GOP attacks Democrats as ‘rigging’ nomination for Harris

Republicans are attacking Democrats as rigging their nomination for Vice President Kamala Harris following the pressure campaign that led President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race on Sunday.

GOP lawmakers appear intent on hammering Democrats as the real threat to overturning elections.

“Now the Democrats are rigging their own elections,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said during an appearance on Fox on Sunday. “It looks like, dare we say it, an insurrection. It’s hysterically funny, if not for the fact that Democrats have persecuted good Americans, half of the country and more — for the last three years doing exactly what they are doing now. This is a joke.”

“It is a desperate, desperate attempt for the most powerful people in this country to cling to their power. President Biden isn’t useful to them; they are looking for their next puppet,” he added. 

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) also conveyed a similar message on X.

“Back-room donors, Democrat elites, and their stenographers in the mainstream media conspired in this direct attack on democracy by successfully forcing out the candidate who secured the necessary votes to serve as the general election candidate,” she wrote. “As I have consistently said, it is the Democrat Party and elected Democrats who are attacking democracy.”

The latest Republican line of attack resembles similar ones Democrat-turned-independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made, accusing Democrats of election rigging and complaining about disadvantages he faced during the nominating process. 

Before he switched his political party, Kennedy repeatedly called out the Democratic National Committee for refusing to schedule primary debates since Biden was an incumbent running for reelection. He also criticized Democrats for not awarding him delegates won in contests that take place outside the approved Democratic nomination calendar, something both major political parties have utilized for years.

In a post on social media Sunday, Jill Stein, who is running as the Green Party’s candidate, accused Biden of being removed from power by the “same anti-democratic forces that rigged the field for him in 2020 & skipped the primary to anoint him in 2024.”

“Don’t be fooled. The same @DNC elites that put him in power will replace him with another tool for Wall Street and the war machine. We will continue to fight oligarchy, empire and genocide like our lives depend on it. Because in fact they do,” she said.

The DNC has long been accused of interfering in elections by party insiders. In 2017, a revelation from former DNC interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile that the DNC had engineered the party’s primary election system in favor of then-candidate Hillary Clinton caused controversy within the party. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and then-President Donald Trump argued it proved the DNC “rigged” the primary process against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who was running as a Democrat for the presidential nomination.

The previous criticism brings the clamoring for a blitz primary and even calls for an open convention from some, such as vulnerable red-state Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), back into focus. However, many Democrats seem more intent now to cut out the drama before the convention and settle on Biden’s chosen successor, Harris.

Harris pulled in well over a quarter of a billion dollars across various super PACs and fundraising committees over the past 24 hours after receiving Biden’s endorsement. Many prominent Democrats have thrown their support behind Harris, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), and other high-profile members of Congress. A long list of other Democrats who could be under consideration to become her running mate have also endorsed her, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA, and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

There are still many Democrats who do not want the process to look like a coronation for Harris. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters that he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would meet with Harris “shortly” and wanted a chance to confer with his caucus but stopped short of issuing an endorsement on Monday. 

The two top congressional Democrats released a statement on Monday, praising Harris for “pursuing the presidential nomination in a manner consistent with the grassroots and transparent process set forth by the Democratic National Committee.”

“She is rapidly picking up support from grassroots delegates from one end of the country to the other. We look forward to meeting in person with Vice President Harris shortly as we collectively work to unify the Democratic Party and the country,” Schumer and Jeffries wrote.

Former President Barack Obama has praised Biden’s decision to step aside but has not offered a full endorsement of Harris just yet.

It is still uncertain if any other Democrat will mount a challenge to Harris for the nomination ahead of next month’s convention in Chicago. Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) announced he would not be seeking the nomination on Monday a day after considering the option. Any hopeful would need to gather the signatures of at least 300 delegates to be considered.

Manchin on Monday called for Democrats to hold a “mini-primary” to determine the strongest candidate.

“By not strengthening the process we have, we are not basically adhering to — a primary, or letting us know of all this new generation, we have a new generation, of which I’ve identified a few people, a lot of Governors, a lot of people who have the credentials who could do a great job as new leaders,” Manchin said during an appearance on CBS News on Monday. “It would help strengthen — I believe Kamala in her position too, but that has already been predetermined so we will see what happens. I think it’s a mistake.”

Some delegates also believe the party could be best served by having a mini-accelerated primary.

“I think if [Harris] was out on the campaign trail, trying to earn the votes of us delegates, that could help her come out even stronger,” David Seaton-Lorenz, a delegate from Massachusetts who had been outspoken about the need for Biden to step aside before his announcement on Sunday, said. “There is so much talent in the party. We owe it to ourselves to see what’s out there.”

Another delegate from Arizona also raised concerns about Harris’s candidacy after her 2020 presidential campaign ended before any primary votes were cast. She also has been attacked by Republicans over the administration’s handling of immigration.

“I think this could be a major blind spot for Harris, especially for voters in Arizona where the border is not only a major campaign issue but it impacts our way of life,” a delegate speaking on the condition of anonymity said. “Biden put her in charge of the border and it has been a problem here. We may be better off with a candidate who doesn’t have as much baggage.” 

However, there are some Democrats who had previously advocated for an open convention before Biden dropped out who are now most concerned with unifying the party.

“I think everyone is going to move at their own speed. It looks like there’s a very, very swift acceleration and unity by people jumping in behind the vice president. My guess is that everybody basically thinks we’ve had our drama, we’ve had major change followed by major rays of hope, let’s jump behind that,” Jon Reinish, a longtime Democratic strategist, said. “Does that mean that every delegate is going to agree and jump right in? No, probably not. Some people will still need some time.”

The co-chairs of the DNC’s Rules Committee told its members that they still plan to meet Wednesday afternoon to plan what they promised would be an “open, transparent, fair, and orderly” process to select their nominee. The DNC is still pursuing a virtual nomination of their presidential ticket ahead of the convention that begins in nearly a month, with a presidential candidate to be decided by Aug. 7.