The day before the U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler stood by President Donald Trump in Dalton and said she would object to Congress certifying the Electoral College votes of some states for President-elect Joe Biden.
“Look, this president fought for us,” Loeffler, a Republican, said Monday. “We’re fighting for him."
But when the moment came Wednesday evening after members of the House and Senate reentered the House chamber after a pro-Trump mob had stormed and vandalized the nation’s Capitol, Loeffler went back on her promise.
Loeffler, who lost her runoff to Democrat the Rev. Raphael Warnock, said the violent individuals who wreaked havoc in the halls and offices of the Capitol “forced” her to reconsider.
"I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors,” she said in a floor speech. “The violence, the lawlessness and the siege of the halls of Congress are abhorrent and stand as a direct attack on the very institution my objection was intended to protect, the sanctity of the American democratic process.”
Loeffler still made unfounded claims that there were “last-minute changes” and “serious irregularities” in the vote-counting process after the general election that resulted in a loss of confidence in the democratic system by many Americans.
"Nevertheless, there is no excuse for the events that took place in these chambers today, and I pray that America never suffers such a dark day again,” she said. "Though the fate of this vote is clear, the future of the American people's faith in the core institution of this democracy remains uncertain. We as a body must turn our focus to protecting the integrity of our elections and restoring every Americans' faith that their voice and their vote matters.”
After members of Congress were rushed into hiding while an angry mob overtook the Capitol complex, Loeffler was one of several GOP lawmakers who walked back their intended objections.
Throughout her campaign, Loeffler perpetuated Trump’s false claims of a “stolen” election, her advocacy for the baseless allegations growing stronger as the clock ticked down to the Jan. 5 runoff.
Georgia elections officials criticized Loeffler and former Republican U.S. senator David Perdue, who lost his runoff to Democrat Jon Ossoff, after the two teamed up to demand Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's resignation after Biden won Georgia.
After Loeffler’s floor speech announcing her decision not to object to the certification of Electoral College votes, Gabriel Sterling, Georgia's statewide voting implementation manager and a Republican, commended her decision.
“Thank you Senator Loeffler,” he tweeted. “You have done the right thing.”
Sterling has been outspoken against Trump’s baseless claims.
Despite the scene at the Capitol on Wednesday, Georgia Republican U.S. Reps. Jody Hice, Rick Allen, Marjorie Taylor Greene (who represents Whitfield and Murray counties) and Buddy Carter continued with their objections to the Electoral College votes of some states.
“Myself, members of the Georgia delegation and some 74 of my Republican colleagues object to the electoral votes from the state of Georgia on the grounds the election conducted on Nov. 3 was faulty and fraudulent due to unilateral actions by the secretary of state to unlawfully change the state’s election process without approval from the General Assembly,” Hice said on the floor.
Their attempt failed without a senator backing their objection to Georgia's electoral votes.
Riley Bunch covers the Georgia statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites.
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