'Maybe it's time for a new party': Former GOP senator and Defense secretary slams Republican attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election

• Former GOP Senator and Defense secretary William Cohen on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump and GOP legislators who are contesting President-elect Joe Biden's election win, suggesting the formation of a new political party.
• Cohen, who represented Maine in the US Senate from 1979 to 1997 and served as Defense secretary from 1997 to 2001 under then-President Bill Clinton, slammed Sen. Josh Hawley's efforts to challenge the election results as "shameful."
• "We have to remember that the current occupant of the White House is a ringmaster and what he expects to do is snap his whip and all the elephants hop up on chairs," Cohen said. "What they have to understand is he is going to continue to snap the whip whether he's in office or out of office.

Former Republican Senator and Defense Secretary William Cohen on Thursday slammed GOP legislators who are contesting President-elect Joe Biden's 2020 election win, suggesting the creation of a new political party.

While speaking on CNN's "The Situation Room," Cohen, who represented Maine in the Senate from 1979 to 1997 and served as Defense secretary from 1997 to 2001 under then-President Bill Clinton, blasted Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley's efforts to object to the Electoral College vote certification on Jan. 6 as "shameful."

Cohen said the GOP maneuverings were a result of President Donald Trump's pressure, comparing him to the "ringmaster" of a circus.

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"We have to remember that the current occupant of the White House is a ringmaster and what he expects to do is snap his whip and all the elephants hop up on chairs," Cohen said. "What they have to understand is he is going to continue to snap the whip whether he's in office or out of office. And every time they're going to have to jump up and sit on that stool in order to satisfy him and his supporters."

He added: "I think they have to understand you're never going to satisfy President Trump. He is always going to up the ante, he cannot be satisfied. There's nothing in him. There's no moral core, and so they are going to be extorted or bribed in order to avoid a primary in 2022 or 2024."

—The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) January 1, 2021

Cohen said that while Hawley wants to be "the me-too Trump," Republicans including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah have chosen to abide by the Constitution and accept the election results. He warned Republicans supporting Trump in his electoral efforts that they won't be able to escape his influence.

"For Trump, it's pathological," Cohen said. "For those who are jumping up to support him, it's diabolical and I don't think it's diabolically clever. I think they will find they will be hostage for the rest of their time in the Senate and going forward if they are only there to appease the Trumpsters."

He concluded: "Maybe it's time for a new party. One that abides by the rule of law, balanced-budget opportunities, and fiscal responsibility...but also faithful to the people of this country, who vote to elect them."

Hawley's efforts will only result in a slight delay in certifying Biden's electoral victory - 140 House Republicans are also expected to contest election results during the Electoral College certification.

Since Election Day, the Trump campaign team has filed dozens of lawsuits challenging election results across the country, but largely in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. The efforts have been met with repeated defeats in state courts, federal courts, and the Supreme Court.