Trump and 17 states back Texas bid to undo his election loss at Supreme Court

[webfact]

Trump and 17 states back Texas bid to undo his election loss at Supreme Court

By Jan Wolfe and Andrea Shalal

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/Files

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let him join a long-shot lawsuit by Texas seeking to overturn his election loss by throwing out the voting results in four states, litigation that also drew support from 17 other states.

 

In a court filing, Trump asked to intervene in the Texas lawsuit, the latest litigation to try to undo Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's victory over the Republican incumbent in the Nov. 3 election. In a separate brief, lawyers for 17 states led by Missouri's Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt also urged the nine justices to hear the case.

 

Efforts in the courts on behalf of Trump challenging the election results so far have failed.

 

The lawsuit, announced on Tuesday by the Republican attorney general of Texas Ken Paxton, targeted four states that Trump lost to Biden after winning them in the 2016 election. Trump has falsely claimed he won re-election and has made baseless allegations of widespread voting fraud. Election officials at the state level have said they have found no evidence of such fraud.

 

Writing on Twitter earlier on Wednesday, Trump said, "We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!"

 

Election law experts have said the Texas lawsuit stands little chance of success and lacks legal merit.

 

"Both procedurally and substantively, it's a mess," Justin Levitt, an election law professor at Loyola Law School in California, said of the Texas lawsuit. "There's zero chance the court agrees to take the case."

 

In addition to Missouri, the states joining Texas were: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia. All of the states were represented by Republican officials in the filing. All but three of the states have Republican governors.

 

Officials from Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have called the lawsuit a reckless attack on democracy. It was filed directly with the Supreme Court rather than with a lower court, as is permitted for certain litigation between states.

 

The Texas suit argued that changes made by the four states to voting procedures amid the coronavirus pandemic to expand mail-in voting were unlawful. Texas asked the Supreme Court to immediately block the four states from using the voting results to appoint presidential electors to the Electoral College.

 

Biden has amassed 306 electoral votes - far higher than the necessary 270 - compared to Trump's 232 in the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the election's outcome. The four states contribute a combined 62 electoral votes to Biden's total.

 

Texas also asked the Supreme Court to delay the Dec. 14 date for Electoral College votes to be formally cast, a date set by law in 1887.

 

Democrats and other critics have accused Trump of aiming to reduce public confidence in U.S. election integrity and undermine democracy by trying to subvert the will of the voters.

 

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Will Dunham)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-10

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[RichardColeman]

No great fan of Trump, but seeing America disappearing up it's own legal culture bottom is making good tv.

[placeholder]

5 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

No great fan of Trump, but seeing America disappearing up it's own legal culture bottom is making good tv.

Why the "but"? Given that all these ridiculous court cases are ultimately down to him shouldn't your sentence read 

No great fan of Trump even less so now but seeing America disappearing up it's own legal culture bottom is making good tv.

Of course, your is just another case of I don't like Trump but...

[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Of course, your is just another case of I don't like Trump but...

Not really, I don't like either of them, but unlike most developed countries there are other people on the ballot box come elections time. I'd have voted for Richard Prior's None Of The Above

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Not really, I don't like either of them, but unlike most developed countries there are other people on the ballot box come elections time. I'd have voted for Richard Prior's None Of The Above

So you accept that legal nonsense going on is down to Trump?

Edited December 9, 2020 by placeholder

[riclag]

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

[Sujo]

And they can all be embarrassed together.

 

Funny how texas complains yet they also changed their voting rules.

 

Its all over, trump will be crying.

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

What relevance does the number of attorney generals joining in (democracy?) have in relation to the validity of the case?

[candide]

9 minutes ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

And if it doesn't work, as usual, there will still be plenty of affidavits left as consolation prize! ????

Edited December 9, 2020 by candide

[PatOngo]

I can't wait for this clown to exhaust all his hair brain law suits and finally face the reality that he is a one term loser, will be interesting to see him AFTER he's thrown ALL the toys out of the pram. A disgusting man/child !

[Thailand]

It really qquite sad to see these aged republican politicians so terrified of losing their seats that they are willing to follow Trump over the cliff like lemmings.

The acute embarrassment that will soon come with the realization that they have been led by the nose by the crook in chief should be a sight to behold when they have to justify the stance they took.

200 million plus I believe he has raised for his retirement from the GOP ,does that mean Guillible Ordinary People by the way?

[cycolista]

45 minutes ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

Strange, I was always under the impression that in a democratic process the people decided, not the courts.  Shows what a dumba$$ I am. 

[mr mr]

17 states should ban the don from tanning beds. does no one tell him ? 

[Jeffr2]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

Since it's a frivolous lawsuit, if turned down, Trump should pay all the legal expenses.  Not fair for us tax payers to do so.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

Biden has over 7,000,000 more votes than Trump.

 

Strength in numbers.

 

This is how the democratic process works!

 

Good for you America.

[animalmagic]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

Your much vaunted Democratic process works by ignoring the fact that almost 6 million more people voted for Biden and relies upon legal action brought about by 17 State Attorney Generals to overturn a decision that pretty much every independent court and expert has said was not rigged.  Strength in numbers?  That is only one third of the states!

This is Democratic?

Edited December 10, 2020 by animalmagic
typo

[Tug]

When does this clown show end?when does this inciting to violence become a crime?when will our humiliating trump nightmare end?enouf!

[Jeffr2]

And here's the damage it's doing.  Encouraging his cult members to become violent.  Even Republicans are now targets for telling the truth.  Time to stop the insanity.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/us/politics/trump-election-challenges.html

 

 

As Trump Rails Against Loss, His Supporters Become More Threatening

The president’s baseless claims of voting fraud have prompted outrage among his loyalists and led to behavior that Democrats and even some Republicans say has become dangerous.

Racist death threats filled the voice mail of Cynthia A. Johnson, a Michigan state representative. Georgia election officials, mostly Republicans, say they have received threats of violence. The Republican Party of Arizona, on Twitter, twice called for supporters to be willing to “die for something” or “give my life for this fight.”

 

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

So you accept that legal nonsense going on is down to Trump?

Well it's not down to the tooth fairy, is it?

[herfiehandbag]

Well he has got it to the Supreme Court.

 

The "acid test" - will it be the law or a payroll vote which decides?

Edited December 10, 2020 by herfiehandbag

[Dumbastheycome]

Over the course of preparations and the start of early voting the number of legal challenges is astounding.

Many seem to have been to contravene genuine attempts to ensure as much safety and  voting rights as possible  due to concerns about  Covid-19.

IMO attempted voter suppression. It failed.

If this  last attempt  put to the SCOTUS is  given any credence then IMHO the people of the USA can bid the concept of genuine  democratic principle  goodbye.

https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_election_dates,_procedures,_and_administration_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020#Relevant_litigation

[shdmn]

8 minutes ago, Tug said:

When does this clown show end?when does this inciting to violence become a crime?when will our humiliating trump nightmare end?enouf!

 

When they can't grift any more money because the rubes finally wised up.  So never.  It's birtherism v2 and will be going on for Bidens entire term.

Edited December 10, 2020 by shdmn

[Walker88]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

I don't seem to remember that a couple of State AGs trying to overturn the will of 81,000,000 people qualifies as democracy.

 

Somewhere---correct me if I'm wrong----democracy is a term usually associated with 'majority', and the majority wants 45 gone.

 

Also, 17 or 18 out of 50 doesn't sound like a majority, but my math could be wrong.

Edited December 10, 2020 by Walker88

[Peterw42]

This is a great development. At the moment I am enjoying watching Trump lose over and over again in the 3-4 swing states, now we can watch him lose "again" in another 17 states, it doesn't get much better.

[Walker88]

Since it's the age of pointless silly filings, it's about time California joined with the great States of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Vermont and others and file with the Supreme Court to give texas back to Mexico. I mean, Mexico won the battle at the Alamo fair and square, so they should get what's spoiled, and a chunk of land where an AG is under indictment for a host of felonies (paxton) is most definitely spoiled and of no value whatsoever to the United States of America.

[Emdog]

10 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

This is a great development. At the moment I am enjoying watching Trump lose over and over again in the 3-4 swing states, now we can watch him lose "again" in another 17 states, it doesn't get much better.

Makes me think of the "Cowards die many deaths, the brave only one"

Should be a way to modify that.... sore deranged loser and reality denying backers

[IgboChief]

2 hours ago, placeholder said:

Of course, your is just another case of I don't like Trump but...

 

This is not a helpful statement. There are great people on the left and the right side, moderate and reasonably close to the common sense. I believe, that we need all of them to have a good discussion and come to a great decision.

 

Trump and his team have disqualified themselves from being taken as adults, this is out of question.

And anyone supporting or enabling these clown troopers is not an accountable counterparty.

 

But this does not mean, that automatically anyone conservative is always wrong or anyone progressive is always right. So I see indeed some room for a justified "I do not like Trump, but ..."

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

 Good development ,strength in numbers !

This is how the democratic process works!

Good for you America

Oh dear, over 70 million voters don't support Biden, and and 17 states actually want him gone. Not a happy start to his term. The only thing that can make it worse for him now, IMO, is if the senate stays GOP.

????

Edited December 10, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[Jeffr2]

2 minutes ago, IgboChief said:

 

This is not a helpful statement. There are great people on the left and the right side, moderate and reasonably close to the common sense. I believe, that we need all of them to have a good discussion and come to a great decision.

 

Trump and his team have disqualified themselves from being taken as adults, this is out of question.

And anyone supporting or enabling these clown troopers is not an accountable counterparty.

 

But this does not mean, that automatically anyone conservative is always wrong or anyone progressive is always right. So I see indeed some room for a justified "I do not like Trump, but ..."

I'm a staunch conservative who doesn't like Trump and left the GOP years ago.  William Buckley style of conservatism, not the current form (religious, gun rights, conspiracy theories, racist, etc).

[Jeffr2]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

Oh dear, over 70 million voters don't support Biden, and and 17 states actually want him gone. Not a happy start to his term. The only thing that can make it worse for him now is if the senate stays GOP.

????

A majority of those who voted last time didn't vote for Trump and wanted him gone.  But did they let off with a flurry of lawsuits?  No.  Why?  Right....

 

Best of luck to Biden in this era of tribal politics.  Reform is desperately needed.