Deleted Walmart Tweet Calls Senator Josh Hawley a Sore Loser

On December 30, 2020, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri announced on Twitter that he intended to object to the certification of electoral votes set to take place on January 6, 2021. Immediately, someone using an official @Walmart.com account tweeted back, writing, “Go ahead. Get your 2 hour debate. #Soreloser.”

Why Senator Josh Hawley Feels He Must Object

Hawley says that he cannot vote to accept the results when some states, most notably Pennsylvania, have failed to follow their election laws. He says he cannot vote to accept the results when some mega-corporations, like Twitter and Facebook, have interfered with election results. He continues by saying that Congress must investigate the charges and take steps to secure the election’s integrity.

Walmart’s Response to Tweet

Walmart's senior manager of national media relations, Casey Staheli, called it a mistake and said that the employee meant to post the comment using their own Twitter handle.

Hawley’s Reply to Walmart

Senator Hawley tweeted back, thanking Walmart for their insulting condescension and saying that the company had insulted 75 million Americans. Then, he asked if the company would apologize for using slave labor. He also asked if the company would like to apologize for their low wages and for driving small businesses out of business.

Walmart Claims Tweet Was A Mistake

A separate Walmart account apologized to the senator calling it a mistake by a social media team member. They also say that the company has no intention of discussing the electoral college process. Others posted on Twitter that the employee should be fired immediately, saying that the retail giant's founder would do instantly.

Offers to Help Walmart Intern

Author Don Winslow then tweeted an offer to pay the employees rent for the next month if they would contact him. Several others suggested that a GoFundMe account be set up on the employee’s behalf.

What Happens if Hawley Carries Through?

If Senator Hawley carries through with his objection, the Senate will debate the issue for at least two hours. Hawley’s announcement almost ensures that both houses will debate accepting the electoral college vote results. Representatives Mo Brooks from Alabama leads a group of conservative representatives that have said they will object.

Democratic Response to Electoral College Objections

Many Democratic representatives and senators have spoken out for and against Hawley and Brooks carrying through with their plan. Chuck Schumer called Hawley’s objection an attempt to legalize conspiracy theorists while Nancy Pelosi said that she did not doubt that Biden would be confirmed on Wednesday. Chris Van Hollen said that the effort was grossly irresponsible.

Republic Responses to Electoral College Objections

Republican senators and representatives have reacted with mixed emotions. Adam Kinzinger mocked Hawley on Twitter, saying that Hawley was wasting time because he knew ahead of time that his efforts would fail. Hawley says that others have contacted his office for more information while not committing to joining his efforts.

Previous Contested Electoral College Results

Representatives and senators have challenged electoral college results before. George W. Bush’s election over John Kerry was contested as was President Trump’s election results over Hillary Clinton.

Not a Clear-cut Process

Certifying the electoral college results comes from the Electoral Count Act put into law in 1887. After the new representatives and senators are put into office on January 3, they will vote on what laws they will follow on January 6.

The Electoral Court Act

There are no guarantees that the elected officials must follow the Electoral Court Act's rules, but they likely will be followed. The rules will probably say that Vice President Pence will preside over the electoral votes reading, which will be read in alphabetical order. Some believe that Democrats may try to enact rules limiting the vice president’s power. Likely, Hawley, Brooks and perhaps others will jointly issue a statement in writing that they object.

The Debate

The Senate and the House of Representatives go to their chambers to debate, with each person being allowed five minutes to speak. All the elected officials will have to vote to accept the results or not before anyone can take other steps to accept or throw out the election results.