The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
GOP split on need to accept results
Graham, other allies say president should continue to fight on.
WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump never admits defeat. But he faces a stark choice now that Democrat Joe Biden haswon the White House: Concede graciously for the sake of the nation ordon’t — andget evicted any way.
After nearly four tortured days of counting yielded a victory for Biden, Trump was still insisting the race was not over. But Sunday brought no substantial changes to the vote tallies in battleground states, with Biden still at 279 votes in the Electoral College and Trump at 214. It takes 270 to win. Among states that are too close to call, Biden continued to lead in Georgia and Arizona, while Trump led in North Carolina and Alaska.
Trump made allegations that the election wasn’t fair and “illegal” votes were counted without offering evidence, promised a flurry of legal action and fired off all- caps tweets falsely insisting he’d “WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT.”
While some in his circle were nudging Trump to concede graciously, many of his Republican allies, including on Capitol Hill, were egging him on or giving him space to process his loss — at least for the time being.
“Trump has not lost,” declared South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“Do not concede, Mr. President. Fight hard,” he urged.
Trump’s ongoing efforts to paint the election as unfair are seen in part as an effort to show his loyal base of supporters that he is still fighting. That could be key to keeping them energized for what comes next.
Allies suggested that if Trump wants to launch a media empire in coming years, he has an incentive to prolong the drama. So, too, if he intends to keep the door open to a possible 2024 comeback — he would be only a year older than Biden is now.
His personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has been promising to provide the president with evidence of voter fraud but has produced little, including during a press conference he held Saturday in the parking lot of a Philadelphia landscaping company.
Trump’s adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, also have urged their father to keep fighting and challenged Republicans to stand with them, as have congressional allies like Graham.
Other political allies and White House officials, however, have pressed Trump to change his tone and commit to a smooth transition. They’ve emphasized to him that history will be a harsh judge of any action he takes that is seen as undermining his successor. And they have advised him to deliver a speech in the coming week pledging to support the transition.
Trump senior adviser and son inlaw Jared Kushner has told others that he is among those who have urged the president to accept the outcome of the race — even if Trump won’t come to terms with how it was reached.