Republicans object to Arizona’s results

Republicans in Congress on Wednesday objected to the results of the November election out of Arizona, making it the first state to see a GOP protest against the 2020 results.

Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, and Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, objected to the electoral votes out of the swing-state, where President-elect Joseph R. Biden defeated President Trump.

Mr. Trump has urged Republicans to object to the several states where he says there was election fraud. It takes one member of the House and one member of the Senate to successfully protest a state’s electors, leading the chambers to debate the issue for up to two hours.

The Arizona objection by the lawmakers said they protest Arizona’s electors because “they were not under all of the known circumstances regularly given.”

After returning to the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the floor, saying Congress cannot overturn the will of the people adding that there is no proof of massive scale election fraud that would tip the scale in favor of Mr. Trump.

The Kentucky Republican broke with the president, who has alleged widespread election fraud from massive mail-in voting had cost him to lose to Mr. Biden.

Mr. McConnell said the president’s examples of fraud have been localized but some of the claims include “sweeping conspiracy theories.”

He noted he had supported dozens of the president’s lawsuits challenging the election and his ability to use the courts.

“But over and over the courts rejected these claims including all-star judges whom the president himself has nominated,” Mr. McConnell said.

Meanwhile in the House, Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican, said the states did not follow the constitutional process.

The objections have fractured the Republican Party, although political and legal experts predict the objections will fail.

Mr. Cruz took to the Senate floor after Mr. McConnell and broke with the upper chamber’s leader, calling for a 10-day audit of the election results.

“For those who respect the voters, simply telling the voters to go jump in the lake. .. that jeopardizes, I believe, the legitimacy of this and subsequent elections,” Mr. Cruz said. “We have a responsibility.”