The St. Louis Post-Dispatch warned that Republicans' words pertaining to their attempt to overturn the election results "are moving ever closer to driving families from their homes and getting someone killed."
The newspaper, in an editorial posted Thursday, pointed out Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling's pleas to end the election bitterness.
The paper noted: "'It has to stop,' Sterling said. Directing his remarks to [President Donald] Trump, he added, 'Stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someone is going to get hurt, someone is going to get shot, someone is going to get killed.'
"Lest any members of the public fail to understand: Certifying the winner of a presidential election, as Sterling (a Republican) did, is not an act of treason. It is the fulfillment of America's centuries-old tradition of upholding the nation's most fundamental democratic values."
It pointed to Cole County Assessor Christopher Estes' remarks to a Georgia state senator, who was attempting to debunk claims of election fraud.
"What you have done is to enable a coup," Estes said, according to the newspaper. "Illegally removing a legally elected President. Pretty sure that is called treason. Punishable by death."
The paper said it is "no longer clear whether Trump's base is lashing out on its own, or whether the statements by Trump, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Estes and a vast army of other GOP officials are what's inciting Trump supporters to take vigilante action."
But the Post-Dispatch said the rhetoric has gotten out of control.
"These are, of course, representatives of the party that claims to support a 'pro-life' agenda — even while their words are moving ever closer to driving families from their homes and getting someone killed."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.