Bannon continues to spread election lies about Alaska, while Tshibaka nods and smiles

Preacher Kelly Tshibaka, who lied throughout her campaign for the U.S. Senate, is still at it.

Tshibaka appeared again on extremist Steve Bannon’s podcast and said nothing as he claimed to her that the final Alaska vote count is being illegally manipulated, and that the “Murkowski machine” is calling the shots.

Bannon is lying.

“This is just not not acceptable that the machine, the Murkowski machine can steal this from the folks in Alaska, as important as Kelly Tshibaka’s voice would be,” Bannon lied.

Tshibaka repeated her lie that Murkowski was not allowed to run as a Republican, “snuck” on the ballot and Murkowski “is trying to run away with this election.”

Under the regular Alaska process of counting absentee and questioned ballots, which always takes weeks in Alaska, the vote totals have changed since Election Day. Tshibaka trails Sen. Lisa Murkowski going into the ranked choice voting tabulation later today.

There is nothing to suggest that the Alaska election system, supervised by professionals under Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, has done anything wrong. Bannon is an expert at undermining democracy. Tshibaka is egging him on.

Bannon, who has yet to report to prison to serve his time, claimed that “people don’t understand” how it is possible that Tshibaka now trails Murkowski.

An honest and ethical candidate would have told Bannon that Alaskans who know about our elections understand what is happening. The absentee and questioned ballots, many from rural areas, were expected to show strong support for Murkowski and they did.

“It looks like there’s some hinky stuff going on to deny you this victory,” Bannon said, a line that drew a smile from Tshibaka.

He lied that “they” are trying to steal the election and “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.”

“Yeah, you said that right,” Tshibaka said.

She repeated more lies and used the appearance to beg Bannon’s listeners to send her more money, claiming that she needs money for “ballot counters and ballot observers” and court fights.

“We also don’t know what lawsuits might be filed or if a recount is gonna be asked for and so we need the money to do that too,” she said.

Through all of the lies spread by those who are trying to undermine democracy in our state, the shameful silence and complicity of Alaska Republican Party “leaders” stands out.