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Trump supporters take to the streets against “vote theft.” Photo: Tyrone Turner
Yesterday the US Electoral College unsurprisingly voted for Joe Biden and formally elected him president. For Biden: 306 votes. For Trump: 232.
Now this verdict must be approved by Congress on January 6 (in legal language – to certify the result).
Yet a common formality, this time it may turn out to be Donald Trump’s last battle for the presidency, relying on his supporters in Congress.
In theory, the highest legislative body may not approve the electoral college’s decision, but in practice, Trump’s chances of turning the tide are so elusive that hardly anyone believes in it.
Biden won by more than 7 million votes, and Trump’s headquarters lawsuits were thrown out everywhere, including the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, “Trumpistas” across the country are already clashing in the literal sense of the word with Biden supporters (Trump supporters and left-wing radicals fought at the Stop Theft rally in Washington last Saturday), and some of the states that supported Trump are already talking about creating their own “alliance.” “.
We were figuring out if there might still be surprises in Congress and what to expect in the United States next.
Will it be the last fight in Congress?
At the congressional meeting on January 6, the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, will open envelopes from all the states and certify the electoral votes. According to the rules, congressmen have the right to present written objections and attempt to cancel electoral votes.
The liberal American press, which sympathizes with the Democrats, warns about the preparation of a “coup” in Congress, but they consider a possible maneuver doomed to failure.
As the New York Times reported, a group of Republicans led by Alabama Congressman Morris Brooks is about to make one last attempt to challenge the election results. That is, to attempt to nullify election results and electoral votes in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Wisconsin, citing massive fraud.
“We have a supreme role under the Constitution, higher than that of the Supreme Court or any federal judge, of the state judges. As we say, it will have it. This is the final verdict,” Brooks said on the role of the United States Congress. United in the presidential elections. “My main goal is to fix America’s electoral system, which makes it too easy for vote counterfeiting or theft. Achieving this goal will give Donald Trump an official election victory as a bonus, which I personally believe.” .
Under the Constitution, congressmen are required to submit their objections in writing with a signature on each. So far, no Republican senator has announced that they would be willing to support such an attempt to challenge the election results. If this happens, then the objection must be heard by a member of each of the houses of Congress.
Subsequently, the Senate and the House of Representatives leave for a two-hour debate to consider and vote separately on the nullity of the votes of the electors of these states. And then they vote whether to disqualify the electoral votes of a particular state or not.
The decision is made by a simple majority of votes. If there is no consensus, the protest of the congressmen will not be accepted.
Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, and four senators from the Republican Party, which has 52 votes in the Senate, have already publicly rejected the idea of changing the election results by the United States Congress (the votes of these four, according to experts, they will be enough to avoid disqualification of votes). voters).
Brooks is still trying to solidify support: The congressman met with several senators last week. The plan can be supported by two members of the House of Representatives. But, according to the New York Times, nonetheless, the attitude of party members in the lower house of Congress toward Brooks’s plan is very cautious due to fear of losing the support of ordinary voters.
“Both Democrats and Republicans have repeatedly undertaken similar maneuvers, but have not achieved their goal since the 19th century,” writes the New York Times.
So if nothing unexpected happens before January and the majority of the votes for Trump are not found in Congress, this “scheme” will not work.
“Even if there were enough votes to turn the tide in Congress, it would cause such a storm, such a political tsunami that could lead to the most radical consequences, from protracted mass protests and chaos to civil war and the division of the country. Congress will not agree to this. Another issue is that societies are so polarized that the consequences, particularly in the form of turbulence in certain states and the legitimacy crisis of President Biden, still cannot be avoided, “the Washington-based political analyst told Strana. Chris Sitton.
Texas “Separatists”
The collapse of the United States due to political disagreements between Trump supporters and opponents, now experts also consider a fantastic scenario.
At the same time, it is clear that the division between the states deepens after the elections.
In Texas (it was this state that initiated a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to annul the elections in the disputed states), local Republicans are calling for the creation of a “union” to protect the constitution.
Trump supporters in Texas reasoned this way: If a state does not have the legal right to speak out about the transparency of presidential election procedures in another state, then by their logic, there simply is no federation. And Pennsylvania and Georgia elected a president just for themselves, not for Texas.
Republicans in Texas have evaluated the Supreme Court decision as “legitimizing political anarchy in the United States.” And they invited all states that comply with electoral laws to join together and form a new constitutional union.
At the same time, Texas nationalists have been revived (they always have been, but, until recently, they were in a purely fringe niche). They have even put their act of secession on the table in the local Congress.
And the slogan “Texit” (by analogy with Brexit) about the separation of Texas from the rest of the United States has become popular on social media.
CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta said that Texas politicians are actually “floating around the idea of secession from the United States.”
However, according to experts, neither a separate state nor a group of states can simply leave the United States. But it is possible to form a certain coalition of states, which will take a course towards weakening ties with the federal center. Even the refusal to comply with Biden’s orders.
What the Trumpists think
Some of Trump’s supporters are ready for radical action.
“They will wait for people to take to the streets with guns. I personally am ready to defend my election, which was stolen from me. It is not even about Trump, but about the fact that half the country cannot be ruled out,” he said a Trump supporter from Chicago, businessman Daniel Ross.
“Democrats cannot allow Trump to rule for two terms, like many former presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama). Although Biden and his son were doing business with China, Ukraine and Russia. The authorities are corrupt politicians and liberals. I believe If at least half a million Trump supporters rally under Congress, Trump can still win. If anything, I am ready to protest, “Sharon Reib, of Austin, Texas, told The Country.
Others, although disappointed in Trump’s defeat, have no intention of fighting.
“After the decision of the Supreme Court, there is no possibility. The protests are no longer useless, Biden will be declared president. Thus, we officially became a banana republic, because the elections were dishonest. We will see how quickly Biden’s supporters start. to cry when their leftist agenda affects their wallets. “- says Connie Stumbo from Tampa, Florida.
