Mike Johnson’s groveling meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday:

It was a deeply weird affair. With Trump hovering watchfully over Johnson, the House Speaker said that in campaigning, he’s discovered that people across the country just happen to be thoroughly obsessed with precisely the same thing that preoccupies Trump.

“Everywhere we go, one of the first questions that people ask about is this issue of #election #integrity,” Johnson said.

The GOP remains as committed as ever to their disturbing post-insurrection denial path.

At least a dozen Republican incumbents or prominent candidates in competitive races are tainted with #election #denialism, some of it extremely serious or even #deranged.

These include representatives like #Scott #Perry of Pennsylvania, who was extensively involved in Trump’s coup, #Anna #Paulina #Luna of Florida, who co-wrote a children’s book falsely depicting the 2020 election as stolen, and #Derrick #Van #Orden of Wisconsin, who attended the Capitol rally on January 6.

Meanwhile, GOP Representatives #Mike #Garcia and #Ken #Calvert of California, and #David #Schweikert of Arizona, all voted not to certify Biden’s electors.

Representative #Jen #Kiggans of Virginia repeatedly fed doubts about the 2020 outcome.

Democrats view all these as key targets.

Then there are election-denying GOP candidates in other top-tier races, such as #Scott #Baugh in California, who refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory, #Joe #Kent in Washington State, who called for the rioters to be pardoned, and #Mayra #Flores in Texas, who spread crackpot January 6th conspiracy theories. That’s only a partial list.

Could this factor help tip the balance of the House? It’s not all that far-fetched a possibility.

Dave Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst at Cook Political Report, suggests keeping an eye on the GOP primary underway in the district of Representative #Lauren #Boebert (who is running in another district).
That pits wild-eyed election denier #Ron #Hanks against a saner opponent.
If Hanks wins, Democrats have a “very good chance” of winning Boebert’s seat, Wasserman says.

The upshot? As Wasserman notes, election denialism might end up mattering in only a limited number of races.

But, he adds, “the margin in the House is so close right now that even things like that could affect the outcome.”

https://newrepublic.com/article/180690/trump-mike-johnson-election-denial

“When the bill came up for a vote in the House, 24 Republicans sided with #Democrats to pass it. None of those #Republicans were from #Arizona, which would reap the most benefits from the legislation. Republican Reps. Andy #Biggs, Paul #Gosar, Debbie #Lesko and David #Schweikert all voted against it.”

None of them will promote or take credit for this UNTIL they’re up for reelection.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2024/03/21/intel-chips-act-arizona-republican-congess-vote-no/73049921007/