Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) issued an emotional plea for Congress to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s win and abandon efforts to subvert the election results.
“Voters, the courts, and the states have all spoken — they’ve all spoken,” McConnell said. “If we overrule them, it would damage our republic forever.”
Vice President Pence, in a letter to lawmakers Wednesday, rejected President Trump’s view that he could unilaterally reject electoral college votes from states won by Biden as Congress convened to count the votes.
Moments after the session began, Republicans loyal to Trump objected to the electoral votes from Arizona, halting the count. Although the exercise ultimately will not change the tally, it is expected to prompt hours of acrimonious debate, with Democrats accusing Trump of trying to stage a coup.
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Thousands of Trump supporters have converged on Washington, including hundreds who stormed through metal barricades at the back of the Capitol building, running past security guards and breaking fences.
Trump told supporters at a midday rally that he would “never concede” and voiced hope that Pence would intervene to reverse the electoral college results.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said that Trump has “disgraced the office of the presidency” as he decried the effort by some of his Republican colleagues to reverse the election results.
