Biden admin: Republicans suppressing voters amid record voter turnout

The White House Tuesday issued a response to the news that Georgia’s voter integrity law - which the Biden administration and media campaigned heavily against last year - was not having the predicted effect. 

When Georgia passed its voting law last year which, among other things, required voter identification, the Biden administration and media supporters ran a virulent and pervasive campaign against the state, which included spreading disinformation about the law. 

Joe Biden, for instance, falsely claimed that the law forbids giving water to voters in line, when it only forbids giving food or drink to voters in exchange for votes. Other states, like New York and Biden’s own Delaware, have similar laws. 

“It’s an atrocity,” Biden said at the time. “The idea, you want any indication, it has nothing to do with fairness, nothing to do with decency. They pass a law saying you can’t provide water for people standing in line, while they’re waiting to vote.  You don’t need anything else to know that this is nothing but punitive, designed to keep people from voting. You can’t provide water for people about to vote? Give me a break." 

Biden and others also tried to claim that the law “ends voting hours early so working people can’t cast their vote after their shift is over,” though it does no such thing. 

But mostly, the Georgia legislature and its Governor Brian Kemp were accused of being racists, because Democrats falsely claim many Black people are unable to obtain government identification. They warned that millions of minorities would be disenfranchised and unable to vote, predicting mass “voter suppression”. 

Democratic leadership said it would usher in a new era of “Jim Crow 2.0”. Joe Biden said it would “make Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle.” Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola slammed the bill as “unacceptable”. Major League Baseball pulled its All-Star Game from Georgia in protest. 

But since early voting opened on October 17, one million people have already voted via early voting and absentee ballots, shattering previous records. Black voter turnout is expected to increase these midterm elections. 

In a Tuesday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about Georgia’s record turnout and Biden’s “Jim Crow” hysterics.  

“President Biden last year likened the new Georgia voting law to, quote, ‘Jim Crow in the 21st century.’ But turnout so far in the state’s elections has smashed midterm records. Today topped 1 million votes overall. That’s about 70 percent more than 2018, on par with the presidential election turnout.  

“Was President Biden wrong with his assessment of Georgia’s — Georgia’s voting law, or does he stand by that Jim Crow comparison?” the reporter asked. 

Jean-Pierre refused to back down, instead arguing that one can suppress voters and also see record voter turnout at the same time. 

“The president has been very clear that based on the ‘Big Lie’ there have been a host of anti-voter policies forced on states that challenge America’s fundamental right to vote, the access to voting,” she claimed. “So this is against our most basic values, including respect for the law and the Constitution.” 

“Speaking generally of course, but more broadly, high turnout and voter suppression can take place at the same time,” she added. “One doesn’t have to happen on its own. They can be happening at the same time, but I will leave it there without being able to really dig into the politics of this.” 

“But doesn’t that record turnout show that Georgia voters are finding ways to vote?” the reporter pressed. 

“Look, again, I’m not going to get into specifics of what Georgia voters are doing,” replied Jean-Pierre. “What I am saying is that, you know, generally speaking, again — more broadly speaking, of course — high turnout and voter suppression can take place at the same time.”