CNN’s Tapper Observes Congresspeople Gathering for Election Certification: ‘There’s Ted Cruz, Who Helped Cause’ Jan. 6 Riots

TAPPER Now you re ░░░░░░░░ at images from the ░░░░░░░░ of the House of ░░░░░░░░ Members of the House ░░░░░░░░ Senate are gathering in ░░░░░░░░ is their and there ░░░░░░░░ the speaker Mike Johnson ░░░░░░░░ Vice President Kamala Harris ░░░░░░░░ s obviously a bipartisan ░░░░░░░░ even nonpartisan event where ░░░░░░░░ leaders of this country ░░░░░░░░ together to count the ░░░░░░░░ votes There s Ted ░░░░░░░░ senator from Texas who ░░░░░░░░ one of the main ░░░░░░░░ who helped cause what ░░░░░░░░ four years ago by ░░░░░░░░ forward the falsehood that ░░░░░░░░ vice president could somehow ░░░░░░░░ something to stop the ░░░░░░░░ count There s Democratic ░░░░░░░░ Hakeem Jeffries with Katherine ░░░░░░░░ his number two What ░░░░░░░░ your thoughts as you ░░░░░░░░ this in action here ░░░░░░░░ Ted Cruz obviously was ░░░░░░░░ first senator to object ░░░░░░░░ obviously you know just ░░░░░░░░ back on this what ░░░░░░░░ vice president maintained at ░░░░░░░░ time as Marc knows ░░░░░░░░ was that he did ░░░░░░░░ have the power to ░░░░░░░░ the certification on this ░░░░░░░░ four years ago TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ he didn t COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ what we have seen ░░░░░░░░ the Electoral Count Act ░░░░░░░░ was passed reaffirming that ░░░░░░░░ of the law so ░░░░░░░░ like John Eastman who ░░░░░░░░ later referred to as ░░░░░░░░ crackpot of attorneys that ░░░░░░░░ was listening to at ░░░░░░░░ time could not make ░░░░░░░░ argument But also it ░░░░░░░░ the threshold for how ░░░░░░░░ people have to object ░░░░░░░░ lead to that moment ░░░░░░░░ even if we were ░░░░░░░░ the exact same situation ░░░░░░░░ four years ago had ░░░░░░░░ law been passed the ░░░░░░░░ would have had to ░░░░░░░░ been much higher than ░░░░░░░░ it was four years ░░░░░░░░ for that to actually ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER Marc Short are ░░░░░░░░ able to look at ░░░░░░░░ Cruz without thinking about ░░░░░░░░ 6th SHORT Sure Jake ░░░░░░░░ honestly I think that ░░░░░░░░ Ted Cruz is doing ░░░░░░░░ advocating whether I may ░░░░░░░░ agree there was evident ░░░░░░░░ any sort of theft ░░░░░░░░ that election but it ░░░░░░░░ their right to raise ░░░░░░░░ objection That s different ░░░░░░░░ coming forth with the ░░░░░░░░ the vice president has ░░░░░░░░ unilateral authority to reject ░░░░░░░░ and change the outcome ░░░░░░░░ the election So even ░░░░░░░░ they passed the new ░░░░░░░░ in 2022 I think ░░░░░░░░ vice president s role ░░░░░░░░ been pretty much black ░░░░░░░░ white clear for 250 ░░░░░░░░ of our republic So ░░░░░░░░ don t think there ░░░░░░░░ really that much question ░░░░░░░░ what the vice president ░░░░░░░░ role was on that ░░░░░░░░ and that s the ░░░░░░░░ role vice presidents have ░░░░░░░░ since the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ republic.”