Donald Trump's extraordinary crusade to overturn the presidential election will come to a head on Wednesday as Congress meets to certify Joe Biden's Electoral College victory at a joint session led by Vice President Mike Pence.
The longshot effort is all but certain to fail, defeated by bipartisan majorities in Congress prepared to accept Biden's 306 to 232 electoral victory over Trump.
Trump issued a defiant statement on Tuesday night after the New York Times reported that Pence had told him over lunch that he had no constitutional power to 'decertify' states' slates of electors when he presides over Congress to certify the election result.
Trump called that 'fake news' and then outlined an extraordinary plan to either get Republican state legislatures to send Trump electors - or turn the election to Congress under the 12th Amendment, which could then vote for Trump.
Pence reportedly told Trump over lunch that he had no constitutional power to 'decertify' states' slates of electors when he presides over Congress to certify the election result.
Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump by 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232.But the constitution calls for Congress to certify the results, in a process that has become largely procedural.
Significantly the statement was not signed by Pence - and the legal claims Trump made appeared to be in line with plans outlined by Rudy Giuliani, not the Senate Parliamentarian who has advised Pence that his powers are limited to confirming the electoral college votes read out on the floor of Congress.
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Trump faces final verdict as Congress meets to certify Biden victory
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