Letter: Sen. Lee, it’s time to condemn dangerous, baseless claims

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks at a campaign rally for President Donald Trump at Phoenix Goodyear Airport Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, in Goodyear, Ariz. | Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press

Sen. Mike Lee and his colleagues in the Senate are, in many important ways, the first line of defense in protecting American democracy. They already know that the president’s remarks Thursday night contained disturbing claims about election tampering that have been widely discredited by thousands of election officials, poll watchers, independent experts and news agencies. I believe his words will have the effect of emboldening vigilante groups and increasing the likelihood of violent protests in the days ahead.

The campaign is over. It is time for Sen. Lee to unite his fellow Republican senators in condemning the president’s baseless remarks and to use his influence to unite the country. I am 100% supportive of the president pursuing every legal means necessary to ensure that the vote count is accurate and fair, but dishonest accusations about DNC tampering do nothing but fuel the fire of division and hate.

I am aware that Sen. Lee already made a statement about being patient while votes are counted. He must now let the country know that the president’s remarks are baseless and dangerous. If he does not say anything and violence ensues, I believe he and his colleagues will be complicit. I also believe the effect will be much more potent before the AP calls a winner, and not after.

Rob Swenson

Pleasant Grove

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/369BUuJ