Outgoing President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which saw him defeated by President-elect Biden six weeks ago, are creating a schism within the Republican party.
The President has deployed litigation, political pressure, and disinformation in his effort to secure a second term—but these efforts have largely failed.
Despite Trump's pressure on GOP-led legislatures in swing states, every state in the Union has certified their elections. Though Trump and his allies have contested the results numerous times through the courts, they've lost virtually every case, including twice in the conservative Supreme Court.
On Monday, the Trump campaign's fantasy received its most devastating blow yet: the Electoral College, as expected, cast 306 electoral votes for Biden—well over the 270 required to take the White House.
As a result, some of Trump's allies began acknowledging his defeat, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
In addition to McConnell's acknowledgement on the floor , Republican officials at the state and federal levels have pushed back against Trump's voter fraud lies.
Fed up with what they see as the Republican establishment's failure to stand by Trump, a number of the President's supporters are abandoning the Republican party to start a new one of their own.
They're calling it "The Patriot Party."
We need to destroy the Republican Party & certainly Democrat party...We need a political party, called the Patriot Party. If you embrace liberty and freedom, if you believe in true free speech, if you love the US Constitution, then let's move forward together as American Patriots
— David 🇺🇸 (@Davidthebaldguy) December 12, 2020
Why am I leaving the @GOP?
Look at the last 5 Presidential nominees prior to Trump. Globalists.
George HW Bush
Bob Dole
George W Bush
John McCain
Mitt Romney
Hard pass.
And they didn't have time to stand for @realDonaldTrump #PatriotParty
— 👨🏻⚕️Dr. George MD, BS💉 (@vetsandfriends) December 17, 2020
The Patriot Party?
Sounds GREAT!!
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) December 17, 2020
I have been a #Republican my entire life but if you abandon @realDonaldTrump I am done. Bring on the new party #patriotparty pic.twitter.com/AQBTLvw8Ch
— Toni Long (@TonivLong) December 16, 2020
Who's onboard with the Trump #PatriotParty. The good 'ol boy GOP Republican back-stabbing, do-nothing party is dead. 80M Patriots unite! #TrumpWon #FightBack pic.twitter.com/sKcmMcxRrh
— 🇺🇸 Freedom Patriot 66 🇺🇸 (@RSchock66) December 16, 2020
The name "Patriot" was largely mocked, since its latest converts are working to undo the results of a democratic process that defines America.
A patriot is a person who loves their country so of course The Patriot Party will talk about loving the country while hating 90% of the people in it.
— JRehling (@JRehling) December 17, 2020
Sign up table for the Patriot Party pic.twitter.com/XBPjRNhAiQ
— Kid Phantasm (@cbbruuno) December 17, 2020
You dont get to call yourselves the "patriot party" hanging these flags. You are traitors, even tried to overturn an election based on conspiracies. You are "trairors, and idiots party"#PatriotParty pic.twitter.com/hBljGJlI5y
— Danny (@wetaDP) December 17, 2020
We had The Patriot Party growing up. We called them racists.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) December 17, 2020
Trump supporters are starting a new political party and calling it the Patriot Party. Might as well call it the Confederate party and be done with it.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) December 17, 2020
I think there is a ton of moderate Democrats who are ready to bounce as well. The left has gone off the rails.
These folks who think the #PatriotParty is not going to pull a bunch of moderate Dems are wrong.
The JFK Democrat & the AOC Democrat are not even close.
— 👨🏻⚕️Dr. George MD, BS💉 (@vetsandfriends) December 17, 2020
Others didn't hesitate to point out that the Patriot Party already existed—socialist and anti-fascist political group from the 1960s to the 1980s.
MAGAT's are now talking about "burning the GOP to the ground and starting a new party." This new party will be called the "Patriot Party."
What they don't seem to realize is that the Patriot Party was already a thing. pic.twitter.com/SV3LqpdiQh
— Ben | Dr. Fauci stan (@BasedcomradeBen) December 17, 2020
so “patriot party" is trending because magas want to break away from the GOP and form a 3rd party but uhhhh pic.twitter.com/YLB3FPIlDN
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) December 17, 2020
Who wants to tell them? #PatriotParty pic.twitter.com/3fyFy69eBH
— Pepper Potts 🇺🇸 (@irongirl26) December 17, 2020
It's unclear whether or not Trump himself will support the initiative.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
