Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Obama accuses Republicans of trying to ‘RIG’ elections by passing laws requiring voters to show ID that prevents double votings, non citizens voting, fake voting and counting people who never voted as voters

Obama accuses Republicans of trying to ‘RIG’ elections by passing laws requiring voters to show ID that prevents double votings, non citizens voting, fake voting and counting people who never voted as voters

Barack Obama has accused Republicans of trying to ‘rig’ elections by passing state voter ID laws – an ironic claim for an ex-president who blasted successor Donald Trump for suggesting the 2016 White House race could be gamed.

“You have to ask yourself: Why is it that Republicans don’t want you to vote?” Obama asked on Saturday while campaigning for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. “What is it that they’re so afraid of? You know, I would assume, if they think they’ve got better ideas, why don’t they just go make the case?”


Obama was referring to election-integrity laws passed this year by Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country. He didn’t specify how such measures would stop people from voting in a nation where photo identification is required to drive a car, board a flight, get vaccinated, pick up a prescription, hold a bank account, get a job or receive public benefits.

Nevertheless, Obama argued that Republicans apparently don’t want to persuade voters with winning ideas. “Tell us your ideas,” he said. “Tell us why you think they’re gonna be better. Tell us how it’s gonna help that man get a job or help that young person go to college or help that person get a trade.”

"Just explain it, and if you’ve got good ideas, people will flock to your ideas. But that’s not what they try to do. Instead, you’re trying to rig elections. Because the truth is, people disagree with your ideas."


Obama and other party leaders have argued that the new state election laws are efforts to suppress voting by predominantly Democrat voters. He went so far in June as to suggest that the GOP is not only changing rules needed to maintain a “diverse, multiracial democracy,” but also “rigging the game” in a way that is “not going to be good for business, not to mention for our soul.”

The claims seem to reflect a radical change in views since 2016, when Obama said Trump was “irresponsible” and threatened to undermine “integrity and trust in our institutions” by alleging that the presidential election could be “rigged” in favor of Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. He added that “no serious person out there would suggest somehow that you could even rig America’s elections.”


Clinton took the theme a step further, saying Trump was “threatening our democracy” by refusing to unconditionally pledge to accept the election result. The same political sermons were preached in 2020, as Trump was bashed as a threat to the American system of government for making claims of widespread election fraud and not conceding defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.

In Saturday’s campaign speech for McAuliffe, Obama appeared to meld the notions of attacking election integrity and condemning those who do the same. In the next breath after accusing Republicans of trying to rig elections, the former president accused the GOP of “fabricating lies and conspiracy theories about the last election, the one you didn’t win. That’s not how democracy is supposed to work.”

Obama then returned to defending the sanctity of the American election system. “Our democracy is what makes America great. It’s what makes a shining city on a hill. This extraordinary experiment in self-government, and protecting that and preserving that, that shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It didn’t use to be.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×