Republicans Confronted on Trump Saying People Won't Have to Vote in 4 Years

Two Republicans were confronted on Sunday morning news programs about former President Donald Trump's remarks in which he told people at a summit that they "won't have to vote" in four years.

The former president made the remarks at Turning Point Action's Believers' Summit on Friday in West Palm Beach, Florida. The 2024 Republican presidential nominee's speech played into the conservative summit's themes, which are tailored to "unite Christians across America," according to the event's website.

During his speech, Trump said that Democrats have "only one reason" why they do not support legislation to enact voter registration reform: "Because they want to cheat."

"Republicans must win," he said Friday. "We have to win this election, [the] most important election ever. We want a landslide that's too big to rig."

Trump added: "Christians, get out and vote just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It will be fixed. It will be fine. You won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians."

In a response to Newsweek on Sunday afternoon, Trump's spokesperson Steven Cheung said via email, "President Trump was talking about the importance of faith, uniting this country and bringing prosperity to every American, as opposed to the divisive political environment that has sowed so much division and even resulted in an assassination attempt."

The former president's comments were met with immediate ire by Democrats on social media Friday.

Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Jaime Harrison pointed toward Trump's past comments about being a dictator "on day one" if reelected to the White House.

"The crazed ramblings from the Dictator on Day 1... he's fixing it so 'you won't have to vote again.' You like your freedom?! You sure as hell better be ready to protect it! Get Registered and Vote!" Harrison wrote Friday on X, formerly Twitter.

Trump made the controversial "dictator" comment while speaking with Fox News' Sean Hannity in December, telling the host that he won't be a dictator in his second term "except on day one."

He later repeated the statement during a keynote speech at the New York Young Republican Club's annual gala that same and said, "I said I want to be a dictator for one day. You know why I wanted to be a dictator? Because I want a wall, and I want to drill, drill, drill."

Trump's drilling comment was a reference to his vow to expand oil drilling in the U.S. He later said that the comments were in a "joking manner."

On Sunday, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas were confronted about Trump's Friday comments. Both downplayed the former president's remarks.

ABC News' This Week host Martha Raddatz asked Sununu, "What the heck did he [Trump] mean there in saying his supporters won't have to vote again in four years?"

Sununu chuckled and replied, "I think that was a classic Trumpism, if you will. I think he was just trying to make the point that this stuff can be fixed. Obviously, we want everybody to vote in all elections, but I think he was just trying to make a hyperbolic point that it can be fixed if he gets back into office and all that. Classic Trump, right there.

Cotton, appearing on CNN's State of the Union with host Jake Tapper, said the following about Trump's remarks that he made in front of the gathering of conservative Christians:

"I think he's obviously making a joke about how bad things have been under Joe Biden, and how good they'll be if we send President Trump back to the White House, so he can turn the country around again. That's what the American people know."

Cotton then took aim at President Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after Biden suddenly exited the race and endorsed her last Sunday.

"For four years, things were good with President Trump. We had stable prices, a growing economy and peace and stability around the world. Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, everything has gone to hell. And it will be much worse under Kamala Harris," the senator said.

Newsweek has emailed the Harris campaign Sunday morning for comment.

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to claim without evidence that 2020 presidential election was stolen from him by widespread voter fraud after losing to Biden in 2020.

While it's unclear what Trump plans to do if he wins in November, he said at the CNN presidential debate in Atlanta last month, "I said my retribution is going to be success. We're going to make this country successful again, because right now it's a failing nation."

Democrats have repeatedly pointed to Trump's statements as an example of him being a "threat" to American democracy. However, Trump's supporters have suggested that such rhetoric contributed to the failed assassination attempt against the former president at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.