On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” in discussing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s concerns about election being rigged, Republican strategist Karl Rove highlighted the “the hypocrisy of some Democrats on this.
He added, “The night of the debate, one of the most ardent voices on this was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the ever voluble, ever heard from Jesse Jackson, who said how dare he do this. Well he was the guy who, even after the Supreme Court acted in 2000 and ended the election controversy, said Bush is not the legitimately elected President of the United States.”
Rove also pointed out Dick Gephardt and Paul Begala unwillingness to accept the legitimacy of President George W. Bush.
Partial transcript as follows:
WALLACE: Well, Karl, the conventional wisdom is that Trump was having a pretty good debate until he refused to say that he would accept the results of the election. Do you agree with both parts of that premise?
KARL ROVE, FORMER BUSH WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR: I — I do because, look, what matters is not just simply the debate, but the aftermath of the debate. And he guaranteed that all that good work that he did in prosecuting the case that he was the agent of change and she was the status quo was wiped out in the controversy that — that came as a result of his answer to that question. And it — and it continued for several days more. I mean, the — the next day he compounds it by saying at a rally, I believe in North Carolina, I’ll — I’ll accept the outcome if I win, guaranteeing that the story would go on for yet another day.
WALLACE: And — and why is that such a big deal? Because people are saying, well, look, in 2000, in which you were familiar with, and — and allegations of fraud, what — why is it such a big deal way in advance of president — or a presidential candidate saying, I — I — no, I don’t commit to respecting the results?
ROVE: Because as long as we’ve had our republic, we have had a peaceful transition of power. Now, there — there have been moments of acrimony and division, 1876, 2000. But we have had this great tradition of the peaceful transition of power. Now, look, I want to say something about the hypocrisy of some Democrats on this. The elect — the night of the debate, one of the most ardent voices on this was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the ever voluble, ever heard from Jesse Jackson, who said, how dare he do this. Well, he was the guy who even after the Supreme Court acted in 2000 and ended the election controversy said Bush is not the legitimately elected president of the United States. I would remind people it was the Democratic House leader, Dick Gephardt, who refused to say Bush was the legitimately elected president of the United States, even in December of 2000. And we have dead enders like Paul Begala and other who still go around and say Bush was not the legitimately elected president. So Democrats ought to be a little careful before they sort of envelope themselves in hypocrisy.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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