Baier presses Hawley over elector challenge: Are you arguing 'Trump will be president' Jan. 20?

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Sen. Hawley defends pledge to object to swing-state electors

Sen. Hawley defends pledge to object to swing-state electors

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Monday night that he intends to challenge slates of electors from a handful of swing states "to raise the concerns that my constituents have" about the 2020 presidential election.

"I have heard from people like I've never heard before over the last month about this election," Hawley told Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum during special coverage of the Georgia Senate runoffs. "They have major, major concerns about the integrity, the fairness of this election. And they expect me to stand up and to raise those concerns. And this is the only forum I have to do it."

Hawley added that his constituents also "want action.

"They want an investigation into these irregularities. They want new election laws to make sure that our elections are secure going forward," he said. "This is my chance to stand up and speak for them. And somebody has got to take their concerns seriously and speak up. And that's what I'm going to do."

CRUZ-LED GROUP TO OBJECT TO CERTIFICATION OF ELECTION RESULTS IN AT LEAST ONE STATE

"I just want to pin you down on on what you're trying to do," Baier told Hawley later in the segment. "Are you trying to say that, as of January 20th, that President Trump will be president?"

"Well, that depends on what happens on Wednesday," Hawley answered. "I mean, this is why we have the debate."

"No, it doesn't," Baier responded. "I mean, the states, by the Constitution ... they certify the election. They did certify it. By the Constitution, Congress doesn't have the right to overturn the certification, at least as most experts read it."

At another point in the interview, Hawley restated that "this is my only opportunity during this process to raise an objection and to be heard. I don't have standing to file lawsuits. I'm not a prosecutor anymore ... I can investigate claims of voter fraud on my own, but I do have a responsibility, in this joint session of Congress to either say 'I've got no problem with it' or 'I do have a problem with it.'"

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"Don't you have the responsibility to your constituents, don't you have a responsibility to tell them that it's not going to be President Trump as of January 21st as well?" asked Baier.

"What I'm trying to do something more than just that," Hawley answered. "I mean, this is about the integrity of our elections and this is about taking a stand where you can take a stand."