Trump sends ominous threat to fellow Republicans if Georgia doesn't overturn Biden's win
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard, greets Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, at the 2019 Air National Guard Senior Leadership Conference, April 23, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia. The ANG Senior Leadership Conference is a series of presentations and breakouts intended to enhance leaders' capabilities to lead and support Airmen and address Total Force priorities related to leadership, safety, diversity, sexual assault and suicide prevention.
On Monday, the Electoral College met to formalize the results of this year's presidential election — and that included electors in Georgia, where President-elect Joe Biden won the state's 16 electoral votes. President Donald Trump, however, has pushed a disinformation campaign alleging he was the real winner in Georgia. And on Twitter, Trump threatened that the state's two incumbent GOP senators competing with Democrats in runoffs could have a "bad day" on January 5 if the presidential election result isn't overturned.
With Democrat Stacey Abrams presiding, Georgia's 16 electoral votes were cast for Biden on Monday. And it was also on Monday that Trump angrily railed against Gov. Brian Kemp on Twitter. Trump is furious with Kemp as well as Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both Republicans, for acknowledging that Biden won Georgia. Trump tweeted:
What a fool Governor @BrianKempGA of Georgia is. Could have been so easy, but now we have to do it the hard way. De… https://t.co/ag9W8uDBE3— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1607922213
On Saturday, Trump tweeted:
If failing Governor @BrianKempGA would allow signature verification, David & Kelly would WIN!— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1607801005
The incumbent Republican senators in Georgia that Trump is referring to are Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Sen. David Perdue. While Perdue is competing with Democrat Jon Ossoff, Loeffler's Democratic opponent is the Rev. Raphael Warnock.
The outcome of these races will determine whether or not Republicans maintain control of the U.S. Senate. If Warnock and Ossoff are victorious, Democrats will obtain a narrow Senate majority — with the help of a tie-breaking vote from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will be Senate minority leader rather than Senate majority leader.
Kemp recently rejected Trump's demand for a "special session" to oppose the election results. Earlier this month, Kemp and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan warned, in an official statement, "Any attempt by the legislature to retroactively change that process for the November 3 election would be unconstitutional and immediately enjoined by the courts, resulting in a long legal dispute and no short-term resolution."
