Maddow: Midterm Turnout Is 'Frickin' One Finger Salute' from Voters

Tuesday on MS NOW’s “We the People 2026,” co-host Rachel Maddow said the large midterm turnout is a “frickin one finger salute” from voters to the idea that there is widespread voter fraud.

Maddow said, “One of the things that happens in democratic backsliding, and when authoritarians take over democratic countries, is that they tell you that the vote doesn’t matter. I mean, that’s the whole thing behind claiming voter fraud and claiming that the elections are rigged. It’s to tell people, don’t bother voting. Your vote doesn’t count. Your vote, whatever you intend it to mean, it won’t ever mean that, and this whole system is rigged against you. And it’s to turn people off from voting not only to make them disbelieve the results, but to make them disinterested in participating. And this is a frickin one finger salute to that idea from the American people.”

She added, “I mean, the turnout numbers again, those record turnout numbers I was just conveying to you, those are out of South Carolina. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen in South Carolina, but this is the American people saying we were out here.”

Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN