A Republican state legislator in Pennsylvania used figures from the wrong election to claim widespread voter fraud in the state – and Donald Trump took to Twitter early Saturday morning to cite that data.
In a tweet, Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano used numbers from the primary to suggest that over a million votes were pulled from thin air in the general election.
This was posted on our Department of State dashboard but had since been deleted. pic.twitter.com/bDmvCK0kDB
— Senator Doug Mastriano (@SenMastriano) November 27, 2020
As Derek Willis noted on Twitter, it’s “astounding” that a state official in Pennsylvania would brazenly use data from the wrong election as a basis to overturn the results, but this is where the current Republican Party is.
That a Pennsylvania state senator would use figures from the wrong election is astounding.
Either it’s ignorance or bad faith, neither of which is good for PA or the country. https://t.co/NIp7sarPKS
— Derek Willis (@derekwillis) November 28, 2020
Donald Trump – a man who insists on creating an alternate universe in which his supporters can live – cited Sen. Mastriano’s data in a tweet of his own.
The 1,126,940 votes were created out of thin air. I won Pennsylvania by a lot, perhaps more than anyone will ever know. The Pennsylvania votes were RIGGED. All other swing states also. The world is watching! https://t.co/zmnk34Ny23
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2020
It got even worse on Saturday as Mastriano suggested that “mounting evidence” shows that the presidential election in Pennsylvania was stolen and that the state legislature should select delegates to the Electoral College that will overturn Biden’s win.
There is mounting evidence that the PA presidential election was compromised. If this is the case, under Article II, Section 1.2 of the US Constitution, the state legislature has the sole authority to direct the manner of selecting delegates to the Electoral College. (1)
— Senator Doug Mastriano (@SenMastriano) November 28, 2020
Therefore, we are introducing a Resolution to exercise our obligation and authority to appoint delegates to the Electoral College. (3)
— Senator Doug Mastriano (@SenMastriano) November 28, 2020
As lawsuits and recounts fail, Trump is hoping state officials will overturn results
As Donald Trump and his clown car of lawyers gets laughed out of court rooms all across the country – and as recounts in multiple states do nothing to alter the outcome – the outgoing president is hoping state officials will overturn the results for him.
It’s why he took to Twitter on Saturday to praise “the brave men and women in state houses” who are humoring his attempt to overturn the results of an election that Joe Biden clearly won.
Fortunately, these efforts are likely to fail, as Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) said on Saturday.
Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) says Donald Trump’s “desperate attempt” to overturn the electoral results in the state will fail, just like his lawsuits. pic.twitter.com/22o5COQzgz
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) November 28, 2020
“President will fail in overturning any of these Electoral College challenges,” Rep. Dean said.
Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
