House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labeled President Donald Trump, Republicans, and her political opponents “domestic enemies” on Monday for opposing universal mail-in voting rammed into place just 70 days before a national election.
Pelosi made the divisive remarks during an afternoon appearance on MSNBC condemning Trump for raising valid concerns about mandatory mail-in voting in every state. Such a proposal, which Democrats are exhaustively pursuing in part by spreading conspiracies about the Post Office, would force more than 40 states to try to create a secure system to conduct a national election just more than two months away.
“The Russians were there and they are there now 24/7 trying to interfere in our election, but they’re not the only ones,” Pelosi said. “We take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. And sadly, the domestic enemies to our voting system and our honoring of the Constitution are right at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with their allies in the Congress of the United States.”
UNHINGED: Nancy Pelosi labels Republicans "domestic enemies...enemies of the state" pic.twitter.com/8TnFfk3VFQ
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 24, 2020
The Democratic House speaker accused Trump of trying to depress turnout by bringing up the dangers of federalizing elections with sweeping changes so close to election day.
“They’re doing everything they can [to] suppress the vote with their actions, scare people, intimidate by saying law enforcement will be there, diminish the role of the postal system in all of this. It’s really actually shameful. Enemies of the state,” Pelosi said.
After failing to oust Trump with impeachment over a phone call, to prove Trump is a secret agent of the Kremlin, and to remove Trump with the Emoluments Clause, Democrats are pushing a new conspiracy claiming Trump is executing a diabolical plot to manipulate the Post Office to ensure a second term. The false narrative features allegations Trump is ordering Post Office boxes removed on street corners to prevent people from voting by mail.
Such theories, despite being widely debunked, have caught steam among Democrats’ loyal followers in legacy media and even provoked congressional testimony from the postmaster general.
“I have not, I’ll repeat again for the hundredth time, I have not removed any machines,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy before House lawmakers Monday.