Donald Trump has thrown his support behind a last-minute effort aimed at impeding Joe Biden’s chances of winning the presidency. Trump is advocating for Nebraska Republicans to modify their laws to prevent Biden from securing an Electoral College vote in the state. Biden’s most straightforward path to reelection involves winning a Congressional District in the Omaha area.
Former President Donald Trump is endorsing a late-stage alteration to Nebraska’s electoral laws, potentially blocking President Joe Biden from clinching a crucial Electoral College vote in a closely contested race. Trump commended Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen for endorsing a bill that would discontinue the state’s longstanding practice of allocating some of its electoral college votes based on the popular vote in any of Nebraska’s three congressional districts.
“Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska penned a very insightful letter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday evening, along with attaching Pillen’s statement.
Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, centered in the Omaha metropolitan area, has been won by Democrats twice, most recently in 2020. The remainder of the state leans heavily conservative, consistently favoring Republican nominees for its other four electoral votes. Despite this, the GOP has largely managed to retain control of the district’s congressional seat, with Rep. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican, securing his fourth term in 2022.
As initially reported by Semafor, Pillen responded to Charlie Kirk’s call for Nebraska legislators to expedite the passage of the legislation before the current session concludes. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, is a prominent Trump supporter. Pillen stated in his remarks that he has been in favor of the legislation “from the beginning.”
“It would align Nebraska with 48 other states, better reflecting the intentions of the founders, and ensuring our state presents a unified voice in presidential elections,” Pillen remarked.
Should Republicans succeed in amending Nebraska’s laws, they could significantly hinder Biden’s path to reelection. Biden’s most viable route to a second term is by replicating his victories in the so-called Blue Wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, while also carrying the Omaha metropolitan district. In such a scenario, Trump could potentially win Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada and still fall short of winning the presidency.
Under the same scenario, if Republicans were to alter Nebraska’s laws, the Electoral College vote would result in a tie of 269-269, thereby shifting the decision of the presidency to the newly elected House of Representatives.