Doug Heye: Former Republican Communications Director says 2020 election 'wasn't stolen' despite Trump claims

In a speech to the American people Donald Trump has once again claimed fraud in the 2020 election, this time alleging Chinese interference. 

Former Republican Communications Director, Doug Heye, told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "I think trying to make any sense out of this speech is a fool's errand."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seventeen past five, Now to the state. Donald Trump has
used a speech to the American people this afternoon to
revisit the twenty twenty election. He claims China tried to interfere.
He has declassified a trove of documents to prove this.
Doug High is a form of communications director for the Republicans.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hi, Doug, great to be with you.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Now, let me get this right. So the allegation is
China has tried to interfere, not that China has actually
been able to change the outcome of any elections.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Right. I think trying to make any sense out of
this speech is a fool's Errand there's so much sort
of craziness that that Trump is sort of thrust onto
the scene tonight that no one really saw coming, and
there's not much backup for and sort of also asked
the question if if China did all this in twenty

(00:46):
twenty when Donald Trump was president, why didn't he do
anything about it? And why are we just finding out
about this now? There are so many holes in what
he's done here, And if I'm a Republican who's on
the ballot in November, he isn't. I'm not happy about tonight. No.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
I mean, look, okay, the idea that China is interfering
in elections in Western liberal democracies around the world is
not a shock to anyone. Right, They've been trying to
do this for years now, and they've done in many,
many countries. The question I think is why is he
saying this publicly? Do you have any idea?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Look, he loves talking about this issue twenty twenty because
he lost. He feels it was stolen from him, and
we know that any election that he loses, he says that,
right Ted Cruz. I was in Iowa when Ted Cruz
won the Iowa caucus and what did Trump say? It
was stolen from me? It wasn't stolen from him. Ted
Cruz had an amazing campaign that he organized on the

(01:40):
ground where organization is everything in Iowa. But Trump can
never admit defeat. That he stays focused on. This is
what is so vexing for Republicans, certainly privately, I wouldn't
be surprised if we hear a little bit more of
it publicly, because what they want to be talking about
is how they're trying to lower prices and things like
that that voters are concerned about.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Do you think quite quite a good point that you
just made there, But do you think that what he
is trying to do is muddy the waters ahead of
the midterms?

Speaker 2 (02:08):
You sure, potentially, But the best way to mondy the
results would be to help your candidates win. And they're
sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars that they've not
spent for Republican candidates yet. And Okay, you know, maybe
because it's July, you don't want to spend the money yet.
But we're getting to the point where you've got to

(02:28):
start making those you know, reservations for airtime on television
and you know, digital ads and so forth, but also
the issues that voters are saying are most important to them.
If you want to help your candidates win, if you
want to keep the House and keep the Senate, which
if I'm Donald Trump or anybody with the last name
of Trump, given the investigatory power that a House Democratic

(02:51):
majority or Senate majority would have, I would want to
do everything I can to save Congress and keep it
in Republican hands as opposed of muddying water.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Doug, it's good to talk to you, man. Thanks very
much appreciated. Doug High former communications director for the Republican Party.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
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Speaker 1 (03:12):
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