DALTON, Ga. (AP) – Donald Trump declared with increasing desperation Monday night that he would “fight like hell” to hold the presidency and called on Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they met this week to confirm the Electoral College voice.
Election voters who won Election President Biden are “not going to take the White House!” he shouted as supporters cheered during an outdoor rally in Georgia. Trump’s announced goal with the trip was to give Republican Senate candidates a boost in Tuesday’s run-off election, but he lamented much of his speech bitterly about his election loss – insisting he won ‘a lot’. ‘
Earlier, in Washington, he urged Republican lawmakers to formally object on Wednesday during a joint congressional session to confirm Biden’s victory in Electoral College, a confirmation of Biden’s nationwide victory on November 3.
Although he did nothing but cheer on Monday night, Trump’s attempt to overthrow the presidential election s divided the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers who support him are pushing ahead, despite an outburst of condemnation by current and former party officials who warn that the attempt is undermining Americans’ faith in democracy. All ten living former defense secretaries writes in an opinion that ‘the time for questioning the results is over’.
It is unclear to what extent GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday’s joint sitting, which could lead to the night, although the challenges for the election will be almost unsuccessful. Trump himself is preparing the crowd for a Wednesday rally near the White House.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to characterize the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides over a ceremonial role over Wednesday’s joint sitting.
“I promise you this: on Wednesday we will have our day in Congress,” Pence said as he campaigned in Georgia ahead of Tuesday’s by-elections, which would determine Senate control.
Trump said in Georgia: “I hope our great vice president gets through to us. He’s a great guy. If he does not get through, of course I will not like him so much. He added: “No, Mike is a wonderful guy.”
One of Georgia’s Republicans in Tuesday’s run – Senator Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock, told the crowd she would join the senators and formally object to Biden’s victory. The other Republican who wants to run for re-election, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible.
Trump has repeatedly reiterated his allegations of electoral fraud, which were rejected by election officials – Republicans as well as Democrats in state after state – and courts before the U.S. Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also said there was no evidence of fraud that could change the outcome of the election.
The congressional attempt to keep Trump in office is led by sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with perfect members of the House, some on the brink of the party.
“Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump,” tweeted newly elected representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who agrees with a conspiracy group that supports Trump.
“He wants you to call your representative and senators TODAY, ANY DAY!” she tweeted Monday. “Do not let Republicans be the surrender caucus!” She later joined the president on Air Force One when he traveled to Georgia.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to prevent his party from embarking on this fight, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, an ally of Trump, did not want to say much in public about it.
Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential candidates and are fighting for Trump’s supporter base.
Speaking during a drive-in rally in Atlanta, Biden said Trump “spends more time complaining and complaining” than he does working to resolve the coronavirus pandemic. He adds dismissively: “I do not know why he still wants the job – he does not want to do the job.”
During the day of Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the attempt to advance the election.
Former Missouri former senator John Danforth said in a stinging statement: “To trust Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen is a very devastating attack.” He said: ‘This is the opposite of conservative; it is radical. ”
Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, have joined the growing number who are now facing the challenge of lawmakers.
Portman said in a statement: “I do not support Congress being able to thwart the will of the electorate.”
At the Dalton rally, Trump noted that he was “a little angry” with Lee, but he expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. “We need his voice,” Trump said.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the enterprise, said the election challenge “undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only lead to further divisions across our country.”
So far, Trump has garnered support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College wins.
With Biden to be inaugurated on January 20, Trump is stepping up efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. In a call released on Sunday, he can be heard putting pressure on officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes from the November 3 election he lost in the state.
The challenge for the presidential election has been on a scale since the aftermath of the Civil War, although the typical routine process of confirming the votes of the Electoral College has previously been hit with brief objections. In 2017, several House Democrats contested Trump’s victory, but Biden, who was vice president at the time, quickly fired them to secure Trump’s victory.
States conduct their own elections, and Congress is reluctant to interfere.
“The 2020 election is over,” a statement said Sunday from a two-party group of ten senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah.
A variety of Republican officials – including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third rank GOP leader of the House; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized the GOP’s efforts to overthrow the election.
Hawley defended his actions in a lengthy email to colleagues this past weekend, saying his Missouri voters were “loud and clear” and insisted that Biden’s defeat against Trump was unfair.
Cruz’s coalition of 11 Republican senators promises to reject the election college scores unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree.
The group, which has not presented any new evidence of election problems, includes senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming , Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
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Associated Press authors Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Steve LeBlanc in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri, Alan Fram in Washington and Tali Arbel of the Technology Team contributed.