WASHINGTON (AP) – To fend off a messy fight that could harm Republicans ahead of Georgia Senate layoffs, majority leader Mitch McConnell warned fellow GOP senators on Tuesday not to join the expanded attack of President Donald Trump on the results of the electoral college.
In public comments and personal warnings, McConnell worked to move on to the Biden era and unite a broken Republican Party ahead of the second election that will determine the Senate’s control.
First, the Republican leader praised Trump’s “endless” achievements when he congratulated President-elect Joe Biden in a morning speech in the Senate. Then he turned and personally warned Republican senators not to contest the election college when Congress meets in a joint session on Jan. 6 to confirm the results.
That fight would create a “terrible vote” for Republicans, McConnell told senators, according to two people who had granted anonymity to discuss the call, which was first reported by Politico. They would have to choose whether to support Trump or deny him publicly.
Republicans are worried about the bad fallout for the Jan. 5 election in Georgia, as two incumbent Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in a state that turned for Biden in November.
McConnell has been a strong supporter of most of Trump’s efforts. But the turn of events six weeks after election day showed that the Kentucky senator, backed by his leadership team, was trying to normalize relations with the upcoming Biden presidency while avoiding the spectacle of a field battle that would divide the party if Trump reluctantly leaves office.
“I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate.
“Many of us had hoped that the presidential election would produce a different outcome,” he said. “But our government system has the processes to determine who will be sworn in on January 20th. The Electoral College has spoken.”
Biden told reporters he called to thank McConnell for the comments and the two had a “great talk.” When he left to campaign in Georgia, he said he told McConnell there are “things we can work on”.
Senate leader took action after weeks of silence, followed by other prominent Republicans who spoke after Electoral College voted late on Monday. After all, they said out loud what many Republicans had stated privately – that Biden is the winner of the presidential election, and they are essentially giving up on Trump’s election attacks.
From there the locks opened. Several GOP senators confirmed they had spoken to Biden, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitt Romney of Utah, the GOP’s 2012 presidential candidate. Some have met with Biden’s candidates for administrative posts.
In his phone call, Romney expressed admiration for Biden’s willingness to endure the rigors of a presidential campaign and serve in the highest office in the country, the senator’s office said. The two also discussed the challenging political environment ahead.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said now that McConnell has spoken, “Enough is enough.”
Trump should “end his tenure with a little grace and dignity,” Schumer said.
For his part, Trump continued to advance his baseless allegations of “voter fraud” in a new tweet on Tuesday.
Some GOP lawmakers have vowed to continue the fight until Jan. 6, when Congress votes to accept or reject the electoral college results. Others have said Trump’s legal battle against January 20 inauguration day must continue toward a solution.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy declined to comment on Tuesday when asked if he was willing to recognize Biden as the president-elect.
One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama plans to challenge the results of the Electoral College when Congress meets for the joint session.
At that point, any challenge in Congress would have to be led by at least one member of the House and Senate. It is unclear whether a GOP senator will step in to advocate the case.
McConnell and his lieutenants, including Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and Roy Blunt of Missouri, warned senators of any challenge from the electoral college, calling it a dead end, as any action would have to be approved by Democrats who hold the majority of the house under Chairman Nancy Pelosi, according to one of the people familiar with Tuesday’s call.
The GOP leaders further warned senators that it would be difficult to force their colleagues to vote on the electoral college challenges, especially for those facing their own re-elections in 2022.
Not a single Republican senator contradicted.
According to spokesman Austin Altenburg, Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson, who as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday convenes a hearing on electoral fraud, has “no plans” to join House Republicans and challenge the results.
McConnell surprised Washington on Tuesday when he opened the senate to the election.
The GOP leader called Biden someone “who has devoted himself to public service for many years.” He also congratulated Kamala Harris, saying, “All Americans can be proud that our nation has a female vice president for the first time.”
McConnell began his comments with praise for Trump’s four years in office, saying the president was delivering on his promise to “wake up Washington.” He cited, among other things, the nomination of the president and the Senate confirmation of three Supreme Court justices.
With states confirming the election results, Republicans faced a crucial choice: either acknowledge Biden as the president-elect or stand by in silence as Trump wages a potentially damaging campaign to reverse the election..
“At some point you have to face the music,” said Thune, the No. 2 GOP leader, late Monday. “Once the Electoral College has resolved the issue today, it is time for everyone to move on.”
Historians and election officials have warned that Trump’s baseless claims about voter fraud threaten to undermine Americans’ confidence in the electoral system.
Trump is trying to throw out the ballots of thousands of Americans, especially those who voted by mail, in dozens of lawsuits that have largely failed. His legal team is claiming irregularities, although Attorney General William Barr, who resigned abruptly on Monday, has said there is no evidence of widespread fraud. that would change the election results. State election officials, including Republicans, have said the election was fair and valid.
In a decisive blow to Trump’s legal efforts, the Supreme Court declined to take it last week two of them that challenge the electoral process in major states. About 120 House Republicans have joined that failed attempt.
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Aamer Madhani, Associated Press writer, from Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this story.