Republican leaders differ from Trump

Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan, a potential 2024 presidential aspirant who has often criticized Trump, said this 5-N bluntly: “There is no defense for the president’s statements tonight that undermine our democratic process.” .

Some Republicans have distanced themselves from President Donald Trump’s attempts to falsely claim election winners and claim without proof that Democrats are trying to “steal” the election. The president resumed his attacks Thursday 5-N, telling reporters in the White House that the vote-counting process is unfair and corrupt.

Trump has not backed up his allegations with any details or evidence, and neither state nor federal authorities have reported cases of large-scale election fraud.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who recently spoke at a Trump campaign event, didn’t address the president directly, but tweeted Thursday that if any candidate believes “That a state violates electoral laws, it has the right to challenge in court and present evidence to support its claims.”

Rubio had declared a few hours earlier that “taking days to count the votes legally cast is not a fraud. And legal challenges to votes presented after the legal voting period are not canceled “.

Since retiring, former Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona has been much more direct: “No Republican should agree with the president’s statements right now. Unacceptable. Point”.

Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan, a possible 2024 presidential aspirant who has often criticized Trump, put this 5-N in no uncertain terms: “There is no defense for the president’s statements tonight that undermine our democratic process. The United States counts the votes and we have to respect the results as we always have ”.

“No choice or person is more important than our democracy,” Hogan tweeted.

Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney did not speak directly about Trump’s remarks, but tried to adopt a reassuring tone. The vote count is generally “long” and “frustrating,” he said. If a wrongdoing is reported, “it will be investigated and resolved in court,” Romney tweeted. “Have faith in democracy, the Constitution and the American people”.

Since before Trump’s speech from the White House press room, several Republicans have rejected the president’s attempts to suspend the counting of votes in Pennsylvania and other disputed states. The comments left Trump with no valuable voices of support as he stands behind Democratic candidate Joe Biden in his fight for the presidency.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Trump ally who won his re-election last Tuesday in Kentucky, told reporters that “making sure you win the election is different than ending the count.” His office declined to comment after the president’s speech Thursday 5-N.

Her party senator Lisa Murkowski has called for “everyone to be patient” when the results are published. “It is imperative that we give election officials time to complete their work and that we make sure that all legally cast votes are allowed and counted,” he said in a statement.

Republican Rep Adam Kinzinger addressed Trump directly on Twitter, writing, “Stop. Shut down completely, “in response to Trump’s claim that the Democrats were trying to” steal “the election.

“The votes will be counted win or lose,” Kinzinger told Trump. “And the United States will accept it. Patience is a virtue “.

Comments from Republican lawmakers and GOP leaders were unusual public reprimands for Trump, who demanded, and generally received, Republican loyalty during his four years in office. Most of the party tries not to criticize Trump directly, even when they find his behavior useless or offensive to their values ​​and goals.

The tweets of Trump declaring himself victorious and asking the authorities to “stop the count” were the first evidence of how strong he can keep Republicans in line as he tries to defy the electoral process in court.

A Democrat, Senator Chris Murphy, told The Associated Press hours earlier this Thursday 5N that he expects Republicans to get up. “I think the Republicans want to give him a day or two to, you know, defend his case.” But, Murphy said, when it becomes clear that Trump’s controversies are baseless, “I hope Republicans will pressure him in public and in private.”