Tapper spars with DeWine over GOP effort to overturn election results

CNN’s Jake Tapper repeatedly pressed Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) during a Sunday interview on whether his party was to blame for skepticism over the election results, particularly among supporters of President Trump.

DeWine and Tapper went back and forth on the issue during Sunday’s episode of “State of the Union,” with the CNN host blaming Republican claims of voter fraud, that have been rejected by courts and state officials in battleground states, for distrust of the election results among some Americans.

“We have a lot of people in this country who, you know, are very concerned-” DeWine said, during the exchange, before being cut off by Tapper.

“Because they’ve been lied to,” Tapper interjected. “Governor, because they’ve been lied to by President Trump for weeks.”

“Jake, let’s stay at the big picture. The big picture, with changes in technology, potential hacking, all of these things, we need to have a commission, as Sen. [Rob] Portman [R-Ohio] says, that takes a long look at this. Not something you can do in ten days,” the governor responded.

“Why is this important? If for no other reason…there are a lot of people out there that are questioning this election. People need to have confidence,” he continued.

“Forget me…there are Republican senators who say that people in your party are doing real, lasting damage to American democracy by fully embracing these dangerous conspiracy theories,” Tapper shot back.

DeWine: “We have a lot of people in this country who are very concerned–”@JakeTapper: “Because they have been lied to, Governor.” pic.twitter.com/lxLuhvIkWF

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 3, 2021

DeWine previously made headlines in the days immediately following the election as one of the few prominent Republican elected officials to acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. 

At the time, while referring to Biden as president-elect, DeWine told CNN that Trump has “every right to go into court” to challenge the election results.

“Our courts are open. Our courts are the best place, frankly, to adjudicate facts. I’m a former prosecutor. I’m a great believer to have your courts and go in to make a case and they have every right to do that, and that looks like what they’re trying to do,” he told CNN’s John Berman in November.