Over the previous six weeks since Election Day, President-elect Joe Biden carried about his enterprise whereas largely ignoring the circus surro
Over the previous six weeks since Election Day, President-elect Joe Biden carried about his enterprise whereas largely ignoring the circus surrounding President Donald Trump’s incessant lies about election fraud and refusal to concede. That modified a bit on Monday.
Talking hours after the Electoral School formally voted to substantiate his victory over Trump, Biden declared victory. He additionally criticized the president, whom he portrayed as on the fallacious facet of the battle for democracy, for refusing to acknowledge the truth of his defeat.
“On this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” Biden mentioned. “We the folks voted. Religion in our establishments held. The integrity of our elections stays intact. And so now it’s time to flip the web page. To unite. To heal.”
Biden famous that he gained the identical variety of electoral votes as Trump did following the 2016 election — 306, although Trump in the end acquired solely 304 electoral votes due to two faithless electors — and mentioned, “On the time, President Trump known as his Electoral School tally a landslide. By his personal requirements, these numbers represented a transparent victory then, and I respectfully counsel they accomplish that now.”
Biden: “306 electoral votes is identical quantity that Trump & Pence acquired after they gained in 2016. On the time, Trump known as his electoral school tally a landslide. By his personal requirements, these numbers represented a transparent victory then & I respectfully counsel they accomplish that now” pic.twitter.com/StyOFRJoxn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
At one other level, Biden took an oblique shot at Trump, saying “the flame of democracy was lit on this nation a very long time in the past. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic, or an abuse of energy — can extinguish that flame.”
Biden addressed the flood of failed lawsuits the Trump marketing campaign has filed for the reason that election and the Supreme Courtroom’s refusal final week to take up a flimsy case that might’ve overturned his victory. He additionally praised state and native officers on each side of the aisle for overseeing a good election whereas refusing to be “bullied” by Trump.
“In America, when questions are raised in regards to the legitimacy of elections, these questions are resolved by means of the authorized processes. And that’s exactly what occurred right here,” he mentioned. “All of the counts had been confirmed … none of this has stopped baseless claims.”
Later, Biden famous that “respecting the desire of the folks is on the coronary heart of our democracy,” including that when Trump gained 4 years in the past, “it was my accountability to announce the tally of the Electoral School votes to the joint session of Congress … I did my job.”
Biden: “four years in the past, once I was VP, it was my accountability to announce the tally of the Electoral School votes to the joint session of Congress … I did my job … now it is time to flip the web page as we have finished all through our historical past.” pic.twitter.com/eCHWQMWxPo
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
Though a majority of Home Republicans indicated in writing final week that they supported the aforementioned case that might have overturned the election outcomes, Biden prolonged an olive department, saying, “I’m satisfied we are able to work collectively for the nice of the nation on many topics. That’s the obligation owed to the folks, to our Structure, to our historical past.” He additionally thanked the Senate Republicans who’ve already acknowledged his victory.
Biden, who sounded noticeably hoarse all through, closed by noting that the enjoyment of his win “is tempered by the ache so many people are feeling at the moment. Our nation [today] handed a grim milestone: 300,000 deaths resulting from this Covid virus. My coronary heart goes out to every of you throughout this darkish winter of the pandemic.”
Biden winds down his speech: “Now we have all the time set the instance to the world for a peaceable transition of energy. I do know the duty earlier than us will not be straightforward. It’s tempered by the ache so many people are feeling at the moment. Our nation handed a grim milestone. 300,000 deaths resulting from this virus” pic.twitter.com/hSDGAK6Pkg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
Whereas the president-elect desires to show the web page from the election, the president continues to toss round lies about it being stolen from him. Stephen Miller, who serves as each a White Home official and marketing campaign adviser, indicated the place issues is likely to be heading throughout a Fox & Pals look earlier Monday when he mentioned that “an alternate slate of electors within the contested states goes to vote [for Trump] and we’re going to ship these outcomes to Congress.”
However that’s simply political theater. The actual fact of the matter is that Biden is president-elect. And as he famous, “Trump was denied no plan of action he needed to take” in difficult the outcomes. As Biden emphasised on Monday, there isn’t any escaping the truth that Biden’s victory was the product of a free and truthful election, whether or not Trump desires to acknowledge it or not.