Sen. Lindsey Graham has long been one of President-elect Donald Trump’s harshest critics — but by challenging the president-elect to put up or shut up regarding his bogus claim at having actually won the popular vote, Graham has taken things to the next level.
According to a Politico report on Tuesday, Graham is so tired of hearing Trump insist that millions of illegal immigrants cost him the popular vote that he is willing to propose a bipartisan resolution affirming the election results.
“No one has suggested to me there’s evidence of what he said,” Graham told reporters, adding “and if there is not evidence, please stop saying that.”
Graham also reminded Trump that “you are now the president-elect of the United States. If you really believe that millions of people voted illegally, you should have some proof. Because your voice is not just an ordinary voice.”
The notion that Trump would have won the popular vote had it not been for illegal immigrants originated from Greg Phillips of VoteStand. Although Phillips has provided no data to back up his assertion, it was quickly popularized by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (on whose show Trump has appeared before), with Jones claiming last week that “3 million votes in the U.S. presidential election were cast by illegal aliens, according to Greg Phillips of the VoteFraud.org organization. If true, this would mean that Donald Trump still won the contest despite widespread vote fraud and almost certainly won the popular vote.”
Trump, of course, has been doubling down on his claim that he would have won the popular vote had it not been for illegal immigrants. On Monday he went on one of his distinctive Twitter rants, targeting CNN for debunking his claim and repeatedly trying to validate the notion that he won the popular vote using a classic logical fallacy — that is, asserting that the burden of proof lies on his critics to prove something didn’t happen, which is inherently impossible regardless of whether a given allegation has merit.
"@HighonHillcrest: @jeffzeleny what PROOF do u have DonaldTrump did not suffer from millions of FRAUD votes? Journalist? Do your job! @CNN"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
"@JoeBowman12: @jeffzeleny just another generic CNN part time wannabe journalist !" @CNN still doesn't get it. They will never learn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
"@FiIibuster: @jeffzeleny Pathetic – you have no sufficient evidence that Donald Trump did not suffer from voter fraud, shame! Bad reporter.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
"@sdcritic: @HighonHillcrest @jeffzeleny @CNN There is NO QUESTION THAT #voterfraud did take place, and in favor of #CorruptHillary !"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
.@CNN is so embarrassed by their total (100%) support of Hillary Clinton, and yet her loss in a landslide, that they don't know what to do.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016
As a reputable journalistic outlet, Salon joins CNN in emphasizing that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election. This is an indisputable fact, and all members of the press must stand united in speaking truth to power even if the power in question is throwing a Trump-sized temper tantrum in protest.
