CNN host Brianna Keilar has earned quite a reputation for her no-nonsense rebukes of right-wing disinformation, and an interview this week with Republican state Senator Bryan Hughes of Texas was no exception.
Texas is just one of dozens of states where Republican legislators have introduced voter suppression bills under the guise of election security, riding momentum brought by the skepticism of the American electoral process among Republican voters.
The legislation—Senate Bill 7—proposes some of the strictest election laws in the nation that are certain to disproportionately hinder access to the ballot box among the state's Black voters. It includes the elimination of ballot drop boxes and drive-through voting, while strengthening the power of partisan poll watchers.
Earlier this week, Texas Democrats in the state House dramatically walked out of the session in order to deny the chamber a quorum, preventing the S.B. 7 from being brought to the floor. The Lone Star State's Republican Governor, Greg Abbott, has since threatened to withhold pay if the Texas Congress can't get it passed.
Keilar challenged Hughes on the need for the bill and fact-checked the falsehoods he promoted to further sow doubt in the security of American elections.
Watch below.
Texas Republican Bryan Hughes, lead sponsor of the proposed restrictive voting bill, tries to claim there are "hundreds of open cases" of voter fraud in the state.\n\n@brikeilarcnn shuts that down: "There's not, there's not, there's not ... there are 43."pic.twitter.com/R6F75wBYMj— The Recount (@The Recount) 1622636126
Keilar told Hughes:
"I just ask: Why is that when you only have 43 pending voter fraud charges in Texas? Only one is from 2020. You've previously misquoted that as, I think, about 400. It's really 43. Only one is from 2020 and there were 16 minor prosecutions for 2020. It was just people putting down addresses that weren't theirs."
When Hughes attempted to repeat the lie she'd just debunked, claiming there were "hundreds of open cases," Keilar shot back:
"No. There's not," she said, and the two went back and forth for a moment until Keilar said, "You may be talking about complaints, which anyone can file. There are not 'hundreds of open cases.' There are 43 pending voter fraud charges in Texas. This is according to your Republican attorney general's office. There are not hundreds, Sir."
People were thankful she didn't let Hughes' lies go unchecked.
@brikeilarcnn gets them all the way together!! I love her!https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— SugarBrownWoman (@SugarBrownWoman) 1622650949
Who is more trustworthy, Hughes or @brikeilarcnn ? Anyone knows that Briana is 100% prepared and takes no prisoners. The Senator should be barred from all airtime. Disqualified by lying and insisting that he was truthful.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— Joseph Huben (@Joseph Huben) 1622647433
Smack Down...\n\nFORTYTHREE -https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— EclecticalMe /Elaine Is My Name (@EclecticalMe /Elaine Is My Name) 1622648063
Thank you Brianna Keilar for calling out the perpetual gaslighting BS from our Texas representatives.\n@brikeilarcnn #EndTheFilibusterNow #GregAbbottFailedTexas #GregAbbottIsanIdiothttps://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— H. Michael Karshis (@H. Michael Karshis) 1622646757
Watch @brikeilarcnn attempt to set the record straight; applause for her. And also, Bryan Hughes has zero shame about lying and continues even after she corrects him.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— LauraB\u2019sProVoting #TeamDemocracy \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u26be\ufe0f\ud83c\udf2d\ud83e\udd67 (@LauraB\u2019sProVoting #TeamDemocracy \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u26be\ufe0f\ud83c\udf2d\ud83e\udd67) 1622644164
Thank you, @brikeilarcnn -- Glad to see journalists calling these liars out.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— Capn Louie \ud83c\udf0a (@Capn Louie \ud83c\udf0a) 1622640687
And others joined her in calling out the Republican party's continued efforts to erode public faith in democracy.
Spinning your wheels to chase down every complaint and conspiracy theory to keep the lies alive does not make them open investigations. Geez, stop the gaslighting.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— Paul Biedermann (@Paul Biedermann) 1622663671
Also, Sen. Hughes keeps pointing to courts being slow during COVID-19, which is true, but that did not stop the AG from filing cases, even if they couldn\u2019t be heard right away.\n\nUnless TXAG has some strategy for waiting to file those charges that he\u2019s not explained to the public.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— Taylor Goldenstein (@Taylor Goldenstein) 1622642599
Mr. Bryan Hughes takes his turn at the Red info spin:https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1400063505953439744\u00a0\u2026— KtD (@KtD) 1622645945
National lawmakers are facing increased pressure to pass legislation forbidding restrictive voting bills like the Senate Bill 7.
