David Cerd and Kelly Lofler are facing fierce re-election battles that could determine the control of the U.S. Senate in the January two elections.
McDonnell told Republicans’ fiery crowd that the meeting and congratulatory session of the RNC chair on Saturday, which publicly aired the grievances surrounding the Nov. 3 election, was “not decided. This is important – it is not decided.”
He pointed to the certified results of the November 3 Georgia Senate race, which showed Bertou’s leading Democratic challenger John Osof by a margin of 88,000 votes. In Georgia, if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, those who get the two best votes go to the polls.
“So if you lose your confidence, you don’t vote, if people walk away – it will decide,” McDonnell said.
“Well, I said today (Sense. Lofler and Bertou) that I think you’re acting very fraudulently, and I’m very worried about that,” the president said at a news conference Thursday, referring to both Republican senators as “huge” people. ”
“We didn’t see it in the audit, so we got it … we never saw that evidence, so we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.
Closing his comments, McDonnell appealed to voters “to be upset with some Republicans,” including Rafansberger, to “focus on the work at hand.”
“It’s John Ossoff and (Rafael) Warnock,” said McDonnell, a member of the audience, “and Donald Trump!”
“But we now have to focus on January 5th,” McDonnell continued. “We can deal with other things later.”
Speaking to reporters after the event, the RNC leader dismissed concerns that fears about the legitimacy of the election could encourage supporters of the president to vote.
“The president has said he supports Kelly Lofler and David Bertue, who is coming to Georgia to campaign,” he told CNN.
“They have to campaign for him here because, as you saw in that room, there is widespread support for the president in Georgia, and he wants to see him continue on the campaign trail for these candidates. Fight his own wars and make sure his election is fair and transparent.”
The day before Trump’s visit, next Friday, Vice President Mike Pence is also expected in Georgia – a source close to the Berdue and Lofler campaigns, according to CNN.
During a small business Saturday walk in Atlanta, Ossoff called the Republican election a “distraction.”
“So all that nonsense and distraction, the denial of the election results, should focus on controlling the spread of this virus and providing direct financial relief to ordinary Americans who are suffering,” he said.
This report has been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Maw Reston and Kristen Holmes contributed to the report.
