Two GOP senators in reelection races are distancing themselves from Donald Trump’s claim that the election is “rigged,” joining a growing list of officials pushing back against the Republican presidential nominee.
Sens. Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) separately rejected the GOP nominee’s rhetoric during their debates this week.
{mosads}Asked about Trump’s comments, Rubio called on the real estate mogul to back down, noting that in Florida, “There is not a 60-county conspiracy to rig this election.”
“He should stop saying that,” Rubio said during his debate on Monday night. “There’s no evidence behind any of this. So this should not continue to be said. So do I believe people should have confidence? Yes.”
Toomey added in his debate against Democratic challenger Katie McGinty that the elections are “legitimate” and “have integrity.”
“We have, for 240 years … had the most successful, most vibrant republic in the history of the world. It depends to a very large degree on the American people having confidence in the outcome of our elections,” he said. “Everyone needs to respect the outcome.”
Trump is increasingly suggesting that he could lose next month because of widespread voter fraud and a “rigged” vote, as nearly every national poll shows Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton ahead in the presidential race.
His comments have drawn skepticism from some of his congressional supporters, who say he is going too far.
Both McGinty and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.), who is running against Rubio, knocked the GOP incumbents over refusing to cut ties with Trump, despite numerous his controversial comments since entering the race last year.
“I do think this is another one of those reasons why it is important for Sen. Toomey to say Donald Trump is unfit to be president of the United States,” McGinty said.
Democrats have raced to link GOP senators to Trump as they seek to retake control of the Senate. With Republicans defending 24 seats in November, Democrats need to win back five seats — or four if they retain the White House — to regain the majority.
Rubio is currently leading Murphy by roughly 4 percentage points, while Toomey is ahead in Pennsylvania by less than a point, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls.