Cheney does "not have faith" Mike Johnson will certify election

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

7 hours ago


Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo) said Sunday she does not trust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to certify the 2024 election if Vice President Harris wins.

Why it matters: It's a harsh assessment by a onetime member of House GOP leadership, now campaigning for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, towards her onetime deputy.

What she's saying: "I do not have faith that Mike Johnson will fulfill his constitutional obligations," Cheney said on NBC's "Meet the Press," referring to Congress' role in certifying presidential elections on Jan. 6.

Cheney pointed to Johnson spearheading an amicus brief in 2020 that argued for nullifying President Biden's victories in several key states.

"The claims of fraud Donald Trump was making [in 2020] ... he knew those to be false," she said. "He was told that, not only in discussions with me, but also by the House Republican counsel."

She added: "I think it's very important that the Republicans not be in the majority in the House come January 2025."

Zoom out: Cheney and Johnson found themselves on opposite sides of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Cheney, then the chair of the House Republican Conference, vigorously rejected Trump's baseless election fraud claims and later voted to impeach him for inciting the deadly Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Cheney would go on to serve as vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee after being ousted as conference chair.

Johnson, who was at the time the chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee and would become Cheney's conference vice chair for several months before her ouster, backed Trump to the hilt.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/10/13/liz-cheney-mike-johnson-kamala-harris

[Freethinker65]

1. Biden will remain president until a transfer of power.

Even Al Franken was eventually seated as Senator 8 months after his election and 6 months into his rightful term.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. Biden will be president until January 20, and no later.

If no president has been selected by Congress by January 20 (not going to happen), the order of succession would apply, starting with the Speaker of the House.

[Freethinker65]

10. I think Biden would declare a Constitutional crisis.

Even with today's SCOTUS, I believe transfer of power would get delayed in court. If not, whichever party "wins" the House would have a hell of a time coming to an agreement of who gets to become the unelected President because of political interference.

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. Go back and read the constitution

You are wrong on all points - if congress doesn’t verify a winner of the electoral college or via a contingent election (not going to happen), then the Speaker becomes acting president on January 20.

Biden doesn’t not have the power to suspend the constitution and extend his term.

That is nothing but a fantasy.

[Freethinker65]

14. Trump didn't have the Presidential power to do what he did either

But here we are.

If SCOTUS honestly believes our Constitution was designed for the losing party to get enough States not to certify an election to throw the Presidency to the either the losing candidate or someone not voted in as President because of planned obstruction, then we really have no country nor laws left.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. Trump didn't stay in office past January 20, did he?

If he could’ve , he would’ve, but he couldn’t, so he didn’t.

That’s reality.

At noon on January 20, Joe Biden will no longer be president, someone else will be sworn in.

[mwooldri]

39. So a possible interim President Hakeem Jeffries then?

Assuming Dems win a majority in the US House of Representatives.

[Fiendish Thingy]

41. Highly unlikely

One way or another, congress will determine who the next president is on January 6.

[bluestarone]

42. Ok. Can i ask you your thoughts on this question?

Let's say the states that we are worried about NOT certifying their elections (not sure how many will try this) do not certify. What happens to their local,races then their state races for congress? Seems like i'm having trouble getting this question answered. I mean wouldn't that affect our new congressional members as well?

[Fiendish Thingy]

43. My understanding is states certify their results as a whole, not race by race

So, yes, failure to certify results would impact down ballot races as well.

But, with the possible exception of GA, that is extremely unlikely to happen.

Read the CREW report on why:

https://www.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ElectionCertificationUnderThreat-2.pdf

There will certainly be attempted shenanigans, but as in the past attempts they will fail (except possibly in GA).

[bluestarone]

44. Any way Kemp could stop this?

I thought he hated TSG but i saw he was kinda supporting the bastard again?

[Fiendish Thingy]

46. Did you read the GA section of the CREW report?

Lots of legal remedies, including prosecuting officials who refuse to certify, but last minute changes to laws and regulations could affect that.

The Electoral count act says the executive (almost always the governor) signs the certificate of Ascertainment sending the slate of electors to congress. The ECA also triggers a judicial review panel when candidate challenges are unresolved. The judges must rule before the safe harbor date in December.

So, if recalcitrant elections officials obstruct certification, federal judges could get involved, certify the results, and Kemp could send electors based on the judges’ ruling.

Since it’s both unconstitutional (constitution say states “shall” send electors) and disenfranchising for a state not to send a slate of electors, I think, right or wrong, one way or another, GA will certify results and send a slate to congress. But GA seems to be the state most at risk for chaos and obstruction from elections officials.

Reminder: if, somehow, a state fails to send a slate of electors to congress, the number of electoral votes required to win the presidency is reduced below 270 . A contingent election in the house is not triggered by a state failing to send electors.

[bluestarone]

47. That's a long article, TY for sending it. I'm very thankful that personbs like you and many others here do what you do

I read articles, but have trouble understanding lots of it. There is so much BULLSHIT happening this election, that could destroy our democracy. I'm 77 lived through some very good years, but now everyone's kids and grandkids could lose everything our fathers and grandfathers fought and died for. I'm completely SHOCKED seeing how many Americans could even think of following such a MONSTER like TSG. Thanks againto you and many others here that help people like me understand the legal ends of what's happening this election.

[Fiendish Thingy]

48. The CREW report is long, but well organized

The Georgia section, while detailed, still reveals the lack of clarity in GA compared to other states.

Thanks for taking the time to read the report - save it for future reference, as I’m sure we will need to look at it again before January 20.

[patricia92243]

15. Would the order of succession not be the VP - Harris???

[Fiendish Thingy]

18. Her term expires the same time Biden's does.

At another time besides January 20, the VP would indeed be next in line.

[slightlv]

21. Oh, gods... please save us from that! n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

2. After Mitch McConnell decided not to hold a hearing for Merrick Garland,

I can't see how Republicans in the House and the Senate will perform their constitutional duties. They got away with it before and there's no way to make them change their minds.

[Marthe48]

4. If it comes to it

I'd rather see President Biden use his newly bestowed powers to become a benign dictator, rather than let puny johnson stop a legal and fair transfer of power to put Caligula on a nonexistent throne.

[Fiendish Thingy]

19. He doesnt have any "new powers"

Just immunity from prosecution for official actions.

You’re confusing immunity with impunity.

For Biden to act with impunity would require hundreds, if not thousands of people, who are not immune from prosecution, to comply with his unconstitutional orders.

[Marthe48]

23. I wrote my opinion before I read your post

If I erred, sorry. But as soon as I read your post about johnson's place in certifying the election, I wondered how Liz Cheney could've said what she said. She served in the House. Was she using verbal shorthand when she said johnson wouldn't certify? Did she mean he wouldn't do something else?

On rereading the o.p. the writer reframed what Cheney said, changing her comments about what he did in 2020 into an intimation that he won't certify the results in 2024.

I'm reassured that if the rules are followed, he can't get his slimy hands on the trandfer of power and muck it up.

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. Johnson doesn't certify the election - he has no role other than member of congress

He can raise an objection like any other member, but that’s it.

If he’s still speaker he would oversee debate in the house if an objection made it that far (takes 20% in both the house and senate).

If the joint session voted to reject a state’s slate of electors, that would reduce the number needed to win the presidency below 270 - not sure the GOP wants that.

[Demsrule86]

24. I highly doubt will be speaker.

[Fiendish Thingy]

26. Let's hope so! Nt

[polichick]

5. The Constitution is irrelevant to Trumpers and the supremely corrupt court.

[Fiendish Thingy]

27. And yet, the army will take orders from the person sworn in on January 20

And nobody else.

The chief Justice does not have to be the one swearing in the president, although once congress has verified the winner of the electoral college, I have little doubt he would be the one administering the path.

Any other scenario is an imaginary fantasy.

[LuvLoogie]

7. Mike Johnson is a pervert.

Fuck him.

[Staph]

8. By January 6, Congress will have seated their newly elected members.

With a wee bit of luck, it will be Speaker Hakeem Jeffries!

[mountain grammy]

16. That's what I'm counting on.

[leftieNanner]

9. THIS is why we must take back the House

The new representatives will be sworn in on January 3. Hakeem Jeffries will be the Speaker.

[bullimiami]

11. Isn't it new new house that counts the votes? Hopefully he'll be a has been.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Yes and the Senate "ceremonially certifies" meaning the current VP - Kamala Harris

The House is usually sworn in before the actual Electoral College count (the latter which is done in a "joint session" ), so if the GOP loses the House (and the media continues to get choked up about even entertaining THAT very good possibility with all the redrawing of the Congressional districts the past year), then Johnson is completely irrelevant, because Jeffries would be the SOH.

[Fiendish Thingy]

20. It's a joint session run by the VP. Nt

[Demsrule86]

25. No the Senate counts the votes and that will be Kamala Harris

as she is still VP until she is sworn in as president...remember Pence was asked to not count the votes on January six.

[Fiendish Thingy]

28. It's a joint session of both houses, with Harris presiding

Both the house and senate are present when the votes are counted.

[Joinfortmill]

30. I wonder if Pelosi didn't think of all this...

When she advised Joe to step back from running

[PortTack]

32. Correct...and the speaker will be....Hakeem Jefferies!

[pnwmom]

22. The law changed since 2020 when Johnson spearheaded that brief.

https://apnews.com/article/biden-donald-trump-e4366ca9e350ef87ebbb7638517cbde3

Under the new rules, one-fifth of each chamber would be required to force a vote on states’ slates of electors.

The new provisions also ensure only one slate of electors makes it to Congress after Trump and his allies unsuccessfully tried to create alternative slates of electors in states Biden won. Each governor would now be required to sign off on electors, and Congress cannot consider slates submitted by different officials. The bill creates a legal process if any of those electors are challenged by a presidential candidate.

[Joinfortmill]

29. Possible, but I think he will. He usually stops short of chaos.

[PortTack]

31. Johnson will not be speaker come j/6...it will be Hakeem Jefferies. So go ahead look like the fool you are mikey

[meow2u3]

33. I don't think Mike Johnson will be Speaker on 1/3

Hakeem Jeffries, God willing, will be Speaker and Mike Johnson's opinion will be irrelevant.

[Doodley]

34. We would be talking about another coup attempt. There would need to be a "friendly" chat with Johnson so he understands

clearly what he needs to do, so friendly, that he would pee his pants.

[DallasNE]

35. On January 6, 2025

The new Congress will have already been sworn in. Johnson will not likely be Speaker, even if Republicans retain control of the House. That is how much Republicans detest Johnson. If Democrats win control then no problem whatsoever. Should the Republicans keep power, the new Republican Speaker may be even worse than Johnson. Then what? I don't want to go there.

[KS Toronado]

36. If the repugs want to throw some rocks in the gearbox

let "em and watch President Biden use his new immunity powers Roberts gave him.

[Hekate]

37. The current House rules are that any one member may call for an electionof a new Speaker

Seems to me that needs to be done soon.

[Figarosmom]

38. We'll just have to take the House

Aren't there enough seats in New York and California to take it back?

[Rhiannon12866]

40. And with good reason, I have Liz Cheney's book and she discusses how Johnson became all-in for TFG

She said that they used to be friends, had offices next to each other, but she witnessed him change, gradually promoting actions that were unconstitutional, anything to support TFG.

[Miguelito Loveless]

45. He won't

That is the plan.