Fox News host Martha MacCallum confronted Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel on Sunday over Donald Trump’s baseless accusations of cheating in the Pennsylvania Republican Senate primary.
The former president encouraged celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, whom he endorsed in the race, to declare victory last week, even though the contest was too close to call and will likely head for a recount. He also suggested Oz’s opponent, former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, was somehow cheating.
“Dr. Oz should declare victory,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last week. “It makes it much harder for them to cheat with the ballots that they ‘just happened to find.’”
On Thursday he added: “Stop FINDING VOTES in PENNSYLVANIA! RIGGED?”
MacCallum pressed McDaniel on the accusation, asking: “The former president is suggesting that another Republican who is supported by people who used to work in his administration is searching for votes or doing something that is untoward?”
McDaniel dodged the question, pivoting instead to criticize absentee and mail-in voting rules in the state.
“So if Dave McCormick were to win, will he be supported by President Trump or is he going to keep saying that he won this in a way that wasn’t fair or that was fraudulent?” MacCallum asked. “It seems odd, doesn’t it?”
McDaniel insisted that “every Republican is going to be supporting the Republican nominee in these states, including President Trump” in order to defeat the Democratic candidate.
Trump’s accusations are similar to his false claims about the 2020 election, which he has insisted without evidence was “stolen” from him.
This time, he appears to be directing his wrath at some of his own voters. Pennsylvania has closed primaries, so all votes cast for Oz and McCormick were from registered Republicans.
Watch the exchange on Mediaite.
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