Trump Rebuked for Constitution Comments12/05 06:14

   Former President Donald Trump faced rebuke Sunday from officials in both 
parties after calling for the "termination" of parts of the Constitution over 
his lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former President Donald Trump faced rebuke Sunday from 
officials in both parties after calling for the "termination" of parts of the 
Constitution over his lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

   Trump, who announced last month that he is running again for president, made 
the claim over the weekend on his Truth Social media platform.

   "A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of 
all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution," he 
wrote. "Our great 'Founders' did not want, and would not condone, False & 
Fraudulent Elections!"

   Incoming House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday described Trump's 
statement as strange and extreme and said Republicans will have to make a 
choice whether to continue embracing Trump's anti-democratic views.

   "Republicans are going to have to work out their issues with the former 
president and decide whether they're going to break from him and return to some 
semblance of reasonableness or continue to lean in to the extremism, not just 
of Trump, but Trumpism," Jeffries said.

   Trump, who is the first to be impeached twice and whose term ended with his 
supporters violently storming the Capitol in a deadly bid to halt the peaceful 
transition of power on Jan. 6, 2021, faces a escalating criminal 
investigations, including several that could lead to indictments. They include 
the probe into classified documents seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago, and 
ongoing state and federal inquiries related to efforts to overturn the results 
of the 2020 presidential election.

   Asked about Trump's comments Sunday, Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, the top 
Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said he "vehemently" disagrees 
and "absolutely" condemns the remarks, saying they should be a factor as 
Republicans decide who should lead their party in 2024.

   "There is a political process that has to go forward before anybody is a 
frontrunner or anybody is even the candidate for the party," he said. "I 
believe that people certainly are going to take into consideration a statement 
like this as they evaluate a candidate."

   Rep.-elect Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., also objected to the remarks, saying it was 
time to stop focusing on the "grievances of prior elections."

   "The Constitution is set for a reason, to protect the rights of every 
American," Lawler said. "I think the former president would be well-advised to 
focus on the future, if he is going to run for president again."

   Trump's comments came after Twitter's new owner, Elon Musk, said he would 
reveal how Twitter engaged in "free speech suppression" leading up to the 2020 
election. But files released Friday, which focused on the tech company's 
confused response to a story about Biden's son Hunter, do not show Democrats 
trying to limit the story.

   The White House on Saturday assailed Trump, saying, "You cannot only love 
America when you win."

   "The American Constitution is a sacrosanct document that for over 200 years 
has guaranteed that freedom and the rule of law prevail in our great country," 
spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement. "Attacking the Constitution and all 
it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation."

   Jeffries appeared on ABC's "This Week," Turner spoke on CBS' "Face the 
Nation" and Lawler was on CNN's "State of the Union."