GOP pollster B.J. Martino is encouraging Republicans to talk more about the threat of foreign powers interfering in the U.S. election process.
“I think the better answer for Republicans is to focus on the exterior threat to this country from foreign governments who want to influence our election,” Martino, a partner at the Tarrance Group, told Hill.TV’s Jamal Simmons on “What America’s Thinking.”
“Talking about protecting our country, and the integrity of our elections going forward is something that we need to talk about,” he continued. “That’s really where the Republican focus needs to be on all of this coming out of this report.”
Martino’s comments come after The New York Times reported on Wednesday that former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was warned by chief of staff Mick Mulvaney not to brief Trump on potential Russian election interference in the 2020 presidential campaign.
Mulvaney reportedly said it “wasn’t a great subject and should be kept below [the president’s] level.”
Trump has repeatedly torn into special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe in Russian election meddling in 2016, frequently calling it a “witch hunt” and “presidential harassment.”
The investigation wrapped up last month, finding no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.
— Julia Manchester
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.