GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy Signs On To Election Coup Lawsuit

WASHINGTON — Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) became one of the latest House Republicans Friday to sign on to a lawsuit to invalidate the election results, marking a new low point of depravity for the GOP leader and the Republican conference.

More than half of House Republicans, 126 of 196, have now signed on to the baseless lawsuit to overthrow President-elect Joe Biden and keep President Donald Trump in office. And more could still join, in a final act of fealty to Trump and his false claims of election fraud.

The lawsuit is really an amicus brief petition in support of a Texas lawsuit that attempts to invalidate the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin — disenfranchising millions of voters in those states because Texas said so.

It’s a patently absurd lawsuit, almost certain to fail, that suggests a remedy of throwing out election results in other states — itself a massive swipe at federalism — as a ploy to keep Trump in office.

Most House Republicans know the lawsuit will be quickly dismissed. Texas lacks standing to sue other states over their voting results, as well as any real claims of voter fraud that would warrant such a remedy.

But Republicans are pushing ahead anyway.

McCarthy had initially resisted signing on to the petition, which is being led by Republican Study Committee chairman Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

Johnson sent an email to every Republican in the House warning them that Trump would be “anxiously awaiting the final list” of signatories. And when No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise, the minority whip from Louisiana, signed, McCarthy apparently made the decision to follow suit, not to be outflanked on his right by one of the only Republicans who could beat McCarthy in a race to be Speaker.

With both men signed on, House Republicans are being led by two men who support overthrowing the will of the people in service to Trump — or lack the courage to stand up to the president or his supporters.