Trump Vows to Intervene in Texas Election Case Before Supreme Court

President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to intervene in a case brought by the state of Texas before the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the voting results in four other states.

Trump, writing on Twitter, said: "We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!"

He also played down, in a separate tweet, a case filed against Pennsylvania's election results in which the Supreme Court rejected a emergency action:

"This was not my case as has been so incorrectly reported. The case that everyone has been waiting for is the State’s case with Texas and numerous others joining. It is very strong, ALL CRITERIA MET. How can you have a presidency when a vast majority think the election was RIGGED?"

It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump meant by saying that his team would be “intervening” in the case. He must petition the Supreme Court to be allowed to intervene.

In a string of later tweets, several of which Twitter labeled as "disputed," Trump continued his attack:

• "There is massive evidence of widespread fraud in the four states (plus) mentioned in the Texas suit. Just look at all of the tapes and affidavits!"
• "RIGGED ELECTION!"
• "We will soon be learning about the word 'courage', and saving our Country. I received hundreds of thousands of legal votes more, in all of the Swing States, than did my opponent. ALL Data taken after the vote says that it was impossible for me to lose, unless FIXED!"
• "No candidate has ever won both Florida and Ohio and lost. I won them both, by a lot! #SupremeCourt"
• #OVERTURN

He provided no details on whether it would be his presidential campaign or the U.S. Justice Department that would take action.

Officials from the four states at issue have called the lawsuit a reckless attack on democracy while legal experts gave it little chance to succeed. It was filed directly with the Supreme Court rather than with a lower court, as is permitted for certain litigation between states.

The Texas suit, brought by the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, seeks to prevent electors from Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania from participating in the Electoral College on Dec. 14.

Paxton’s case repeats allegations about mail-in voting that have been rejected by other courts across the nation.

“The erosion of confidence in our democratic system isn’t attributable to the good people of Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, or Pennsylvania but rather to partisan officials, like Mr. Paxton, who place loyalty to a person over loyalty to their country,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.

The Texas suit was filed on the same day as the Dec. 8 “safe harbor” deadline, set by federal law, for states to certify their slates of electors to send to the Electoral College.

This report contains material from Reuters and Bloomberg News.