More Biden press conference cleanup: Psaki insists he wasn't casting doubt on 2022 election legitimacy
Biden said 'it all depends' when asked if midterm election results would be legitimate
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted a clarification of President Biden's answer to a question from Wednesday's press conference about whether he believes the 2022 midterm elections will be fair and their results legitimate.
Biden began his answer with "Well, it all depends on whether or not we’re able to make the case to the American people that some of this is being set up to try to alter the outcome of the election," leading to concern that he was casting doubt on the election due to fear that Democrats will lose control of Congress.
Not so, Psaki said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Lets be clear: @potus was not casting doubt on the legitimacy of the 2022 election. He was making the opposite point: In 2020, a record number of voters turned out in the face of a pandemic, and election officials made sure they could vote and have those votes counted," she tweeted Thursday morning.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He was explaining that the results would be illegitimate if states do what the former president asked them to do after the 2020 election: toss out ballots and overturn results after the fact. The Big Lie is putting our democracy at risk. We’re fighting to protect it," she continued.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
In his response to the question, Biden did not mention or even allude to former President Trump, his claims of election fraud or efforts to overturn election results.
The president did repeat his party's talking point that Republicans are trying to make it more difficult for minorities to vote by supporting election security measures such as requiring voters to show identification. Despite accusing the GOP of having racist intentions, however, he claimed that laws being passed in red states will not actually keep anyone from voting.
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"Well, I think if, in fact — no matter how hard they make it for minorities to vote, I think you’re going to see them willing to stand in line and — and defy the attempt to keep them from being able to vote. I think you’re going to see the people who they’re trying to keep from being able to show up, showing up and making the sacrifice that needs to make in order to change the law back to what it should be," Biden said.