John Avlon did his reality check segment about Trump's election lies.
"Outgoing President Trump's refusal to recognize the election results has moved from denial to delusion in recent days, claiming that he won by a landslide and that he won the election by a lot," Avlon said.
"Since Election Day, Twitter has flagged content on Trump's account more than 200 times. On Sunday, he even suggested without evidence that the FBI and DOJ may be in on a plot against him. Now, if you're confused about what's true in this blizzard of lies, just listen to how a Trump-appointed federal judge rejected a Trump appeal on Friday.
"Quote, 'calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.' Or, you could look at the results of the Wisconsin recount, requested by the Trump campaign. It cost them $3 million to increase Joe Biden's lead by 87 votes. Or look at the Trump megadonor, who wants his $2.5 million back after the Trump legal team dropped cases for lack of evidence.
"Look, there are two options here. One is that the president is lying. And this would be in keeping with the more than 23,000 false or misleading claims he's made in office. It would also mean that he is playing his supporters for fools. Second is that Trump really believes he won, despite all the evidence. And if the president's massive yet fragile ego obscures his ability to recognize reality, then he is delusional and should be treated the same way as someone who insists the earth is flat.
"If this sounds unfair to members of the Flat Earth Society, consider that a White House adviser told the Washington Post that Trump is acting like Mad King George, muttering, 'I won, I won.' Nonetheless, of course, some synchophants are echoing Trump and inflaming the base. To date, there are just 23 republican members of Congress who have publicly acknowledged Joe Biden's win. This is progress. But it's still fewer than the number of GOP lawmakers who have tested positive for covid.
"The people who really deserve our democracy's thanks are those Republican state officials who put country over party. People like Aaron Van Langefelde, a Republican member of Michigan's state board of canvassers who resisted partisan pressure and certified the election there. Or Clint Hickman, the Arizona Republican chairman of the Maricopa County board of supervisors, who called on Republicans to dial back the rhetoric, rumors, and false claims after people threatened to kill the Democratic secretary of state's family and pets.
"Or Georgia Secretary of State Brad Brad Raffensperger, who's also facing death threats and being labeled an enemy of people for doing his job. He said, quote, 'If Republicans don't start condemning this stuff, I think they're really complicit. It's time to stand up and be counted. Are you going to stand for righteousness, are you going to stand for integrity, or are you going to stand for the wild mob? You wanted to condemn the wild mob when it's on the left side. What are you going to do when it's on our side?'
"That is the question and it's pathetic that most Republican elected officials are still too afraid of a lame or delusional lame duck to answer it. And that's your reality check."
