A group of Arizona Republicans is working to counter the narrative from former President Donald Trump and others that elections are rigged. The Democracy Defense Project aims to “defend the transparency, safety, security and validity of Arizona’s elections system and restore voter confidence.”
The effort includes former Gov. Jan Brewer and former Congressman Matt Salmon. Salmon says there are many Republicans who share his belief that elections are run fairly and administered properly, but that some have been reluctant to say so out of a fear of retribution.
Salmon joined The Show to discuss why he thinks there are people who don’t think elections are run fairly and that the people who are administering them are cheating.
Conversation highlights
MATT SALMON: I think that today there are a number of people that are concerned about the security of our elections because the former president of the United States, and one of our leading candidates here in Arizona, who ran for governor, seemed to foment those arguments, those thoughts. And I think a lot of people have bought into it because the argument doesn't seem to just go away.
Where does the fact you’re standing up to election conspiracy theories leave you with your party, the GOP?
SALMON: Well, you mentioned that I'm a, a conservative and I don't think whether you're conservative, moderate or liberal has anything to do with whether or not you accept truth versus fiction. Yeah, I'm very, very conservative in where I stand on the policy line. I, you know, I've always I've been very, very conservative. I still am. But I don't, I don't subscribe to things that aren't true.
How do you personally try to mesh how you feel about elections and how you feel about policy issues with the people who are running as Republicans?
SALMON: And for me, there are people that, that are running, that advocate, you know, different thoughts on the election than I do. And, and thank heavens, this is a free country and they have the right to speak in a free way and, and to advocate the things that they want to.
I think it's irresponsible to advocate that our elections are not secure and that they're unsafe or that elections in our country don't account for the votes in the right way. I, I think that hurts a person's confidence in the process. And I think that's sad and I think that people who run for office and try to destroy people's belief in our constitutional democracy. I, I think that's very, very troublesome in my view.
How big of an issue do you think false claims will be in this year’s election?
SALMON: I think that as each election happens, the number of people that subscribe to the idea that, you know, that as you mentioned, individuals who are election deniers, I think that they're gonna shrink because there are a lot more people that are willing to stand up even, you know, within my party and, and counter those arguments.
But right now, it's still pretty prevalent, there's still a lot of people that agree with the viewpoints of the former president of the United States. And you mentioned in the debate, he said that, I was disappointed that he said that and there are other candidates that continue to make that an issue in their campaigns. And right now in Arizona, it's still an issue and it's still a problem. It's a serious problem, it hasn't gone away.
And that's why I think it necessitates us doing what we're doing to try to counter those arguments and let people know that the elections are safe and secure, their vote does count, because that counter narrative is, is harmful to the whole democratic process.
How do you move the needle when Trump is still leading the ticket and a major force in Republican politics?
SALMON: As long as the leaders of the Republican Party continue to espouse the election denialism and things that aren't true, we're gonna keep losing. And maybe when the Republican Party has lost enough, I think that's already happened. But, you know, to today as we look forward to the election in just a few short weeks, you know, a lot of people are kind of holding their breath, wondering if there's a possibility that Republicans will lose control of the majority control of the state Legislature or, or lose it in one of the bodies.
believe we've already hit rock bottom, you know, as far as our election chances, our election successes in the last few election cycles, I believe we've already hit rock bottom. Maybe we haven't. Maybe, you know, with a lot of people, there's gonna have to be a lot more losses before they'll change the things that they want to talk about in elections.
As long as, as long as we keep talking in general elections about stolen elections, that we don't concern ourselves with future policies and making our state and our country a better place to live as long as we keep focusing on the past and, and fiction, I think we're gonna keep losing.
Is there a danger of a reinforcing cycle where if Republicans continue to lose, it becomes easier for Republicans to say they keep losing because the elections are rigged?
SALMON: Yeah, there is a real risk. And, and that's a really, really good point. There's a risk that people will dig deeper and deeper into those beliefs and it will continue to cost us at the election ballot.
