North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) is going on defense for Donald Trump as he auditions for a possible vice presidential running mate.
Washington Post columnist Philip Bump wrote about Burgum's recent appearance on "Meet the Press," where he delivered some alarming answers to host Kristen Welker's questions.
"[Burgum] offered a neat articulation of the Republican response to concerns that Trump seeks authoritarian power," wrote Bump: 'No, Democrats do."
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Bump highlights Burgum's claim that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the same as the Florida recount in 2000.
“As a country, if we want to move forward,” Burgum said, “we have to have elections that both parties agree to.”
Welker asked Burgum if Trump's refusal to concede wasn't concerning, but he rejected the idea. Instead, Burgum claimed there was a "smooth transition."
Welker cut in to say that ushering in a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol during the electoral count was hardly an example of a "smooth transition."
“Well, I think we have to say that there was a smooth transition,” Burgum said.
He tried to pivot again but got himself into another debate.
“I think the threat to democracy, as a governor in North Dakota today, I’ve been living under what I call the Biden dictatorship because of all the rules and regulations," said Burgum.
Welker explained that he, as governor, ushered in more executive orders than Biden did. All Burgam could do was come up with a claim about "red tape."
The idea of blaming it all on Democrats isn't new, Bump explained, writing "It's routine."
"Violence that followed some protests against police brutality in summer 2020 was worse than the Capitol riot," Bump cited as one of the arguments Republicans make. "The arrest of those who participated in the [2020] riot was not a response to an effort to subvert democracy but itself such a subversion. It isn’t what Trump does that’s the problem; it’s Biden and the Democrats and being 'woke' and labeling social media posts as false and changing the rules around elections and so on. The problem isn’t us, and it isn’t Donald Trump. The problem is them, and it is Dictator Biden."
Bump argued a Fox News poll and polling from CBS News both show that the messaging is working. Republicans now believe Biden is a threat to Democracy. Independents still believe Trump is the bigger threat, the polls revealed.
"As Welker noted to Burgum, the presentation of Biden as a 'dictator' because he implemented executive actions is flatly ridiculous," Bump closed. "It became only more ridiculous after the Supreme Court on Monday determined that Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election had broad protections against criminal prosecution. It’s not even clear the extent to which Burgum believes it."
Burgum is being considered as a possible running mate along with Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) numerous reports say.
