“Of course. If we have a free, fair, and safe election, we’re going to follow the Constitution,” Johnson told reporters when asked if he would back the certification of the winner. “Absolutely, yes.”
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), the No. 3 Democrat in the House, did not appear to trust the Republican’s vow.
“He doesn’t have a track record that would indicate to the American people that he should be believed,” Aguilar said shortly after, from the same podium.
Aguilar is not alone in his worries. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has been speaking with his close colleagues about how to plan for next January’s joint session, Axios reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions. As House Democratic Caucus chairman, Aguilar is likely one of the lawmakers to whom Jeffries has spoken.
The Democratic Party has seen a surge in momentum since Vice President Kamala Harris ascended to the top of their presidential ticket at the end of July. But the chaos on Jan. 6, 2021, appears to continue to loom large in their heads, especially with nearly 3 months until the next president is certified.
House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-NY) told the outlet Democrats are “clearly paying attention” to the process of certifying the next president, and Johnson’s comments “give me greater concern.
“When he says things like he did today — it causes great concern. [Democrats are] getting very anxious about it,” he added.
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Johnson is not the only leading Republican to add a caveat to his answer on whether he will back the election results. The GOP, led by former President Donald Trump, has voiced concern over the possibility of election fraud, even though there was no evidence of widespread such behavior in 2020.
With just six weeks until Election Day, Republicans and Democrats have been laying the groundwork to tailor the voting and vote-counting processes to their respective liking.
