Donald Trump tries to pressure Republican Senator Rand Paul to challenge Electoral College votes in Congress in January 6 in a series of tweets
Donald Trump is putting pressure on Republican senator Rand Paul to join a few House Republicans in challenging electors' votes when Congress moves to certify the election for Joe Biden next month.
On Thursday morning, Trump reposted a tweet saying: 'Rand Paul states over TWO DOZEN states changed their elections laws without going through the legislatures.'
He also retweeted a sentiment from conservative radio personality and Fox News host Mark Levin claiming, 'Rand Paul is right on', along with an article from the Washington Examiner detailing the senator's comments during the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing Wednesday.
Paul said during his time that there was some level of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
On Wednesday night, the president reposted an article to Twitter from right-leaning media site The Blaze questioning: 'Will the Kentucky Republican challenge the Electoral College votes?'
The focus on Paul indicates the president might feel he is the weak link of the GOP who could support the challenge despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warning Republicans Tuesday not to join the effort.
President Donald Trump has turned his attention to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul to try and pressure the Republican to join House members in challenging the electors' votes in the joint session on January 6
Trump retweeted a post where a user repeated claims from Rand Paul saying that at least two dozen states changed election laws without going through their respective legislatures
He also said, 'TRUE!' in response to an article where Paul is detailed admitting during the Homeland Security Committee hearing Wednesday that there was fraud in the election and it 'in many ways was stolen'
Trump reposted a tweet from Fox News' Mark Levin repeating the same remarks from the senator and saying: 'Rand Paul is right on'
Paul is one of the senators a few House members, led by Alabama Representative Mo Brooks, have been courting to join them in officially launching a challenge to the Electoral College results in five swing states that went blue this year – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The Kentucky senator said he doesn't have any plans yet to join in on challenging Electoral College votes.
'I haven't thought about it, or made any plans to do anything,' he told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday after previously not commenting on the matter.
When asked about McConnell urging during a party call Tuesday not to object in the January 6 joint session, Paul claimed: 'I wasn't part of that phone call.'
There are also reports that Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville, who will represent Alabama come the new year, has not yet ruled out objecting to the election results.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune of South Dakota said Thursday: 'I would hope he wouldn't do that. I think it's time, like I said before, to move on.'
The No. 2 ranking Republican said it's time to accept that the election is over.
'It's time to be done with this,' Thune said. 'I would hope that we wouldn't have members of the Senate, who would decide that, that makes sense.
Brooks has also been looking to Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin to join them in the challenge – but the chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee ended speculation on Wednesday that he was considering doing so.
'I don't think it's going to happen,' Johnson said Wednesday of the House GOP effort. 'I'm certainly not going to do it.'
The Trump loyalist acknowledged Wednesday that Joe Biden is officially the president-elect after the Electoral College voted on Monday to cement his victory.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune of South Dakota said Thursday: 'It's time to be done with this. I would hope that we wouldn't have members of the Senate' object to the election results
Republican Senator Josh Hawley, however, did not rule out the potential of becoming the upper chamber member to challenge the electors' votes, sparking a vote on the matter.
'I'm studying the issue,' Hawley told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday. 'My sense is what's been done in the past in the last 20 years in those elections is Democrats used the opportunity to raise concerns about the process. It's really the only forum that that senators and members of Congress have in order to do that. So, I'm going to do my due diligence and we'll see.'
At least one House and one Senate member needs to challenge Electoral College votes for a particular state to launch deliberation on the matter and then a joint-session vote on whether to accept or reject the results.
As some House Republicans vow to move forward with challenging electors' votes, McConnell urged on a call with the caucus Tuesday that they should not further indulge the plan.
He claimed it would split the party, ultimately fail and have the appearance of the majority of the GOP supporting an 'anti-Trump vote.'
Hawley, when asked about McConnell's warning, said 'every senator has got to make up his or her own mind' and do 'what they think best represents their constituents.'
'So, we'll see,' he added.
Following the Electoral College voting on Monday, the next step in Biden taking office will be on January 6, when Congress certifies the election for the former vice president. A small group of Republican lawmakers are already promising to thwart that effort.
President Donald Trump expressed his ire at McConnell's efforts to stop Republicans in the upper chamber from supporting the plan, claiming it's 'too soon to give up' on attempts to 'fight' the election results.
Senator Ron Johnson said Wednesday that he will not join House Republicans in the challenge. 'I don't think it's going to happen,' Johnson told reporters . 'I'm certainly not going to do it'
Senator Josh Hawley, however, didn't rule out the possibility of being the one Republican in the Senate to force deliberation on the matter
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Republican senators in a call not to join the House efforts claiming it would split the party and ultimately fail. He also congratulated Joe Biden as 'president-elect' during Senate floor remarks Tuesday
Trump immediately lashed out at McConnell, claiming it's 'too soon to give up' as he reposted an article from DailyMail.com detailing Republicans' opposition to McConnell's plea
He also reposted comments from Representative Mo Brooks on Tuesday claiming Trump won the Electoral College. Brooks is spearheading the Electoral College vote challenge in Congress and courting Republican senators to join the cause
'Mitch, 75,000,000 VOTES, a record for a sitting President (by a lot),' Trump tweeted along with an article from DailyMail.com detailing Republicans' slamming McConnell for his comments. 'Too soon to give up. Republican Party must finally learn to fight. People are angry!'
House members, led by Alabama Representative Mo Brooks, have been courting Republican Senators, such as Johnson and Kentucky's Rand Paul, to join them in the challenge.
Paul said he currently doesn't have any plans to join in on challenging Electoral College votes from five swing states that went blue this year – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
'I haven't thought about it, or made any plans to do anything,' he told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday after previously not commenting on the matter.
When asked about McConnell urging the caucus yesterday not to object, Paul claimed: 'I wasn't part of that phone call.'
Brooks has acknowledged that his effort would most likely be a symbolic protest rather than an actual avenue toward overturning the election results.
Johnson held a hearing Wednesday before the Homeland Security Committee looking at alleged 'irregularities' in the 2020 presidential election.
'This hearing is simply what should be ongoing oversight to restore confidence in our election system so that the next election has the controls in place and we answer these questions and so we have greater confidence in the legitimacy of the next election,' he said, attempting to dispel rumors that the hearing is a way for him to object to Biden's victory.
'You have to take the allegations seriously,' Johnson said. 'You can't just ignore it.'
During the hearing, Paul claimed that the election was 'in many ways stolen.'
Trump claimed Tuesday that people are 'angry' after McConnell congratulated Biden from the Senate floor. At the same time, some of Trump's most ardent loyalists vented their fury at the Republican leader.
'The Electoral College has spoken,' McConnell said Tuesday morning during floor remarks, before adding he wanted to 'congratulate the President-elect Joe Biden' and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
On Twitter Tuesday, Trump also highlighted anger from incoming Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and QAnon follower, who said she will join Brooks in challenging the Electoral College results.
He also reposted a racially-charged attack on McConnell's Chinese-American wife by Lin Wood, a lawyer who has brought a string of failed election lawsuits with 'Kraken' attorney Sidney Powell.
'Every 'Republican' that isn't fighting for @realDonaldTrump's 2020 landslide victory is supporting the Chinese Communist Party takeover of America,' Greene tweeted following McConnell's remarks.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, an incoming Georgia representative, is joining Brooks' effort to overturn the election, and lashed out after McConnell's call on Tuesday
Trump campaign attorney Lin Wood went even further, calling McConnell a 'traitor' and vowing: 'His day of judgment is coming.'
McConnell 'is NOT a Patriot. Ask his wife. She knows,' wrote Wood, referring to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, McConnell's wife of 27 years, who is a Chinese-American.
'McConnell just wants power, influence, & money. He is willing to sell America to get what he wants. McConnell is a traitor to American Patriots,' Wood continued.
Recently pardoned former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn joined the outcry, retweeting a Twitter user who called on 'American patriots' to let 'McConnell know we aren't on board with his 'President Elect Biden' mindset.'
Flynn told Trump: 'millions & millions & millions of Patriots stand behind, alongside & in front of you during this crucible moment in US History where our very Republic is on the line. We won't fail or cower like some in the Republican Party have shown.'
Sebastian Gorka, a conservative radio host who served briefly in the Trump administration, accused McConnell of caving to 'the mob' by conceding the election to Biden before the final January 6 count of the Electoral College in Congress.
Mark Levin also joined the fray, tweeting 'thanks for nothing, Mitch.'
'Trump helped you secure your seat, as he did so man Senate and House seats, and you couldn't even wait until January 6th,' added Levin. 'You've been the GOP 'leader' in the Senate for far too long. It's time for some fresh thinking and new blood.'
Hard-right commentator Nicholas J. Fuentes, who has been leading 'Stop the Steal' rallies across the country, tweeted simply: 'McConnell is a traitor and a RINO.'
The acronym 'RINO' stands for 'Republican in name only.'
On Tuesday, McConnell warned his fellow GOP senators not to join Trump's continued attempts to overturn the Electoral College results.
In private discussion, McConnell reportedly warned Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session January 6 to confirm the results.
That fight would yield a 'terrible vote' for Republicans, McConnell told the senators, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the call, which was first reported by Politico. They would have to choose whether to back Trump or publicly buck him.
Republicans are worried about bad effects on the Georgia runoff election, where two incumbent Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in a state that flipped in November for Biden.
McConnell has been a strong supporter of most Trump efforts. But the turn of events six weeks after Election Day showed the Kentucky senator, backed by his leadership team, seeking to normalize relations with the coming Biden presidency while avoiding the spectacle of pitched floor fight that would divide the party as Trump reluctantly leaves office.