Colorado secretary of state knocks Trump, other Republicans for not condemning ‘rhetoric of violence’

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) on Tuesday slammed former President Trump and other high-ranking Republicans for not more forcefully condemning the heightened rhetoric of political violence, which she said often leads to actual violence and voter suppression.

In an interview with CNN’s John Berman on Tuesday, Griswold reiterated her pledge not to be intimidated by threats of violence against her, which she said have skyrocketed since the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump was ineligible to appear on the 2024 presidential primary ballot in the state under the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment.

While Griswold did not make the decision to bar Trump from the ballot herself — as Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) did shortly after Colorado’s ruling — Griswold has been outspoken in support of the ruling and has praised Bellows for her decision.

In a discussion about who is to blame for the threats she and Bellows have each recently faced and about increased political violence broadly, Griswold placed the blame squarely on Trump and Republicans who stay silent.

“I would say Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress and high-ranking Republicans across the nation who have not stood up to condemn the rhetoric of violence,” Griswold said, when asked who is to blame for the political violence.

She warned of the consequences of this rhetoric of violence.

“All the lies, all the disinformation are used as justification to suppress the vote across the nation. The lies have incited security breaches, including election officials breaching their own equipment, and have really incited a wave of political threats to election workers,” Griswold said.

“And the intended result is happening,” she continued, noting that Colorado has seen a one-third turnover rate since 2020 among elected county clerks, who run elections at the county level.

“So Donald Trump is, his rhetoric is dangerous. And of course, I would say there was not a mistake, or he knew what he was doing when he posted on social media the biography of the Maine secretary of state. That led to intimidation and threats against her,” she said.