WATCH: Sen. Loeffler Repeatedly Ducks Debate Questions About Trump’s False Claims He Won Election

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) ducked questions twice — no, wait, three times, four (?) times — at the Georgia Senate runoff debate about President Donald Trump’s false claims that he won the election, instead attacking Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and her Democratic opponent, Rev. Raphael Warnock.

Greg Bluestein, political reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, asked the first question of Loeffler.

“President Trump opened his election rally last night by falsely claiming he won Georgia,” said Bluestein.” He didn’t. According to certified state election results he lost the state by 12,000 votes. Do you stand by his narrative that the election was rigged and do you support his demand for Governor Kemp to call a special session to overturn the results?”

Loeffler filibustered, saying that it was “vitally important that Georgians trust our election process and the president has ever right to every legal recourse and that’s what’s taking place,” and that she had “called for investigations” into the election.

Loeffler continued, saying that Trump had been “clear” that “Georgians need to come out and vote for David Perdue and myself because of what’s in stake in this election,” then pivoting to Schumer, who she said wanted the Democrats to win in Georgia so they could “change America,” including raising taxes, defunding the police, opening the borders, and implementing the Green New Deal.

“I’m fighting for every single Georgian to live the American dream that I was blessed to live,” said Loeffler.

Bluestein tried again to get her to answer. “Senator, do you believe the election was rigged?”

“Look, Greg, it’s very clear that there were issues in this election,” replied Loeffler, repeating some of her earlier comments about “250 investigations” and “what’s at stake in this election,” plus quoting Schumer wanting to “change America.”

The issue came up again later in the debate, when Loeffler was asked about Trump’s attacks against Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), who has refused to call a special session to overturn his state’s certification of the election results, which President-elect Joe Biden won.

“I’m making sure that Georgians know what’s at stake on January 5th,” said Loeffler. “Our way of life right here in Georgia will radically change, as promised by Chuck Schumer. Now we take Georgia, then we change America. That’s my number one focus. Making sure that Georgians know what’s at stake.”

“If everything is at stake on January 5th, that would presume that President Trump has lost, is that what you’re saying?” asked NPR Morning Edition host Lisa Rayam.

“What’s at stake is the Senate majority,” said Loeffler, ducking the question again. If the Democrats defeat both Loeffler and her fellow incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue, the Senate would be under 50-50 control, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tiebreaker vote.

“This will determine who brings bills to the Senate floor,” Loeffler continued, talking about bills that the currently GOP-controlled Senate had passed. “The Democrats want to keep this lockdown. They want to radically change our country and their agent of change is radical liberal Raphael Warnock…We know the direction the country would take and we’re going to continue to make sure that Georgians understand that our very way of life here in Georgia and across the country is under attack by the left.”

“All of those things that you’re warning about would not be happening, presumably with President Trump as president,” Rayam responded (if the Republicans retained the White House, Vice President Mike Pence would be the tiebreaker for an evenly split Senate). “It almost sounds as though you’re conceding that that part of it has been settled and now it’s important for the Republicans to keep the majority in the senate, to have a divided government.”

Loeffler launched into a long answer about the power of the Senate but never expressly acknowledging that Trump had lost the election.

Watch the video clips above, via CNN.