“Joe Biden is president-elect,” says GOP Ohio governor

Giving in to a lost election is the most elegant thing to do and it has usually been a part of the country coming together after a campaign that divides.

But President Trump has yet to concede to Joe Biden, who was screened as the winner of the 2020 election on Saturday, and has not indicated he intends to do so.

However, the concession is a custom and not a legal obligation. A concession usually has two elements: an appeal to the winner and a speech to the supporters.

Hillary Clinton called on Trump to concede in 2016 and she spoke to supporters after it was clear she would lose (although she advised Biden not to concede if the election was near and to leave things unfold).

John McCain set the modern standard for graciously conceding when he told his supporters: “Not long ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him on being elected the next president. from the country we both love. Read it here.

Al Gore called on George W. Bush to concede on election night in 2000, then called him back not to concede when the results in Florida tightened. He finally conceded, 36 days later, after the Supreme Court finished the recounts and handed the White House to Bush. And he delivered a conciliatory speech to the nation even as his supporters were furious at the outcome.

At some point – maybe not today, and maybe not until legal options are exhausted – it will become clear to people around Trump and to Republicans in Congress that this thing is over.

Perhaps it will come when Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence has to fulfill his official role of certifying the electoral college vote count in the House in January.

Losers, who are usually part of the government, usually attend the winner’s inauguration in modern times. It is unclear whether Trump would do this or not. It could be an appropriate coda for Trump’s leadership style that he refuses to acknowledge his loss.

The constitution is very clear that a new president will be sworn in on January 20 at noon. This will happen if Trump graciously loses or has to be escorted out of the Oval Office by the Secret Service, although it’s unclear exactly what the Secret Service would do if Trump didn’t leave.

Read more here.