Tensions flared on CNN Monday night as anchor Anderson Cooper repeatedly interrupted former Virginia Republican Rep. Scott Taylor in a heated debate over Donald Trump’s latest unfounded claim about election fraud.

The exchange unfolded after Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday, alleging that 20% of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania were fraudulent — a claim that has no supporting evidence and has been widely debunked by courts and experts.

The former president’s statement, “Here we go again! Where is the U.S. Attorney General and FBI to INVESTIGATE? Where is the Pennsylvania Republican Party? We Will WIN Pennsylvania by a lot, unless the Dems are allowed to CHEAT,” set the stage for a divisive conversation between Taylor and former Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, both of whom appeared on CNN to discuss Trump’s comments.

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Cooper began the segment by asking Taylor if Trump’s baseless accusations were “acceptable.”

Taylor responded by saying that “literally millions of Americans had a big problem with 2020,” referring to the lingering skepticism among some conservatives about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. But Cooper quickly cut him off, determined to steer the conversation toward facts.

“I know but just factually, they don’t have any evidence,” Cooper interjected.

“Like courts looked at it. I know a lot of people because it’s promoted on a lot of networks and a lot of radio networks. Just saying, ‘A lot of people feel this’ doesn’t make it true. I think you know it’s not true, I assume, but there’s no evidence.”

Recently, the Heritage Foundation published findings of over 1,546 proven instances of voter fraud with over 1,313 criminal convictions that seem to echo what Rep. Scott Taylor was referencing, despite him failing to mention it with specificity on CNN.

Despite the pushback, Taylor stuck to his point, arguing that the 2020 election was marked by irregularities.

He claimed that state laws were suspended due to the coronavirus, and pointed to concerns about the use of “unsecure” drop boxes.

However, Cooper was quick to challenge him again, asking, “What kinds of irregularities? What are the tons of irregularities?”

Taylor elaborated, pointing to changes in election procedures that he said had never happened before, including “Zucker bucks” — a reference to funding provided by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg through nonprofit organizations to support election administration during the pandemic.

“There’s tons of things out there that changed in 2020 that are still there now,” he added, noting that he himself had run and lost in the 2020 election.

As Taylor continued, Cooper cut in for a third time, likening Taylor’s assertions to fringe beliefs: “There’s people who think the Earth is flat. Again, there’s people around the dinner table who think the Earth is flat. It doesn’t make it real.”

Taylor, clearly frustrated, responded, “What I just mentioned to you, those are facts.” Cooper, undeterred, turned to Kinzinger for his take on Trump’s election conspiracy theories, asking if they had become “normal” within the Republican Party.

Kinzinger, a vocal critic of Trump, did not mince words. “It’s disgusting,” he replied. Directing his comments toward Taylor, Kinzinger said, “Man, Scott, I love you but come on, dude. Our words have an impact on this country,” to which Taylor responded with a laugh.

The exchange on CNN highlights the deep divisions that persist within the Republican Party and the media regarding Trump’s ongoing false claims about the 2020 election.

While some, like Kinzinger, are unequivocal in their denunciation of such rhetoric, others, including Taylor, continue to echo concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, even in the absence of concrete evidence.

As the 2024 election approaches, these debates are likely to intensify, with election integrity remaining a focal point in political discourse.

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