Attendees of Trump’s rally were less than pleased when Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), whose remarks immediately preceded the former president’s, brought up the 2020 election and told the crowd to “put that behind you.”
“There are some people who are despondent about the voter fraud and election theft in 2020,” Brooks said at the Saturday night event in Cullman, Ala. “Folks, put that behind you, put that behind you.”
The crowd immediately broke into boos and chants of “no!” in response. It’s clear what Brooks is trying to do here. He is running for an Alabama senate seat in the upcoming 2022 election, and he needs Trump supporters to vote for him. But that’s not what Trump’s loyalists were focused on.
“Yes,” Brooks told the booing crowd, who only intensified their cries of dissent. “Look forward, look forward, look forward. Beat them in 2022, beat them in 2024.”
Sensing the crowd was not going to budge, Brooks shifted tactics. “All right,” he said. “Well, look back at it, but go forward and take advantage of it. We have got to win in 2022. We’ve got to win in 2024.”
Oh boy. Mo Brooks suggested, in seriousness, that those in attendance should accept the results of the 2020 election and move on to the next one
… needless to say it did not go well and he nearly lost the crowd 😮 pic.twitter.com/1htgV3QAgm
— Ryan Phillips (@JournoRyan) August 22, 2021
Brooks again mentioned the 2020 election later on in his speech. “Let’s do it,” he said. “The Arizona recount is coming. The Arizona audit is on the way.”
The crowd responded with chants of “Fix it now! Fix it now!”
Crowd now chanting “fix it now” regarding the 2020 presidential election. Folks are fired up. #TrumpRally pic.twitter.com/BDWOGJOlHH
— Ryan Phillips (@JournoRyan) August 22, 2021
Brooks is a close Trump ally who delivered a fiery speech at the rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, where he instructed the crowd to “start taking down names and kicking ass.”
“Are you willing to do what it takes to fight for America!” Brooks yelled, adding that Trump’s supporters should “carry the message to Capitol Hill” because “the fight begins today.”
Brooks’s remarks were so incendiary, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) included the congressman in a lawsuit this past June, but the suit was rejected by a judge.
Following the rally, Brooks sent out a tweet clarifying that, of course, he believes the 2020 election was “fraught” with “fraud and election theft on a massive scale.”
