September 4, 2022

Dana Bash: “You didn’t say he was legitimately elected, I just want to give you one more chance to say that…”

WATCH: Tiffany Smiley refuses to admit Joe Biden was elected fairly 

(Pasco, WA) — Today, when asked by CNN’s Dana Bash, MAGA Republican Tiffany Smiley refused to admit that President Joe Biden was elected fairly, responding only with an eerie acknowledgment that Joe Biden is in fact the current President of the United States, but at no point simply admitting that the 2020 election was free and fair. The exchange on the 2020 election can be viewed HERE. 

Dana Bash asked, “Simple yes or no, do you believe that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, fair and square?”

Smiley responds, “Yes. He is our president.”

Dana Bash follows up, “You said that President Biden is our president? Was he fairly elected, legitimately elected?”

Smiley repeats herself, once again refusing to explicitly state that Joe Biden was fairly elected,  “Yes, Joe Biden is our president.”

Bash allows Smiley one final opportunity to clarify, “Okay. You didn’t say that he was legitimately elected, I just want to give you one more chance to say that, and if you are comfortable with your answer, we will move on.”

Smiley refuses, repeating her talking point, “Yes. I think I made it clear. He is our president…”

Tiffany Smiley drew national press attention after removing the “ELECTION INTEGRITY” section of her website, where she stated she had  “serious questions about the integrity of our elections,” and replacing it with a far more sanitized version after Washington’s primary election. Her website scrub is one more example of Smiley attempting to hide her extreme positions from voters. 

A full-length transcript of the stunning exchange is below:

BASH: The point that President Biden was making is election integrity is also a cornerstone of democracy, and it’s a concern shared by some in your party, that the idea that there are election deniers, that they are sowing doubts about what happened in 2020. So, let’s just drill down on this question. Simple yes or no, do you believe that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, fair and square?

SMILEY: Yes. He is our president. Yes. And to be clear, I think in 2016, Hillary Clinton had concerns. Stacey Abrams had concerns. This is an issue on both sides of the aisle, this isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue. We need to protect the integrity of our elections. They need to be hard to cheat and easy to vote. That is very clear.

BASH: I’ll ask you about that in a moment, ask you about that in a moment.

SMILEY: Yes.

BASH: You said that President Biden is our president? Was he fairly elected, legitimately elected?

SMILEY: Yes, Joe Biden is our president. My campaign has been so successful because from day one, I am focused on the endorsement of the voters of Washington state, in delivering results. I care about the people of Washington state. That is who I am fighting for. And unfortunately, Patty Murray fights for Washington, D.C.. Her and Joe Biden have a combined 80 years in government, and we’re just not any better off in Washington state because of that.

BASH: Okay. You didn’t say he was legitimately elected, I just want to give you one more chance to say that, and if you are comfortable with your answer, we will move on.

SMILEY: Yes. I think I made it clear. He is our president, and again, I am focused on the voters of Washington state — I am focused on the future, and what I can deliver. We have a crisis here in Washington state, and I am here to turn crisis into hope.

BASH: Okay. 

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