DALTON, GA (AP) – With growing despair, Donald Trump declared Monday night that he would “fight like hell” to hold the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when he meet this week to confirm the Electoral College vote.
Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden “will not take this White House!” he shouted as supporters applauded at a rally in Georgia. Trump’s announced purpose for the trip was to push Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday’s election, but he devoted much of his speech to bitterly complaining about his election loss, which he insists he won “a lot”.
Earlier, in Washington, he pressured Republican lawmakers to formally oppose a joint session of Congress on Wednesday that would confirm Biden’s victory in the Electoral College, a confirmation of Biden’s November 3 national victory.
While he got nothing but cheerful Monday night, Trump’s attempt to cancel the presidential election and s dividing the Republican party. Some Republican lawmakers supporting him are moving forward, despite the outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials who warned that the effort is undermining Americans ’faith in democracy. All 10 former defense secretaries alive he wrote in an opinion that “time has passed to question the results.”
It is unclear to what extent Republican Party leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday’s joint session, which could drag on into the night, although the challenges for the election will be nearly a failure. Trump himself whips crowds for a rally Wednesday near the White House.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip Trump’s results, will be closely monitored as he presides over a ceremonial role during Wednesday’s joint session.
“I promise you: Wednesday, we will have the day in Congress,” Pence said as he campaigned in Georgia ahead of Tuesday’s election to determine Senate control.
Trump told Georgia, “I hope our great vice president comes for us. He’s a fantastic guy. Of course, if he doesn’t come, I won’t like him so much. ” He added, “No, Mike is a fantastic guy.”
One of Georgia’s Republicans in Tuesday’s second round – Senator Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock – told the crowd that he would join the senators formally opposing Biden’s victory. The other Republican seeking re-election, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote.
Trump has repeatedly reiterated his allegations of electoral fraud, which have been rejected by election officials – Republicans and Democrats in state after state – and by courts to the United States Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, has also said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election result.
The Congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Mr. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with members of the House of Representatives, some of whom are on the sidelines.
“I just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump,” tweeted newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is lined up with a conspiracy group that supports Trump.
“He wants you to call your representative and senators TODAY, ALL DAY!” made a tweet on Monday. “Don’t let Republicans be the Caucus of Surrender!” He later joined the president of Air Force One while traveling in Georgia.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from participating in this battle, which could help define the Republican Party in the post-Trump era. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, an ally of Trump, has declined to say so publicly.
Both Hawley and Cruz are potential candidates for the 2024 presidency, competing for the base of Trump supporters.
Biden, who spoke at a rally in Atlanta, said Trump “spends more time complaining and complaining” than working on resolving the coronavirus pandemic. He contemptuously added, “I don’t know why he still wants the job, he doesn’t want to get the job done.”
During Monday, more current and former Republican Party officials slammed the effort to lift the election.
Former three-term Sen. John Danforth of Missouri said in a sharp statement, “Lending credibility to Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack.” He said: “It is the opposite of the conservative; it’s radical. “
Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, have joined the growing number that now oppose the challenge of lawmakers.
Portman said in a statement, “I cannot support Congress frustrating the will of voters.”
At Dalton’s rally, Trump noted that he was “a little angry” against Lee, but expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. “We need your vote,” Trump said.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant organization of pressure and virtual incarnation of the business establishment, said the election vote challenge “undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only lead to an additional split in our nation “.
So far, Trump has garnered the support of a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 Republicans in the House to challenge those in Biden. 306-232 Electoral College victory.
With the inauguration of Biden on January 20, Trump is stepping up efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. In a call released on Sunday, it can be heard pressing Georgia officials to “find him” more votes in the Nov. 3 election he lost in that state.
The challenge of the presidential election has not been seen since the aftermath of the Civil War, although the usual routine process of confirming the votes of the Electoral College has been the subject of brief objections. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trump’s victory, but Biden, who at the time held the presidency, quickly fired them to claim Trump’s victory.
States present their own elections and Congress has sought to interfere.
“The 2020 election is over,” a statement from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah, said Sunday.
Several Republican officials, including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, the House’s third GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan have criticized the Republican Party’s efforts to annul the election.
Hawley defended his actions in a lengthy email over the weekend to colleagues, saying his Missouri components have been “clear” in insisting that Trump’s defeat by Biden was unfair.
Cruz’s coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College’s forecasts unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of election results. Congress is unlikely to agree.
The group, which presented no new evidence of electoral problems, includes Mr. 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 writers 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 collaborated.