Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said the Trump campaign's defense of the Electoral College wins "on the merits" against progressive calls to abolish the institution. He defended it as ensuring "our elections are not dominated by population centers" during an appearance on Fox News's The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino Wednesday afternoon.
"The Trump campaign is going back at congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her calls for the Electoral College to be banned," host Dana Perino said.
She then read an email from the Trump campaign responding to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D., N.Y.) recent call to abolish the Electoral College.
"Protect the Electoral College. Socialist representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently called for abolishing the EC. Remind her that this country belongs to Americans from every zip code, not just coastal elites and mega liberal donors. This is our country, not theirs," Perino read.
"This is from a Trump campaign email. The Electoral College on the chopping block if you are AOC," she added.
"Along with the filibuster, along with packing the Court, all these great structural changes the progressives have in mind if they win in 2020," Continetti responded.
"The Electoral College is there to ensure that our elections are not dominated by population centers, which in this case would be New York and California," he continued. "All 50 states need to have a say in this and voters in rural counties as well as urban counties also need to have a say in this. I think the Trump campaign wins the argument on the merits when it comes to the Electoral College."
Several Democratic presidential candidates also support abolishing the Electoral College. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), Cory Booker (D., N.J.), former representative Beto O'Rourke (D.), and South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg (D.) have all said they support abolishing the institution.
Additionally, Sens. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) have both said they're open to the idea, while current frontrunner Joe Biden (D.) has not made his position clear.