In response to MAGA Republicans giving cover to Donald Trump’s attacks on our democratic institutions and the rule of law along with his dangerous Project 2025 agenda, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump’s VP contenders are lining up to support Trump’s plans for a full-throated revenge tour if he’s reelected, endorsing the Supreme Court decision that paves the way for Trump to fulfill his wish of being a dictator on ‘day one,’ and refusing to commit to accepting November’s election results, all while giving Trump cover for his dangerous Project 2025 agenda. For Trump’s MAGA litmus test, loyalty to him and his extreme MAGA plans comes before our democracy and the basic rule of law – and all of the lackeys vying to be Trump’s running mate are tripping over themselves to sign on.”

Marco Rubio tried to cover for Donald Trump’s unpopular Project 2025 agenda, even though John McEntee – a senior advisor to Project 2025 – said that the Trump campaign and Project 2025 are going to “integrate a lot of our work” this summer.

Politico: “Rubio was specifically asked about comments from the leader of Project 2025, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts. In an interview with Steve Bannon’s ‘War Room,’ Roberts said a ‘second American Revolution’ will be bloodless ‘if the left allows it to be.’

“‘Well, he’s not running for president, is he?’ Rubio said when asked if he was comfortable with Roberts’ comments. ‘Our candidate’s Donald Trump. I didn’t see Donald Trump say that.’

“A number of the most prominent figures in the Project 2025 ecosystem were prominent members of Trump’s campaign or his tenure in the White House, including Paul Dans, Ben Carson, John McEntee and Russ Vought, who is also helping to write the Republican Party’s platform. Despite that, Trump said on social media about the project designed to offer a blueprint for a second Trump term: ‘I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it.’”

Axios: “‘Think tanks do think tank stuff, they come up with ideas, they say things…I like [the] Heritage Foundation. I agree with some of the things they stand for,’ Rubio said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ about the plan, which has repeatedly come under fire from Democrats as an extremist playbook to undermine democracy.

“If enacted, Project 2025 — charted in a 922-page handbook — would dramatically expand executive power and set a foundation for the president to install a federal workforce of ideological loyalists.

“But Trump aide John McEntee, the former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office and a senior adviser for Project 2025, said in April that the campaign and the team behind the project intend to ‘integrate a lot of our work’ this summer, liberal watchdog Media Matters reported.”

Rubio claimed that Trump won’t prosecute his political opponents if reelected, even though Trump has made clear over and over that he will do exactly that.

Rubio: “Donald Trump has been the one that’s been very clear that his vengeance is gonna be by winning and making America great again, not going after his political opponents. He said that in your debate that you hosted and they’re the ones that have gone after political opponents.”

Axios: “Trump says he would have ‘every right to go after’ political enemies if elected”

The Guardian: “Trump suggests he would use FBI to go after political rivals if elected in 2024”

CNN: “Trump again suggests he would try to prosecute his political opponents if reelected”

Rubio defended the decision in Trump v. United States, which will cement Trump’s dream of being a dictator on “day one” if he’s reelected.

Dana Bash, CNN: “My question for you as a Republican, someone who could potentially be on the ticket, is whether you are comfortable with the way that the Supreme Court ruled, and frankly, not just about January 6 and about the potential for what Donald Trump could do with that power, but any president in the future, Democrat or Republican. It’s a big precedent that the Supreme Court set.”

Rubio: “Well, I think what the Supreme Court did is it clarified what the law is and that is you cannot go after presidents for official acts and there’s a presumption of immunity for quasi-official acts or semi-official acts or exactly the terminology they used on it. They were pretty clear about that.”

J.D. Vance reiterated that he has no problem with Trump using the government to go after his political opponents.

Kristen Welker, NBC: “Senator, if former President Trump were to win, if you were to be his vice president, would you support him appointing a special prosecutor to go after his political enemies, the Bidens?”

[…]

Vance: “Donald Trump is talking about appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Joe Biden for wrongdoing.

[…]

“I think what Donald Trump is simply saying is we ought to investigate the prior administration.”

After Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, one of the key architects of Project 2025, fomented political violence, Vance said that Heritage “does a lot of good work” and is “an important part” of how Washington, D.C. works.

BidenHQ: “Trump VP contender JD Vance says the Heritage Foundation, which is behind Trump’s Project 2025, ‘does a lot of good work’ and is ‘an important part’ of their agenda”

Vance also refused for the umpteenth time to commit to accepting the 2024 results, no matter what they are.

Kristen Welker, NBC: “Well, here we are, about a week before the Republican convention. Before I let you go, can you say unequivocally, unequivocally, here and now, that you will accept the results of the 2024 election no matter what they are?”

Vance: “So long as it’s a free and fair election, Kristen, of course, we will. We will use constitutional processes to challenge issues if we think there are issues, but if it’s a free and fair election, we will do what the constitution requires, we will respect the results and I expect those results are gonna be to reelect Donald Trump.”

Welker: “It was a free and fair election in 2020, Donald Trump took his concerns to court, he lost in court, but he still has not conceded. Do you understand that when you refuse to commit unequivocally, that feeds into people’s concerns, skepticism about the nation’s electoral process?”

Vance: “Well, Kristen, I don’t agree with that, actually. I think that feeding into people’s concerns about our electoral process is that one half of America’s political segment, they won’t support legislation that makes it harder for illegal aliens to vote, they won’t support universal voter I.D. in our elections, even though you have to present I.D. to do almost anything in this country. I think taking people’s concerns seriously about election fraud is the way to reinforce security and confidence in our elections.”