Top House Intel Republican condemns Trump’s calls to suspend Constitution over 2020 election

by Zach Schonfeld - 12/04/22 11:27 AM ET

Rep. Mike Turner (Ohio), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, on Sunday condemned former President Trump’s suggestion to suspend the Constitution over unfounded claims of mass electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

During an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” moderator Margaret Brennan asked Turner if he condemned Trump’s post on Saturday calling for “the termination of all rules,” including those in the Constitution, over his election claims.

“Absolutely,” Turner responded. “And I believe, answering your question, that people certainly are going to take into consideration a statement like this as they evaluate a candidate.”

Trump formally entered the 2024 presidential race last month, and the post marks the latest instance of some in the GOP criticizing the former president since his announcement.

“I, first of all, vehemently disagree with with the statement that Trump has made,” Turner said on CBS. “Trump has made 1,000 statements in which I disagree.”

Others in the party, such as Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), however, declined to condemn Trump’s suggestion during an appearance on the Sunday talk show circuit.

The former president has also faced condemnation in recent days over dining with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, and white supremacist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago last month.

Ye prior to the dinner faced controversy over a recent string of antisemitic comments, causing him to lose multiple brand partnerships, and days after dining with Trump, Ye praised Adolf Hitler and Nazis during an appearance on Infowars.

“This is atrocious,” Turner told Brennan when asked about the dinner.

“I think everyone both condemns and is shocked and is disgusted and nauseated by the fact that we’re, even in this year, in 2022, having anyone that would make statements like that, nevertheless have anybody who would engage in a conversation with someone who’s making statements like that,” Turner said.