'Twisting my words': GOP Senate candidate denies saying elderly people shouldn't vote

Wisconsin Senate candidate Eric Hovde is unhappy that the media is covering his proliferation of MAGA election conspiracy theories.

In a new video posted to X, Hovde — a banking and real estate development executive challenging Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin — complained that news outlets were mischaracterizing his past statements about voting in nursing homes, implying that he was saying senior citizens shouldn't be allowed to vote. In reality, he said, he was just casting doubt that all the senior citizens who voted in 2020 actually did so.

"Let me tell you how a political hit job works, and the Democrats are experts at this," said Hovde. "So last week, in some news articles, there were written that I don't believe elderly should be able to vote. How did that come about? Because I absolutely believe the elderly should vote."

His actual statement, Hovde continued, was purely about "election integrity issues" and this got spread out of control through Democratic-controlled "phony news organizations." "It's patently false," he said. "It's fundamentally wrong."

The remarks at issue came from an interview Hovde gave on the Guy Benson Show, first reported by the left-leaning Heartland Signal, where he said, "We had nursing homes, where the sheriff of Racine investigated, where you had 100 percent voting in nursing homes. Well, if you're in a nursing home, you only have a five, six-month life expectancy. Almost nobody in a nursing home is in a point to vote."

Hovde did not explicitly say senior citizens shouldn't be allowed to vote; however, his remarks disparaging the idea most nursing home residents are of sound mind to vote in the first place generated widespread controversy and anger in the local press.

The claim that nursing homes in Wisconsin had a 100 percent voting rate is a conspiracy theory pushed by former President Donald Trump's allies that has already been debunked; voter turnout among nursing home residents in 2020 was completely in line with typical numbers, and the Racine County District Attorney declined to file charges in the investigation.

Watch the video below or at the link.