‘You Can Laugh About It!’ New Hampshire Republican Uncowed By Audience’s Reaction to Election Fraud Claims During Senate Debate

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) debated her Republican challenger Don Bolduc for the second and likely final time on Thursday afternoon in a contentious event moderated by hosts from New Hampshire Public Radio and the New Hampshire Bulletin.

The debate covered a range of issues from abortion rights to inflation to election security.

During the debate Bolduc parroted claims of election fraud he said he heard from New Hampshire residents including that thousands of people were bussed in from out of state to vote illegally. This unfounded claim, which was also made by former President Donald Trump, apparently caused a chuckle in the audience, which prompted Bolduc to double down, saying, “You can laugh about it, but people in New Hampshire aren’t laughing about it.”

“We need to make sure that school busses loaded with people at the polls don’t come in and vote. And we need to make sure. We need to make sure that the 10,000 people that show up on same day without an I.D. card actually come back and prove it. 10,000 people. Less than 400 came back,” he began, adding:

You can laugh about it, but people in New Hampshire aren’t laughing about it. This is the fundamental freedom that I was sent to other countries to make sure happened.

And you know what? The Congress has rules when we help other countries. They have to have an I.D. They have to prove where they live inside that country. They can’t do it same day. It’s all rules that we apply to other countries.

“Okay. We’re going to move on,” the moderator tried to interject.

“You can shake your heads all you want. But the bottom line is, that’s what it is,” Bolduc said, addressing the audience.

“But just to be clear, you’re claiming that busses full of voters who are not permitted to vote here, you’re claiming that that happens in New Hampshire?” the moderator followed up.

“I am claiming that that is what Granite Staters tell me. And I’m saying we need to respond to that,” Bolduc replied.

“Didn’t you need to verify that information before you,” asked the moderator before Bolduc cut in, saying, “We need to verify it.”

“That’s what I just said. Can you listen to me here first? I’m saying that this is what Granite Staters are telling me, and I think it’s valid,” he concluded.

Watch the full clip above