Republicans are 'playing into Russia's hands' by questioning election results: GOP lawmaker

Appearing on CNN Monday morning with host Jim Sciutto, outgoing Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) said he was stunned by his Republican colleagues who aren't coming forward to push Donald Trump to concede the election to President-elect Joe Biden and lawmakers like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who are questioning the election results.

Rooney, who had a falling out with the president before announcing his retirement, began by telling the CNN host, "There will be books written about this hold President Trump has over a lot of the Republican leadership and base. I don't understand it, it was never that way with previous Republican leaders and I think the peaceful transfer of power is a critical element of our democracy. I want to compliment and congratulate the president-elect."

"I want to get to that, and how both parties reach those people, but just briefly, once more, because the president apparently is going to step up these attacks on the election, right and spreading, frankly, conspiracy theories in many cases that sadly people buy, right?" Sciutto said of the refusal to admit Biden won. "A lot of people in this country are buying this. What damage does that do to the process if you deliberately undermine confidence and trust in it?"

"Yes, I think we're playing into Russia's hands here by undermining our own democratic principles," Rooney replied. "There's an election, it appears that the vice president won it. You look at all that vote counting that you all do a great job of, I don't see there's any way it could ever be changed in any of these states, maybe Georgia, so let's get on with the program."

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