HOUSTON — Delegates at the Republican Party of Texas biennial convention overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Saturday declaring that President Joe Biden “was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.”
The resolution reinforces former President Donald Trump’s claims that the Democrats’ victory was illegitimate.
The full text of the resolution that the Republican Party of Texas passed reads:
“We believe that the 2020 election violated Articles 1 and 2 of the U.S. Constitution, that various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple ways, including by allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020. We believe that substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas significantly affected the results in five key states in favor of Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
“We reject the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States. We strongly urge all Republicans to work to ensure election integrity and to show up to vote in November of 2022, bring your friends and family, volunteer for your local Republicans, and overwhelm any possible fraud.”
Some delegates at the convention did not doubt that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
“I believe that the Democrats stole it,” said delegate for Texas Senate District 10 Thomas Sykes. “I believe there was serious, serious corruption in the Democratic party that caused the loss of Donald Trump for president. There’s no doubt in my mind it was stolen; the Democrats have been known for stuff like that. Democrats are known for doing underhanded stuff, and I believe they did some underhanded stuff.”
Other delegates supported the resolution but were not as assertive in saying President Biden was illegitimately elected.
“There should have been some further investigation into the election,” said Texas Senate District 11 delegate Jerry Flores. “I think there were some improprieties there. I think there were some things that we should have looked at, and I understand there was a time process; we needed to get through that election process. I understand that.”
Flores added, “I would say I’m kinda in the middle. I’m not on the far right side, but I also can’t fully say that there was no impropriety in that election.”
RPT Chair Matt Rinaldi released a statement about the resolution’s rejection of the 2020 election results on Monday.
“Texas Republicans rightly have no faith in the 2020 election results, and we don’t care how many times the elites tell us we have to,” Rinaldi said. “The Texas Republican Party is raising record funds for election integrity, and we’ve made election integrity a top priority to ensure Texas never goes the way of Pennsylvania, Georgia, or Arizona. We refuse to let Democrats rig the elections in 2022 or 2024.”
Former President Trump also applauded the resolution backing his claims of widespread election fraud.
“Look at the Great State of Texas and their powerful Republican Party Platform on the 2020 Presidential Election Fraud,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “After much research and study, they disavow the national result for President.”
Texas Republicans also overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Thursday chastising Senator John Cornyn and the nine other Republican Senators who participated in negotiations to reach a deal on a package of new restrictive gun laws.
That resolution was titled the “Resolution against the Gang of 20 Gun Control bill,” and it reads:
“Whereas those under 21 are most likely to be victims of violent crime and thus most likely to need to defend themselves.
“Whereas ‘red flag laws’ violate one’s right to due process and are a pre-crime punishment of people not adjudicated guilty.
“Whereas waiting periods on gun purchases harm those who need to acquire the means of self-defense in emergencies such as riots.
“Whereas all gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment and our God-given rights.
“We reject the so-called ‘bipartisan gun agreement,’ and we rebuke Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).”
Delegates steadfastly agreed with the rebuking of the Republican Senators, affirming that there is no room to expand anti-gun laws.
“There is no space for a Republican to work on anything that undermines the Second Amendment. It is a principle, and it is immutable, and what they’re working on, in my opinion, is totally unconstitutional,” said SD 5 delegate Jerri Lynn Ward.
Senator Cornyn attempted to defend his role in the negotiations during a speech at the convention, where he received an orchestra of boos from delegates.
Cornyn maintained that he stood against many of the Democrat’s proposals and participated in the negotiations to ensure no constitutional rights were taken away.
“I will not approve any restrictions for law-abiding gun owners, and that’s my red line. And despite what some of you may have heard, that’s what our plan does,” the senator said.