The failed New Mexico state House Republican candidate Solomon Pena who was behind the shootings of Democratic politicians’ homes, was fueled by election denial and support for Donald Trump.
Video of Maddow:
Maddow said:
Now, you heard the mayor reference this was about a right-wing radical, an election denier who was arrested today. What that references, I believe, are the frequent public statements, online social media statements by this Republican candidate maintaining that he didn’t actually lose this election in which he was the Republican candidate this past November.
Again, the Republican party nominated him to be their candidate for the state legislative seat outin Albuquerque in November. He lost by a large Marge en, by more than 3500 votes. Since then he has maintained that he didn’t really lose and the election was rigged against him.
Local coverage of his candidacy has noted that he is a, in the words of the Santa Fe New Mexican, gushing supporter of former president Donald Trump. He appears to have emulated Trump in rejecting the results of the election that he lost, but police in Albuquerque tonight say he went much further than that, accusing him tonight formally, charging him with having pulled the trigger himself and led a conspiracy with four other men to shoot into the homes of other Democratic officials.
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It was only a matter of time before a Republican candidate poisoned with Trump’s election denial turned to violence. Election denial is a rejection of reality, and when that rejection becomes taken to heart as truth it can be the fuel for violence.
The entire nation experienced this firsthand during the Trump election denial-inspired 1/6 attack on the Capitol. Pena was emulating his role model with the New Mexico terrorism.
Electional denial is dangerous because it opens the door to political violence that can threaten the nation’s stability.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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