Rep. Andy Harris, the newly elected chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, suggested that North Carolina should consider awarding its electors to Donald Trump before all votes are counted due to difficulties in voting caused by Hurricane Helene. This proposal was made during a Q&A session at a Maryland county Republican Party dinner, where a pro-Trump activist suggested that GOP-led state legislatures in various states, including North Carolina, should convene on Election Day to award their electoral votes to Trump. Harris expressed support for this idea in North Carolina, citing concerns about voter disenfranchisement in counties affected by the hurricane.
Harris later clarified that his statements were taken out of context and emphasized that every legal vote should be counted. He blamed Rep. Jamie Raskin for spreading doubts about certifying a potential Trump election victory. Harris, who was recently elected as chairman of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, played a role in previous efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The activist at the event suggested that popular figures like Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and Tucker Carlson could help mobilize Republican-controlled state legislatures to allocate electoral votes early to prevent voter fraud. Democrats criticized Harris for supporting the proposal to allocate North Carolina’s electoral votes before the election, accusing Republicans of trying to make Trump president regardless of the election outcome. Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted about the mainstream Republican goal to ensure Trump’s presidency.
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