Elector Rejectors Reverse Course Following Capitol Riots
When Congress met on January 6 to certify the election results, there were about a dozen Republican senators who said they would object to the election results for at least one state. However, after pro-Trump protestors broke into the Capitol, they were forced to evacuate their chambers and have an emergency recess. After this recess, only six Senate Republicans ended up making objections to the Arizona vote: Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Tommy Tuberville, Roger Marshall, John Kennedy, and Cindy Hyde-Smith. Republican Representative Jody Hice from Georgia said the following when objecting to his own state’s election results: “Following the events of today it appears that some senators have withdrawn their objection.” One of the senators who withdrew their objections was Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler. She said, “When I arrived in Washington this morning I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes. However, the events that transpired have forced me to reconsider, and I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors.”
Josh Hawley from Missouri was the first senator to say that he would object after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. had tried to tell Republicans not to do so. After thanking the Capitol Police for their work during the protests, he gave the following statement about why he was choosing to object: "What we are doing here tonight is actually very important because for those who have concerns about the integrity of our elections, those who have concerns about what happened in November, this is the appropriate means, this is the lawful place where those objections and concerns should be raised."
Ted Cruz from Texas used to be against Trump. He even refused to endorse Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention. However, he has since become a supporter of Trump. When Congress was debating over the election results in Arizona, he came to Trump’s defense. "I want to speak to the Republicans who are considering voting against these objections. I urge you to pause and think, what does it say to the nearly half the country that believes this election was rigged if we vote not even to consider the claims of illegality and fraud in this election?"
Tommy Tuberville is from Alabama. He had joined Cruz in his objection against the results in Arizona like he said he would.
Roger Marshall from Kansas is a former U.S. Representative. He received endorsements from well-known Republicans like Mitch McConnell.
John Kennedy is from Louisiana. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016. He has been a big defender of President Trump. He said that he was objecting to the election results on behalf of his constituents. In a statement that he gave on Thursday, he said, “I came to the Capitol yesterday to give them a voice. I joined several Senate colleagues in calling for a bipartisan commission to inspect election issues raised across the country. Our proposal was not successful, but our goal to ensure full confidence and transparency in our elections — for all Americans — is a noble one, and I'll keep pursuing it."
Cindy Hyde-Smith won in a runoff election in 2018. She was the first woman in Mississippi to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She has been a big supporter of Trump while she has been in office.
The Capitol riots appeared to play a role in several Senators changing their minds and deciding not to object to the certification of states’ electoral votes. This begs the question whether the Senators ever believed the election results were wrong in the first place or whether they were merely playing politics with the presidential election all along.
