At least four members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation slammed President Trump Sunday evening after the Washington Post released a recording of President Donald Trump pushing Georgia’s Secretary of State to alter the presidential election results and make him the winner in the state.
“Pressuring a public official to fix an election is illegal,” said Democratic Senator Ed Markey in a tweet Sunday afternoon. “Trump should be brought up on charges.”
Pressuring a public official to fix an election is illegal. Trump should be brought up on charges. https://t.co/NBi5wltTPM
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) January 3, 2021
In the hour-long phone call between Trump and fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger, the President can be heard demanding that Raffensperger “find” 11,780 red votes in order to switch Georgia’s 16 electoral votes from president-elect Joe Biden to Trump. Throughout the phone call, however, Raffensperger repeatedly rejected Trump’s assertions and insisted Joe Biden’s electoral victory in Georgia was fair and accurate.
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“This is a crime, plain and simple,” said Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton, who represents Massachusetts’ sixth district, adding that rule of law should operate equally at all levels of government. “If a small-town mayor did this, the FBI would make an arrest for corruption. The president should not be treated any differently.”
This is a crime, plain and simple. If a small-town mayor did this, the FBI would make an arrest for corruption. The president should not be treated any differently. https://t.co/YcqLSvifCR
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) January 3, 2021
Trump’s call came as a growing number of Republicans pledged to challenge the electoral college’s vote for Biden when Congress convenes for a joint session on Wednesday.
Representative Katherine Clark, a Democrat, called Trump’s demands “straight out of his corruption playbook,” and expressed similar frustrations with his supporters in the Senate.
This is exactly why Donald Trump was impeached. It’s straight out of his corruption playbook.
— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) January 3, 2021
Equally outrageous: the Members taking an oath to our Constitution and in the same breath falsely and dangerously attacking our elections and democracy. https://t.co/iwYF2LTOun
While Republicans appear to lack the votes in Congress to overturn the results of last November’s election, Trump has urged supporters to travel to Washington to protest the outcome. Democratic Representative Jim McGovern accused Trump of trying to steal the election in a tweet Sunday afternoon.
“Donald Trump’s sickening hatred of our democracy, on tape for all the world to hear,” he said. “He’s trying to overthrow the government. To become a dictator. We will not let him.”
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Donald Trump's sickening hatred of our democracy, on tape for all the world to hear.
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) January 3, 2021
He wants to "find" the votes. To revise the count in his favor. To steal an election.
He's trying to overthrow the government. To become a dictator. We will not let him.https://t.co/xQP0Q2e65P
In his own flurry of tweets on Sunday, President Trump announced that his conversation with Raffensperger proved that “he was no clue!” Trump added that the secretary of state was “unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ‘ballots under table’ scam, ballot destruction, out of state ‘voters’, dead voters, and more.”
In response, Raffensperger was unwavering. “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true,” he tweeted Sunday.
Ivy Scott can be reached at ivy.scott@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ivscott99.
Stephanie Purifoy can be reached at stephanie.purifoy@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @stephbpurifoy.
Ivy Scott can be reached at ivy.scott@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @itsivyscott.