GOP bolsters Trump’s refusal to concede

As election results began pouring in, President Trump immediately took to his Twitter account and questioned the outcome of the presidential race in a series of inflammatory tweets. His campaign since then has launched a string of lawsuits contesting election outcomes across multiple states. 

Trump is not alone in his refusal to concede. Several congressional Republicans have followed suit, echoing claims of voting irregularities. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) initially declined to declare Joe Biden as President-elect and noted that Trump is “100 percent within his rights,” to pursue court challenges that undermine election results. McConnell seemed to soften his stance on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and committed to an orderly presidential transition during a press conference. 

Defeated GOP candidates have similarly denied voting results, including Republican John James, who is yet to concede after incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (D)’s victory in Michigan. In Pennsylvania’s 17th district, Sean Parnell (R) has not recognized Democrat Conor Lamb’s reelection to the U.S. House, though the Associated Press has called the race for Lamb.

Trump is the first incumbent president to be unseated after the first term since George H. W. Bush’s loss to Bill Clinton in 1993. 

Emily Murphy, head of the general services administration, has hesitated to handoff transition resources and millions in federal funding to Biden. The transfer of power would allow the incoming administration to prepare a COVID-19 plan and begins only when Murphy verifies election results. 

Two weeks after the election, Murphy is reportedly preparing for a post-Trump career, a move that hints at an acknowledgment of the GOP’s loss. 

At the most, the lack of a formal concession speech prevents Biden’s staff from acquiring office space before Inauguration Day, although Trump’s comments also stoke division, some say. 

Former President Barack Obama criticized Trump’s inability to accept the outcome and labeled him as the “Richie Rich” character in an interview with The Atlantic. 

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) urged Republican leaders to quit playing into Trump’s “charade” that is distracting from the ongoing coronavirus crisis. As of Nov. 17, the CDC reports a total of 245,470 deaths nationwide due to COVID-19.