Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) on Friday sharply criticized Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), calling him "demented" for repeating unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and suggesting that some senators, including Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), did not "legally win" their seats.
Tuberville's remarks followed President Donald Trump's address on Thursday, which amplified conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and alleged Chinese interference. Trump has consistently maintained, without evidence, that the 2020 election was "rigged" against him.
Himes, speaking on the "Bulwark Takes" podcast, highlighted Tuberville's assertion that "four or five senators that didn’t legally win" their positions. Himes dismissed the notion that Ossoff and Warnock could be removed from the Senate, stating, "That’s not going to happen." He expressed greater concern that senators might be "tee[ing] up a coup d’état."
"What you have is somebody who is so demented that they are either wittingly or unwittingly participating in a coup d’état," Himes said, adding, "And let me tell you this, as the ranking member of the intelligence committee, you know whose work you’re really doing."
The congressman emphasized the lack of evidence for widespread fraud in the 2020 elections, noting that "six dozen courts" had upheld their legitimacy. He suggested that such claims serve to create chaos, aligning with objectives he attributed to Russia's foreign policy.
"Read this stuff on Russia. Russia’s objective here is, yes, to elect Donald Trump, because Donald Trump loves him some Vladimir Putin, but Russia’s core objective here is to create chaos," Himes stated.