One hundred forty-seven Republicans in Congress voted in opposition to certifying Democrat Joe Biden because the winner of the presidential election this month. Not solely did they attempt to overturn the election outcomes and provides legitimacy to President Donald Trump’s lies of rampant voter fraud, however they basically tried to erase the mammoth turnout among Black voters that helped Biden win.
Twelve days after that vote, 127 of these Republicans ― 86% ― tweeted or put out statements Monday praising the work of Martin Luther King Jr., who is maybe finest remembered for combating racial injustice.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. transformed America and inspired men and women across the world with his call to pursue justice and truth,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) tweeted the King quote: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Boebert is a supporter of the deranged, baseless QAnon conspiracy concept that believes Trump is combating a Satan-worshipping “deep state” of Democrats and Hollywood celebrities who’re intercourse traffickers.
The hypocrisy was not misplaced on civil rights leaders.
King is now a beloved civil rights icon, however earlier than he was assassinated in 1968, he pushed for adjustments that white America usually thought of controversial, radical and not at all universally popular. Over the years, his legacy has been whitewashed, and Republican politicians who struggle steps towards racial equality all 12 months lengthy make a present of holding him up as a hero annually, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Trump spent months earlier than the election in search of to tamp down turnout amongst Democratic strongholds and, weeks afterward, transferring to invalidate areas in (*127*), Georgia and Pennsylvania that overwhelmingly voted for Biden.
Those communities are enclaves of Black voters, and the president and his allies moved to color them as bastions of nonexistent voter fraud that flouted legal guidelines to disclaim him a second time period (all of these claims have been proved lies, and most legal challenges to again them up have failed).
While fruitless — Biden will probably be inaugurated Wednesday — the trouble has already had a dramatic impact on American democracy. A professional-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to attempt to cease the certification of the election outcomes, an unprecedented rebel fanned by Trump and his surrogates. The riot left 5 individuals useless, together with a Capitol Police officer. The president’s assist of the mob was so blatant that Twitter completely banned him from the platform in concern he would inflame additional violence.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the primary within the chamber to object to the certification of Biden’s victory, has drawn fierce criticism for his position in making an attempt to undercut the outcomes of the election. He’s misplaced (and regained) a e book deal, confronted calls that he be disbarred and spent weeks defending his actions and claiming he’s been muzzled.
But on Monday he was one among many who praised King’s legacy.
“Today, we honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his unyielding leadership in the fight for equality,” Hawley’s workplace stated in an announcement. “I encourage all Missourians to join with me in celebrating Dr. King’s heroic legacy and in recommitting ourselves to the ideals that he fought for.”
Here’s an inventory of the lawmakers who put out statements praising King and who additionally voted to overturn the election outcomes:
Josh Hawley, Mo. (assertion)
Mario Diaz-Balart, Fla. (retweet)
Steve Scalise, La. (retweet)
Andy Harris, Md. (retweet)
Michelle Fischbach, Minn.
Billy Long, Mo. (retweet)
Elise M. Stefanik, N.Y. (retweet)
Jim Jordan, Ohio (retweet)
Jeff Duncan, S.C. (retweet)
Michael C. Burgess, Texas
Randy Weber, Texas (retweet)
Alexander X. Mooney, W.Va.
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