The RNC Is Making Prospective Staffers Answer Whether They Believe the 2020 Election Was Stolen
The loaded interview question comes as the Republican Party and Trump campaign have effectively merged
Amid a takeover by Donald Trump and his allies, the Republican National Committee is now asking prospective staffers whether they believe that the 2020 election was "stolen" — a claim often made by the former president, despite being consistently debunked by courts across America.
The Washington Post reports that, in the wake of a mass firing of RNC staffers after the organization was overtaken by Trump loyalists, new job applicants are being asked whether they agree with the former president's position that the last election was fraudulent.
The Post describes the loaded interview question as a "litmus test" of sorts that offers a window into applicants' loyalties, with one former RNC staffer noting to the outlet that "if you say the election wasn’t stolen, do you really think you’re going to get hired?”
Danielle Alvarez, a spokesperson for both Trump and the RNC, told the Post: “Candidates who worked on the frontline in battleground states or are currently in states where fraud allegations have been prevalent were asked about their work experience."
Related: RNC to Oust More than 60 Staffers After Trump Takeover, Ensuring All Are ‘Aligned’ with His Vision
In dozens of court cases filed by the Trump campaign, both Republican and Democrat officials around the country did not find evidence of fraud, instead reasserting the fact that Trump lost both the popular vote and the electoral vote in the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
The questions facing potential new hires come as the RNC has essentially merged its operations with Trump's campaign after former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel resigned her position at the former president's request.
McDaniel was succeeded by former North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley and Chris LaCivita — a senior campaign adviser to Trump — was named chief of staff of the organization. Meanwhile, Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump became the organization's co-chair, transforming the backbone of the Republican Party into a family affair for the Trumps, and an organization now stacked with Trump allies.
Politico reported earlier this month that more than 60 RNC staffers across the organization's political, communications and data departments have been let go after the Trump loyalists were installed on the leadership team.
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Since leaving office, Trump and more than a dozen of his allies have faced criminal charges in Georgia for allegedly attempting to undo his defeat in Georgia, where prosecutors say one of his attorneys went so far as to access voting machines and steal data from a voting machine company.
Trump and others were also indicted in a federal case over their alleged attempts to disrupt the electoral vote count at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
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