'This has got to stop': Republican Georgia election official calls out Trump, GOP

A Georgia elections official has had it with threats against himself and fellow elections workers in that battleground state that was awarded to Joe Biden during last month’s presidential election.

Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s Voting Systems Implementation Manager, who is Republican, said emphatically in a Tuesday press conference that it has “gone too far.” He called out President Trump and GOP members of the Senate who have yet to disavow threats against election workers who are laboring around the clock to recount the state that handed Trump a defeat by a razor-thin margin.

Sterling noted high-profiled calls for violence like Trump attorney Joe DiGenova calling for former U.S. Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Joe Krebs to be “taken out and shot,” as well as the threats involving a noose against a “20-someting” year-old contractor who worked on the voting machines. Sterling said that man was accused of treason for “simply doing his job.”

“Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language,” a visibly agitated Sterling said. “Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions. This has to stop. We need you to step up, and if you’re going to take a position of leadership, show some.”

"It has all gone too far," Georgia election official @GabrielSterling said while addressing threats against election workers.

"Mr. President, you have not condemned this language or these actions. Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions." #gapol pic.twitter.com/AF86Iy1RJT

— GPB News (@gpbnews) December 1, 2020

Sterling said the wife of his boss, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, has received “sexualized threats” from GOP supporters as well as people “caravanning” and coming onto the couple’s property.

“This is elections. The backbone of our democracy. And those of you who have not said a damn word are complicit in this. It’s too much,” Sterling said.

He noted that Trump and GOP members have the right to “fight for every legal vote,” and said he encourages them to do so. He reiterated that death threats and intimidation of violence cross the line.

“It’s not right. They’ve (the GOP) lost the moral high ground to claim that it is.”

Sterling reiterated the absurdity of the threats against elections workers who aren’t public officials, calling it the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“I took a high profile job. I get it. The secretary (Raffensperger) and his wife knew that too. This kid (the contractor) took a job. He just took a job…. And (threatening him) is just wrong… Every American. Every Georgian, Republican and Democrat alike should have that same level of anger.”

Sterling finished up with a message to Trump:

“Mr. President, it looks like you likely lost the state of Georgia. We’re investigating. There’s always a possibility. I get it and you have the right to go through the courts. What you don’t have the ability to do – and you need to step up and say this – is stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Somebody’s going to get hurt. Somebody’s going to get shot. Somebody’s going to get killed. And it’s not right… It’s not right. All of this is wrong… These people should know better.”