The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
» At Augusta rally, Pence cheers effort to overturn results,
Vice president visits Augusta, urges GOP turnout for runoffs.
AUGUSTA — Vice President Mike Pence was back in Georgia on Thursday for the second time in less than a week to urge GOP supporters to vote in the January runoff elections for U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.
But moments into his speech at the “Defend the Majority” rally, Pence also cheered on an attempt by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to overturn the November election results, including in Georgia, in favor of President Donald Trump.
“( Seventeen) states have joined the Lone Star State to defend the integrity of our elections to the highest state in the land,” Pence said. “President Donald Trump deserves his day in court — the Supreme Court. And all I can say is God bless Texas.”
On Tuesday, Texas filed a lawsuit before the Supreme Court to sue four states, including Georgia, alleging they made illegal changes to absentee voting before the 2020 elections.
Perdue and Loeffler put out a statement together to say they “fully support” the Texas suit. But a spokeswoman for Attorney General Chris Carr called the Texas attorney general “constitutionally, legally and factually wrong about Georgia.”
Pence’s mention of the Texas lawsuit drew raucous cheers from the hundreds of Trump supporters who had come to see Pence at t he Augusta airport. Many called out, “Four more years!”
The vice president was joined by Per due and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who both complained about Georgia’s elections in November.
“I imagine many of you are, like me, pretty sad about the outcome here in Georgia on Nov. 3 and maybe a little mad about it as well,” Sonny Perdue said. “We’re going to continue to prosecute every opportunity we have to make sure that we have a fair election on Jan. 5. And we’re not giving up on November, either.”
David Perdue also promised to fight for Trump and said the November election is not over yet.
“I’m going to fight with (the president) until the last word is said about this November election, and we won’t let up until we get a fair counting of votes right here in Georgia,” Perdue said.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified the vote count earlier this week for Joe Biden, and Gov. Brian Kemp certified the state’s 16 elect ors for the president- elect.
Along with vowing to throw out illegal ballots and praising the attempt to overturn Georgia’s election results, Pence simultaneously urged the men and women in Augusta to vote in January — and especially to vote absentee if possible.
Not only has absentee voting been the primary target of Trump’ s voter fraud conspiracies, it is also the method of voting the Texas suit alleges is illegal in Georgia. Despite that, Republican officials, including Pence and the Georgia Republican Party, are urging supporters to vote early or by absentee ballot to get their votes cast in advance.
“You can actually request an absentee ballot today,” Pence told the crowd before referring them to the secretary of state’s online information portal for voters.
Pence also assured t he audience that they shouldn’t worry about voter fraud this time around.
“Our great GOP State Chair David Shafer and the senators will tell you, we’re on it this time. We’re watching,” Pence said. “So get an absentee ballot today. Don’t wait. Get it done.”
Loeffler was not at Thursday’s rally. She was attending the funeral of Harrison Deal, a young aide to the Loeffler campaign and close friend of the Kemp family who was killed in a car accident last week.