Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is the Senate president pro tempore, created confusion on Tuesday after he said that he - and not Vice President Mike Pence - would preside over Wednesday’s certification of the Electoral College results, since "we don't expect him to be there," before his remarks were walked back, Roll Call reported.
A short time after the Iowa Republican’s comments, Grassley's office clarified that he was trying to explain what would happen if Pence had to be away during the proceedings to count Electoral College votes. "Every indication we have is that the vice president will be there," Grassley's office said.
As president pro tempore of the Senate, Grassley would preside if, for some reason, Pence was not at the session for all or part of the time.
President Donald Trump posted a tweet after Grassley’s clarification, making clear that he wanted Pence to take an active role, writing “The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.”
Pence’s office did not immediately make a statement clarifying what he intended to do, according to the New York Post.
The Post said that Pence’s handling of the situation will have a crucial impact on his future in politics, including the potential makeup of the Republican presidential ticket in 2024.
Although the GOP objections to Biden’s electoral victory are almost certain to fail, they can most likely delay certification of the vote for hours.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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