‘Let's not pretend’ Republicans and Democrats share equal blame for election denial, DCCC chair says

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney pushed back on the idea Sunday that Democrats share equal blame with Republicans for widespread election denial, and said members of his party "always have, always will" accept the outcome of elections.

"Let's not pretend for a minute that both sides have the same amount of accountability for the loss of confidence in our elections," Maloney (D-N.Y.), chair of the congressional Democratic campaign arm, said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"One side has been out there for a couple of years now, doing everything they can to pretend Joe Biden didn't win fair and square, when he did," he added.

A judge ruled last week that people who showed up at Arizona ballot drop boxes carrying guns and wearing bulletproof vests will be allowed to continue to monitor the voting sites, a development Maloney seemed to condemn Sunday.

The Democrat said recounts and examination of absentee ballots are necessary and expected, but: "What's different is people showing up with weapons sitting in the back of a pickup truck next to a drop box trying to scare the tar out of people who are just exercising their vote."

A majority of Republican nominees for federal and top statewide offices across the country in November's midterm elections have either denied the 2020 election outcome or questioned its legitimacy, according to a Washington Post report.

Maloney was asked to respond to comments last week from former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who said "right wing extremists already have a plan to literally steal the next presidential election."

"I don't understand what that means. I didn't see the comment," Maloney said.