Every state in the Union has certified its 2020 presidential election results and cast its electoral ballots, reinforcing the victory of President-elect Joe Biden over outgoing incumbent President Donald Trump.
Though Trump's lies that widespread voter fraud coordinated by Democrats somehow tipped the election to Biden have been thoroughly debunked by local leaders and repeatedly rejected by the courts, a faction of Republican lawmakers is still attempting to validate the President's delusions.
On January 6, Vice President Mike Pence will oversee a joint session of Congress where the electoral college votes will be read aloud for congressional certification.
This is when some of Trump's supporters erroneously believe Pence will reject the electoral votes of swing states Biden won, throwing the election to the House. Pence doesn't actually have this power.
A number of Republican House members announced their intention to object to certification, but in order for the results to go to debate, a Senator would have to sign on.
That's where Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) comes in. Hawley recently announced that he would back the Representatives' efforts to block certification along with over a dozen other Republican Senators.
Hawley's effort is almost certain to go nowhere, because Congress can only override electoral votes with a majority-vote in both chambers. Because the House maintains a Democratic majority, it all but certainly will block the Republican attempts to undo the people's votes.
Nevertheless, ahead of a Trump rally in Georgia on Monday night, Senator Hawley implied that proceedings on January 6th could secure another four years of Trump.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier unequivocally shut this down.
Watch below.
BRET BAIER: I want to pin you down on what you're trying to do. Are you trying to say that Trump will be president after January 20?
JOSH HAWLEY: Well, that depends on what happens on Wednesday
BAIER: No it doesn't
(Trump in fact lost an election!) pic.twitter.com/vsO2JyRJuk
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 5, 2021
Baier asked:
"I want to pin you down on what you're trying to do. Are you trying to say that as of January 20, that President Trump will be president?"
Hawley began to respond:
"Well, Bret, that depends what happens on Wednesday. This is why we have the debate—"
That's when Baier fact checked the Senator:
"No it doesn't. I mean, the states by the Constitution say they certify the election. They did certify it. By the Constitution, Congress doesn't have the right to overturn the certification, at least as most experts read it."
People were pleased to see Hawley's claims scrutinized on the conservative network.
An excellent cross-examination. https://t.co/pOX4IhaJV1
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) January 5, 2021
This is surprisingly good work from Bret Baier here. https://t.co/z7MOZEWwgJ
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) January 5, 2021
Bret Baier does an exceptionally good job here of not letting Hawley off the hook. And he makes the essential point: every state has certified its electoral results, so under the Constitution, Congress has no role to play other than to count the votes. https://t.co/tO1mewtifg
— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) January 5, 2021
When did Fox News start doing actual news? https://t.co/0EL70WqJ4W
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) January 5, 2021
People slammed Hawley, a former Supreme Court clerk and legal expert, for peddling what he almost certainly knows to be false.
Just a general question here. Does the @ABAesq not disbar people like Josh Hawley for this? The moral code seems pretty clear and strict. https://t.co/BX1pZGzRYB
— S. Michael Gaddis (@smgaddis) January 5, 2021
@HawleyMO is supposed to be a Stanford/Yale Educated Attorney and was the AG of MO.
He cannot answer a question that even Brett Baier knows the answer to.
They cannot turn over the election tomorrow. This is all political theater for the #SeditionCaucus.
Biden won. Period. https://t.co/4ew93TEFFk
— Audra_Meidas #MeidasMighty #FlipGeorgiaBlue 🌊😷💙 (@appyoomkin) January 5, 2021
Bret Baier got Hawley to admit on Fox that what he's doing has no chance of making Trump president
— Contented Independent (@ContentedIndie) January 5, 2021
What an embarrassment Josh Hawley is to Stanford and Yale. https://t.co/GeoQRR7d8S
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) January 5, 2021
Hawley (& Cruz) know better. They should be disbarred. https://t.co/4nwWsUgQ11
— Michael B (@BakerHugh) January 5, 2021
While the proceedings on January 6th won't result in another term for Trump, it's certain to be an erratic and eventful day in American politics.
