Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has responded to former President Donald Trump’s comments that the U.S. Constitution should be terminated so that he can be reinstated as president of the United States.
Like many Republicans, McConnell had avoided addressing Trump’s comments, which were made in a Truth Social post on Saturday. When the Senate Republican leader finally acknowledged Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, he did not reference the former president by name.
McConnell told reporters that any person who suggests that the Constitution should be suspended “would have a very hard time being sworn in as president of the United States.”
The U.S. Constitution requires any person assuming the office of the presidency to defend the document, specifically stating that:
[they] shall take the following oath or affirmation: — “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
“It would be pretty hard to be sworn in to the presidency if you’re not willing to uphold the Constitution,” McConnell told reporters.
Few Republican lawmakers have condemned Trump’s proposal so far. Those that have include Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) and John Thune (R-South Dakota), while Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has issued a tepid statement calling Trump’s words “inappropriate.”
Others, like Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), the chair of the Republican Governance Group, have attempted to avoid questions on Trump’s call to terminate the nation’s highest governing document; when asked to comment on the matter in an interview over the weekend, Joyce said he wasn’t “interested in looking backwards.”
Notably, GOP House leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) — presumed to be the next Speaker of the House — has remained silent on the issue.
Trump made his original post calling for the Constitution to be upended on Saturday, in response to reporting from journalist Matt Taibbi that showcased how Twitter staffers had agreed to restrict posts relating to the contents of a laptop belonging to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
Many journalists have noted that the restrictions were meant to prevent the distribution of nude photos of Hunter Biden without his consent. Nonetheless, Trump pointed to the reporting as evidence that Twitter’s past policy prevented him from winning the presidency.
Trump questioned whether a new election should take place or whether he should be immediately named “the RIGHTFUL WINNER” of the 2020 presidential election.
“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” he added.
On Monday, Trump tried to walk back his comments, claiming that reporters had taken his words out of context.
“The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to ‘terminate’ the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, disregarding the fact that he stated the Constitution should be terminated just two days prior.
“SIMPLY PUT, IF AN ELECTION IS IRREFUTABLY FRAUDULENT, IT SHOULD GO TO THE RIGHTFUL WINNER OR, AT A MINIMUM, BE REDONE,” Trump went on. “WHERE OPEN AND BLATANT FRAUD IS INVOLVED, THERE SHOULD BE NO TIME LIMIT FOR CHANGE!”
In spite of Trump’s repeated claims over the past two years, evidence has never materialized indicating that election fraud affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential race.
The Biden administration has spoken out against Trump’s unfounded accusations and calls for the Constitution to be upended.
“Attacking the Constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation and should be universally condemned,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said.
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