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WASHINGTON – Senior Senate Republicans irresponsibly and baselessly cast doubt on the election results and failed to recognize President-elect Joe Biden as the legitimate race winner in a brief press conference on Tuesday morning.
The comments came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was re-elected as caucus head on Tuesday and President Donald Trump continues to refuse to concede the election to Biden, alleging, without evidence, that the election was stolen from him.
Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who was also re-elected to the leadership of the Republican Senate on Tuesday, falsely stated at the press conference that Biden may in fact not have been victorious; Blunt also praised the success of the Republican Senate candidates in that same election.
“What we saw in this last campaign is that candidates really matter, but what you do matters too. I think that’s one of the reasons pretty much every predictor of what was going to happen in the election was wrong, ”Blunt said. “The president was not defeated by many. In fact, he may not have been defeated at all.
This is a lie. The president was beaten because Biden got the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
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When McConnell answered questions, a reporter asked, “What about America that heads of state around the world have congratulated President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect?” [Kamala] Has Harris and the Republican leadership neglected to do so again? Are you all afraid of President Trump?
McConnell did not answer the second question – whether he and the other Republicans fear the president – but said: “What he’s saying about America is that as long as the Electoral College doesn’t vote , anyone running for office can exhaust their concerns about the count in a competent court. . It is not unusual. This shouldn’t be alarming.
He continued, “At some point we will finally know who has been certified in each of these states and the Electoral College will determine a winner and that person will be sworn in on January 20. No reason to be alarmed.
But it is absolutely unusual – and for many people certainly alarming – that most Republicans have so far refused to accept the election results. Although the Electoral College does not officially vote until December 14, it is highly unusual to refuse clear results. In every recent election, the losing presidential candidate has conceded the race and called for national unity behind the president-elect within days (with the exception of the 2000 race, which was noticeably closer).
Only a handful of Republican senators, including Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have even called Biden president-elect.
Later in Tuesday’s press conference, McConnell was asked if he thought transition funds should be released for Biden even as Trump tried to legally challenge the election, and the Senate Majority Leader has again questioned the legitimate victory of the former vice president. (A Trump-appointed person Emily Murphy, who heads the General Service Administration, has so far refused to release transition funds to Biden.)
“I don’t think that everything that has happened so far interrupts an ordinary process of moving through the various stages that I have indicated and allowing, if there is a new administration, to work during the transition Said McConnell. “All of these measures will be taken at the appropriate time.”
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Mr McConnell made similar comments in support of the president on Monday, saying: “In the United States of America, all legal ballots must be counted. Illegal ballots must not be counted. The process must be counted. be transparent or observable by all parties and the courts. are here to resolve issues. … President Trump is 100% within his rights to review allegations of impropriety and weigh his legal options. “
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