Both Sides!

While Trump routinely floods the zone with misinformation about elections, experts noted that there has been problematic rhetoric on both sides. Some insiders told CNN they’re afraid that Democratic partisans could reject the legitimacy of the results, or cause civil unrest, if Trump wins again with the help of foreign meddling, of if there is proof of large-scale voter suppression. Some top Democrats have said Trump’s 2016 victory was illegitimate, including Clinton and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights icon who died from cancer on Friday. They pointed to Russia’s election-interference efforts to weaken Clinton and help Trump, using viral propaganda on social media, military-grade hacking and damaging email leaks, according to US intelligence. The US government says Russia didn’t change vote tallies. But it’s impossible to measure the electoral impact of Russia’s systematic campaign against Clinton, and Trump clinched the presidency by winning Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania with smaller-than-1% margins.

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams has also faced significant criticism for refusing to concede her gubernatorial race in 2018. The election was marred by widespread allegations of voter suppression, and took place with controversial laws enacted by Republicans that appeared to target and disenfranchise Black voters. Abrams is a potential vice-presidential pick for Biden. “This rhetoric has become widespread, not just with Trump and the conspiracy caucus in the Republican Party, but with some Democrats as well,” said Doug Heye, a GOP strategist and CNN political commentator. “A big part of the Democratic Party absolutely believes Stacey Abrams had that election stolen from her, and she has never stood up to say that it wasn’t.”