THE IRISH-AMERICAN Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, has joined the growing number of Republicans speaking out against Donald Trump.
It follows the President’s extraordinary claims of vote rigging in this year’s US elections.
Trump told the media “big tech, big money, the media, pollsters and Democrats” had conspired to cheat him out of victory but failed to substantiate any of his claims.
“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” he claimed, despite there being hundreds of thousands of votes still to count.
"This is a case where they're trying to steal an election. They're trying to rig an election, and we can't let that happen,” he added.
The President’s address was interrupted by several news outlets who sought to highlight the number of unqualified claims being made by Trump.
Now several senior figures in the Republican Party have spoken out against the President over his remarks.
They include Maryland's Republican governor Larry Hogan, himself a potential 2024 presidential hopeful, who has criticised Trump’s claims.
"There is no defence for the President's comments tonight undermining our Democratic process. America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before,” he said on Twitter.
"No election or person is more important than our Democracy."
There is no defense for the President’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process. America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before. No election or person is more important than our Democracy. https://t.co/BOO2iaTsEf
— Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) November 6, 2020
One of the most popular governors in the US, both Hogan's parents are of Irish descent.
His criticism was echoed by Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, who tweeted that Trump’s claims of election rigging were "getting insane".
He said that if the President had “legit” concerns they needed to be based on actual evidence and taken to caught. Kinzinger also called on Trump to "STOP Spreading debunked misinformation".
"The votes will be counted and you will either win or lose," he also warned. "And America will accept that. Patience is a virtue."
Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and Trump ally also stressed that any candidate who believes "a state is violating election laws they have a right to challenge it in court & produce evidence in support of their claims".
Rubio had earlier tweeted: "Taking days to count legally cast votes is NOT fraud. And court challenges to votes cast after the legal voting deadline is NOT suppression."
Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, meanwhile, also appeared to rebuke the President in his first statement since Trump’s remarks.
He tweeted: “Here’s how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted. Any illegally-submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes. That's how Americans' votes decide the result.”
Here’s how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted. Any illegally-submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes.
That's how Americans' votes decide the result.— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) November 6, 2020
Elsewhere, former New Jersey governor and Trump ally branded Trump’s claims “a bad strategic decision” and "a bad political decision, and it's not the kind of decision you would expect someone to make ... who holds the position he holds".
Retired Republican senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, was more scathing: "No Republican should be okay with the President's statements just now. Unacceptable. Period."
