(JTA) — A number of Republicans who said they would challenge the electoral votes in some states providing Joe Biden with a presidential victory changed their minds after pro-Trump marauders tore through the Capitol, attacking police and looting.
The two Jewish Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives did not join those who had a change of heart.
Reps. David Kustoff of Tennessee and Lee Zeldin of New York were among the 147 Republicans who objected once Congress reconvened Wednesday night to complete the formal recognition of Biden’s victory. Both had waited until Wednesday morning to say they would object.
Once the Capitol was overrun, the two GOP lawmakers took to Twitter to decry the violence.
“There must be ZERO tolerance for violence in any form!” Zeldin said.
“These actions are unacceptable,” Kustoff said. “We are a nation of laws, not a nation of violence.”
They went forward with their challenges based on allegations of voter fraud that have either been debunked or proven to be so minimal they would not remotely affect the outcome of the election. Courts in dozens of cases have dismissed the challenges.
President Donald Trump has been championing the discredited fraud theories and instigated the march to the Capitol on Wednesday by protesters backing the claim. The demonstration would turn violent there.
Zeldin spoke Wednesday evening on Fox News as the reconvened vote was underway.
“People are viewing this as bigger than President Trump,” he said. “It’s about our Constitution, our republic, elections and election integrity. We should be having this conversation to ensure that we are addressing these issues and that we are not cowering from this conversation.”
The host, Laura Ingraham, said the left was exercising double standards by condemning the assault on the Capitol because, she claimed, it had remained silent during anti-racism protests over the summer.
“There are a whole lot of Americans who feel like this government is not hearing them is not representing them,” Zeldin responded. “This isn’t just about the president of the United States, this is about people on the left and their double standards.”
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