MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough sounded the alarm on President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power during Thursday’s “Morning Joe.” Scarborough demanded various GOP lawmakers condemn the remarks the president made Wednesday, calling many out by name.
They have to do it, the host said, “for the sake of America.”
“He’s setting this up by trying to draw out the possibility of a challenge but, again, Republicans haven’t followed him down this rabbit hole, at least in the Senate,” Scarborough explained. Still, he added, the party’s senators are not doing enough.
“I’m wondering what Ben Sasse thinks in Nebraska, of the President of the United States refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. I wonder what Cory Gardner in Colorado, what Martha McSally in Arizona, what Thom Tillis in North — hey, Thom!” he said.
Scarborough pivoted to speaking directly to Tillis, a senator in North Carolina. Then, he moved on to Maine’s Susan Collins.
“In our country, you have leaders that leave office and others that go into office because there’s a peaceful transfer of power, Susan Collins. I’m just wondering, Susan Collins, will you speak out today and condemn the President of the United States for being the first president in over 240 years of this constitutional republic to not guarantee a peaceful transfer of power?” he asked, dropping her name regularly, as he did with the other GOP senators.
In an exchange at the White House Wednesday, Trump refused to commit to a “peaceful transfer of power” should he lose the election and instead falsely suggested that the “ballots are out of control” ahead of voting day on Nov. 3.
“Win, lose or draw in this election, will you commit here today for a peaceful transferal of power after the election?” a reporter asked. “There has been rioting in Louisville, there’s been rioting in many cities across this country — red and your so-called red and blue states. Will you commit to making sure that there is a peaceful transferal of power after the election?”
“Well, we’re gonna have to see what happens,” Trump replied. “You know that. I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster.”
“I don’t think it’s hard,” Scarborough said Thursday of condemning Trump’s statement.
Watch above, via MSNBC.