On the same day that he -- finally -- acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden's victory, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell began to grapple with the first leadership test of the coming Congress: Convincing his Republican colleagues not to formally object to the Electoral College results on January 6.
According to Politico, McConnell told his conference that such a move would force every single one of them into a "terrible vote" in which they would have to go on the record in affirming that President Donald Trump did indeed lose the November election. And, McConnell argued, such a vote would enrage Trump.
Which is true! After all, Trump lashed out at McConnell early Wednesday morning simply because the Kentucky Republican admitted, after the official Electoral College vote on Monday, that Biden had won (again) and Trump had lost.
"Mitch, 75,000,000 VOTES, a record for a sitting President (by a lot)," tweeted Trump. "Too soon to give up. Republican Party must finally learn to fight. People are angry!"
Imagine what Trump would do if the Republican-controlled Senate was forced to vote on Biden winning!
That, at least at the moment, remains a real possibility. Here's why.
In order for there to be a vote in both chambers on the election results, at least one House member and one senator would have to raise an objection to the Electoral College count. That is a certainty in the House, where Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, among other Trump loyalists, has already signaled his plan to do so.
On Tuesday night, in the wake of the news about McConnell's warning to his colleagues, Brooks lashed out via Twitter. He wrote:
"A republic is nothing without honest & accurate elections. Heroic patriots fought & died to give America a republic. Media reports Senate ducks election fraud theft ...because it requires a 'terrible vote'??!! I can only hope that is 'Fake News'."
