Just before President Trump’s grassroots supporters stormed the United States Capitol, both he and Donald Trump Jr. warned congressional Republicans who might vote to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory: Object or face career-ending primary challenges.
When Congress reconvened to continue certifying electoral votes hours later, after the violent mob was dispersed and the Capitol was secured, a majority of House Republicans heeded the political threats made by Trump and his eldest son earlier Wednesday. Votes to affirm the results in Arizona and Pennsylvania, states narrowly won by Biden, drew objections from 121 and 138 Republicans, respectively, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
“The biggest fear that rational people have right now is, what’s going to happen in the primaries?” a Republican operative said, prior to the Capitol being overrun and the votes on certification being cast.
Wednesday morning, Trump and his son addressed a massive rally in Washington, D.C., near the White House. The outgoing president assured supporters that Vice President Mike Pence and House and Senate Republicans had the power to overturn the 2020 election. Trump claimed Pence, in his presiding role as president of the Senate, could simply refuse to accept state-certified electoral votes while suggesting congressional Republicans could boost the effort by objecting to the counting of the votes.
Refuse to go along, Trump admonished, and you could expect him to show up in your district or state ahead of the 2022 midterm primaries and work to take you out. “We have to primary the hell out of the ones that don’t fight,” the president told the cheering crowd before encouraging them to march on the Capitol.
Trump Jr. echoed that threat, which is hardly an idle one. The president’s 43-year-old son has grown so popular with the Republican base over the past four and a half years, he is mentioned as a future presidential candidate. Trump Jr. is a prolific fundraiser and has relationships with many establishment Republicans, having helped party committees, GOP incumbents, and challengers raise millions for their campaigns in 2018 and 2020.
“These guys better fight for Trump because if they’re not, guess what? I’m going to be in your backyard in a couple of months,” Trump Jr. said at the rally. “Today, Republicans, you get to pick a side for the future of this party. Again, I suggest you choose wisely.”
In the Senate, warnings issued by the Trumps were largely ignored. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky urged Republicans to affirm Biden’s victory and dispense with objections in a sharply worded speech that was even lauded by Democrats. When the chamber reconvened late Wednesday evening, after the riots had cleared, to continue certifying electoral votes, some Senate Republicans announced they were dropping plans to object in light of the attempted insurrection.
Sen. Marco Rubio, who is up for reelection in 2022 in Florida, Trump’s new home state, declined to object altogether. Ditto other Republicans on the ballot in 2022 in states where Trump has been popular: Sen. Todd Young of Indiana; Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio; Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
But Trump and Trump Jr. had a huge impact on House Republicans. The siege of the Capitol did not deter them from objecting to electoral votes from six swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — the president complained were stolen from him in a broad, unfounded conspiracy. It is only because Senate Republicans would not go along that only Arizona and Pennsylvania were debated.
Doug Heye, a GOP operative and former House leadership aide, was not surprised that House Republicans maintained their objections to the certification of Biden’s victory despite the day’s events. “Even if it’s not the Trump threats — that may have changed yesterday — they still operate in constant fear of and pandering to the most vocal part of their base,” he said.
Over their objections, Biden’s win over Trump in the Electoral College was certified early Thursday morning, with Pence announcing the final tally.
