President Donald Trump applauded reports Thursday that Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, could team up with an Alabama congressman in an extremely unlikely, last-ditch effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
In a series of tweets on Thursday, Trump called Tuberville a "hero" and "a man of courage."
Despite producing little evidence to support his claims, Trump has claimed there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and has falsely claimed victory over President-elect Joe Biden.
Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the election have been shot down by courts in every battleground state, federal appeals courts and the Supreme Court. Furthermore, every state has certified the results of their elections, and the Electoral College has already sealed Biden's win.
However, some Republicans believe they'll be able to overturn the results of the election on Jan. 6, when Congress meets to certify the Electoral College results.
It's a process that is typically a little more than a rubber stamp approval, but Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Alabama, has promised to raise an objection. Should a senator — like Tuberville — join in Brooks' objection, both the House and the Senate would then be forced to take a vote. If both chambers approve of the objection, the Electoral College votes could be thrown out.
While Tuberville's objection could cause a slight delay in approving the Electoral College results, most experts believe that it would be "impossible" to overturn the election results through this process. Democrats control the House of Representatives, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he does not want Republican senators further challenging election results.
Tuberville will be sworn in as a Senator on Jan. 3 — just three days before Congress meets to approve the Electoral College vote. By defying McConnell in one of his first official acts as a Senator, Tuberville risks losing the support of one of the most powerful lawmakers in Washington.
However, his recent comments indicate that he plans to object to the Electoral College vote.
"You'll see what's coming," Tuberville said this week. "You've been reading about in the House. We're going to have to do it in the Senate."
Other GOP senators have not said whether they plan to voice an objection.
Tuberville, a former college football coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati, defeated Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, in November.
Democrats in the House filed similar objections in 2001, 2005, and 2017. None were voted upon.