Trump challenges editors and politicians to debate over electoral fraud lies

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Donald Trump has once again raked up the issue of his 2020 poll loss and called leading editors and politicians for a public debate over his factually incorrect claims of Joe Biden defeating him by resorting to electoral fraud.

“I am willing to challenge the heads of the various papers or even far left politicians, who have perpetuated the Real Big Lie, which is voter irregularities and fraud on a massive and determinative scale,” the former president said in a statement shared by his chief spokesperson Liz Harrington.

Mr Trump said: “Fake News Media cannot stand the fact that so many people in our Country know the truth”.

“...that the 2020 Election was rigged and stolen, yet almost every article contains the words the ‘Big Lie’ or ‘unsubstantiated facts,’ etc., always trying to demean the real results,” the statement read.

It added: “While I am willing to do it, they will never agree because they cannot argue that facts in states including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire, and others such as New Mexico, where the Democrat Secretary of State changed the voting laws without legislative approval just prior to the Election, making it virtually impossible for the Republican presidential candidate to win.”

Extending an invite for the debate over his false claims, Mr Trump said: “If anyone would like a public debate on the facts, not the fiction, please let me know. It will be a ratings bonanza for television!”

The former president has been relentless in his tirade that he lost due to electoral fraud despite no proof being available to back his claim.

Mr Trump lost to Mr Biden by more than 7 million popular vote and by 306-232 in the electoral college.

Many legal experts, authorities and even leaders from the Republican camp have stated that there was no widespread electoral fraud.

While none of the people Mr Trump wants to debate have responded to his statement, Pennsylvania’s attorney general on Twitter reminded him that this false claim peddled by him has already been addressed and defeated in the court of law — several times now.

“I’m pretty sure we had this debate in court. In fact, we had it dozens of times — and I won. If Trump and his handlers need a reminder of the facts, the court records of their losses are widely available,” Josh Shapiro said in a tweet.

American journalist Judd Legum also responded to Mr Trump’s challenge.

“Trump has challenged “anyone” to a debate on whether the 2020 election was stolen. I hereby accept,” Mr Legum said.

A post-election review pointed to Mr Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and dishonesty as a key reason for his losing the 2020 US presidential polls.

The report was based on analysis of exit polls from five states won by Mr Trump - Florida, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina and Iowa - and five lost by him - Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.