U.S. Senate Speaker Mitch McConnell has repeatedly warned senate members not to contest the January 6 election, but many Republicans have formally joined the challenge. After that, U.S. media noted, McConnell did not keep up the pressure on lawmakers who actively sought to challenge the election.
Instead of continuing to seek pressure after more than a dozen senators announced challenges to the election, McConnell offered guidance when needed, taking at least half the calls from senate Republican meetings, Politico quoted senators and their aides as saying on Monday.
“This is a very difficult decision for each of you,” McConnell told senators in a recent conference call. “It will be up to each of you to make your own decision.”
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer noted that McConnell said, “I have highlighted twice the ‘declaration of war’ [warning of an election challenge] that is now ‘in front of me,’ but there are a lot of arguments, and I’m not going to make any judgment on their decision.”
This is a subtle change from McConnell’s recognition of Biden on December 14. Senator Roger Wicker, who attended the Meeting led by McConnell, said McConnell “has worked hard under difficult circumstances.”
“He lets everyone draw their own conclusions here. That’s his leadership style on these issues, not too much, “said one Republican, who spoke on condition of anonymity. For now,” trying to convince people doesn’t work that much, you just give them time to think.”
According to Senator Roger Marshall, “The first task of a leader is always to secure a majority. I respect that.”
Mr. McConnell pressed Mr. Hawley, the first senator to announce a challenge, several times during a conference call last week, but Mr. Hawley did not attend. McConnell later did not clash more with Hawley or Senator Ted Cruz, who led the statement signed by 11 Republicans, the sources said.
In recent days, Mr. McConnell has repeatedly warned the caucus publicly that challenging the election results would force members to take a “terrible vote,” saying that challenging the election would set Republicans up for a tough time in 2022. More than a dozen Senate Republicans then announced a challenge to Trump‘s campaign. On Monday, Joe Senator Sen Kelly Lofler announced that she had become the 13th Republican senator to back a challenge.
A number of Republican senators have also declared their opposition to challenging the election. On Monday, Republican Senators Kevin Kramer, John Hoeven and Shirley Moore Capito said they did not support or intend to challenge the election, saying the current challenge is inconsistent with “the system designed by the founding fathers.” Before that, Ohio senators Rob Portman, Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton also opposed a challenge to the election.
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