Let’s abandon the Trump ship before the GOP finally comes to a standstill in Georgia. It is the message – not too coded – that the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate Mitch McConnell sent to his people, after the vote of the constituency that confirmed the victory of Joe Biden. McConnell is trying to stop any effort by the Senate to support President Trump’s prolonged assault on the elections.
During a private phone call Tuesday, the GOP’s most powerful man called on Republican senators to avoid a battle in Congress in January over the constituency results. The goal is to try to unite a fragmented party in view of the decisive January 5 ballot in Georgia, on which control of the Senate will depend. During his courtroom speech, the Republican hawk praised Trump’s “endless” successes as he congratulated President-elect Joe Biden. But then he privately warned the Republican senators not to contest the count of the constituency. That battle – he said, according to sources cited by Politico – risks producing a “terrible vote” for the Gop.
The fear is that persisting in the lost cause could harm Republicans ahead of Senate ballots in Georgia, where two incumbent Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in a state that has turned its back at the Gop in the presidential elections in November. Both Republican candidates rejected the leadership’s appeals to accept the vote of the big voters, reiterating yesterday that they will continue to support Trump’s legal offensive.
McConnell was a strong supporter of most of the president’s efforts. But the turning point of the last few hours shows that, at least he and the management team have finally acknowledged that the music has changed. An awareness that should avoid an embarrassing spectacle: a brawl in Congress over a vote already recognized around the world.
“I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said at the opening of the Senate. “Many of us had hoped that the presidential election would produce a different result,” he added. “But our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on January 20. The electoral college has spoken ”. The GOP leader called Biden a person “who has been dedicated to public service for many years”, and also congratulated Kamala Harris, noting that “all Americans can be proud that our nation has a vice president for the first time. elected woman “.
Before handing the olive branch to the Democratic ticket, McConnell reserved broad praise for Trump’s four years in office, saying the president kept his promise to “shake Washington” and recalling, among other results, the president’s appointment and the confirmation by the Senate of three justices of the Supreme Court.
Biden, leaving for the Georgia campaign, told reporters that he called McConnell to thank him for his remarks and invite him to “work together on some issues”, adding that he had a “good conversation” with him. The majority leader’s exit from silence was accompanied by statements from other influential Republicans, who after Monday’s vote said aloud what they privately had already admitted: namely that Biden is the winner of the presidential election, and that Trump now resembles the last Japanese unable to surrender to the evidence.
Several GOP senators confirmed they had spoken to Biden, including Trump’s ally Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitt Romney of Utah, the 2012 presidential candidate of the GOP. Some have had meetings with Biden’s candidates for administrative positions. In his phone call, Romney expressed admiration for Biden’s willingness to overcome the harshness of the presidential campaign and serve the nation’s highest office, the senator’s office reported. The two also discussed the difficult political context that awaits the country.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer has now said McConnell has spoken “enough is enough”, referring to Trump’s protracted assault on the outcome. He obviously does not think so and on Twitter he continues his personal denunciation of “in front of the voters”. The president, however, is not alone: some Republican legislators – writes AP – have promised to carry the fight until January 6, when Congress will vote to accept or reject the results of the Electoral College. Others have said Trump’s legal battles are expected to continue until inauguration day, January 20. Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy declined to comment on Tuesday when asked if he was ready to recognize Biden as president-elect. In House Mo Brooks (Republican of Alabama) is planning to contest the results of the constituency when Congress meets for the joint session. But to follow up on the initiative, at least one GOP senator needs to join the cause, which is not clear at the moment.
McConnell and his lieutenants, including Senator John Thune of South Dakota and Roy Blunt of Missouri, have warned senators against engaging in any constituency protests, calling it a dead end as any action would need approval from Democrats who they have a majority in the House under President Nancy Pelosi, according to one of the people familiar with the call on Tuesday.
With the delicate ballot in Georgia approaching – January 5 – the party leaders seem to finally hear the warnings from advisers and analysts that Trump’s campaign to de-legitimize the electoral process risks turning into a boomerang for the party. Trump is trying to throw away the ballots of thousands of Americans, particularly those who voted by mail, in dozens of lawsuits that have mostly failed. His legal team denounces irregularities, although Attorney General William Barr, who resigned suddenly on Monday, said there is no evidence of widespread fraud that would skew the election results. State election officials, including Republicans, said the election was fair and valid.
The latest blow to The Donald’s battle was dealt by the Supreme Court last week, refusing to deal with two appeals that thwart the electoral process in key states. But he insists and on Twitter accuses McConnell of giving up too soon. “Mitch, 75 million votes, a record for an incumbent president (and a lot). Too early to give up. The Republican party must finally learn to fight. People are angry! ”. Predictably, the abandonment of the ship by the hawk “Mitch” is a great cause for anger for him – obviously after the fact of having lost.
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Trump’s allies slam Mitch McConnell for congratulating Biden https://t.co/ak9nu6420L via @MailOnline. Mitch, 75,000,000 VOTES, a record for a sitting President (by a lot). Too soon to give up. Republican Party must finally learn to fight. People are angry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2020
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