Trump’s latest push for Georgia runoff dominated by personal grievances

President TrumpDonald TrumpCotton breaks with his conservative colleagues who will oppose the vote count Trump to give the medal of freedom to Nunes: according to Hogan, the “ plan ” of the lawmakers to cancel the election results “ makes fun of our system ” Monday, sought to thread a tough needle on the eve of Georgia’s run-off election that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, simultaneously encouraging supporters to vote en masse while falsely claiming the state election in November was fraudulent.

“Our country depends on you. The whole world is watching the Georgian people, ”Trump said, urging supporters to come forward and defeat the two Democratic candidates so easily that there is little doubt about the outcome.

Trump’s willingness to withdraw the vote the day before the two Senate second-round races was at odds with his insistence that the November election had been “stolen,” and the speech was consumed by his grievances over his own defeat.

“I want to thank you very much. Hello, Georgia. By the way, there is no way we lost Georgia. There is no way. It was a rigged election. But we are still fighting.” Trump said in his first words after approaching the lectern.

The crowd chanted “Fight for Trump” as the President introduced GOP Sen. Kelly loefflerKelly Loeffler Trump, Biden face new contest in Georgia Harris: Trump phone call in Georgia shows ‘voice of desperation’ Senate swears in six new lawmakers as 117th Congress meets MORE, who faces Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock. Trump has called his own presidential race “rigged,” complained of being “screwed up” and has repeatedly spoken of the presidency as if it was yet to be won.

The president signaled he had his eye on Wednesday when a joint session of Congress will certify the Electoral College’s results and affirm Joe bidenJoe BidenCotton Breaks Up With His Tory Fellows Who Will Oppose Trump Election Tally To Give Nunes The Medal Of Freedom: Hogan Says Lawmakers ” Plan ‘To Reverse Election Results’ Mocks Our system ” as the next president. But several of Trump’s allies in both chambers have said they will oppose certification of some states.

The blow will not change the outcome, but it will lead to hours of debate. Still, Trump and some of his supporters hoped there would be a final intervention to tip the election in his favor.

“I hope Mike penceMichael (Mike) Richard PenceGOP has become party of the primitive cry Gohmert speaks of violence in the streets after his case dismissed Appeals court rejects Gohmert’s election lawsuit against Pence MORE is coming for us, I have to tell you, ”Trump said, referring to the vice president’s ceremonial role on Wednesday. “I hope our great vice president will come for us. He’s a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t pass, I won’t like him that much.

Trump’s speech in Dalton, Georgia marked his latest attack on the integrity of the presidential election, and on Georgian officials in particular.

Trump lambasted the government. Brian kempBrian KempHarris: Trump Georgia phone call shows ‘voice of desperation’ Durbin: Trump Georgia call ‘deserves nothing less than a criminal investigation’ Kinzinger: Republicans can’t with a object of ‘clean conscience’ after hearing Trump’s tape PLUS (R) for refusing to interfere in the state’s presidential results or for convening a special legislative session to consider the results. The president last week called on Kemp to step down.

Trump also rescued Georgian Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, with tensions reaching a boiling point over the weekend when the Washington Post released the president’s audio pressuring Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to tip the state in its favor.

Crowds on Monday booed at the mention of Kemp and Raffensperger, and Trump suggested he would even return to the state next year to campaign against the governor.

Georgia has undergone several manual audits and recounts, each confirming that Biden won the state by around 12,000 votes.

The state’s head of voting systems earlier on Monday presented a point-to-point dismantling of Trump’s many fraud allegations in the 2020 presidential election, standing next to an easel that offered specific fact checks debunking many of the most common false allegations about criminals, the dead and underage adolescents voting in large numbers. Trump repeated many of these claims at Monday’s rally.

The president went on to allege that there were irregularities in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that cost him the election, although his legal team did not produce evidence of widespread fraud in the one of these states, resulting in several legal defeats, including at The Supreme Court.

He questioned the legitimacy of the Dominion’s voting systems, repeating a widely debunked theory that corporate machines somehow contributed to the manipulation of votes. The company has threatened to sue Trump and his allies for libel for spreading inaccurate information about the machines.

Trump’s rhetoric has stoked Republicans’ fears that he will discourage Georgians from voting in an election that will be won by any party likely to produce more voters. In a series of tweets on Friday, he suggested the run-off election was somehow “invalid.”

Trump has rallied thousands of supporters in Dalton, a small town in northeast Georgia, on the eve of the run-off elections that will determine control of the Senate for the next two years. Should we or both Loefflers or David PerdueDavid Perdue Trump, Biden face new face-to-face contest in Georgia Harris: Trump phone call in Georgia shows ‘voice of desperation’ Senate swears in six new lawmakers as 117th Congress meets MORE win over Warnock or Jon Ossoff, respectively, the Republicans will retain majority control of the upper house. If Warnock and Ossoff both win, the chamber will be split 50-50 between the two parties, with the vice president elected Kamala harrisKamala Harris Biden Inauguration to Include ‘Presidential Escort’ to the White House, Virtual Trump Parade, Biden Facing New Head-to-Head Contest in Georgia Harris: Trump Phone Call in Georgia Shows “ voice of despair ” MORE serving as a tiebreaker.

Biden held his own rally in the state earlier Monday to highlight the importance of Tuesday’s vote.

Trump is his party’s most popular figure and has a formidable base of supporters. Many Republicans believe having it in the state on the eve of the second round outweighed the risks.

“I think there is a lot of frustration and anger about November,” said Ralph Reed, whose Georgia-based Faith and Freedom coalition has knocked on thousands of doors in a massive election campaign in recent years. weeks. “But I don’t think the energy is negative energy that will make people stay home.”

Perdue was unable to attend Monday night’s rally in person while in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19. The virus was also not mentioned at the rally, where participants gathered with few masks.

Perdue and Loeffler placed their hopes for re-election entirely on loyalty to Trump. The two rarely broke with the president or admitted he would be out of office later this month.

Earlier Monday, Perdue defended Trump’s call for Raffensperger, instead accusing the Secretary of State of leaking the recording.

Loeffler later today said she would oppose the state’s election results on Wednesday when Congress certifies the votes. When she announced her plans at Monday’s rally, she was greeted with applause.

The unwavering dedication of GOP senators to Trump is a gamble on the president’s popularity in a state he narrowly lost in November, but it also served as a main line of attack for Biden when he stepped down. rallied to Atlanta earlier today.

“As president, I don’t believe your US senators are working for me. I believe they are working for the Georgian people, ”Biden told supporters during a drive-through. “That is why I am not asking your senators to be faithful to me. I think they should be loyal to you, to Georgia, and to the Constitution of the United States. And if you vote for Jon and the Reverend, that’s what you’ll get.