'Bring It On:' Gov. Murphy Won't Back Down To Trump Election Suit

NEW JERSEY - After months of sly criticism, deferrals and mild rebukes, Governor Phil Murphy threw down the gauntlet to President Donald Trump and those suing him over his vote-by-mail decision for the general election.

"We will not back down," Murphy said at the top of his Wednesday COVID-19 briefing. "So as they say, bring it on."

Trump's campaign, along with the Republican National Committee and the New Jersey Republican Party, filed suit late Tuesday saying that Governor Phil Murphy's vote-by-mail executive order violates citizens' right to vote.

Murphy announced last week that every voter will be mailed a ballot weeks ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The step is being taken as New Jersey continues to deal with the effects of the coronavirus.

The Murphy administration is also suing the US Postal Service because of agency's overtime and service cuts could impact the election.

"The president's campaign has put itself on record as wanting to delegitimize our November election instead of working with us to ensure that voter's rights are upheld, alongside public health," Murphy said. "This goes far beyond the attempts of weaponizing the United States Postal Service to disenfranchise voters. This is now becoming a full-throated propaganda campaign to undermine the election itself."

The lawsuit against Murphy alleges that "in his haste, the governor created a system that will violate eligible citizens' right to vote. By ordering universal vote-by-mail, he has created a recipe for disaster. Fraudulent and invalid votes dilute the votes of honest citizens and deprive them of their right to vote in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment."

"Vote-by-mail has been used extensively across the country, including I might add in the five states that almost exclusively use vote-by-mail for every election. And vote by mail is not new in New Jersey either," Murphy said. "And it takes on the added importance of protecting both public health and the right to vote during a deadly pandemic that has already taken more than 14,000 lives in our state. "

Murphy noted that New Jersey's efforts to expand vote-by-mail participation have been ongoing for years and have proven successful in election after election.

"Just as it did last month when we had the second highest primary turnout in state history despite an ongoing public health emergency," he said.

According to Murphy, the Trump campaign is embarking on a "brazen campaign to sow fear, and confusion and to delegitimize our elections" and cast doubt on the Democratic process.

"They're trying to distract us from focusing on our future," he said. "But we will not be distracted. Our plans for November, will move forward."

Murphy said that vote-by-mail will keep people safe and if utilizing it is good enough for the president it should be good enough for everyone.

"The sanctity of our Democratic processes must be and will be preserved," Murphy said. "As the president and his team try to delegitimize our election and impact the health and safety of many New Jerseyans we will defend our rights vigorously."

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