GOP Senators’ Strategy on Trump’s Election Fraud Allegations: Shut Up and Carry On

As they watch Trump torch Republicans and local governors who refuse to try to overturn election results, many have remained silent as more states certify Joe Biden’s victory and more and more more of the president’s legal challenges collapse. A central factor around the GOP’s decision to remain silent: the two critics of the Georgia Senate where Trump can play a key role in transforming their base to help keep the chamber in Republicans’ hands in the next Congress. Infuriating Trump now will only undermine their efforts to lean on a president who wields enormous influence over their core voters, Republican sources said on Monday.

But Cornyn, like most Republicans in the Senate, would not call Biden a “president-elect,” saying the issue will be resolved on December 14 when voters meet in their state capitals to vote to make it official that Biden is the winner.

“I really don’t feel the need to comment on this anymore,” Cornyn said when asked about Trump’s conspiracy theories. “I don’t think it’s very productive.”

Indeed, many Republicans – tired after four years of being asked to respond to Trump controversies and scandals – have said that the fact that the transition is officially underway is more important than pushing back against Trump’s false claims that the election was rigged and speaking. against his brazen efforts to pressure state officials to overthrow the will of the voters.

Senate Majority Whip John Thune asked why Republican senators are not speaking out against Trump’s rhetoric, said: “Well, I mean, I think the important thing for us is that the transition ahead, and he’s cleared that, which I think suggests at least he understands where this is going. ”

But Trump has shown little willingness to publicly accept the election results, even as six critical battlefield states have certified Biden as the winner. While he said last week that he would leave the White House on January 20 if he lost the Electoral College vote, Trump also showed no sign of unleashing his flood of conspiracies – ranging from bogus statements that the Dominion’s voting software was switching votes to Biden and saying without evidence that Biden did not receive 80 million votes.

In a phone call with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham over the weekend, Trump vowed to continue despite his flawed legal strategy.

“He’s going to fight for every vote and push the systems to improve, and I said, ‘Keep it up,’” Graham told CNN Monday night. “I think he’s focused on the challenges he’s got and is trying, you know, to deal with postal voting and I’m very worried about that too, quite frankly.”

When asked if he thinks Trump should attend Biden’s inauguration in January, Graham said: “If Biden ends up winning, yes I think. I think it’s good for the country, this would be good for him. We’ll find out in December. ”

But Graham quickly added, “I hope Biden comes to his.”

Murkowski and Romney remain minority voices among Republicans

Some Republicans say they have seen enough.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska who has criticized the president, called on Trump to give in.

“I think he should concede, I think the race is over,” Murkowski told CNN as she left the Senate floor on Monday night.

When asked if she voted for Trump in the election, Murkowski did not respond. “I don’t think that’s the relevant question of the day.”

Utah Senator Mitt Romney, the only GOP senator to vote to convict Trump in his impeachment trial this year, called Trump’s attacks on democracy “dangerous.”

“I think bringing serious charges of electoral fraud and theft without seriously presenting evidence of substantial fraud is irresponsible and dangerous,” Romney said Monday night.

But these concerns remain rare among Senate Republicans.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley asked if GOP Senators should speak, said: “Well, I mean, I think, if your question is whether we criticize him, then I think you mean in my opinion that the president has every right to present his case in any court he wishes to go to and has every right to be heard. And I think we’re going to have to look at the effects of the postal vote. . ”

When asked if he thought the election was rigged, as Trump claims, Hawley said, “I mean, we’ll see. We’ll see at the end when all the legal challenges are resolved and see when all of them are. the evidence will have been produced. ”

Impact on Georgia flow?

Others have raised few issues as well, especially those who are keeping a close eye on what happens in second-round races in Georgia. If Republicans hold one of the two seats, they will remain in the majority for Biden’s first two years.

“Oh my gosh – I don’t think anyone in Georgia or anyone in Indiana is really talking about it,” said Senator Todd Young, chairman of the Republican National Senate Committee, of Trump’s attacks on the governor and election officials.

When asked if he was concerned Trump would attack the integrity of the election, Young said, “People don’t talk about this. I worry about what people are talking about – and they are not talking about this. . I am concerned to make sure that we fight the far left of the Democratic Party. ”