Scott and Bash go back-and-forth on election claims

CNN anchor Dana Bash and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) went back and forth on Sunday over claims by former President Trump about election validity.

“Will you urge the former president not to prematurely declare victory again and allow the process to play out so the American people can trust the final legitimate outcome?” Bash asked Scott, a close ally of Trump, on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“Dana, we're looking … forward to a very good day on Tuesday night without any question,” Scott responded. “I'm excited to see that the battleground states that [we’ve] just talked about are all leaning towards Trump. So, the good news is we will have a fair election, and Donald Trump will be our next president.”

Scott continued talking about swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and voters in those states.

Trump has recently been sowing doubt when it comes to election results in Pennsylvania, saying on Truth Social on Wednesday that the Keystone State “is cheating, and getting caught, at large scale levels rarely seen before. REPORT CHEATING TO AUTHORITIES. Law Enforcement must act, NOW!”

“This is going to be a very good election, and we, the people, will make that decision,” Scott said.

"I appreciate your optimism. That's your job on the eve of the election, but what I'm asking is, what if he doesn't win?" Bash questioned Scott.
"And the fact of the matter is that Trump is already spreading false claims about cheating in Pennsylvania. He has repeatedly predicted a massive victory, even though polls show that the race is very close; he's setting the stage for his supporters not to believe the results if he loses. Do you want him to stop doing that?"

“I would never tell any candidate on the ballot to talk about what happens if they lose,” Scott responded. “Obviously, you're going to lean into the victory, especially —”

Bash then cut Scott off, pressing him again on the claims and the two talked over each other.

“You think it's okay to spread false rumors about fraud and undermine the integrity of the election, regardless of what happens?” Bash then asked.

“Dana, the liberal media has done a better job of spreading misinformation —” Scott said.

"Oh, come on, Senator," Bash responded.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.