‘Remember them’: Hyde-Smith faces online scrutiny after opposing Electoral College vote

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is facing blowback on social media after voting to oppose the certification of the Electoral College vote in the 2020 presidential election.

Hyde-Smith joined 5 Senate Republicans Wednesday in objecting to the Arizona electoral vote count and 6 Senate Republicans in objecting to the Pennsylvania electoral vote count.

Arizona and Pennsylvania were two states President Trump lost and then cast doubts upon in the days after the 2020 presidential election, alleging mass voter fraud in both.

Reaction to the senator’s votes was immediate.

“Well the number is 6. The seditious six. Out of 100 Senators only 6 stood with the mob,” wrote former Missouri senator Claire McCaskill on Twitter. “Hawley, Cruz, Marshall, Hyde-Smith, and some former Auburn football coach.”

The “former Auburn football coach” she is referring to is Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who was the head football at Auburn University as well as the University of Mississippi. He is also the newly elected senator from Alabama.

McCaskill, who is an NBC and MSNBC News contributor, would follow up her tweet by writing, “Oh s***. How could I leave out that ‘country lawyer’ Kennedy. So tired I can’t count.”

Ali Velshi, host of the MSNBC show Velshi, also hit out at the Mississippi senator on Twitter, writing, “On the matter of the objecting to the AZ vote count, the following six United States Senators and Senators-elect supported the Trump led coup attempt...”

After listing the six senators, which included Hyde-Smith, Velshi ended the tweet by ominously stating: “Remember them.”

The Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed by former Republicans to attack President Trump, also shone a spotlight on Senator Hyde-Smith and the other five Republicans opposing Arizona’s election results, using the hashtag #SeditiousSix and #RememberTheirNames.

Hyde-Smith did have her supporters too. After posting her statement opposing the election results on Facebook, one person commented, “I am shocked and amazed!!! I really didn’t think you had it in you Cindy! THANK YOU for standing up for my vote, our votes, and election integrity!!!”

Another commented that they were “so glad [Hyde-Smith] stood up for everyone, regardless of party, who want a fair election now and in the future.”

The pro-Trump Twitter account The Loyal American used the words “Remember Their names!!” in a positive way, using a picture of the six senators who voted against the Arizona electoral vote with the caption “The only 6 to stand up for #PresidentTrump.”

Sen. Roger Wicker did not object to certifying the 2020 presidential election, writing in a statement that “it is time to acknowledge” Trump’s defeat.

Mississippi’s 3 GOP congressmen, however, did vote Wednesday to challenge the 2020 presidential election results, siding with 121 House Republicans to reject Arizona’s 11 electoral votes. Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson was the only Mississippi U.S. Representative to vote to certify the results of the presidential election.

Hyde-Smith is also being dragged into another scandal involving the U.S. Capitol Police.

The police force is currently taking heat for their handling of a riot at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon, which left 4 dead and many officers wounded. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now seeking the resignation of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund.

Sund has defended his policemen’s response to the storming of the Capitol, saying that his officers “acted valiantly when faced with thousands of individuals involved in violent riotous actions.”

Being the current chairman of the Senate Legislative Appropriations Subcommittee, Hyde-Smith has jurisdiction over the U.S. Capitol Police. She has since released a statement regarding the situation, saying that she is “monitor[ing] the security situation at the Capitol closely.” 

Hyde-Smith also said that the committee and the Capitol Police are examining the events that transpired and are finding ways to prevent a repeat occurrence.

Read her full statement below:

“Senator Hyde-Smith is the current chairman of the Senate Legislative Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Capitol Police. She continues to monitor the security situation at the Capitol closely. Committees of jurisdiction, the U.S. Capitol Police and others will examine these events thoroughly in terms of how this tragedy occurred, how to prevent a repeated occurrence, and how to improve the security of the Capitol Campus while ensuring orderly and appropriate public access.”

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