Mnuchin dodges CNBC questions on whether Trump lying over election

Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin dodged questions from CNBC on Wednesday over whether former President Trump is lying when he claims the 2020 election was stolen.

During an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” CNBC’s chief Washington correspondent Eamon Javers asked Mnunchin if he believed that Trump’s claims about the election are lies.

Instead of answering the question, Mnuchin spoke about how he was “very involved” with the former president’s 2016 campaign, but wasn’t able to participate in the 2020 campaign.

“Well, let me just say, I was very, very involved in the campaign in 2016 and I traveled with the president across the country and was integrally involved in everything,” Mnunchin said.

“In 2020, I wasn’t able to participate in the campaign,” Mnunchin continued. “So I’m really just watching this from the outside.”

When Former President Donald Trump says the election in November was stolen do you believe that was a lie?
. @EamonJavers asks @stevenmnuchin1: pic.twitter.com/RNMlPiDsDV

— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) July 14, 2021

Trump and his GOP allies repeatedly assert, without evidence, that the 2020 election was riddled with widespread voter fraud.

When Javers pushed Mnuchin again on whether he thinks Trump is lying about the election, the former Treasury secretary praised Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“What I’m saying is I’m focused on our investments, our business going forward,” Mnuchin said. “I think the president’s policies were extraordinary in COVID whether it’s the vaccine or other issues. All the work we did under COVID the bipartisan support we had, to get the economy recovered.”

Later in the interview, host Andrew Ross Sorkin pressed Mnuchin on why he wouldn’t engage in the questions about the election.

“We have a great democracy. It’s working. It worked. We had a transition of power. I hope the President considers running again down the road,” says @stevenmnuchin1. pic.twitter.com/Vr6HWl1WGJ

— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) July 14, 2021

“I don’t understand why given your stature, you’re not willing to engage on the conversation around what the president has said about this election,” Sorkin said. “I gather you’re trying to dodge the question, but I really think that for the sake of the country, for the sake of democracy, and for the sake of economy and business, you should.”

Mnunchin said that America had a “great democracy,” adding that he hopes Trump considers running again someday.

“We have a great democracy. It’s working. It worked. We had a transition of power. I hope the president considers running again down the road,” Mnuchin said. “I think this is an extraordinary democracy, and as you said, we have an extraordinary economy.”