Prominent Republicans across the country are breathing a sigh of relief that President Donald Trump has so far not aggressively pursued his pledge for a “major investigation” into his allegations of widespread voter fraud that he claims robbed him the popular vote. Current and former GOP state party chairs and other officials said in interviews that the unverified allegation was at best a distraction and at worst a damaging statement that could erode confidence in elections. And even as Trump continues to make some outrageous claims — including that former President Barack Obama tapped his Trump Tower phones — he’s now directing much of his attention to replacing Obamacare and juicing up the job market.
… New Hampshire Republicans, in particular, are expressing relief at the development as Trump specifically mentioned their state, alleging voters bused in from Massachusetts cost him and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte victories in the state.
But some Republicans want the White House to retreat even further. “It would be nice if they would admit they made a bogus claim before moving on, but next to that, the right thing to do is move on,” said Fergus Cullen, the former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican party.
Tom Rath, the state’s former attorney general, said the claims have faded from view because they are false. “I don’t think it was tactical, as opposed to realistic,” he said. “If you’re going to say something like that, you need to have a second act. They didn’t even have the first act.”
Full Article: Republicans relieved Trump eased up on voter fraud claims – POLITICO.