Republican senators ignore Trump’s plots over election results: ‘he can say whatever he wants’

As an increasing number of Republicans say the official transition must begin, Biden must Secret intelligence briefing They doubt Trump’s legal appeals will succeed, and few are willing to challenge Trump’s lies that the election was stolen from him, a claim that the Republican Party and Democratic election officials across the country have rejected.

Indifference is a familiar pattern during the four years of Trump’s presidency: It sparks great controversy and is largely ignored by Republicans on Capitol Hill. But this time, Trump is launching one conspiracy theory after another that many fear could sow unrest and have lasting repercussions on confidence in the US election and belief in democracy.

Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees the elections, has played down Trump’s claims that the election was rigged. He said, “I’m not too anxious.”

Asked if he believed Trump won the election, Blunt said: “There is a process for that. We’re close to the end of the time period where you can take your case in court. Let’s let him do that.”

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the most senior Republican in the Senate who supports Biden getting secret briefings, played down Trump’s false claims that he won the election and unfounded accusations of election fraud.

“There is no reason to worry about anything else except for the number of voters only, and whoever gets 270 voters will be the next president,” he said.

Even as they support the president, many doubt his claims will hold up in court.

Asked if the election was rigged, Trump said, Republican Senator John Cornyn, who won his race in Texas this month, said: “I don’t know if he’s referring to a specific incident or in general.”

Cornin seemed to believe Trump’s fraud allegations would not alter the election: “I didn’t see anything that would change the outcome.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said Trump was within his legal rights to challenge the election, sought to reassure the public last week that the transition would not be interrupted. But on Monday, McConnell fell silent when asked whether he agreed with Trump’s false claims that he “won the election”.

And some of Trump’s staunch defenders have not contested the president’s allegations.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Monday that he has no concerns that Trump is sowing doubts in the democratic process, arguing that it is a “fair game” for him to demand victory because we “don’t yet know” who won , Although the election results clearly show that Biden is on his way to winning the Electoral College.

“I’m not worried about the president saying he thinks he’s won the election,” Hawley said. “I think this is a completely fair game. He can go out and make his argument.”

Others avoided clinging to the topic.

Senator John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming and a member of the Republican leadership, has not said whether he agrees with Trump that the election is “rigged.”

“There were a number of tweets flipped back and forth, so I’m not sure the last of them,” Paraso said.

This story was updated with additional responses on Monday.