Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) admitted Sunday morning that she flatly declined to give a direct response when pressed to reveal whether she would have voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto on the most recent National Defense Authorization Act.
Last Friday, the Senate voted by an overwhelming majority of 81 to 13 to override the president’s veto of the annual defense bill, with most Republicans joining Democrats in what became the first of Trump’s vetoes to be lifted.
The president had refused to sign the NDAA because it contained provisions to remove the names of bases named after Confederate generals and did not include a repeal of Section 230, a law that grants social media companies immunity from posting third-party content.
Loeffler, along with fellow Republican Georgia Senate David Perdue, did not participate in the vote on Friday, citing their campaign activities in the upcoming Senate election. During her interview on Fox News Sundayguest host Bret Baier repeatedly urged the Conservative legislator to give her position on the bill – only for Loeffler to refuse to give a straight answer.
“A lot of people watch this race and think that President Trump was the first to pigeonhole you and Senator Perdue when he threatened not to sign the COVID stimulus and government funding and then signed it,” Baier noted. Then, then, by demanding or calling for additional direct payments, which you then supported, and then by vetoing the national defense law, which you initially supported and voted for. Why didn’t you vote on the veto that was lifted in the Senate on Friday? “
Loeffler, who has been in close contact with the president during the election, replied that she “stood behind the president 100 percent of the time” before praising Trump as a defender of the military. She also pointed out that she recently campaigned, prompting Baier to push back.
“Understand that campaigning is important and you say how important these elections are on January 5, but Georgia is clearly a big defense state, current and former military here, defense company here,” he added. “How would you have voted if you had voted for that veto?”
Again, Loeffler avoided the question, saying only that she initially supported the NDAA before reiterating that she was campaigning in Georgia. At the same time, the senator accused Democrats of changing the original bill, saying she didn’t know how she would have voted.
She blamed her Democratic opponent Rev. Raphael Warnock also misrepresented a sermon he preached about not serving two masters, falsely claiming that he ‘attacked’ the military.
“But would you have enforced the veto on the NDAA?” Baier urged again.
“Look, what’s at stake here is our military and our freedoms,” Loeffler said again. “That’s what’s on the ballot now. And I’m the daughter and granddaughter of veterans … But if we don’t win on Jan. 5, our army will be debunked and worse.”
“I’m not going to exaggerate, but that’s not a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ whether or not you enforce the veto,” sighed the Fox News anchor.
“That’s right,” smiled a shameless Loeffler.