Trump Blasts ‘Grandstander’ Republican Over Electoral College Switch

Former President Donald Trump is blasting a Republican Nebraska lawmaker as a “grandstander” for refusing to switch the state’s Electoral College system to a winner-takes-all format in the presidential election.

Nebraska divides its Electoral College votes between congressional districts, making the otherwise deep-red state’s 2nd Congressional District, which is centered on Omaha, competitive in presidential elections.

The district’s single vote was won by President Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2016. In this year’s election, it could decide the presidency if the country’s Electoral College votes are otherwise tied.

Republican Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has been leading an effort this year to adopt a winner-takes-all system, which would almost certainly deliver all five of the state’s Electoral College votes to Trump in November.

Nebraska state Senator Mike McDonnell announced on Monday that he would not be supporting the change, likely ensuring that a 33-vote filibuster-proof majority required to change the system will fall short by one vote.

McDonnell, who switched from Democrat to Republican this year after being censured for supporting an anti-abortion and anti-transgender health care bill, said in a statement that the proposal came too close to Election Day.

“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live, or what party they support,” McDonnell said. “After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.”

Trump lamented McDonnell’s decision in a post to Truth Social on Monday evening, while arguing that effectively making it easier for him to win every Electoral College vote in the state would have been “better” and “less expensive” for all Nebraskans.

“I would like to thank Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska for trying to help the Republican Party simplify the complexity of the State’s Electoral Map,” Trump wrote. “It would have been better, and far less expensive, for everyone!”

“Unfortunately, a Democrat turned Republican(?) State Senator named Mike McDonnell decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory,” he added. “Just another ‘Grandstander!'”

Newsweek reached out for comment to McDonnell’s office via email on Monday night.

Trump went on to suggest that “perhaps one of the others [sic] two Republicans that were a ‘NO’ Vote will change their minds.”

Nebraska’s single-chamber legislature, however, has 33 Republican members, meaning that one of the state’s 15 Democratic lawmakers or the lone Democrat-aligned independent would have to support the change for it to become a reality this year.

The former president concluded his post by praising Republican Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert for supporting the winner-takes-all system, before vowing to win the 2nd district along with the rest of the state in November.

While a single Electoral College vote would not determine the winner of the presidential election in most scenarios, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District could decide the election in at least one scenario.

If Trump were to mirror his 2020 results while adding wins in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, the former president and Vice President Kamala Harris would be tied with 269 Electoral College votes without including the district. The winner of the single remaining vote from Nebraska would then determine the presidency.

Nebraska is among two states without a winner-takes-all system for the Electoral College. The other is Maine, where the state’s competitive 2nd Congressional District was won by Trump in 2016 and 2020 and former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

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