CNN Guest: Republicans Want to End the Voting Rights Lincoln Died for

CNN is known for its fake news, well apparently they’re venturing out into the untapped market of fake history as well. On Sunday afternoon’s CNN Newsroom, anchor Fredricka Whitfield invited historian Doris Kearns Goodwin on the show to discuss her new book as well as current events when she claimed Republicans want to “pull back” the voting rights that Lincoln fought and died for. 

After discussing the heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine and how President Biden is handling the situation, Whitfield suggested that Biden should read Goodwin’s book on former President Abraham Lincoln called Turbulent Times: Leadership.

She then asked Goodwin “what are you teaching us about how Lincoln handled things?” In response, Goodwin claimed that the “most important lesson that Lincoln provides for us today” is on “the big crisis of — is our democracy in peril?” 

She explained that in the early days of the Civil War “the central idea they had to fight was if the minority that loses an election, as the south did, could decide to break up the union simply because they wouldn’t accept the peaceful transition of power; it would prove democracy was an absurdity.”

As if comparing the GOP’s support for voter integrity legislation to the south seceding before the Civil War wasn’t crazy enough, Goodwin kept going with her ahistorical analogies: 

His last speech was [Lincoln] makes before he dies — just a few days before he dies is talking about extending the right to vote to African Americans who had fought in the war. John Wilkes Booth then hears him speak that speech, and decides it is time to end his life.

Now, 150 years later, there are many people who want to see voting rights reversed. This is what we need to fight. Lincoln might have said to him that this was his fight. It is crucial that voters have the right to vote.

I must’ve been sick that day in history class when we learned about how Abraham Lincoln fought for universal vote-by-mail, early voting, and a ban on voter ID. Either this or Doris Kearns Goodwin has fabricated history to support her political agenda. I suspect it is the latter. 

CNN made this fact-free segment possible through Verizon. You can link their information to let them know of biased news that they are funding. 

To read the relevant transcript click “expand”: 

CNN Newsroom
2/20/2022
3:29.58 PM EST

FREDRICKAWHITFIELD – Perhaps President Biden should start reading your “Leadership in Turbulent Times” book about Abraham Lincoln. You mean, what can you teach us about Lincoln? 

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN: I believe the biggest lesson Lincoln teaches us is about the larger crisis facing our democracy. He stated that the main idea of Civil War was to defeat any minority who loses an election like the South. If they refuse to accept peaceful power transitions, it would be a proof of democracy’s absurdity. That’s why the war was fought from the very beginning. He makes his last speech before he passes away, just days before he does. It is about giving the vote rights to African Americans who fought in wartime. John Wilkes Booth saw him giving that speech at that time and decided it was now the right time to end his life. Now, 150 years after the election, there are still people trying to push for the notion that voting rights must be restored. This is what we need to fight. Lincoln might have said to him that this was his fight. It is crucial that voters have the right to vote.