Breaking News
McConnell Supports Trump’s Refusal To Concede
Mitch McConnell supports Trump’s decision to mount legal challenges. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came out in support of President Donald Trump. He said that the President is “100 percent within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.”
RELATED: 3 Days Post-Election: When Can We Expect a Result?
No states have yet certified their election results
In his Senate speech Monday, McConnell did not call Biden as president-elect. He also did not acknowledge Senator Kamala Harris as vice president-elect. The Senator chided media outlets that already called the election for Biden. He said, “the Constitution gives no role in this process to wealthy media corporations.”
McConnell noted that “no states have yet certified their election results.” He also said he expects recounts in “at least one or two states.” The seven-time Kentucky Senator also weighed in on Trump’s prerogative. “The core principle here is not complicated: in the United States of America, all legal ballots must be counted, any illegal ballots must not be counted, the process should be transparent or observable by all sides and the courts are here to work through concerns,” McConnell said.
Alleged Voting Irregularities
After the polls, the Trump campaign mounted legal challenges. They alleged voting irregularities happened in several states. At the same time, major media outlets have already called the election in favor of Joe Biden, Trump’s rival. At present, Biden and Harris have started working with their transition team.
McConnell noted that Democrats complained that the President has yet to concede. Yet, some states are still counting votes. At the same time, legal challenges filed by the Trump campaign have yet to receive a reply.
Gore did not concede until December
McConnell supported the call for investigations. “If any major irregularities occurred this time of a magnitude that would affect the outcome, then every single American should want them to be brought to light,” he said. “If the Democrats feel confident that they have not occurred, they should have no reason to fear any extra scrutiny. We have the tools and institutions we need to address any concerns.”
McConnell noted that in the 2000 election, Democrat Al Gore did not concede right away. Officials had to conduct a Florida recount due to the thin margin of votes between George W. Bush and Gore. The latter’s campaign mounted a lengthy legal challenge at the time. This went on until December when Gore finally conceded to Bush.
“We’ll Have No Lectures”
McConnell bristled at the thought of Democrats lecturing his party on acceptance. He said that Democrats were in the same predicament four years ago. “More broadly, let’s have no lectures about how the President should immediately, cheerfully accept preliminary election results from the same characters who just spent four years refusing to accept the validity of the last election,” McConnell said. “And who insinuated this one would be illegitimate, too, if they lost again. Let’s have no lectures on this subject from that contingent.”
“In late August, Secretary Hillary Clinton said, quote, ‘Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances… I think this is going to drag out, and… he will win if we don’t give an inch. That same month, Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader both stated, quote, ‘[President Trump] needs to cheat to win,’ he continued. “In October, when Speaker Pelosi was shopping some conspiracy theory about the Postal Service, she recklessly said, quote, ‘I have no doubt that the president… will lie, cheat, and steal, to win this election.’”
“A few legal inquiries from the President”
The senator ridiculed the idea that legal challenges will destroy election credibility. “Does this sound like a chorus that has any credibility to say a few legal challenges from President Trump represent some kind of crisis?”
McConnell added. “At this time last week, small-business owners in cities across America were boarding up their windows in case President Trump appeared to win and far-left mobs decided to reprise their summertime rioting. Suffice to say a few legal inquiries from the President do not exactly spell the end of the Republic.”
Attorney General Barr to investigate allegations of fraud
On Monday, Attorney General William Barr gave federal prosecutors the go signal to investigate voting fraud. Investigators can now look into these cases before elections results can get certified. The orders reversed previous Justice Department instructions on alleged voter fraud. Before, prosecutors avoided looking into election cases while the results were not official.
Barr sent and made public a memo to U.S. attorneys Monday. He wrote that investigations “may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State.”
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander
McConnell is correct in saying that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Democrats were up in arms over the last elections and didn’t accept the results until they were ready to do so. Then why should this election be different?
Senator McConnell called out the Democrats for trying to bum rush the proceedings. Especially, now that Dems think they’re in the driver’s seat. While losing in 2016 (and 2000), they wanted every legal remedy available to contest the results. So why can’t they afford the same courtesy they wanted to the Republicans now?
Watch this as Reuters reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell backs President Trump’s refusal to concede:
Do you agree with Senator McConnell’s assertion that Democrats can’t have it both ways? Let us know what you think about this issue by sharing your thoughts below in the comment section.
UP NEXT: