8:55 a.m.
President Donald Trump is turning up the pressure on his vice president in a futile effort to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election in Congress
Vice President Mike Pence will preside Wednesday over a joint session of lawmakers for the congressional tallying of electoral votes, but his role is only ministerial.
Taking to Twitter, Trump on Wednesday repeated his unfounded assertions that there was widespread election irregularities and fraud — which have been dismissed by federal courts and his own Justice Department.
“All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN,” Trump falsely claimed. “Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!”
Pence has no such unilateral power under congressional rules that govern the count.
More than 100 GOP lawmakers are expected to challenge the officially certified electoral votes of several battleground states. Majorities in both chambers are required to reject the will of voters, but enough Republican lawmakers have said they will join with Democrats to reject the last-ditch move by Trump allies.
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HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONGRESS' TALLY OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE
Read more:
— EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
— Trump insists, falsely, that Pence can decertify results
— GOP’s Biden vote revolt is atypical challenge for McConnell
— Dividing party, Republicans poised to challenge Biden win
