Rep. Andy Harris (R-NC) argued that North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature should declare Donald Trump the state’s winner now because Hurricane Helene has made voting too difficult. It “makes a lot of sense,” Harris reportedly said. Did I mention that Harris is chair of the House Freedom Caucus?
“You statistically can go and say, ‘Look, you got disenfranchised in 25 counties. You know what that vote probably would have been,’” Harris said during an exchange with a speaker at the dinner. “Which would be — if I were in the Legislature — enough to go, ‘Yeah we have to convene the legislature. We can’t disenfranchise the voters.’”
Harris’ comments were in response to a keynote speech by Ivan Raiklin, a pro-Trump activist who has long embraced a radical strategy of state legislatures guaranteeing Trump’s reelection if they deem the 2024 election tainted by fraud and corruption. Raiklin posted a video of his full speech on X as well as a separate clip of his exchange with Harris.
Polls show Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in a close race in North Carolina. Coincidence? Oh, come on. This is further proof that MAGA Republicans hate democracy. If you ask me, it’s the main reason they love fascist Trump so much.
Fortunately, Harris’ view does not seem to be widely held. Politico notes that North Carolina election officials have addressed post-Helene voting with new early voting sites and expanded access to absentee ballots. “The Trump campaign has supported measures to ease voting in light of the hurricane,” Politico says.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) told reporters on Friday he knows of no such plans for the state to award Trump its 16 Electoral College votes before Election Day. “It makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome. And that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina, bless his heart,” McHenry said of Harris’ suggestion.
