Tom Cotton says he won't oppose electoral vote count; Trump warns GOP will 'NEVER FORGET'

by Scott Carroll

Mon, January 4th 2021, 5:12 PM UTC

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, left, speaks in May 2020 during a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing for Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump, right, talks to reporters in October 2019 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP photos){ }

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 2: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement on the introduction of the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on August 2, 2017 in Washington, DC. The act aims to overhaul U.S. immigration by moving towards a "merit-based" system. Pictured at left is Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).(Photo by Zach Gibson - Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 09: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) greets Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) (L) during a South Lawn event at the White House May 9, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump hosted the Boston Red Sox to honor their championship of the 2018 World Series.(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, left, speaks in May 2020 during a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing for Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump, right, talks to reporters in October 2019 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP photos)

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, announced Sunday that he will not join a coalition of fellow Republicans who will oppose the electoral vote count.

Cotton said in a written statement that Congress does not have the power to run elections or adjudicate election results, and that Congress trying to overturn election results would exceed its power and establish "unwise precedents."

Trump responded to Cotton on Monday morning, tweeting without evidence that "the numbers being certified are verifiably WRONG" and that he will provide "real numbers" during a speech Monday night.

The tweet continues: "@SenTomCotton Republicans have pluses & minuses, but one thing is sure, THEY NEVER FORGET!"

The Electoral College will convene Wednesday to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 win.

A group of a dozen Republican senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri plans to object to the vote count on unproven claims of widespread voter fraud in the presidential election. Trump, who has repeatedly spread baseless claims of election fraud, has supported them.

Cotton joins Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and other Republicans who oppose the effort.

Cotton, who is widely believed to be eyeing a presidential run in 2024, said in his statement that he still has concerns about "irregularities in the presidential election, especially in states that rushed through election-law changes to relax standards for voting-by-mail." He said he supports a commission to study the election and propose reforms to protect election integrity.

Cotton also said he supports Senate hearings on the matter.

"All Americans deserve to have confidence in the elections that undergird our free government," the statement says.

Despite Trump's claims of voter fraud, state officials have insisted the elections ran smoothly and there was no evidence of fraud or other problems that would change the outcome. The states have certified their results as fair and valid. Of the more than 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. He’s also lost twice at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Associated Press contributed information to this report.

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