Biden Slams Trump After Winning Electoral College

Once the electoral college declared his victory, Joe Biden slams Trump for his continued refusal to concede. When Hawaii’s four electors logged in their votes last night, it completed the 538-vote process. With a margin of 306 to 232, Joseph Biden just became the 46th president of the United States. 

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State electors congregated at their state capitol, where they cast paper ballots. For this year, heightened security, social distancing, and face masks highlighted the process. However, the votes didn’t produce any surprises. Upon completion of the count, the votes will head to Washington DC for counting by Congress on January 6.

Electoral College 

Under the United States Constitution, American voters choose their electors per state via the Electoral College. These electors will commit their votes for the Presidential candidate. Each state has a fixed number of electoral votes. Electors meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December to cast state votes.

Except for Maine and Nebraska, each state’s electors usually vote solidly for the winner of the popular vote in their state. For Nebraska, their electoral system awards two electoral votes based on total statewide votes. Then, each congressional district gets one vote. Maine operates the same, except it has two congressional districts. 

‘Assault on Democracy’

Hours after the electoral college, Biden slams Trump for his continued refusal to accept the conclusion, calling it an “assault on democracy.” He reiterated that the elections came out “honest, free, and fair.” But, he decried the fact that Trump’s supporters kept attempting to challenge the results with legal challenges. He called the efforts to discredit the election and its officials “simply unconscionable.” He also labeled Trump's attempts an “abuse of power.” 

“In America, politicians don’t take power — the people grant it to them,” Biden said. “The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic — or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame.” He added that “In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” Biden added. “We the People voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.” 

President for All Americans

Biden vowed to act as “a president for all Americans,” and gave assurance he will work for all. “I will work just as hard for those of you who didn't vote for me, as I will for those who did. There is urgent work in front of all of us,” he said. “Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus. Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today — and then building our economy back better than ever.”

Even as Biden slams Trump for prolonging the process, Trump remains defiant. Avenues to contest the elections are closing up for  President Trump, who will need to vacate the White House by January 20. Recent court losses, including two refusals from the Supreme Court, doesn’t prevent Trump from saying he will fight on. In a Fox News interview last Saturday, he said “It's not over … we're going to continue to go forward.” He also tweeted that the Supreme Court “chickened out” with their Friday ruling that Texas cannot file a case questioning the elections of other states. 

Republicans Start to Recognize Biden

Even as Trump continues to dig in, some of his fellow Republicans have started turning around. Many Republicans have held off recognizing Biden’s win, but the electoral college gave some of the closure. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio stated that “The orderly transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy, and although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect.” 

Indiana Senator Mike Braun expressed disappointment in the electoral college. But, he acknowledged that “we must put aside politics and respect the constitutional process that determines the winner of our Presidential election.” Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate majority whip, said Trump supporters should start accepting the results. “I understand there are people who feel strongly about the outcome of this election, but in the end, at some point, you have to face the music. And I think once the electoral college settles the issue today, it's time for everybody to move on,” he said.

Watch the CNN breaking news coverage on the certification of electoral votes confirming Joe Biden’s win as US President:

With the election of Biden via the electoral college, it confirms that the popular vote winner also gets the official nod. Do you think that the Electoral College still applies? Or, is the popular vote enough to determine election winners.