CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, who already shared opposition toward objecting to the presidential election results, doubled down on his criticisms on Tuesday.
Manchin, D-W.Va., said congressional Republicans do not have any realistic chance of preventing Joe Biden from becoming the next president as states have already certified their election results with little evidence of widespread voter fraud.
“We have no — absolutely no — disgruntled states that are being contested,” Manchin said on Tuesday’s “MetroNews Talkline.”
Congress will meet in a joint session on Wednesday to count and verify the Electoral College’s vote. Multiple Republicans from the Senate and House of Representatives have shared plans to contest the election results, and President Donald Trump and his allies continue pushing unfounded claims of voter fraud.
Manchin joined a bipartisan group of senators in a statement earlier this week, saying it is time for Congress to certify the election results and prepare for Biden and his administration.
“We don’t pledge our allegiance to the person,” Manchin said Tuesday. “We pledge our support to defend and uphold the Constitution. We don’t have a monarchy. We don’t have a king or a queen.”
The Trump campaign and legal team have been unsuccessful in challenging the election results. Trump has yet to concede the race with two weeks until Inauguration Day.
“I don’t believe it’s in his DNA to do that,” Manchin said.
“The only thing I knew about President Trump was that he was very charming, and he was very, very engaging if you will. But basically, you couldn’t get a word in edgewise if he was trying to make wrong right.”
Manchin added Trump is determined to “harm the United States” for his personal benefit.
“It’s got to stop,” he said.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced Monday she will not object to certifying the election results. She said Congress would be making a “grave step” by refusing to count votes certified by state officials and bodies.