Donald Trump called his fellow Republicans "weak" for their refusal to interfere with the transfer of power to president-elect Joe Biden. While addressing a huge "Stop The Steal" rally that had gathered on the National Mall, Trump urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Mike Pence to use their leverage to overturn the results of the November election .
Trump asserted that McConnell owed his recent reelection to Trump's presidential run and added that any Republican who doesn't attempt to throw a wrench in the election certification process should be primaried by Trump loyalists.
"If they don't fight, we have to primary the hell out of [them]," he said. "We're going to let you know who they are."
Early on in the speech, after some initial microphone issues, Trump called on Vice President Pence to "do the right thing" and send results in key swing states back for re-certification. If he were to do this, the votes in those states would effectively be disqualified, as they would run up against the constitutionally mandated deadline to certify the election results, and Trump would be named president.
"He has the absolute right to do it," Trump said.
Leaning on Pence and McConnell is Trump's final gambit, after he's had his attempts to shift the election results stalled by other Republican officials. A recently leaked phone call found Trump pressuring election officials to overturn results in their states and receiving flat refusals.
Pence responded quickly to the speech, sending a letter to Congress where he stated that he doesn't believe it's within his authority to reject state election results.
Elsewhere, the president played the hits, with a few added riffs based on the recent Georgia run-off election. He alleged that both the presidential election and Georgia's race were rigged and told the crowd he refused to concede to what he believes to be a conspiracy of "bold and radical Democrats."
"We will never give up. We will not concede. You don't concede when there's theft going on," he said.
After the rally, Trump tweeted another attack aimed at Pence.
