'Not everyone is born with spine': Tensions within GOP rise as Trump's path to victory dwindles

WASHINGTON – Tensions rose a little among Republicans Thursday night as President Donald Trump's road to reelection seemed to narrow.

Biden maintained his Electoral College lead Thursday night as the remaining battleground states, including Georgia and Pennsylvania continued counting.

As Trump's lead in those states continued to shrink, allies of the president began calling on other Republicans to do more to help. His reelection campaign has launched a multi-state legal battle in its efforts to secure a second White House term.

Election challenges live updates: Georgia, Michigan judges toss Trump suits over ballots as lawsuits are filed in Nevada and Pennsylvania

The president's sons, for example, called on more GOP leaders to speak out.

"The total lack of action from virtually all of the '2024 GOP hopefuls' is pretty amazing. They have a perfect platform to show that they’re willing & able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead," Donald Trump Jr. tweeted. "Don’t worry @realDonaldTrump will fight & they can watch as usual!"

Shortly after, Nikki Haley, formerly the governor of South Carolina and US ambassador to the UN under the Trump administration, who is also considered a 2024 GOP prospect, tweeted: "He and the American people deserve transparency & fairness as the votes are counted. The law must be followed. We have to keep the faith that the truth will prevail." 

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a Trump-ally in Congress, took issue with Haley's post, saying, "While some of us are fighting for President Trump... Nikki Haley is eulogizing him. Sad!"

Election results updates: Trump calls election fraudulent with zero evidence, still trails Biden in electoral votes

Trump Jr. later said "No one is surprised" in response to Sen. Lindsey Graham's, a loyal Trump advocate on Capitol Hill, remaining silent as the election continued.

Following that tweet, just about twenty minutes later, Graham, R-S.C., posted he'd appear on Fox News Anchor Sean Hannity's show.  

On Hannity, Graham said he was going to donate $500,000 to the president's legal defense fund.

Eric Trump thanked Reps. Jim Jordan and Scott Perry for appearing on Fox News to discuss "election integrity" saying that "Unfortunately, not everyone is born with spine."

"Where is the GOP?!" he asked. "Our voters will never forget..."

Daniel John Bongino, a conservative political commentator, tweeted, "Awfully odd that some of the people on the GOP side, who just rode Trump’s coattails to an enormous GOP down-ballot upset, seem pretty quiet about the bullshit going on right now. SPEAK UP. WE’RE ALL LISTENING!"

Lou Dobbs, an anchor on Fox Business Network who is sympathetic to Trump, was tough on Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, who is now a Trump campaign aide, for not doing more to get other Republicans involved to help Trump. He named Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. 

"Why isn't the Republican Party en masse demanding the Department of Justice move in here?" he demanded.

Several Republicans criticized Trump's press conference Thursday night, his first address since his post-election speech in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Trump made baseless claims that the election was driven by fraud and corruption, saying, incorrectly, "If you count the legal votes I easily win. If you count the illegal votes they can try to steal the election from us." 

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told Trump to "STOP Spreading debunked misinformation... This is getting insane."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election results: GOP infighting as Trump's path to victory dwindles