W.H. presses GOP leaders to condemn Trump comments on terminating Constitution

The White House is calling on Republican lawmakers to condemn former President Trump's recent comments about terminating the Constitution to install him president, the latest episode in Trump's multi-year attempt to overturn the results of 2020 election.

“Every President and every member of Congress swears to ‘defend’ the Constitution of the United States,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Monday in a statement first reported by NBC News.

“Asking Members of Congress to reaffirm their oath of office and uphold the Constitution should not be a heavy lift. Congressional Republicans need to do that immediately, instead of repeatedly refusing to answer the most basic question.”

The statement from the White House is an escalation from its comments on Sunday, now pointing the finger at Republicans in Congress for not speaking out — the most prominent Republican to criticize Trump has been Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted in 2021 to convict Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

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Members of GOP leadership, including including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, have not responded to NBC's request for comment.

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During a weekend post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump asked whether he should be declared the "RIGHTFUL WINNER" of the 2020 election or if there should be a "NEW ELECTION," adding that "a Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution."

On Monday afternoon, Trump posted to criticize the media coverage of his remarks, saying that he wasn't calling to terminate the Constitution but adding that "IF AN ELECTION IS IRREFUTABLY FRAUDULENT, IT SHOULD GO TO THE RIGHTFUL WINNER OR, AT A MINIMUM, BE REDONE."