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ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) – President-elect Joe Biden told Georgia Democrats on Monday they had the power to ‘lead the way’ for a generation as President Donald Trump reiterated his long-standing grievances over his loss in November in final arguments before the second round of elections. will determine control of the US Senate.
Trump gave his final hour speech to voters at a nighttime rally in northern Georgia, where Republicans were counting on high voter turnout on Tuesday to re-elect Sen. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and retain control of the chamber.
Biden campaigned with Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in Atlanta, hoping he could recreate the coalition that secured him a narrow presidential victory in November.
“People, that’s it. That’s it. It’s a new year, and tomorrow can be a new day for Atlanta, for Georgia and for America, ”Biden said during a drive-in rally. “Unlike any point in my career, a state – a state – can lead the way, not only for the four years, but for the next generation.”
The stakes have drawn hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign spending to a once solidly Republican state that now stands as the nation’s premier battleground. Biden won Georgia’s 16 electoral votes by about 12,000 out of 5 million votes cast in November, although Trump continues to make false claims of widespread fraud that even his former attorney general and Georgia Republican secretary of state – with a litany of state and federal judges – said did not happen.
The president’s trip on Monday comes a day after the disclosure of a remarkable phone call he made to Georgia’s Secretary of State over the weekend. Trump has pressured Republican Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the Georgia election results ahead of Wednesday’s joint session of Congress that will certify Biden’s Electoral College victory. The call highlighted how Trump used the Georgia campaign to clearly show his continued grip on Republican politics.
Angry at Raffensperger’s call, Trump pitched the idea of withdrawing from the rally, but was persuaded to go ahead so he had a chance to reiterate his allegations of voter fraud. Republicans are wary of whether Trump will focus solely on himself and fail to promote the two GOP candidates.
Trump, at a rally in Dalton, Ga., Again made false claims that the November election was “rigged” and urged Republicans to “overwhelm” the polls on Tuesday.
“Democrats are trying to rob the White House, you can’t let them,” Trump said. “You just can’t let them steal the US Senate, you can’t let that happen.”
Biden criticized Trump’s plan on Monday, saying that “politicians cannot assert, take or take power” by undermining legitimate elections.
Biden has said he needs a Senate majority to pass legislation to combat the coronavirus, and he has criticized Perdue and Loeffler as obstructionist Trump loyalists. Loeffler said she would join other Republican lawmakers in opposing the Electoral College’s certification of Biden’s victory by Congress on Wednesday.
“You have two senators who believe they have sworn in to Donald Trump, not the United States Constitution,” Biden said.
Earlier Monday, Vice President Mike Pence told a crowd of conservative Christian voters at a rally in Milner, Georgia, to stop a Democratic takeover in Washington. “We’re going to keep Georgia and we’re going to save America,” Pence told Rock Springs Church in Milner.
Perdue addressed the church crowd by phone while quarantining herself over exposure to the coronavirus, saying “the very future of our republic is at stake” and declaring the duty to vote “an appeal of God”.
Republicans only need one victory to maintain control of the Senate and force Biden to fight a divided government. Democrats need a sweep for a 50-50 split, giving the deciding vote to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will succeed Pence as Speaker of the Senate. That would give Democrats a majority in the Senate to go along with their control of the House and executive branch.
Pence, who will chair the joint session of Congress on Wednesday, bypassed Trump’s denials on Monday until a man yelled he must “do the right thing on January 6”. Pence promised that “we’ll have our day in Congress,” although he didn’t give any details on what that might mean. Many Republicans in Congress have pledged to protest the Electoral College tally, but Pence has no legal authority to overturn Biden’s victory.
Pence drew songs from “Four More Years!” and “Stop the theft!” of the church gathering.
Faced with these passions from the Republican base, Perdue, whose first Senate term expired on Sunday, and Loeffler, a senator-appointed trying to win her first election, presented themselves as shameless Trump Republicans and passed the blitz of two. months to warn of a “radical”. and a “dangerous” swerve to the left.
Ossoff and Warnock retaliated by warning that a Republican Senate would thwart Biden’s administration, particularly over pandemic relief.
Warnock fended off the deluge of TV commercials with Loeffler calling him a socialist. “Did you notice that she didn’t even bother to argue, Georgia, why you should keep her in this seat?” Warnock said, speaking before Biden. “It’s because she has no case to defend.
To be sure, a tightly divided Senate – with the rules still requiring 60 votes to move major bills forward – reduces the prospect of sweeping legislation anyway. But a Democratic Senate would at least give Biden an easier path for senior officials, including judges, and legitimate scrutiny of his legislative agenda. A McConnell-led Senate would almost certainly refuse a vote up or down on Biden’s most ambitious plans.
More than 3 million Georgians have already voted. Monday’s push is aimed at getting voters to the polls on Tuesday. Democrats racked up a large margin from 3.6 million early votes in the fall, but Republicans hit back with an election day increase, especially in small towns and rural areas.
Even with Biden’s statewide victory, Perdue led Ossoff by 88,000 votes in November, giving the GOP confidence in the second round. The second round was necessary because none of the candidates achieved a majority vote, as required by Georgian law. Despite Perdue’s initial advantage, early voting figures suggest Democrats had a higher turnout heading into Tuesday, and leading Republicans have expressed concerns about the pressure on their participation.
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Amy reported from Milner, GA. Associated Press editors Kevin Freking in Dalton, Georgia and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
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