They are just three little words, but they have become nearly impossible for many Republicans to say: “Joe Biden won.”
Eleven months after the Democrat’s inauguration, Republican lawmakers and candidates across the country are squirming and stumbling rather than acknowledging the fact of Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
In debates and interviews, they offer circular statements or vague answers when asked whether they believe Biden won.
The hazy statements are one measure of election denialism within the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election have so taken hold among GOP voters that many of the party’s candidates either believe them or fear the political repercussions of refuting Trump. That sets up a surreal dynamic for next year’s elections, where the toughest question posed to GOP candidates — particularly in primaries — may be one with a one-word answer that they’re reluctant to give.
APN
