Congressman Chuck Fleishmann told the Pachyderm Club on Monday he believes there is a chance the results of the election could be contested if there are “irregularities” when it comes to voting in swing states like Pennsylvania or Michigan.
“If there are any irregularities, we could see some challenges in the courts,” Rep. Fleishmann said. “If Donald Trump has a landslide win, it won’t matter as much. But if it comes down to Pennsylvania, and some pundits think it will come down to that state alone, and there are some problems with the ballots, we could see this in the courts.”
After the his last-minute speech before Election Day, Rep. Fleischmann later defined what he meant by “irregularities” in the electoral results.
“If there were anybody from anywhere in the country trying to put forth ballots or engaging in conduct that was very disrespective of someone’s right to vote, I would define that as corruption.
“I want there to be one person and one vote, and absolutely certain every eligible voter has access to the voter box. But if there’s any indication of putting in ballots that are not verified or processed, we have to stand against that."
Rep. Fleischmann told the Pachyderm Club he expects President Donald Trump to be re-elected. In addition to this, he told club members the Republican Party has a solid chance of gaining several other seats in the House of Representatives, although he does not see the House flipping this year.
“I think Donald Trump and Mike Pence will win four more years. Tommy Tuberville will be the next Senator in Alabama. Bill Hagerty will easily be the next Senator from the great state of Tennessee, so that is not a pickup but it is an important win by a strong, strong ally of the president.”
“We will pick up some House seats, there is no question about that. Iowa is looking good, and we got one in Oklahoma and we could get one in New Hampshire. But we’ll lose two in North Carolina. Why? Because we let the Democrats draw the map. We went from a Republican map, to a neutral map, to a map that is blue.”
As has been a theme this year, the Republican Fleischmann said the Democratic Party is what he considered “radically left,” and told the club he believes Joe Biden is not representative of what the party stands for. He said this in response to a club member asking if there is a chance that the Democratic Party would use the 25th amendment to remove Biden from office and replace him if he were elected.
“Their party is much further left than Joe Biden. Even president Obama said that if he was running today, I would be running as a completely different candidate, much further to the left,” Rep. Fleischmann said. “Is it on their minds, yes? But is it on their agenda? Probably not.”
While Rep. Fleischmann is confident Donald Trump will be re-elected, he said he is willing to work with a Biden administration, should they win the election.
“I will work to respect the office of the presidency. Let me make it clear, I want Trump to win. But where we can find common ground, I will work together with a Biden administration, and where there will be differences I will be respectful as I can, but very forceful in standing up to their policies where I think they are detrimental to this country.”
Standing outside of the Pachyderm Club were a few protesters who held signs expressing their displeasure with Rep. Fleischmann’s policies. One of the demonstrators, Charles Reese, was especially critical of Rep. Fleischmann’s (and other incumbent Republicans’) refusal to debate Democratic challengers.
“The debate thing is a really sad state of affairs. They’re like 'We’re going to win anyways, so why should we debate?' I need to hear some debates in town. Our protests are to raise awareness, and to let them know there is opposition and that Chattanooga is not theirs for the taking.”
Another man who said he is a “concerned citizen” said Rep. Fleischmann “hides from his constituents.”
“He doesn’t respond to questions and doesn’t act like he’s representing the people at all. I’d rather see him have town halls or debates. Not just him with a few of his cronies. Pachyderm is not the public.”