At a pro-police rally in Jersey City, New Jersey Republican Chair of Chairs Jose Arango said that Democrats are using COVID-19 as leverage in the presidential race.
“The reality is that with all this craziness that the governor’s providing here in New Jersey creating a socialist state where we close the businesses, we can’t vote like regular people, we can’t do business because of COVID-19,” Arango began at the Jersey City 9/11 Memorial yesterday.
“Let me tell you something: COVID-19, yes it’s here, COVID-19 is a reality, but the main thing is we have to be careful. We have to sanitize ourselves, we have to be responsible, but you can’t close the businesses. Closing the businesses does not cure COVID-19, closing the businesses destroys the economy.”
He continued that it’s “inhumane” that some Democrats who are using COVID-19 “to try and win an election.”
President Donald Trump’s campaign is currently suing Gov. Phil Murphy (D) for signing an executive order calling for New Jersey’s November 3rd general election to be held primarily via vote-by-mail ballots – similar to the July 7th primary.
The lawsuit contends that the order was unconstitutional and violates federal law for allowing ballots to be counted 10 days early and also allows ballots to be received within 48 hours of the polls closing.
The president has been steadfast in his stance that if businesses can be open, even at limited capacity, that voters should be allowed to cast their ballots in person throughout the country and that VBMs open the election up to widespread fraud.
On the other hand, Murphy and other Democratic governors have insisted that these measures are determined by data and science and are also necessary to limit the spread of COVID-19.
On Friday, Murphy said that there has been 14,234 recorded deaths from COVID-19 to date, 195,888 overall cases, and with 518 cases and nine new fatalities.
Furthermore, the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany under President Barack Obama (D) told Politico last month that he has no plans of heading to D.C. in the event that former Vice President Joe Biden defeats Trump.
The event on the Jersey City waterfront was billed as a “patriotic rally” to support police, firefighters, and EMS in the midst of calls to defund the police, which about two dozen people attended.
While the event was billed as apolitical, many speakers at least mentioned their preference to vote in person and re-elect Trump – though most did not mention him by name – and a least a handful of attendees wore “Make America Great Again” hats.
The only other elected leader who spoke was Jersey City Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano, a retired Jersey City police detective, who kept him remarks succinct and did not mention national politics.
“We have to support the police and this whole issue of defunding has to stop … I’m loyal to the police, fire, [and] EMS and I always will be.”
