McConnell Breaks Silence, Backs Trump

Though he won't say whether he sees evidence of election fraud
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 10, 2020 1:56 AM CST
McConnell Breaks Silence, Won't Say Biden Won
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., poses with newly elected Republican senators on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020.   (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP)

The Trump sons have been complaining about lack of GOP support for their father's election fraud claims, and their lament seems to have been heard. After what the AP calls "a period of post-election silence," Mitch McConnell on Monday made his stance clear. Politico reports the Senate majority leader and other top Republicans wouldn't recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect, but they also stayed somewhat in the middle: while they didn't push President Trump to concede, many of them also aren't echoing his claims that the election is being "rigged" and "stolen." In his first public comments since media outlets called the race for Biden, McConnell said the POTUS "is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options."

While he wouldn't answer questions about whether he has seen evidence of election fraud, McConnell, who was appearing at a photo op with newly elected senators, said, "Our institutions are actually built for this. We have the system in place to consider concerns." And that process will play out and "reach its conclusion," he said. The AP puts it thusly: The comments "show how reluctant Trump's allies on Capitol Hill have been to defy the president, even in his defeat." Just four Republican senators have publicly congratulated Biden. And Politico makes this prediction: The influential McConnell's "resistance to acknowledging Biden’s win ... could further drag out the GOP’s opposition and delay the transition process." As for that process, the AP has more on the "tumult" threatening a smooth transition of power here. (More Mitch McConnell stories.)

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