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After House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy downplayed Trump’s astonishing demand, other Republicans rushed to his defense – and some refused to challenge the president’s actions.
“I did not participate in the call,” said Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer, who chairs the GOP House campaign arm.
Rep. Paul Gosar, a conservative Arizona Republican who joins efforts by his colleagues to overturn the election results on Wednesday, argued Trump’s call was a mere expression of “enormous frustration.”
“Politically correct speech doesn’t work well,” Gosar said when asked about Trump.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Republican from New York, slammed the press when asked if he had any concerns about Trump’s hour-long call, which was taped and leaked to media.
“I want the report to be a full and honest discussion – as opposed to a one-sided, biased take,” Zeldin said.
But some Republicans have expressed concerns, including Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, No.3 in the GOP leadership, who also urges her colleagues to avoid efforts to overthrow voters’ will when Congress meets Wednesday to count. the electoral votes that made Biden the winner of the race.
“I think it was deeply disturbing,” Cheney told CNN of the call. “I think it was deeply disturbing, and I think everyone should be listening all the time.”
Democrats also began discussing how to respond to Trump’s call on Monday.
Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, circulated a letter on Monday seeking support for a resolution he plans to introduce to censor and condemn Trump for seeking to overturn the Georgia election results, Democratic sources told CNN on Monday. It remains to be seen whether the chamber will vote on the resolution, which would amount to a symbolic reprimand from the president.
The debate comes in a growing GOP rift ahead of Wednesday’s joint congressional session, when House Republicans are expected to oppose the electoral vote count that President-elect Biden has. If they are joined by at least one Republican senator, which is expected, each chamber will have to debate the objections until two hours before a vote on whether to assert the objection. Votes are doomed to fail, but these measures could prolong the debate as House members plan to object to six states Trump lost – and that is already putting many Republicans in a difficult position.
Ohio GOP Senator Rob Portman, who is due for re-election in 2022, said Monday he would support certification of the election on Wednesday and oppose efforts by some of his GOP colleagues to challenge the vote.
“I intend to honor this oath by supporting state certifications and the will of the people. I will vote to certify in accordance with my duty under the Constitution,” Portman said in a statement. “I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters.”
“What I read – the president has always been concerned about the integrity of the election,” McCarthy said on Fox when asked about Georgia’s appeal.
It remains possible that a majority of House Republicans will join the effort to contest the election. Emmer, for his part, wouldn’t say if he supports the challenge.
“I understand that some senators will object – we will see how the debate plays out,” Emmer said, adding that he would take stock of how the debate in the room is going. “I’ll listen.”
New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew, a former Democrat-turned-Republican, said he would join efforts to oppose the election results.
“Anytime nearly 50% of the American public doesn’t believe an election is valid, something is wrong,” Van Drew said. Said that many voters did not believe the election was valid because Trump refused to accept the results, Van Drew said: “They don’t listen to everything he says. They do it because they do it. believe. “
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