The mainstream media constantly uses the term "election denier" in a derogatory manner to refer to Republicans and conservatives who question the results of certain elections. However, they never use these expressions to talk about Democrats and progressives who do the same. According to Aaron Kliegman of Just The News:
In recent months, prominent press outlets have normalized the election denier phrase as a standard feature of political coverage — especially in the run-up to and aftermath of this month's midterm elections.
Only Republicans denying the results?
Kliegman exposes media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, which frequently publish articles with headlines like the following:
-Where Republican election deniers are on the ballot near you.
-A majority of GOP nominees deny or question the 2020 election results. In this one, they name nearly 300 GOP candidates who fit their definition of 'election denier.'
See Which 2020 Election Deniers and Skeptics Won and Lost in the Midterm Elections. According to the NYT, more than 220 election skeptics and deniers, all Republicans, won their races.
These are just a few examples of the hundreds that exist, including in media outlets such as Time, Reuters, Associated Press and NBC News who routinely employ this rhetoric in their reporting, specifically pointing to Republicans who question, challenge, contest or deny election results from 2020 to the present.
No Democrat is called out
The Republican candidate for governor of Arizona, Kari Lake, was questioned regarding her willingness to accept future election results in her midterm race. She has been targeted with the label of election denier for saying that, in her opinion, the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Lake has defended herself from criticism over the years. In the midst of the election race, she released documents showing the numerous Democratic Party candidates who denied the election results at the time:
Let's talk about "Election Deniers."
I brought receipts. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/0vzg0ecdx3- Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 18, 2022
Hakeem Jeffries
Despite this, the media has refrained from applying the same term to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat serves as his party's leader in the House. Jeffries has repeatedly denied the legitimacy of Donald Trump's 2016 election victory:
The more we learn about 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes. America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE President in the Oval Office #RussianInterference https://t.co/x3BHO5CPIm
- Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) February 16, 2018
Jeffries has repeatedly accused Trump of "cheating" in the 2016 election:
- "LIE (more than any administration in the history of the Republic). TRAP (2016 election/Russian interference). STEALING (one or two Supreme Court seats.) When will Republicans put country ahead of party?"
- "Is Donald Trump? A. a legitimate President B. a Russian Asset C. an organized crime boss D. a useful idiot."
- "History will never accept you as a legitimate President," Jeffries tweeted from his personal account about Trump in 2020.
Many other Democrats, including congressmen and former presidents, have also questioned the results of previous elections. Like Jeffries, none of them have been labeled election deniers by the media. The GOP released a 12-minute video backing up these facts,"Democrats have a lengthy history of refusing to accept the results of elections they lost."
Just the News contacted the NYT, WaPo and AP to ask why they don't use the term election denier for Jeffries and other Democrats, as they do for Republicans. None of the three media responded to the request.
