Eleven Republican U.S. senators and senators-elect, led by Ted Cruz (R-Texas), issued a joint statement pledging to oppose the Electoral College certification of Biden’s victory in a joint session of Congress on January 6. President Trump then tweeted his support for the senators’ action
On January 2, 11 Republican U.S. senators and senators-elect, led by Ted Cruz, issued a joint statement pledging to oppose the Electoral College certification of Biden’s victory at a joint session of Congress on January 6. President Donald Trump then tweeted his support for the senators’ action, saying he could not let election theft happen.
“Election fraud has posed an ongoing challenge in our elections, though its breadth and scope are controversial. By any measure, there have been more allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election than any in our lifetimes.” The senators said in a statement.
Trump tweeted in response, “Trying to steal (our) landslide victory. Can’t let it happen!” He also attached an Associated Press story titled “Cruz leads 11 Republican senators in challenge to Biden over Trump.”
The president also retweeted a tweet from Fox News host Mark Levin: “Congratulations to Ted Cruz and these Senate colleagues for stepping up against the rabble!”
The effort by the 11 senators and senators-elect, led by Cruz, is separate from the effort by Sen. Josh Hawley (D-N.Y.) to announce a Jan. 6 challenge to the Electoral College vote. With Hawley, a total of 12 Republican senators will file challenges on Jan. 6.
Hawley responded to the co-signing by Cruz and other senators Saturday, saying, “It’s good to see more senators joining the fight on Jan. 6. I hope more will listen and act on their views.”
“It’s time to step up to the plate.” Hawley said.
President Trump also retweeted Hawley’s aforementioned tweet.
Former NFL player Herschel Walker praised the actions of senators like Cruz, tweeting, “A true leader gets out in front and does the right thing, even when many oppose him. Thank you Cruz for standing up for America…you are not alone in your fight for truth.”
The statement from the 11 senators also sparked opposition from the Democratic camp and some. Michael Gwin, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, dismissed the move as a showpiece action without any evidence to back it up.
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Mass.) called the move a profoundly embarrassing “publicity stunt. Hawley then responded, “This is the same person who has been screaming “Russia, Russia, Russia” for the last four years! Only the ‘Steele Dossier’ was found in the Russian spy rant.”
Robert Reich, a U.S. economic adviser, professor and author, listed the 11 senators who co-sponsored the “enemies of democracy list,” saying that the cynical approach of Ted Cruz and the other 10 Republican senators will now force every other Republican member of Congress to publicly choose democracy or fascism.
Cruz tweeted in response to two points: “(1) the call for an impartial, credible audit of allegations of serious election fraud defends the integrity of our democracy, and (2) some of us remember when Reich (rightly) wrote, “Don’t Democrats believe in democracy?”
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