Maxine Waters slams Trump for security concerns over election challenge
EXCLUSIVE: The California lawmaker says she is concerned pro-Trump protesters, like The Proud Boys, will 'storm a building' while armed with open carry guns
Democratic California Congresswoman Maxine Waters is straightforward with her thoughts about the president as the 117th Congress holds its joint session today. Fireworks are expected as Republicans plan to challenge the certified tallies of states where President Donald Trump lost in his 2020 Oval Office bid.
By phone on Tuesday night, Trump campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley told theGrio, “the president feels he has legitimate concerns and evidence about alleged fraud in the election process.”
Read More: DC mayor activates National Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests over election
In order to support his false claims, the president even publicly solicited proof of fraud. Fraud claims were the centerpiece of 60 lawsuits that have been denied in court. Gidley retorted those court defeats, saying “the cases were lost not on merit but lost to judicial technicalities.”
He goes on to say “there is evidence of fraud and illegalities” in states such as “Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada,” adding, “The evidence includes, votes without signature match, double voting and votes without identification.”
Gidly contends, “if the challenges are heard in the House and Senate, it will be the first time many of these lawmakers have heard this evidence.”
Read More: Georgia’s Brad Raffensperger ‘never believed’ Trump call was appropriate
A concerned Congresswoman Waters believes Trump is simply trying to “create controversy and chaos.”
In an exclusive interview with theGrio, Waters described Trump’s actions as posturing. “They know they cannot overrun the people’s vote. But they will engage in this activity,” she told theGrio. “He wants to show he has power and that he can intimidate and he is not going away.“
President Trump is publicly supporting the Jan. 6 gathering of his supporters in Washington, D.C. who believe Trump’s claims that his loss was the result of voter fraud. Some of the president’s supporters are converging on the nation’s Capitol to include an anticipated group of riotous bigots and white supremacists.
Congresswoman Waters expects “the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers are here to support him and raise hell and try to intimidate us.”
“It is going to be messy and it is going to be ugly,” she warned. Waters is concerned some in the crowd might try to “storm a building “ and or have “open carry” guns like they do in other areas. Open carry is not allowed in D.C.
Read More: Proud Boys leader arrested for burning BLM banner stolen from Black church
Those converging on the nation’s Capitol have drawn the attention of the Mayor of D.C. and the city’s police agencies. Mayor Muriel Bowser received approval from the Pentagon to have the National Guard in place for the potentially violent demonstrations.
Congresswoman Waters feels it is a “dangerous” situation as federal lawmakers and their staff have been given directives on how to stay safe in case of some type of aggression or intimidation during these politically and racially tense moments.
With all the drama anticipated today, there are those who are counting down the days before President Trump is no longer leading the country.
Congresswoman Waters has wanted President Trump out of the White House since the day he was elected and was an early voice in Congress to have him impeached. The senior-ranked lawmaker said it is way past time for Trump to leave office.
“I believe he may try not to leave the White House and he has kind of implied that and I have said that they need to walk him out,” she said. “And I am told we got a lot of feedback from his constituents who were mad at me by saying that. I am going beyond that now. If he resists drag him out.”
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