Republicans want to prove their loyalty to Trump — by losing the Senate

A right-wing super PAC is calling for Republicans to write in Donald Trump for U.S. Senate in the Jan. 5 runoff elections instead of voting for GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue — and Republicans and Democrats alike are embracing the plan.

Earlier in the week, Republicans on far-right social media platform Parler were urging fellow conservatives to boycott the runoff election altogether, based on false claims of rigged voting machines.

On Friday, investigative journalist Marcus Baram compiled a series of Parler posts by those purporting to be Trump supporters on the platform.

“DO NOT VOTE IN THE GEORGIA RUNOFF ELECTIONS,” wrote one Parler user. “THE DEEP STATE WILL BE COLLECTING EVERYONE’S INFO. THIS IS A CHARADE, MEANT TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO DON’T VOTE DEMOCRAT. STAY HOME. OSSOFF AND WARNOCK ARE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY.”

Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock are the Democratic challengers opposing Perdue and Loeffler, respectively, in the Jan. 5 runoff election. If Ossoff and Warnock both win their races, Democrats will regain the majority in the Senate, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting any tie-breaking votes.

This is why top GOP super PACs are spending tens of millions of dollars in Georgia to try to hold these two seats, and thus, the Senate. But the high stakes of the January runoff aren’t stopping some conservatives from calling for a boycott.

“The machines add +3 of every red vote to the blue column,” wrote one Parler user, hashtagging the remarks with “StoptheNextSteal.” “If less of us vote, there will be less votes separating the candidates. Don’t vote in the runoff.”

Now, it seems, more Republicans are gravitating toward the write-in suggestion.

The Daily Beast reported Tuesday that a mostly defunct super PAC connected with notorious GOP figure Roger Stone, the Committee for American Sovereignty, is promoting a new website encouraging write-in votes for Trump.

The plan, it seems, is to teach the GOP establishment a lesson.

By urging Republicans to boycott Loeffler and Perdue and accrue votes for Trump, the super PAC hopes to keep Trump in office by pressuring establishment Republicans to fight to steal the election.

“If we can do this, we have a real chance at getting these RINO senators to act on the illegitimate and corrupt election presided over by a Democrat party that is invested in the Communist takeover of Our Great Nation,” the website reads in part. “We will not stop fighting for you, the American Patriot, against the evils of Socialism and inferior Religions.”

There’s just one problem with the plan: Write-in candidates in runoff elections aren’t permitted under Georgia election law. But that isn’t stopping Republicans who think it’s a great idea.

As a result, #WriteInTrumpForGA has been trending on both Parler and Twitter.

Parler, long touted as a free-speech platform, has been accused by Trump supporters of censoring posts containing the hashtag. The platform’s policy team has denied hiding such posts.

Meanwhile, over on Twitter, right-wingers are using the hashtag with abandon, encouraging one another not to vote for Loeffler or Perdue.

“#WriteinTrumpForGA and own the libs,” one seemingly pro-Trump user tweeted Tuesday.

A presumably anti-Trump commenter responded, “Oh yes. Do this. I will feel SO owned. #WriteinTrumpForGA.”

“Say what you like, but can you imagine what a powerful statement it would be if Trump received even 5% fo the vote in both these races?” one Twitter user remarked. “The liberals and elitists would NOT be able to ignore that, I promise you.”

“Lol! Do it, GA,” another user tweeted in response. “I will be shaking in my boots at the lesson you will be teaching me.”

A group called Really American Pac has been quick to capitalize on the anti-Loeffler-and-Perdue sentiment of disgruntled Georgia Republicans.

Seizing the moment, it launched a fundraiser to raise money to put up billboards encouraging Georgia voters not to vote for Loeffler and Perdue — in heavily Trump-supporting counties in Georgia.

“Trump supporters in Georgia are saying that because David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler couldn’t deliver a victory in Georgia for Trump, MAGA supporters should not deliver a victory for them in the run-off election,” the group’s fundraising request says in part. “We agree.”

The proposed billboards sport larger-than-life images of the pair of Georgia senators.

“Perdue/Loeffler didn’t deliver for Trump,” they read. “DON’T deliver for them.”

Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the group Really American PAC.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.