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Mitch McConnell recognizes Biden as President-elect
“Yesterday electors met in all 50 states, so as of this morning our country officially has a president-elect and a vice president elect,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday after listing Trump’s accomplishments. “Today I want to congratulate Joe Biden.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recognized Joe Biden as the winner of the US election the day after the Electoral College confirmed his victory — a pivotal moment that further cements President Donald Trump’s defeat.
“Yesterday electors met in all 50 states, so as of this morning our country officially has a president-elect and a vice president elect,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday after listing Trump’s accomplishments. “Today I want to congratulate Joe Biden.”
McConnell refused to acknowledge Biden’s win until now, saying Trump was entitled to pursue his claims in court, even as Trump-backed cases were dismissed by numerous judges. The Supreme Court last week turned away an effort backed by Trump to toss out election results in states won by Biden.
While Trump’s allies could still mount protests next month after the new Congress is seated but before the Jan. 20 inauguration, there is no chance the Democratic-led House would indulge any further attempts to overturn the election results.
Senate Republicans have hesitated to oppose Trump’s false claims about the election results in part because they need his base to show up for Georgia’s two Jan. 5 runoff elections. Those races will determine whether Democrats retake the Senate majority with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes.
Trump’s efforts to fight the election results have been backed by both Georgia senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who face challenges from Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
McConnell’s recognition of Biden’s win comes as Congress and Trump have yet to agree on an omnibus spending package to fund the regular operations of government, as well as more than $900 billion in additional relief for the coronavirus-battered economy.
