With his chances of overturning an election further dwindling, Donald Trump continues to insist that he is the rightful winner. As both the House and the Senate prepare for a joint session formalizing and further cementing Joe Biden’s victory by the Electoral College, Trump cuts his holiday celebrations at Florida short when he was seen returning to Washington.
Trump returned to Washington Thursday from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with first lady Melania Trump. His return to Washington also follows the news of allies in both Congress and the Senate preparing to object to the election results which may only delay the process but not overturn the results. Trump was reportedly in a bad mood even as he touched down on his Florida property where he was expected to stay even until the New Year. It has yet to be determined what the cause of his sudden return would be as he did not answer questions from the press upon arrival.
Hours prior to Trump is announced to be spending the New Year’s celebrations at the White House, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley announced his plans to object to the certification of the Electoral College. Trump has since been pushing allies in both the House and Senate to object or overturn the election results in his favor. However, some Republican lawmakers have already acknowledged Biden’s win and have refuted Trump’s claims. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had also advised his GOP colleagues to refrain from objecting to the results. Lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign and other allies have also been unsuccessful, even those turned to the Supreme Court.
However, Trump’s sudden return to the White House may also not involve the election results. His return also comes in the midst of concerns of Iran’s possible retaliation on the United States as it marks one year since the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.
Nevertheless, Trump has since been fixated on the election results, or on the attempts to challenge the election results that have since been unsuccessful rather than the ongoing pandemic. In the official Christmas message last week by Trump and first lady Melania Trump, the outgoing president wished Americans a happy holiday, noting that gatherings this year may be different compared to the previous years. But a previous message, Trump addressed the pandemic at length, noting the vaccines that are already being administered.