Even before Biden was officially declared President-Elect, Trump was already making claims about how he actually won the election and that there were massive amounts of fraud in several key swing states. As well as making several comments implying that he will not concede the election to Biden. And while there is no evidence of large scale fraud by Democrats in order to elect Biden, several senators are backing Trump's claims or simply ignoring them.
Mitch McConnell in particular is putting a lot of support behind Trump’s claims. Saying that the president is “100 percent within his right” to pursue legal challenges to the election outcomes. Another senator Deb Fischer claims that Trump can “say whatever he wants” and that she has no problem with the statements he is making. The two potential Georgia senators are also claiming that the Georgia Secretary of State, who is also a republican should be removed for making the statement that there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
All of these claims are very troubling and do not paint a good picture of senators for many people in the country. So why are they still backing Trump? The answer lies in who they represent. These senators represent states that go Republican, with the exception of Georgia this year. The people they represent like Trump, and if they are seen going against him they will lose support, and even though Mitch was re-elected for another six years, he is most likely still thinking of reelection. And the hopeful senators in Georgia are currently in a runoff. And if they are seen not backing Trump’s claims they could lose support from Trump supporters leading them to potentially lose their races. So many GOP senators may not actually believe that there is rampant fraud and that Trump really did win this election, but they have to think of their reelection and who they represent, and so they back Trump.
8 comments:
It's definitely unfortunate that Trump has kept up this idea that the election was rigged and that he won, but it was also expected in the weeks and months before the election. However, as he keeps pushing this narrative that he won, there have been many rallies/protests from his supporters that legitimately believe this perspective. Ultimately, I think any legal claims or accusations that Trump wants to take to court will be shot down, but I think he'll also end up denying the outcome of that case. I doubt that Trump will ever acknowledge Biden as a legitimate president and will always maintain the view that ballots were forged or fraudulent. However, Trump will have to inevitably leave office and after he does, his presidential immunity will no longer be active and he will have to face an onslaught of lawsuits that have cumulated over the years, from tax fraud, hush money, sexual misconduct, and much more.
I think Claire brings up a valuable point that many of the GOP political leaders and representatives must stand by Trump's statements in order to maintain the support of the GOP base that keeps them in power. However, the disheartening piece of this ordeal is that it may be the spark for a tradition of a refusal to accept the results of US elections, which is a standard that has the potential to get worse with every election. If we, the US, were watching this situation happen in another country- a leader refusing to accept the results of an election that has been proven to have been conducted without fraud multiple times- I think most would be able to notice the tyranny which is concerning.
Even while the GOP Senators may not think that their stance on the validity of this election has much of an impact as Biden is likely to be the president elect, I think they should recognize that by setting a precedent of distrust in the system will only dismantle our democracy further as the population strays farther and farther away from trusting the government.
While Trump continues to spread baseless claims of voter fraud on Twitter, even referencing his initial lead in Georgia that was eventually lost as ballots were counted the days following Nov. 3, incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are waiting patiently for him to acknowledge them. Trump is generally selfish, using government funds to pay for golf trips and or charging board for the Secret Service when he stays at his private properties, but is he selfish enough to tunnel his concern on his own political future instead of potentially keeping the Senate red? Yes, he is. Instead of using his large Twitter platform to advocate his voter base to support the incumbent senators in Georgia, he continues to go on and on about the Radical Left Democrats, Rigged Election and Fake News Media (capitalization is consistent). As a result, some Republicans, especially those in Georgia, fear Trump’s undying focus on his lost election could harm the race. The incumbent senators running for reelection called for the Georgia republican Sec. of State to step down, and notably, Trump did not have any mention of support. I think republican senators supporting Trump have no mind of their own, and well-informed republican senators can recognize the not great effect Trump’s voter fraud claims have on the GOP as a whole.
I think it is important to note that these Republican leaders, like Mitch Mcconnell, have an incentive to hold on to their GOP base in order to secure re-election and are thus stooping to inconceivable lows to defend their party. However, I think it has less to do with protecting the party and more to do with discrediting the Democratic party and creating a smoke screen to their own corruption. Last election cycle, the Republicans took a very direct tactical approach of bashing the Democrats when the opportunity arose and that strategy was seemingly effective. Access Hollywood scandal? Bash democrats. Make fun of disabled people? Bash Democrats. The Democrats on the other hand didn't take such a hard line approach. These tactics are further polarizing society and creating a deep sense of mistrust in the system in which the Republicans proclaim themselves to be the saviors. #draintheswamp
The GOP obviously wants to stay in power; that isn't a bad thing, as it is the nature of politics. However, a lot of these senators have been pushing for a president purely for the fact that he is part of their party. They want to get every bit of power they can in the next election. It seems like a power-move; if they can get the senate and the presidency, the GOP will be hard to push out of the way. However, supporting knowingly unjustified evidence for false claims is morally wrong. I think it is pretty clear that some senators just shouldn't be senators. They care so much about their party rather than the United States. On the contrary, some republican senators are handling this situation well. For example, Mitt Romney has been backlashing against the anti-ballot claims by the president, citing the fact that discrediting votes because they are in a different form is pushing away democracy entirely. For me, it is really frustrating to hear that the fight between parties has become so intense that they are able to disregard the American people. Yes, he has the right to recount votes and challenge districts. However, I don't think senators should be supporting Trump in the idea that he has already won when he has lost the popular vote by a landslide and there so far isn't sufficient evidence to overrule the electoral vote.
I also agree with your claim that many Republican senators are backing up Trump because they're pressured to represent their own party. If they don't adamantly support Trump, they are likely to lose support from republican voters. While it is within Trump's right to call for a recount and possible voter fraud, Trump's relentless behavior and constant attack on the media (calling it fake news) and the bashing of the radical left is dangerous for our society as a whole. It causes a lot of distrust in our government and our democracy. Moreover, the behavior of senators who support Trump not because they believe in true voter fraud, but because they have to support the republican party only worsens the political divide and polarization in our country. American people are becoming more and more willing to believe that our government and election are corrupt and this is most likely going to lead to many more tensions in the future elections and possibly break down our democracy
Given that there is no viable evidence of major voter fraud in the Presidential Election, Trump’s continuous claims seem to be made out of fear and rejection of leaving office. The easily-caused corruption in our modern political society has allowed Trump’s claims to seem to many people to be believable, however, Trump should not be making these claims until he discovers valid evidence to support them, that is upheld in court. Also, Tiffany mentions a great point about how Trump’s statements are also claiming to expose the corruption of the US government, which has instilled the anger and panic in many Americans, as well as a distrust and even hatred in the system. Trump’s claims are essentially attempting to convince voters that their votes don’t really count, which causes a decrease of their sense of political efficacy. Because of this, the political situation of the country, along with the panic of the pandemic and the heightening of racial tensions, is causing violence to erupt in very many locations around the country, placing in danger not just their intended opponents but many innocent civilians as well. Trump’s bold claims are only increasing the destabilization of the country, heightening the violence have resulted from an angry desire to achieve political change.
Hillary Clinton made a claim back in 2016 during the Presidential debates about how Trump would not accept the outcome of an election unless it swung in his favor and Trump has indeed exhibited this motif of behavior across his presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. Trump's entire presidency has been childish in nature and he has absolutely no ability to take and act upon criticism. (I forget the exact wording but I read somewhere that his presidency could be described as "being tied to a chair while watching a child play with a loaded gun") I believe many of the current GOP members are pressured to portray continued support for Trump because they are inclined to keep their party in power; No longer supporting Trump could lead to a decrease of votes in the next election, a risk they the GOP are not willing to take. While Lindsey Graham has vehemently defended President Trump about the outcomes of the election, viewers witnessed him giving a fist bump to Vice President elect Kamala Harris on the floor of the Senate, leading many to believe they are all playing politics.
Post a Comment