Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) on ABC's "This Week" Sunday refuted former President Trump's unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen, making clear that "the election was fair."
What they're saying: "As a part of our due diligence, we looked at over 60 different accusations made in multiple states. While there were some irregularities, there were none of the irregularities which would have risen to the point where they would have changed the vote outcome in a single state."
“The election was fair, as fair as we've seen. We simply did not win the election, as Republicans, for the presidency," Rounds said.
He said the GOP should focus on "what it's going to take to win the presidency. If we simply look back and tell our people, ‘Don't vote because there's cheating going on,’ then we're going to put ourselves in a huge disadvantage.'"
Worth noting: Asked if he would support prosecution of Trump if he's found to be complicit in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, Rounds said it would be the Justice Department's call, but that the "shield of the presidency does not exist for someone who is a former president."
Rounds did not rule out supporting Trump if he ran for president in 2024, telling host George Stephanopoulos that he would "take a hard look at it."
