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Outgoing Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman of Virginia unleashed a barrage of criticism against Donald Trump, his “anti-American” allies and supporters on Saturday, as the president continues to cast doubt on his electoral defeat.
Riggleman is one of the few Republicans to have recognized President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Trump. Most media called for the election of the Democrat, who garnered 306 electoral college votes, more than two weeks ago, but Trump refused to give in.
In an interview with Forbes, Riggleman condemned his fellow Republicans for remaining silent amid Trump’s attempts to cast doubt on the electoral process by claiming “rigged” and “stolen” elections. It is “totally unethical,” he said, explaining that some of his colleagues believe breaking up with Trump “would cost them their careers.”
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“The career is more important than the facts, it is that simple,” added Riggleman. “I’m so sick of it. I’m sick of it.”
Riggleman admitted there were “real believers” in Trump’s claims of widespread electoral fraud, but went on to suggest that they were not smart people. “[It] really talks about your level of intelligence … to believe in this type of operation, ”he said.
Lawmakers also criticized Trump for embracing “anti-Semitic” and “anti-American” supporters and added that it was “irresponsible” of the president to retweet QAnon’s plots.
“He was so desperate to hold onto power that he forgot he served people and not himself,” Riggleman said of Trump, adding that the president had “never served anything other than himself, when you talk about his businesses and what he has done “.
In a statement to NewsweekRiggleman noted that he doesn’t think all MAGA supporters are “anti-American,” only those who push pro-Trump conspiracy theories. He also affirmed his belief that “conspiracy theories can cause enormous damage and that those which knowingly propagate them and know they are false are dangerous”.
Riggleman’s remarks came hours after he hit back on a tweet accusing him of being “responsible” for “the corrupt election” that led to Trump’s loss. The tweet named Riggleman and a number of other Republicans who acknowledged Biden’s victory or called for a peaceful transition of power to the new Biden administration.
“I am proud to be on this list with my honorable colleagues – it is one of many in circulation,” he replied. “We have been labeled and called ‘traitors’ because of our use of data analysis, fact and common sense. It’s time for a GOP that represents the heart of America, not the manic fringes.”
Since polling day, Trump has aggressively alleged widespread electoral fraud and a “rigged” election in remarks to the public via Twitter. His campaign has also launched a series of lawsuits in key states seeking to overturn his loss, but lawsuits have so far been unsuccessful in court.
On November 19, the Trump campaign promised its supporters “massive bombs” over its claims, but its failure to provide substantive evidence angered some loyalists, such as radio host Rush Limbaugh.
Newsweek contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
This story has been updated to include additional remarks from Riggleman.
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