One hundred forty-seven Republicans in Congress voted against certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election this month. Not only did they try to overturn the election results and give legitimacy to President Donald Trumps lies of rampant voter fraud , but they essentially tried to erase the mammoth turnout among Black voters that helped Biden win.
Twelve days after that vote, 127 of those Republicans 86% tweeted or put out statements Monday praising the work of Martin Luther King Jr., who is perhaps best remembered for fighting racial injustice.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. transformed America and inspired men and women across the world with his call to pursue justice and truth, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said .
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) tweeted the King quote: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Boebert is a supporter of the deranged, baseless QAnon conspiracy theory that believes Trump is fighting a Satan-worshipping deep state of Democrats and Hollywood celebrities who are sex traffickers.
The hypocrisy was not lost on civil rights leaders.
King is now a beloved civil rights icon, but before he was assassinated in 1968, he pushed for changes that white America often considered controversial, radical and not at all universally popular . Over the years, his legacy has been whitewashed, and Republican politicians who fight steps toward racial equality all year long make a show of holding him up as a hero once a year, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Trump spent months before the election seeking to tamp down turnout among Democratic strongholds and, weeks afterward, moving to invalidate areas in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania that overwhelmingly voted for Biden.
Those communities are enclaves of Black voters , and the president and his allies moved to paint them as bastions of nonexistent voter fraud that flouted laws to deny him a second term (all of those claims have been proved lies, and most legal challenges to back them up have failed).
While fruitless Biden will be inaugurated Wednesday the effort has already had a dramatic effect on American democracy. A pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to try to stop the certification of the election results, an unprecedented insurrection fanned by Trump and his surrogates. The riot left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer. The presidents support of the mob was so blatant that Twitter permanently banned him from the platform in fear he would inflame further violence.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the first in the chamber to object to the certification of Bidens victory, has drawn fierce criticism for his role in trying to undercut the results of the election. Hes lost (and regained ) a book deal, faced calls that he be disbarred and spent weeks defending his actions and claiming hes been muzzled.
But on Monday he was one of many who praised Kings legacy.
Today, we honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his unyielding leadership in the fight for equality, Hawleys office said in a statement. I encourage all Missourians to join with me in celebrating Dr. Kings heroic legacy and in recommitting ourselves to the ideals that he fought for.
Heres a list of the lawmakers who put out statements praising King and who also voted to overturn the election results:
SENATE
Rick Scott , Fla.
Roger Marshall , Kan.
John Kennedy , La.
Cindy Hyde-Smith , Miss.
Josh Hawley, Mo. (statement)
Ted Cruz , Texas
Cynthia Lummis , Wyo.
HOUSE
Robert B. Aderholt , Ala.
Mo Brooks , Ala.
Jerry Carl , Ala.
Barry Moore , Ala.
Gary Palmer , Ala.
Mike Rogers , Ala.
Andy Biggs , Ariz.
Paul Gosar , Ariz.
Debbie Lesko , Ariz.
David Schweikert , Ariz.
Rick Crawford , Ark.
Mike Garcia , Calif.
Darrell Issa , Calif.
Doug LaMalfa , Calif.
Kevin McCarthy , Calif.
Jay Obernolte , Calif.
Lauren Boebert , Colo.
Kat Cammack , Fla.
Mario Diaz-Balart , Fla. (retweet)
Byron Donalds , Fla.
Neal Dunn , Fla.
Scott Franklin , Fla.
Matt Gaetz , Fla.
Carlos Gimenez , Fla.
Brian Mast , Fla.
Bill Posey , Fla.
John Rutherford , Fla.
Greg Steube , Fla.
Daniel Webster , Fla.
Rick Allen , Ga.
Earl L. Buddy Carter , Ga.
Marjorie Taylor Greene , Ga.
Jody Hice , Ga. (retweet)
Barry Loudermilk , Ga.
Russ Fulcher , Idaho
Mike Bost , Ill.
Mary Miller , Ill.
Jim Banks , Ind.
Greg Pence , Ind.
Jackie Walorski , Ind.
Ron Estes , Kan.
Tracey Mann , Kan.
Clay Higgins , La.
Mike Johnson , La.
Steve Scalise , La. (retweet)
Andy Harris , Md. (retweet)
Jack Bergman , Mich.
Lisa McClain , Mich.
Tim Walberg , Mich.
Michelle Fischbach , Minn.
Jim Hagedorn , Minn.
Michael Guest , Miss.
Trent Kelly , Miss.
Steven Palazzo , Miss.
Sam Graves , Mo.
Vicky Hartzler , Mo.
Billy Long , Mo. (retweet)
Blaine Luetkemeyer , Mo.
Jason Smith , Mo.
Matt Rosendale , Mont.
Dan Bishop , N.C.
Ted Budd , N.C. (retweet)
Madison Cawthorn , N.C.
Virginia Foxx , N.C.
Richard Hudson , N.C.
Gregory F. Murphy , N.C.
David Rouzer , N.C.
Jeff Van Drew , N.J.
Yvette Herrell , N.M.
Chris Jacobs , N.Y.
Nicole Malliotakis , N.Y.
Elise M. Stefanik , N.Y. (retweet)
Lee Zeldin , N.Y.
Steve Chabot , Ohio
Warren Davidson , Ohio
Bill Johnson , Ohio
Jim Jordan , Ohio (retweet)
Stephanie Bice , Okla.
Kevin Hern , Okla.
Frank Lucas , Okla.
Markwayne Mullin , Okla.
Cliff Bentz , Ore.
John Joyce , Pa.
Fred Keller , Pa.
Mike Kelly , Pa.
Scott Perry , Pa.
Guy Reschenthaler , Pa.
Lloyd Smucker , Pa.
Jeff Duncan , S.C. (retweet)
Ralph Norman , S.C.
Tom Rice , S.C.
William Timmons , S.C.
Joe Wilson , S.C.
Tim Burchett , Tenn.
Scott DesJarlais , Tenn.
Chuck Fleischmann , Tenn.
Mark E. Green , Tenn.
Diana Harshbarger , Tenn.
David Kustoff , Tenn.
John Rose , Tenn.
Jodey Arrington , Texas
Brian Babin , Texas
Michael C. Burgess , Texas
John R. Carter , Texas
Michael Cloud , Texas
Troy Nehls , Texas
August Pfluger , Texas
Pete Sessions , Texas
Beth Van Duyne , Texas
Randy Weber , Texas (retweet)
Roger Williams , Texas
Ron Wright , Texas
Burgess Owens , Utah
Chris Stewart , Utah
Ben Cline , Va.
Bob Good , Va.
Morgan Griffith , Va.
Robert J. Wittman , Va.
Carol Miller , W.Va.
Alexander X. Mooney , W.Va.
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