Donald Trump is having a hissy fit at the few Republican officials who have the courage to stand up to him and refuse to violate the law to help him overturn the presidential election.
This morning, in a series of tweets aimed at Georgia's GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, Trump whined about Kemp's refusal to tip the election scales in his favor, calling him "the hapless Governor of Georgia." Later in the day, Kemp basically said, "screw you, Trump," although he, no doubt, is way too much of a gentleman to use such language.
Here's what Trump had to say:
What a crock! Trump isn't trying to overturn the election for himself -- he's doing it for all those who voted for him. What a stand up guy!
“Georgia law prohibits the governor from interfering in elections,” said Kemp spokesman Cody Hall. “The Secretary of State, who is an elected constitutional officer, has oversight over elections that cannot be overridden by executive order.”
“As the governor has said repeatedly, he will continue to follow the law and encourage the Secretary of State to take reasonable steps — including a sample audit of signatures — to restore trust and address serious issues that have been raised,” he said.
Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, rejecting Trump's demands, are among only a few Republican officials who have called out Trump. They are in a state where a critically important runoff election is taking place for two U.S. Senate seats that will decide political control of the Senate. There is concern among many Republican officials that Trump's constant harangue about unproven voter fraud, and his claims that he actually beat Joe Biden when he didn't, will damage their party's chances of winning those elections.
It was hilarious that Trump tweeted today that he was "ashamed" to have endorsed Kemp in his bid for governor. Had Kemp not narrowly defeated rising Democratic star Stacy Abrams, she would have been governor and might not have had time to lead the organizational effort in Georgia that led to Biden's victory there. Now, she's helping to elect the two Democratic candidates in the Senate runoff.
Getting Tough
Meanwhile, former Republican strategist Rick Wilson, an outspoken Trump and GOP critic, is calling out those Republicans who are aiding and abetting Trump's personal and unfounded attacks on the U.S. Constitution, even suggesting they should be prosecuted and sent to the slammer.
Writing for The Daily Beast, of which he is editor-at-large, Wilson said "The dark is rising for Trump's sycophants, toadies and enablers. Their tough-guy acts and fuck-your-feelings shit-talk have become a furious whine of complaints and recriminations as a toxic slurry of rage and despair has left a stinging bile in the back of their throats that won’t go away. Trump lost, and they can’t spin their way past it."
Wilson predicts many Republicans will soon rush to distance themselves from Trump, but said those "grubby sellouts" "were just fine with the executive orders, the lawlessness, the statism, the betrayal of alliances around the world, and with that fucking clown as the leader of the party and the country."
Wrote Wilson, “Remember, the Trump GOP is shorn of all ideological and philosophical pretense, and even when Trump leaves office, it’s not over. His cultists’ reign of terror will shape elected GOP members as long as he and his foul spawn walk the earth unpunished.
“Only exposure, pain, humiliation, and [God willing] incarceration will lead to a moment of reckoning for the GOP,” he wrote. “It should start at the top and work down from there.”
Line Them Up
There are plenty of candidates worthy of such treatment. Perhaps at the top of the list is Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), once a Trump critic but now his sycophant-in-chief who actually tried to talk Raffensperger into tossing Biden ballots in Georgia.
There's Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) who seems to be trying to out-Trump Trump in casting doubt on Biden's victory and mimicking his tough-guy approach.
Then, of course, there is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has constantly weaseled about the election results, refusing to recognize Biden as president-elect. That's an irresponsible position for the leader of the Senate to take, regardless of political considerations.
The list goes on. Just be grateful for conscientious people in power in crucial states, like Gov. Kemp and Secretary of State Raffensperger who are following the law despite their own personal political preferences.
Otherwise, this entire fiasco could have a far different ending than what is unfolding today.
Buh, bye, #DiaperDonald. See ya.