NBC’s Chuck Todd to GOP Senator on Electoral College Challenge: ‘You’re the arsonist here’

Chuck toddCharles (Chuck) David ToddSenators, Experts Confident Russia Behind Cyber ​​Attack Despite Trump Skepticism Surgeon General Candidate Says A More Contagious Virus Strain In The UK Doesn’t Appear To Be More Deadly Omar Accuses Trump Of ‘ dangerous criminal negligence ” on the response to COVID-19 PLUS of NBC’s “Meet the Press” sharply criticized Sen. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonSenate Democrats berate GOP colleagues for saying they will oppose Electoral College results Sunday shows sneak peek: Senate candidates gear up for second round in Georgia; Government continues to roll out coronavirus vaccine 11 Senate Republicans say they will oppose Electoral College results on Wednesday MORE during an interview on Sunday about the Wisconsin Republican’s decision to join other GOP senators in contesting the presidential election in several states, saying, “You are the arsonist here.”

“You and your colleagues created this controversy,” Todd told Johnson a day after 11 Republican senators announced in a letter that they would challenge the results, which will lead to debate and a vote in the House and Senate on Wednesday. .

Senators acted after a series of courts dismissed challenges to the Trump campaign results. The campaign argued that massive electoral fraud represented President TrumpDonald Trump appeals court dismisses Gohmert’s election lawsuit against Pence Kentucky governor calls vandalism at McConnell’s home “ unacceptable. ”the defeat of the elected president Joe bidenJoe Biden appeals court dismisses Gohmert’s election lawsuit against Pence Romney: Plan to challenge ‘blatant election ploy’ that ‘dangerously threatens’ Pence country ‘welcomes’ lawmakers ‘efforts to’ raise objections ” to the electoral college results PLUS, but he did not provide any evidence to support these claims, court after judgment.

“We are now locked in a vicious, destructive cycle. (…) You have alleged that there was widespread fraud. You have not provided specific evidence of this widespread fraud. But you demand an investigation on the grounds that “There are allegations. of widespread fraud,” Todd told Johnson, who is due for re-election in 2022 in a state where Biden narrowly beat Trump.

Johnson is the only GOP senator to announce a challenge to the election results that represents a state Biden won.

“So basically you’re the arsonist here,” Todd said, adding that Johnson didn’t “have the courage to speak the truth and admit that this election was fair”.

Johnson objected to Todd’s claim, saying the “fire” started when “the mainstream media abandoned any pretense of being impartial and in fact took sides in this election.”

“I didn’t start this,” Johnson added and accused the media of ignoring “our investigation into Hunter Biden.”

WATCH: @chucktodd at @senronjohnson: “You have alleged that there was widespread fraud, you have not provided specific evidence of this widespread fraud, but you demand an investigation into … the allegations of widespread fraud.”

“Basically, you are the arsonist here.” pic.twitter.com/PtZMSPoWtu

– Meet the press (@MeetThePress) January 3, 2021

In the statement released on Saturday, the 11 GOP senators said Congress “should immediately appoint an election commission, with full investigative and investigative authority, to conduct a 10-day emergency audit of election results. in the disputed States “.

“Once completed, individual states would assess the findings of the commission and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if necessary,” the senators said.

Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, has held several hearings related to voter fraud and other alleged irregularities in the election.

“You spent… a lot of your time hauling a lot of this insane conspiratorial water for President Trump,” Todd said. “I’m just trying to figure it out here. Why are you doing this? … Are you just trying to win the favor of the president’s constituents? … Is this just a cynical political ploy?”

Johnson responded that he was “trying to be transparent” and cited examples of “people voting twice” in Nevada as evidence of fraud.

“Just because you have someone telling you doesn’t mean it doesn’t make it real,” Todd interjected again. “Stop. … You can’t make these claims that none of them have been proven.”