‘Someone is going to be killed’: Trump urged to control supporters amid threats of violence

A senior Georgia election official in the US has angrily criticized the rhetoric surrounding the elections and the threats of violence that have resulted, specifically calling on US President Donald Trump to control his supporters .

Gabriel Sterling is a Republican who oversaw the implementation of the state’s new voting system. During a routine press conference at the State Capitol to provide an update on the count for the presidential race requested by Trump, Sterling admonished the president and the two U.S. senators from Georgia, who are locked in a close second-round race against the Democrats and have called the Secretary of the Republican Party. Brad Raffensperger to resign on allegations that he mishandled the election.

“Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language. Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions, ”Sterling said, visibly angry. “This has to end. We need you to step up and if you’re going to take a leadership position, show something. “

Trump, however, did not take the reprimand seriously and reiterated unsubstantiated claims of fraud related to mail-in ballots in a tweet Tuesday night (local time) that responded to an Atlanta TV reporter who tweeted about the complaint. of Sterling.

“Election rigged,” Trump tweeted. Show signatures and envelopes. Expose the massive voter fraud in Georgia. What are the Secretary of State and Brian Kemp afraid of? They know what we will find !!! “

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People have been driving caravans past Raffensperger’s home, breaking into his property and sending sexualized threats to his wife’s cell phone, Sterling said.

Raffensperger and Sterling have police officers stationed outside their homes, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has said it is investigating possible threats against officials to determine their credibility.

Sterling said his anger flared when he learned that a Dominion Voting Systems contractor helping with the counting effort in suburban Gwinnett County received death threats after someone filmed video of him transferring a report to a computer. county and falsely said the young man was rigging the elections. data.

“There is a rope out there with his name on it. That’s not correct, ”Sterling said, adding that the contractor did not seek the limelight by taking a high-profile position like Sterling or running for a position like Raffensperger. “This kid took a job. He just took a job. “

Last week, Trump called Raffensperger an “enemy of the people,” Sterling noted, adding: “That helped open the floodgates to this kind of c …”

Sterling urged the president to step up and tell his supporters not to commit violence. “Someone is going to get hurt. Someone is going to get shot. Someone is going to die, ”Sterling said.

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement Tuesday night: “No one should engage in threats or violence, and if that has happened, we fully condemn it.”

The campaigns of Republican US Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler issued statements Tuesday night condemning the violence but also criticizing election officials, according to the media.

“Like many officials, as someone who has been threatened, of course, Senator Loeffler condemns violence of any kind. How ridiculous to even suggest otherwise, “said Loeffler campaign spokesman Stephen Lawson.

“We also condemn the inaction and lack of accountability in the process of our electoral system, and we will not apologize for reporting it.”