WA Sec. of State Wyman ‘disappointed’ with Trump declaring victory prematurely
Nov 4, 2020, 9:27 AM | Updated: Oct 7, 2024, 9:13 am
President Trump delivering a speech Tuesday night. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Despite presidential election results still largely being up in the air in a handful of key battleground states, President Trump declared victory for his campaign Tuesday. That’s an assertion that many Republicans, including Washington’s own Secretary of State Kim Wyman, have spoken out against.
Few surprises for Washington voters on Election Night
In a speech delivered late Tuesday night, Trump stated that late counts trending toward Democrats in states like Michigan and Wisconsin constituted “a fraud on the American public.”
“This is an embarrassment to the country — we were getting ready to win this election,” Trump asserted. “Frankly, we did win this election.”
The president continued that message Wednesday, claiming on Twitter that “they are finding Biden votes all over the place” in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, while asking why mail-in ballots “are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?”
That’s led to Twitter labeling four out of a series of six tweets from the president as “disputed,” warning that they “might be misleading” concerning the election process.
They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP. Likewise, Michigan and others!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 4, 2020
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican currently leading in her own bid for reelection, refuted those claims Wednesday.
“I am disappointed that someone on my side would be making those kind of brash allegations without really any facts,” Wyman told Seattle’s Morning News on KIRO Radio. “It’s posturing, and it’s what the president does. With that said, it’s what candidates who are losing do.”
Many Republicans have echoed that sentiment, including one senior GOP official who told CNN that “we don’t agree with what’s coming out of the White House.”
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro similarly stated that “Trump has not already won the election, and it is deeply irresponsible for him to say he has.”
As of publishing, early Wednesday morning totals from the Associated Press had Biden pulling ahead in both Wisconsin and Michigan, and gaining ground in Pennsylvania, where mail-in absentee ballots are still being tallied.
As the race continues to play out, Wyman encourages voters to be patient and combat any misinformation from either party “with the facts.”
Listen to Seattle’s Morning News weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
