Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase, a Republican, has publicly called for martial law after the electoral college confirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s win on Monday. Martial law would entail military control of work normally left to ordinary government authorities, and retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who recently received a pardon from the president, has already endorsed a demand for “limited martial law” and a subsequent new presidential election that the military would run instead of civilian election authorities. These are authoritarian and dictatorial tactics — plain and simple. Republicans endorsing this plan are outright rejecting the basic democratic principles that underpin governance in the U.S.
In a Facebook post, Chase said as follows, referring to President-elect Biden:
‘Not my President and never will be. The American people aren’t fools. We know you cheated to win and we’ll never accept these results. Fair elections we can accept but cheating to win; never. It’s not over yet. So thankful President Trump has a backbone and refuses to concede. President Trump should declare martial law as recommended by General Flynn.’
GOP candidate for governor in Virginia urges Trump to declare martial law. Trump's constant lies about the election could be dangerous. pic.twitter.com/aueXFpFW6t
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) December 15, 2020
The level of delusion underpinning these remarks is, quite simply, staggering. The outgoing U.S. Attorney General, the Department of Homeland Security, and local election officials around the country have all confirmed that there’s no legitimate evidence of election outcome-altering fraud. Conservative and liberal judges alike from around the country have rejected fraud claims from Trump and his allies. The U.S. Supreme Court itself recently rejected a case in which Texas and its allies, including the president’s own legal team, sought the invalidation of the election outcome in four swing states where Biden won. Would state Sen. Chase suggest that all of these officials and judges are in on the imaginary fraud?
In his original endorsement of martial law in the United States, Flynn wrote “Freedom never kneels except for God” alongside a link to demands for martial law from a group calling itself the We The People Convention, which took out a full-page ad in the conservative publication the Washington Times in which they demanded martial law. Tom Zawistowski, who leads the unhinged extremism-supporting group, ranted that “[it] is OUR EXCLUSIVE RIGHT to elect our President and that sacred right has been infringed by the massive, planned, illegal election fraud conducted by corrupt Democrat/Socialist Party operatives across our nation to steal our vote.” These comments, of course, aren’t based in reality.
#WeThePeople @SidneyPowell1 @LLinWood @DanScavino @LouDobbs @MariaBartiromo @marklevinshow @lofly727
Freedom never kneels except for God 🙏🇺🇸https://t.co/Vrn3UeyDoF
— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) December 1, 2020
