In a closely contested election, Democratic United States Senator John F. Kennedy defeated incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican Party nominee. On November 21, US District Court in Pennsylvania Judge Matthew Brann, a Republican, dismissed the case before him with prejudice, ruling: "In this action, the Trump Campaign and the Individual Plaintiffs [...] seek to discard millions of votes legally cast by Pennsylvanians from all corners – from Greene County to Pike County, and everywhere in between. [76] In September 2020, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, a Trump appointee, testified under oath that the FBI has "not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it's by mail or otherwise. [37] While the recount was ongoing, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina privately called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to discuss Georgia's vote counting. I mean, this is the type of anarchy that doesn't work for anybody, Republicans or Democrats, in the big picture. "[207][208], On December 5, Trump placed a call to Georgia governor Brian Kemp in which he urged the governor to call a special session of the state legislature to override the election results and appoint electors who would support Trump. [25][26][27], Electors: 7, pledged to Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President[31], Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President[32][33], Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[35], Electors: 29, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[37], Electors: 16, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[47]. Our people, laws, and institutions demand more. [168], Days before the 2020 presidential election, Dennis Montgomery, a software designer with a history of making dubious claims, asserted that a program called Scorecard, running on a government supercomputer called Hammer, would be used to switch votes from Trump to Biden on voting machines. [258][263][262] On appeal, the next day, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed Gohmert's appeal in an unanimous decision by a three-judge panel. ", "What could happen if Donald Trump rejects electoral defeat? "[283] Other congressional Republicans ignored or sought to defend Trump's Georgia call, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy[281] and Georgia Senator David Perdue, who told Fox News in an interview that he thinks releasing the tape of the call was "disgusting. So if you could object to every state and, along with a congressman, get a hearing for every state, I know we would delay you a lot, but it would give us the opportunity to get the legislators who are very, very close to pulling their vote ... they have written letters asking that you guys adjourn and send them back the questionable ones and they'll fix them up". In all states except Nebraska and Maine, each states's electors are winner-take-all. [330] Former members of the Trump administration also condemned the attempt, including National Security Advisor John Bolton,[331] Director of National Intelligence Michael Chertoff,[326] and H. R. McMaster, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (2017–2018). the cultish devotion is just creepy. Host Brian Kilmeade stated that he had another "worry" about "the protest the president is calling for on Tuesday and Wednesday [as Congress convened to certify the election results]. "[334] In a separate statement, Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, denounced his Republican colleagues who had sought to overturn the election results, terming them "the institutional arsonist members of Congress" and called the submission of objection to counting the electoral votes a "dangerous ploy" by Republican members of Congress who – in seeking "a quick way to tap into the president's populist base" – were pointing "a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government. He then encouraged his supporters at the rally to march to the Capitol building, after which they stormed and occupied the Capitol. To win the Electoral College, a candidate must receive a majority—at least 270—electoral votes. [158] Chatfield later floated the possibility of a “constitutional crisis” in Michigan, while Shirkey suggested that certification be delayed. "[341][342], All ten living former secretaries of defense — including Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates — published an essay on January 3, 2021, stating: "The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed in the Constitution and statute, has arrived." Even under the worst case scenario and EVERY Republican is spineless enough to side with Trump, the Electoral Votes still count by default. In Chiafalo v. Washington, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of state laws that punish or replace faithless electors. [185] She also claimed that the Democratic Party had used rigged Dominion machines to defeat Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary and that Sanders had learned of this but had "sold out. They also warned of grave consequences of any contemplated military involvement in the situation. Convincing Trump's Supporters That He Lost", "The pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' movement is still growing on Facebook", "Tea party-linked activists protest against election fraud in US cities", "Right-Wing Operative Ali Alexander Leads 'Stop the Steal' Campaign", "Donald Trump Is Lying About The Early Election Results", "Presidential Transition Live Updates: Trump Invites State Lawmakers to White House in Bid to Subvert Election", "Beware of this misinformation from 'Stop the Steal' rallies this weekend", "Meet the right-wing trolls behind "Stop The Steal, "Tracking Which News Outlets Have Called the Presidential Race in Each State", "The Times Called Officials in Every State: No Evidence of Voter Fraud", "Stop the Steal's massive disinformation campaign connected to Roger Stone", "Facebook removes pro-Trump Stop the Steal group over 'calls for violence, "The Rise and Fall of the 'Stop the Steal' Facebook Group", "Pro-Trump Facebook group protesting vote count adding 1000 members every 10 seconds", "A Pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' Group Rapidly Grew on Facebook", "Nationwide 'Stop The Steal' Protests Are Being Pushed By GOP Operatives And The Far-Right", "Facebook Has A Metric For "Violence And Incitement Trends." the thing is, a lot of people, probably even some here, would support "alternate electors" as much as they support alternate reality. : It's important that we describe the crisis accurately. It's not even a bad coup: Coup-coup-kachoo! [83] He indicated that he would continue legal challenges in key states,[83] but most of the challenges were dismissed by the courts. [292] Hawley used his objection stance in fundraising emails. Fox News host Lou Dobbs had been outspoken during his program supporting the allegations, but on December 18 his program aired a video segment debunking the allegations, although Dobbs himself did not comment. McGehee – District Director, US Rep Westerman, Atkinson replaced Yolanda Parker – Democratic Activist, View Park, Casey replaced Alex Norman – Professor of Social Work, Yorba Linda, Cox replaced Steven D. Diebert – Probate Referee, Fresno, Hicks replaced Wallace Knox – Executive Director Port of Los Angeles, Martinez replaced Catherine Ward – Philanthropist, Sunset Beach, Steinberg replaced Rosalind Wyman – Former Alderwoman, Los Angeles. But they haven't really produced the evidence." All challenges through recounts and appeals have been exhausted. Electors: 9, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[3], Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[4], Electors: 11, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[5], Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[7], Electors: 55, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[11][12], Electors: 9, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President [304] Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio said that his followers would "be incognito" and would "spread across downtown DC in smaller teams. [129] Undersecretary for Defense Joseph D. Kernan and Acting Undersecretary for Policy James H. Anderson resigned in protest or were forced out. [233][234], Supporters of the fraudulent electors pointed to the 1960 United States presidential election in Hawaii as precedent. "[277], Democrats condemned Trump's conduct. Protesters gathering outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump's past accusations of election fraud, Uncertainty over Trump accepting an electoral loss in 2016, Uncertainty over Trump accepting an electoral loss in 2020, Michigan officials pressured to not certify, Georgia Secretary of State pressured to disqualify ballots, Partisan hearings with Republican legislatures, Trump's attempt to pressure state officials, Electoral College vote and "alternate" electors, Consideration of special counsel and martial law, Justice Department pressured and efforts made to replace acting attorney general, Violent protests and attack on the US Capitol, 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election, Republican reactions to claims of election fraud, Security preparations for the inauguration, Companies that halted political contributions, Suspensions of other social media accounts, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, University of California, Irvine School of Law, U.S. Agency for International Development, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security, 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia, Big lie § Trump's claim of a stolen election, 1960 United States presidential election in Hawaii, Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election § Gohmert et al. "[297] Pence ultimately released a statement stating: "It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not". [80], In 2020, concerns were raised about the acceptance of the election result on October 8, when Republican Senator Mike Lee tweeted "We're not a democracy" and "Democracy isn't the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity (sic) are. She also repeated a conspiracy theory[122] spread by Texan Congressman Louie Gohmert, OANN and others:[179] that accurate voting results had been transmitted to the German office of the Spanish electronic voting firm Scytl, where they were tabulated to reveal a landslide victory for Trump nationwide (which included implausible Trump victories in Democratic strongholds such as California, Colorado, Maine statewide, Minnesota, and New Mexico), after which a company server was supposedly seized in a raid by the United States Army. The president’s “alternate” electors were acting with no legal authority whatsoever, apparently because Trump doesn’t want to acknowledge the election is over and that he’s lost. Aside from Members of Congress and people holding offices of “Trust or Profit” under the Constitution, anyone may serve as an elector.In each presidential election year, a group of candidates for elector is Arguments between proponents and opponents of the current electoral system include four separate but related topics: indirect election, disproportionate voting power by some states, the winner-takes-all distribution method (as chosen by 48 of the 50 states, and the District of Columbia), and federalism. ", "Trump Reconciles With Ex-Strategist Steve Bannon in Talks on Election", "White House Forced Georgia U.S. Attorney to Resign", "No, Jan. 6 isn't another chance for Trump to reverse the election", "Pence asks judge to reject Gohmert lawsuit asking the VP to interfere in the Electoral College count", "Judge dismisses Gohmert's attempt to force Pence to decide election results", "Gohmert suit may force Pence's hand in effort to overturn Trump's defeat", "Congressman, other Republicans sue Vice President Pence in last-ditch effort to overturn Biden win", "Pence seeks rejection of lawsuit that aimed to expand his power to overturn the election", "Judge dismisses Gohmert lawsuit seeking to stymie Biden electoral college count", "Federal Judge Dismisses Election Lawsuit Against Pence", "Federal appeals court tosses Gohmert suit aimed at overturning 2020 election results", "Trump begs Georgia secretary of state to overturn election results in remarkable, hourlong phone call", "In call, Trump demands Georgia officials 'find' votes to tilt election", "Here's the full transcript and audio of the call between Trump and Raffensperger", "Trump, on tape, presses Ga. official to 'find' him votes", "Trump demands Georgia elections official overturn his defeat in hourlong call", "Trump called the Georgia secretary of state and pressured him to find more nonexistent votes", "Trump's pressure on Georgia election officials raises legal questions", "Trump, in Taped Call, Pressured Georgia Official to 'Find' Votes to Overturn Election", "Wall Street Journal: Trump pressured Georgia investigator to find 'the right answer' in baseless fraud push", "Officials located December recording of Trump call in a trash folder on Georgia investigator's device", "Trump Call to Georgia Official Might Violate State and Federal Law", "Trump's Solicitation of Election Fraud Is His Highest Crime", "Democrats ask FBI Director Wray to open criminal probe into Trump after leaked phone call", "90 House Dems support Trump censure after leaked GA election call", "House Republicans rush to Trump's defense over Georgia call as Democrats prep censure resolution", "David Perdue Says It is "Disgusting" Trump Call With Georgia Secretary Of State Was Leaked", "Trump and Justice Dept. Trump legal team attorney Sidney Powell promoted the conspiracy theory on Lou Dobbs Tonight on November 6,[169][170] and again two days later on Maria Bartiromo's Fox Business program, claiming to have "evidence that that is exactly what happened. It's Rising", "Violence Brewed in Facebook Groups Ahead of 'Stop The Steal' Protests", "Trump's desperate "STOP THE COUNT!" [131], Trump's allegations of election fraud in battleground states were refuted by judges, state election officials, and his own administration's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). [267], In that call, Trump repeatedly referred to disproven claims of election fraud and urged Raffensperger to overturn the election, saying "I just want to find 11,780 votes. I mean, to think in 2001, all Al Gore had to do to win was reject the legit electors for Bush and replace them with "alternate electors" for himself. We want the human condition to flourish. House Democrats warned in a letter that "The executive order could precipitate a mass exodus from the federal government at the end of every presidential administration, leaving federal agencies without deep institutional knowledge, expertise, experience, and the ability to develop and implement long-term policy strategies. [184] Powell additionally alleged that fraud had prevented Doug Collins from winning a top-two position in the November 2020 nonpartisan blanket primary against incumbent Kelly Loeffler in the Senate race in Georgia. [91], Stop the Steal is a far-right and conservative campaign and protest movement in the United States promoting the conspiracy theory[92] that falsely[93] posits that widespread electoral fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential election to deny incumbent President Donald Trump victory over former vice president Joe Biden. [236], After legal efforts by Trump and his proxies had failed in numerous state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court,[237] some right-wing activists and Trump allies – including Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, and L. Lin Wood – suggested that Trump could suspend the Constitution, declare martial law and "rerun" the election. [42][41][210], After Georgia had twice recounted and twice certified its results, Republican secretary of state Brad Raffensperger received death threats. [105][106][107] Several "Stop the Steal" groups were founded by right-wing extremists[95] after Trump published tweets on Twitter encouraging his supporters to "Stop the Count". Trump also spoke to the group by speakerphone, repeating his false claim that he had actually won in Pennsylvania and other swing states, and saying "We have to turn the election over. [314] It further recommended "[m]ov[ing] Kash Patel to CIA Acting"[317] and made reference to Trump loyalist Sidney Powell. [128] The White House sought to learn the names of political appointees who had applauded Anderson upon his departure, so they could be fired. The high court denied the request in a one-sentence, unsigned order on December 8. Support for Trump's Baseless Fraud Claims", "Condoleezza Rice calls for 'respect' and 'empathy' from both sides — and gets the exact opposite", "GOP splits over Trump's false election claims, unfounded fraud allegations", "Donald Trump's baseless vote fraud claim opens cracks in Republican ranks", "Presidential Transition: As More Republicans Break With Trump, He Refuses to Budge", "Republicans condemn GOP 'scheme' to undo election for Trump", "Durbin, Bipartisan Colleagues: Voters Have Spoken, Congress Must Fulfill Its Responsibility", "Sasse slams 'institutional arsonist members of Congress' who plan Electoral College objection", "GOP senator rebukes 'dangerous ploy' to fight Biden victory", "Judgment Day: Arnold Schwarzenegger on why Republicans must stop Trump", "Murdoch's New York Post Blasts President's Fraud Claims", "New York Post to Donald Trump: Stop the insanity", "Trump says weekly calls on 'Fox & Friends' are returning; Fox says maybe not", "Ainsley Earhardt Says Conservatives 'Feel' Election Was Rigged", "Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade Agree It's Long Past Time for Trump to Show Evidence of Voter Fraud", "The time to question election results has passed, all living former defense secretaries say", "Donald Trump vows to 'fight like hell' to remain in White House", "Manufacturers group calls on Pence to invoke 25th Amendment", "Cruz's former spokeswoman says she does not recognize him anymore", "Talk-radio owner orders conservative hosts to temper election fraud rhetoric", "Trump's lie that the election was stolen has cost $519 million (and counting) as taxpayers fund enhanced security, legal fees, property repairs and more", "In Statehouses, Stolen-Election Myth Fuels a G.O.P. [58], In 2016, Trump repeatedly suggested that the election was "rigged" against him, and in the final debate he cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of the election should he lose, saying "I'll keep you in suspense". [333], The former Republican Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, wrote in The Economist that "President Donald Trump's actions to destroy faith in our elections and throw centuries of American principles out the window must be met with universal condemnation from all political leaders, regardless of party. "[199], In early December, an "enemies list" circulated on the web falsely accusing various government officials and voting systems executives of rigging the election, providing their home addresses, and superimposing red targets on their photos. Trump continued to pressure Rosen, asking him to go to the Supreme Court directly to invalidate the election results, but Rosen—along with his predecessor Barr and former acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall—said such a case would have no basis and refused to file it. Arguments against the Electoral College in common discussion focus mostly on the allocation of the voting power among the states. Electors: 15, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President: Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[94], Electors: 18, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[59], Electors: 7, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[95], Electors: 7, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President[96], Electors: 20, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[97], Electors: 4, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President[98], Electors: 9, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[99], Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[100], Electors: 11, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[104], Electors: 38, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President[106], Electors: 6, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[111], Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President[114], Electors: 13, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[115], Electors: 12, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[117], Electors: 5, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[119], Electors: 10, pledged to vote for Joe Biden for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President:[120], Electors: 3, pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President:[121], Wood replaced J.D. This list of 2020 United States presidential electors contains members of the Electoral College, known as "electors", who cast ballots to elect the president of the United States and vice president of the United States in the 2020 presidential election. "[143] Observers predicted that Trump could use the new rule to implement a "massive government purge on his way out the door. At one table, a Republican representative was objecting to every ballot that was pulled for recount. In addition, cable news political commentators for MSNBC and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough cited the Wikipedia article "coup d'état" and specified that this would technically be an autocoup. Trump and his supporters have asserted, without evidence,[94][95] that he is the winner of the election, and that large-scale voter and vote counting fraud took place in several swing states. [273][267] (The Associated Press also obtained the recording. "[144], Meanwhile, administration officials had ordered the Budget Office to begin work on a 2022 budget proposal that they would submit to Congress in February, ignoring the fact that Biden would have already taken over by that point. In a discussion of how to evade police blockades and the District of Columbia’s gun laws, one poster remarked, "We The People, Will not tolerate a Steal. [344] The National Association of Manufacturers called for Vice President Pence to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and remove Trump from office. [231] Stephen Miller, an aide to Trump, announced on Fox & Friends that "an alternate slate of electors [pledged to Trump] in the contested states is going to vote and we are going to send those results to Congress". [246][247] In late December 2020, legal scholars Claire O. Finkelstein and Richard Painter wrote that while it was very unlikely that Trump would actually "attempt to spark a military coup," Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen should be prepared to direct federal law enforcement "to arrest anyone, including if necessary the president, who ... conspired to carry out this illegal plan. Rosen, Donoghue, and head of the Office of Legal Counsel Steven Engel made a pact to resign if Rosen was removed. [262], On January 1, 2021, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle dismissed the suit saying that due to the plaintiffs' lack of standing, the court lacked subject matter jurisdiction relating to the constitutional status of the Electoral Count Act. There are 538 electors in total. [265][266] Trump was joined by chief of staff Mark Meadows, trade adviser Peter Navarro, Justice Department official John Lott Jr., law professor John Eastman, and attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Cleta Mitchell and Kurt Hilbert. In 14 states, votes contrary to the pledge are voided and the respective electors are replaced, and in two of these states they may also be fined. "[39] Raffensperger refused, noting that Georgia had certified its results after counting the votes three times,[268] and said at one point in the conversation, "Well, Mr. President, the challenge you have is the data you have is wrong. [191], Conservative television outlets amplified baseless allegations of voting machine fraud. "[61] The next day Trump said, "Of course, I would accept a clear election result, but I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result." [215][216] Trump and seventeen Republican state attorneys general filed motions to support the case, the merits of which were sharply criticized by legal experts and politicians. [372] Jonathan Powell described the coup classification as "completely inaccurate", clarifying that "[t]he types of places that have coups are limited to countries that are incredibly poor, that have really stagnant economies, that are economically marginalized, that generally have very serious forms of other types of domestic instability, like civil war", but said that while the attempt "might not be specifically tied to a potential coup right now, it is certainly very alarming for the US's potential to remain a democracy in the future. [268][278] Dick Durbin, the second highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, called for a criminal investigation. "[173][174] A few days later, Trump fired Krebs by tweet, claiming that Krebs's analysis was "highly inaccurate. "[249], Elizabeth Neumann, an adviser at Defending Democracy Together and a former assistant secretary of Homeland Security under Trump, stated that "In the conspiratorial conservative base supporting Trump, there are calls for using the Insurrection Act to declare martial law. The United States presidential election of 2016 was the 58th and most recent quadrennial American presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8th, 2016. [368] Scholars Michael Albertus and John Chin also stated that the behavior better fit the political science definition of an autocoup rather than a classical coup, with Chin stating: "[i]f this were a coup, it'd be a very strange one, a slow-motion kind of coup that goes against pretty much what most scholars have observed about coups from time immemorial. Trump called for a repeat of the Iowa caucuses or for Cruz's win to be declared void. Emerald Robinson, a White House correspondent for pro-Trump One America News, tweeted "Folks, when [Lin Wood] tells people to prep, I listen. The president and vice president of the United States are formally elected by the Electoral College.The Constitution gives each state the power to appoint its electors "in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct," with all states currently using some form of popular election. Meet two – one from Framingham and Westborough", "Massachusetts electors cast 11 state votes for Biden, Harris", "Cambridge woman fills Valerio's slot: Auburn man was slated to vote in Monday's meeting of the Electoral College", "Jamaica Plain's Wayne Yeh Is A Massachusetts Elector — He's Voting for Biden", "These are the 16 electors who will cast Michigan's vote for president in the Electoral College", "It's official: Michigan's presidential electors vote for Biden, Harris at Capitol", "Who are Minnesota's presidential electors and what is their job this election year?
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