Republican senators in Pennsylvania were invited to lunch at the White House as President Donald Trump unfoundedly claims the Democrats stole the state from him
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Republican state senators in Pennsylvania were invited to lunch at the White House on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump continues to talk about reversing his loss to the US Supreme Court and insists that Democrats stole the state from him.
A caucus spokesman said every Republican senator received the invitation by email this week. It was unclear who decided to go, said spokesman Jennifer Kocher.
A copy of the invitation obtained by The Associated Press lists lunch with the president, but does not provide an agenda. The event was not on Trump’s public schedule.
Senator Doug Mastriano then forwarded it by email to each senator on Tuesday as a reminder, advising them to enter security credentials in the RSVP “if you’d like to have lunch with us tomorrow at POTUS at the White House.”
Mastriano did not immediately return messages left on his mobile on Wednesday.
The invitation came about a month after Republican Pennsylvania state lawmakers held a public hearing in Gettysburg, with no sworn testimony or Democratic lawmakers present, to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s attempts to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory with Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis.
Most attendees went maskless at the packed public meeting. Some lawmakers later went to the White House to meet with Trump.
One of the lawmakers there, Mastriano, revealed five days later that he had contracted the coronavirus. Mastriano revealed the diagnosis in a live video on Facebook, a day after The Associated Press reported that Mastriano had been notified of the positive test in the West Wing.
Top Republican lawmakers have rejected overtures that they are voting to send Trump’s voters to Congress. 64 Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature – less than half of the total, but including the House GOP leaders – signed a statement calling on members of Congress to prevent Pennsylvania election votes from being cast for Biden .