The last hope for President-elect Donald Trump to be legally denied the White House was dashed Friday, as Congress certified the results of the Electoral College vote over the objections of a few House Democrats.
Democrat Sen. Sheila Jackson Lee and several other Democrats contested the validity of the results in a joint session of Congress convened to review the vote. The review and certification of the vote is required by the Constitution, and provides an opportunity to reject the results if at least one senator and one representative present a challenge.
Jackson Lee and other House members cited Russian meddling in the election, alleged voter suppression tactics and unqualified electors as grounds for their objection to the vote. No senator joined them, however, and the vote was certified.
The failed effort, which was more likely aimed at undermining Trump’s election than actually changing the outcome, was the last in a series of outlandish bids to wrest the White House from his hands. Theories began floating around the Internet almost as soon as he was elected, such as an attempt to gather rogue electors that never materialized, and a wild claim that a federal judge could “install” Hillary Clinton as president because of Russia’s meddling.
The most recent and final attempt to change the electoral college vote inspired one writer to claim in The Huffington Post that Colin Powell could be the next president of the United States. Indeed, had Democrats mustered the support of a Democrat senator in their challenge to the results, Trump might have been denied enough electoral votes to invalidate the election. At that point, the House would decide who is the next president from the top three electoral vote-getters — Trump, Clinton and Powell.
But the effort failed Friday. As one Democrat attempted to present her objection, a frustrated Vice President Joe Biden dismissed her objection and declared “it’s over.”
Send tips to rachel@
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.