Despite President Donald Trump's lies that widespread election fraud coordinated by Democrats delivered President-elect Joe Biden victory in the 2020 election, every state in the union has certified its results and the electoral votes have been cast, further reinforcing Biden's win.
But Trump's allies in Congress haven't given up their efforts to subvert the results of an American election yet.
On January 6, Vice President Mike Pence will oversee a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives where he will read aloud the electoral votes for certification by Congress.
But infamously pro-Trump Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) has now sued Pence in yet another effort to deliver the Republican fantasy of another Trump term.
First, some context.
Earlier this month, electors across the nation met to officially cast their state's electoral votes. As expected, Biden secured 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232, exceeding the 270 votes required to secure the presidency.
But in a number of swing states—such as Michigan—Republican "electors" met and cast votes for Trump. It can't be overemphasized that these so-called electors weren't electors at all. Because Biden won their state, their votes for Trump were nothing more than political theatre designed to further undermine faith in the democracy that defined America.
Some of Trump's supporters, however, are under the collective delusion that the false electoral votes cast by Republicans in swing states have a modicum of legitimacy, and that Pence can choose to count these votes rather than actual electoral votes.
Gohmert's lawsuit—filed with other Republicans—seeks a court order acknowledging that Pence can somehow recognize pro-Trump alternate "electors" for states that Trump lost.
⚖️NEW: VP Pence has been sued by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.), Kelli Ward and other GOP mbrs in a far-fetched bid to overturn Biden's win
Plaintiffs ask Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump-appt'd fed judge in Texas, to find that Pence is authorized to pick pro-Trump electors on Jan. 6 pic.twitter.com/BumNwLm5ss
— John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) December 28, 2020
Gohmert's suit is facing widespread mockery, with many concluding that it's destined to fail.
I typically ignore Gohmert, but I sense some are nervous. Don't be. This lawsuit is nonsense.
I wish I could say its the dumbest thing Gohmert has ever done, but it's not. The real scandal is that he is still a member of Congress.https://t.co/tGfvn9mrli
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) December 28, 2020
Louie Gohmert is suing Mike Pence, which gives you an idea of how poorly things are going for the Republicans
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) December 28, 2020
I've never endorsed a product before, but I made an exception:
"Use Trojan Condoms, because you might end up fathering Louie Gohmert." pic.twitter.com/lo03KMx9Y4
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) December 28, 2020
We are now watching people who call themselves conservatives argue that vice presidents should have unilateral power to decide presidential elections. https://t.co/ajqYE9ex9H
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) December 28, 2020
Oy.
The party that decried "judicial activists" when the Courts outlawed racial segregation now wants a federal court to overturn the Constitution, state, and federal law. https://t.co/BLI0fYB4hb
— Teri Kanefield (@Teri_Kanefield) December 28, 2020
If the Vice President is just allowed to pick the president, someone should have told Al Gore, who actually won and didn't do that. https://t.co/V9KgvDWklD
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 28, 2020
Gohmert's intelligence is often targeted by his critics, and this latest stunt didn't do much to counter their perception.
Matt Gaetz: I'm clearly the stupidest member of Congress.
Louie Gohmert: Hold my beer. https://t.co/EFCQGM92pJ
— HokieCarrie (@HokieCarrie) December 28, 2020
"Louie Gohmert" should become a descriptive name or synonym for anyone who behaves like a moron, imbecile, idiot, ignoramus, knucklehead, nincompoop, nitwit or dunce.
— Charles Campisi (@1813Doncarlo) December 28, 2020
Further proof of why Gohmert is considered by his congressional peers as the dumbest man in the Capitol. https://t.co/qqpsbPZCeZ
— Gort (@DrugstorCowboy) December 28, 2020
It's unclear whether pro-Trump lawmakers like Gohmert will acknowledge Biden's victory once it's made official next week, or if they'll continue to lie that the election was somehow stolen.
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AMC