A penny is largely ceremonial when Congress confirms the Electoral College vote electing Joe Biden on Wednesday.
“I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you,” Trump admitted. “I hope our great vice-president – our great vice-president – comes through. He’s a good man. Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I don’t like him so much.”
But Trump, who was seen in the Oval Office by the vice president shortly before he left for Georgia, would not say exactly what he wants Pence to do, given his role in voter affirmation is largely ceremonial.
Trump laughed at him and said: “Nah, Mike is a great guy he’s an amazing guy and a tough guy and a guy who I really like.”
“But he has a lot to say about it,” the President said. “And you know one thing with it, you get direct views – he just calls it.”
Although the rally was for Republican Sens. Trump’s David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were all too focused on the 2020 primary election, reiterating, unfoundedly, that it was tight.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud and Trump’s legal team has once again been able to back up his rural claims in court.
Trump spent very little time touting the two Republican candidates, but called Perdue a “true gentleman” and Loeffler a “great hero.”
“Kelly is a strong defender of our amazing weaponry. I am so proud of our weaponry. She supports the wall, and she always stands by the heroes of law enforcement, ICE and Border Patrol , “he said.
The President’s presence at the Dalton, Georgia, gathering would normally be a welcome sight for a Republican just one day before the runoff – races that will decide which party controls the Senate. Crowds are expected for the President and there is evidence that Trump’s presence will help turn GOP voters out.
Among the unfounded claims made at the rally, Trump fought Raffensperger and Georgia’s Gov. Gov. Brian Kemp, saying they were not a true Republican and would campaign against their reconsideration.
Public statements and private comments by sources familiar with the situation suggest that Trump is distracted by the issues he laid out on Raffensperger’s call.
Trump was once again pushing for the call by Georgia’s secretary of state, two expert sources said. And between Election Day and Saturday phone calls, 18 attempts were made from the White House to the office of Raffensperger, a source with experience and a Georgia state official confirmed to CNN.
On Monday, Raffensperger told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that this was his first personal call on the case with Trump, and several senior White House officials were unaware that the call had taken place. until Trump tweeted about it.
“The President’s ability to exceed expectations when it comes to how unhelpful it remains is unfulfilled,” one GOP worker who worked on the running water told CNN .
It is a cause for concern that is shared on the ground in Georgia. Local Republican leaders have argued with Trump over the November election administration but share President Loeffler and Perdue’s desire to elect him.
“That phone call did nothing to help, you know, turn voters for a Republican here in Georgia, for Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue,” Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who will not be with Trump’s gathering Monday night, told CNN. “I was ashamed and completely honest, I can’t think of anyone on those staff encouraging that call or advising him to hang up and move on. on to the next topic. “
Following the announcement of the call, many Georgia Republicans had given up all hope that Trump’s visit Monday night will add significantly to that effort.
“No one has a reasonable reason to believe that it will go well,” said one Republican from Georgia. “It’s likely to be a complete, complete show, sh * t off the records. If a catastrophe is avoided, it will be bad luck.”
On the phone call with Raffensperger, Trump called the crowd expected for Monday night’s rally in Dalton as evidence that he won the election in November. He warned the secretary of state that he intended to raise his objections at the event.
“The people of Georgia are angry, and those numbers are being repeated Monday night along with others that we are getting before that, which is much more substantial even, and the people of Georgia are angry,” Trump said.
Trump’s last visit to Georgia was less appropriate – he spent most of his complaints about the November vote. That included playing long video clips from conservation centers like Newsmax, which showed completely false stories about alleged fraud. When Perdue and Loeffler took to the stage they were overwhelmed with calls to “stop the theft” and “stand up for Trump”.
As it was, at one point, the crowd at Monday night’s gathering sang loudly and once again sang “fight for Trump” to the top of the President’s views.
Trump’s campaign promised that Monday’s presidential visit would help the GOP ticket.
“Keeping a Republican majority in the Senate has been a priority for the President from the beginning,” said Tim Murtaugh, Trump’s campaign communications director.
The universal view of Republicans is that the frenzy over Trump’s call to Raffensperger promises that there is any hope that Trump will deliver a simple message, get out of the vote aimed at his passionate supporters without the extra places in election fraud gone.