FARGO – On Saturday, Former President Donald Trump posted on his own social media platform, “WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences,” and added, “Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”

When asked to react to this by NBC’s Kristen Welker, Burgum said Trump was “just putting people on notice.” Previously, Burgum had said he would not do business with Trump, but rolled back those statements in a move many thought to be an overtly opportunistic push to become Trump’s Vice Presidential candidate.

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn said, “Trump’s continued threats against election officials are unpatriotic and unAmerican. Burgum and the NDGOP have surrendered their brains to Trump and betrayed American democracy. North Dakotans have always been an independent, free-thinking people, and it is not our way to think how someone else tells us to. We deserve elected officials who will respect our right to vote, not puppets who try to sanewash the bluster and threats Trump uses to cover his cognitive decline. Our lawmakers don’t answer to a president or a presidential candidate, they answer to the American people. Our Democratic-NPL candidates like Katrina Christiansen for Senate, Trygve Hammer for House, and Merrill Piepkorn will always think for themselves and do what’s best for North Dakotans. Why won’t the Republicans?”