The White House has announced President Trump is cutting short his Florida holiday to return to Washington. Trump left Palm Beach Thursday morning and as a result, will miss his customary New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago.
The reason for his return has nothing to do with the pandemic or the slow roll-out of the vaccines across America, but his continued effort to overturn the results of the election. On January 6, Congress will meet to certify the Electoral College vote. CNN writes:
While in Florida, Trump has repeatedly raised the January 6 date with members of Congress and other associates, according to people familiar with the conversations. He lobbied senators on whether they would go along with House conservatives in objecting to the results.Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, became the first senator to say Wednesday that he would object, which will delay — but not change — the results for the Election College count.Trump has also tweeted to his supporters that he’ll see them in Washington on that date, a reference to large protests that are planned in the capital.
CNN adds that Trump has seemed confused about Vice President Mike Pence’s role in the event. As president of the Senate, Pence’s duties are largely ceremonial but Trump has apparently been angry with the VP because he believes Pence is not doing enough to help the president’s efforts.
So what does happen in Congress on January 6th? The Washington Post gives a good synopsis here:
