While some of the 40,000-plus references were to the original 1861-65 conflict over the future of the US, or wars in other places, a great many tweets expressed the frustration of Democrats and their media allies over the Texas lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – where Biden was declared the winner based on mass mail-in ballots – which was backed by 18 other states and President Donald Trump himself.

“Seventeen states demanding that the Supreme Court disenfranchise voters in other states seems like a great way to get to a second civil war,” tweeted Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor, a former spokesman in the Obama administration.

He was referring to the amicus brief by 17 states filed on Wednesday, in support of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s complaint to the US Supreme Court. There are actually 18 states that backed Texas, with Arizona joining the brief later in the day.

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