On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton debuted a longshot effort to validate outgoing President Donald Trump's lies that widespread voter fraud tipped the 2020 election to President-elect Joe Biden.
Paxton sued the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan on behalf of Texas. Because the suit is between states across a variety of regions, it will head straight to the Supreme Court. The Court has not yet announced whether it will hear the case.
The suit doesn't argue that widespread fraud took place, but that changes to voting procedures in the defendant states rendered any fraud that could have occurred undetectable. Trump's own Attorney General, William Barr, has said the Justice Department could not find evidence of voter fraud impactful enough to change the outcome of the election.
Nevertheless, 17 states so far have filed motions supporting the suit.
Trump supporters in other states are pressuring their attorneys general to join as well in hopes of bolstering the case, but Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh made clear to one such supporter that his state would not be joining.
Maryland will NOT be joining the #Texaslawsuit. The suit is a cesspool of disproved charges, wild speculation, insupportable arguments and silly gibberish.
Joe Biden is the President-Elect. https://t.co/kC6UhUwyLm
— Brian Frosh (@BrianFrosh) December 9, 2020
Frosh decried the case as "a cesspool of disproved charges, wild speculation, insupportable arguments and silly gibberish."
This is in line with most of the evaluations by experts. Even one of Texas' own Republican Senators—John Cornyn—said he struggled to "understand the legal theory of it."
People agreed with Frosh's assessment of the suit.
Good job Brian. Isn't it pathetic that this is even being considered? Where is our democracy? #CryBabyTrump https://t.co/Gs6VxhS2mE
— Cindy Harcar (@CindyHarcar) December 9, 2020
I don't always agree with @BrianFrosh but on this one he's right. https://t.co/1FVu8ZD4wf
— Walter Olson 😷 (@walterolson) December 9, 2020
The Texas lawsuit is nothing more than a 'Joke'...another waste of tax payer money and another publicity stunt!! They've lost!! Move on...@realDonaldTrump @KenPaxtonTX @GregAbbott_TX https://t.co/ZjEUSwGvEG
— The Photopimp (@ThePhotopimp) December 9, 2020
We shouldn't have to thank people for doing the right thing. But thank you @BrianFrosh We are living in strange times where so many ignorant people believe Trump while he attempts to destroy our democracy. #TexasLawsuit is another American embarrassment. Can't wait till he's gone https://t.co/lSsKUztbW4
— Margie Has Had Enough (@JFMargief) December 9, 2020
You tell 'em Froshman! https://t.co/TSjfXi7kfs
— Bill Frick (@billfrick) December 9, 2020
This sums up the #Texaslawsuit quite well. https://t.co/d6YPPpQhTR
— Sterling Rose (@SterlingRose62) December 9, 2020
Others keep poking holes in the merits of the Texas suit, including the motion to intervene in the case issued by the President.
The president's latest argument: I can't prove fraud, which proves that there was fraud.https://t.co/hi1F721HwX pic.twitter.com/hykCSxO0qr
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 9, 2020
In its suit trying to throw out the votes of GA, WI, PA & MI, the state of Texas claims the odds of Biden winning those states is "less than one in a quadrillion to the fourth power." That's crazy. BTW, Charles Cicchetti, who came up with that stat, and his wife are Trump donors. pic.twitter.com/UY1nGP1YnX
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 9, 2020
Texas' #SCOTUS suit seeking to overturn the results of elections in four states that didn't elect Trump relies in part on the testimony of Melissa Carone, who became an SNL character after a Mich. hearing and was found by a state court to be not credible.https://t.co/UBAgfl52tY pic.twitter.com/mnEvtB1CoR
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) December 8, 2020
Expert after expert has said the suit is almost certain to fail.
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