 election was stolen”

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

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

Associated Press: “In pushing Michael Whatley as the next leader of the Republican National Committee, Donald Trump zeroed in on the North Carolina GOP chairman’s dedication to ‘election integrity,’ baselessly suggesting he would ensure the 2024 race ‘can’t be stolen.’”

Trump is refusing to commit to accepting the results of this November’s election and doubling down on his election denialism.

NBC News: “Trump again won’t commit to accepting the presidential election results”

CNN: “Former President Donald Trump refused to unconditionally accept the results of the upcoming 2024 presidential election. … It’s the latest comment by Trump in which he has sought to undermine confidence in the American electoral system in the event he loses in November.”

Washington Post: “Top Republicans, led by former president Donald Trump, are refusing to commit to accept November’s election results with six months until voters head to the polls, raising concerns that the country could see a repeat of the violent aftermath of Trump’s loss four years ago. … Trump also has suggested he may not accept the results of the next election.”

Politico: “Donald Trump suggested he may not accept the results of the 2024 election in the key swing state of Wisconsin in an interview with the state’s largest newspaper, where he also falsely claimed he won the state in 2020.”

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.”

Associated Press: “Trump, running for the White House for the third time, has signaled that the 2020 election will remain an integral part of his 2024 presidential bid.”

Trump wants an extreme election denying running mate, and his VP contenders have lined up behind his extreme election denialism, including parroting his lies about the 2020 election and refusing to commit to accepting this November’s election results.

Interviewer: “Do you have any regrets about picking Mike Pence as your vice president? And what will you do differently this time around when you’re vetting your VP?”

Trump: “Mike did a good job until the end when he didn’t have the courage to do what you have to do. … I believe if he did that, because by that time, a lot was learned about the corruption, if he did that, I believe you would have had different election results.”

NBC News: “None of these potential vice presidential picks have committed to accepting the 2024 election results, whether Trump wins or loses.” 

Washington Post: “Top Republicans, led by Trump, refuse to commit to accept 2024 election results”

“The question has become something of a litmus test, particularly among the long list of possible running mates for Trump. … The GOP’s desire to appease Trump’s fixation on 2020 now appears to loom over his search for a running mate.”

New York Times: “Will You Accept the Election Results? Republicans Dodge the Question.”

“Less than six months out from the presidential contest, leading Republicans, including several of Donald J. Trump’s potential running mates, have refused to commit to accepting the results of the election, signaling that the party may again challenge the outcome if its candidate loses.”

MSNBC: “Potential GOP running mates hedge on accepting election results”

Axios: “Republicans are increasingly joining former President Trump on hedging or dodging when asked whether they’ll accept the results of the 2024 elections.”

Axios: “Trump and his allies will want a VP pick that is more willing to comply with the former president’s wishes, which former Vice President Pence rejected by certifying the 2020 results.”

CNN: “As Trump continues to focus on his false claims over election integrity, many of his potential deputies expressed their own concerns.”