On Monday night, Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham called President-elect Joe Biden. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York a “trifecta from hell” and said that all three would help end the Electoral College.
Graham made his comments while appearing as a guest on the Fox News program Hannity, which was guest hosted Monday night by former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.). He appeared on the show to predict the political ramifications if Democrats win the January special runoff election in Georgia. The election will determine the state’s two Senate seats and, thus, party control of the national Senate.
“If we lose these two Senate seats in Georgia, Pelosi will run the house, Schumer will run the Senate and, if the president falls short and Biden gets to be president, you’re gonna have Pelosi, Schumer and Biden,” Graham said. “That’s the trifecta from hell for big government, it’s a nightmare for conservatism, it’s the end of checks and balances.”
Michael Reynolds – Pool/Getty
Graham then claimed the trifecta would change the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 13 and then eventually abolish the Electoral College.
“The winner of the presidency would go to the popular vote,” Graham said. “That means that South Carolina, Georgia and other states would be basically dealt out, and California and New York would pick the president in perpetuity. It would fundamentally change the country as we know it.”
Graham also voiced worries that mail-in voting in the state of Georgia could swing the runoff election’s outcome to favor Democrats.
“If you expand mail-in voting in Georgia and you allow a single person to validate the signature at an election office, and you don’t have bipartisan signature validation, that’s a formula for disaster for our two candidates in Georgia,” he said.
The Georgia runoff election is scheduled for January 5, with early voting beginning on December 14. Democratic candidates Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are facing off against Republican opponents Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively.
On Monday, Georgia’s State Election Board extended two emergency rules for absentee voting ahead of the January runoff. The rules will continue the use of secure absentee ballot drop boxes and require counties to process absentee ballots a week before January 5.
The rules will not require bipartisan signature validation like Graham voiced support for on Hannity.
If Warnock and Ossoff beat Loeffler and Perdue, the Senate will be tied with each major political party holding 50 seats each. As a result, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would cast any tie-breaking votes, ensuring Democratic control of the chamber.
Newsweek contacted the Georgia Board of Elections for comment.