Mike Collins
Role at the time: U.S. Representative from Georgia and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate
Statement summary
Georgia Republican Senate candidate Rep. Mike Collins was asked at a campaign event with Sen. John Thune about the idea, which the questioner said some in the administration have floated, of federal troops at sites in some precinct areas. He said the last thing "we" want is for people to lack confidence in their elections and not show up, and that if that is something the administration decides it needs to look at, that is fine with him.
“The last thing we want is for people to not have confidence in their elections and not show up. So … if that's something that they decide that they need to look at, then that's fine with me”
Post by journalist Aaron Rupar with a video clip of about 35 seconds from a Fox broadcast in which Rep. Mike Collins answers a question about federal troops at sites in some precinct areas at an event with Sen. John Thune. The quotation here is our transcription of the video audio.
Why we used this label
The case asks whether ICE and other armed federal agents should be allowed at or near polling places, and records responses to the administration's stated or threatened use of them. Collins was asked about federal troops at sites in some precinct areas rather than about ICE, and we recorded the answer because it addresses armed federal personnel at voting sites. He said that if the administration decides it needs to look at the idea, that is fine with him, so we labeled it Defended or excused.