President to speak at pro-Trump rally in DC on sidelines of Electoral College certification

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Protesters gathering in Washington, DC ahead of Electoral College certification vote

Supporters of President Trump are gathering in Washington as the president plans to address a pro-Trump rally taking place on the sidelines of a joint session of Congress to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

It comes as the president is putting pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to intervene during the session, tweeting: "Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!" And it also follows the Georgia Senate runoffs, where Democrats are projected to pick up one -- and possibly two -- seats.

"I will be speaking at the SAVE AMERICA RALLY tomorrow on the Ellipse at 11AM Eastern. Arrive early—doors open at 7AM Eastern. BIG CROWDS!" Trump tweeted Tuesday night.

The president, last month, promised a "wild" protest in the nation’s capital on Jan. 6, while reiterating his claims that it was "statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election."

Also Tuesday night, the president tweeted that Washington is "being inundated with people who don't want to see an election victory stolen by emboldened Radical Left Democrats." 

"Our Country has had enough, they won't take it anymore! We hear you (and love you) from the Oval Office," Trump tweeted. "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Earlier this week, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged residents of the nation's capital to stay out of the downtown area where the pro-Trump rallies are set to take place. Bowser advised residents not to engage with demonstrators "who come to our city seeking confrontation, and we will do what we must to ensure all who attend remain peaceful." 

Bowser reminded the public and anyone attending the rally that firearms are prohibited "within 1,000 feet of any First Amendment activity." 

The mayor's statement came as police have been posting signs near where the rally is set to take place, notifying the public that all firearms will be prohibited. Police said the prohibition on carrying weapons at the rally includes city residents who have a concealed carry permit.

DC MAYOR URGES RESIDENTS TO STAY AWAY FROM PRO-TRUMP RALLY, GUNS WILL BE BANNED

The rallies are expected to take place as Congress meets in a joint session on Wednesday to certify the Electoral College results in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.

Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the joint session but he is expected to play a mostly ceremonial role.

On Tuesday, the president insisted that Pence has the power to overturn the election results.

"The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," the president tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Hours earlier, at an election-eve rally in Georgia for the two GOP senators running in the state’s twin Senate runoff contests, Trump told the large crowd of supporters: "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you."

The president sang the praises of the vice president, but Trump warned the crowd that Pence could lose his favor if he doesn't do what the president expects.

"I hope that our great vice president – our great vice president, comes through for us. He's a great guy. "Trump said. "Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him as much."

But regardless of how much the president turns up the volume on his vice president, White House officials told Fox News that Pence will "follow the law" on Wednesday.

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White House officials on Tuesday afternoon told Fox News that the vice president "is taking a very diligent and studious approach to his job tomorrow. He has consulted at length with staff. He has gone through the Electoral Count Act several times. He has read legal opinions, met with the Senate parliamentarian and consulted with outside experts on the subject matter."

But those officials add that "the vice president will follow the law. He will act tomorrow with fidelity to the law and the Constitution."

Meanwhile, a number of Republicans in the Senate have said they will object to the certification of at least one state’s electors on Wednesday.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was the first, last month, to say he would object to the certification of the presidential election results in at least one state — Pennsylvania.

TRUMP PUTS PRESSURE ON PENCE AHEAD OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE CERTIFICATION

And over the weekend, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, assembled a group of 11 Republican senators — Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisc.; James Lankford of Okla.; Steve Daines of Mont.; John Kennedy of La.; Marsha Blackburn of Tenn., and Mike Braun of Ind.; and Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis of Wyo.; Roger Marshall of Kan.; Bill Hagerty of Tenn., and Tommy Tuberville of Ala. — announcing that they would object to the certification of the Electoral College results unless there was an emergency 10-day audit of the results by an electoral commission.

And Fox News first reported Monday that Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who is engaged in a heated Senate runoff battle against Democrat Raphael Warnock on Tuesday, committed to objecting to certification of election results in at least one state. A source familiar told Fox News Loeffler would likely object to the certification of Georgia’s presidential election results.

Meanwhile, two sources told Fox News on Sunday that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., separately may object to at least one state during the joint session, but it is unclear, at this point, which state, if any, that may be.

The issue of Electoral College certification, though, is not being whipped by Senate Republican leadership, meaning they are not driving the Republican conference in a certain direction. As previously reported, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has referred to this as a "vote of conscience."

The president, on Tuesday, slammed McConnell, as well as GOP Sens. John Thune and John Cornyn — all of whom have said they will vote to certify the election results—as "weak" and "ineffective," and as RINOs, or Republicans in name only.

McConnell, Cornyn, Thune, as well as Republican Sens. John Boozman of Ark., Jerry Moran of Kan., Tim Scott of S.C., Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tom Cotton of Ark., Bill Cassidy of La., Susan Collins of Maine, Roger Wicker of Miss., James Inhofe of Okla., Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and others have said that they will vote to certify the Electoral College count during a joint-session of Congress on Wednesday, which would provide enough votes to certify the presidential election results in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.