Congressman quits GOP over Trump’s election fraud claims

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Michigan Rep. Paul Mitchell left the Republican Party over his disgust with President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
• The congressman’s move on Monday came as the Electoral College met to confirm Biden’s presidential win.
• In a letter addressed to GOP leaders, he requested to become an Independent.

Michigan Rep. Paul Mitchell sent a scathing letter on Monday stating that he was quitting the GOP over President Donald Trump’s actions after losing in the Nov. 3 election.

The congressman explained his decision in a letter addressed to GOP leaders — Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. , he explained his decision to leave his party despite years of support.

In the letter he posted on Twitter, Mitchell wrote that politicians, including the president, must be ready to accept the outcome of elections — win or lose.

“It is unacceptable for political candidates to treat our election system as though we are a third-world nation and incite distrust of something so basic as the sanctity of our vote,” wrote Mitchell. “Further, it is unacceptable for the president to attack the Supreme Court of the United States because its judges, both liberal and conservative, did not rule with his side or that ‘the Court failed him.’ It was our Founding Fathers’ objective to insulate the Supreme Court from such blatant political motivations.” 

The lawmaker seemed to agree with the sentiments shared by many Republicans that there had been irregularities surrounding the election. He wrote that there were likely “administrative errors and even some fraudulent voting likely occurred” due to the size of the voter turnout.

However, Mitchell said that Trump and his legal team have failed to provide significant proof of fraud “to impact the outcome of the election.”

He wrote, “Ronna, you know Michigan politics well. President Trump did not lose Michigan because of Wayne County, but rather he lost because of dwindling support in areas including Kent and Oakland County, both previous Republican strongholds.”

Source: The HILL