WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) ─ President-Elect Joe Biden and his team are pushing forward with their transition in preparation of taking over the White House come January, despite the Trump administration’s attempts to block him from doing so.
President Donald Trump has yet to concede the election. Many lawmakers, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, are urging him to accept the results.
“Regardless of how many lawsuits that President Trump tries to file, he still lost,” she said. “He now has his acolytes throughout his administration who have gone as far as to say there’ll be a second transition to a second Trump administration … that’s just fantasyland.”
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, said its time for Republicans to stand up to the president.
“Donald Trump is acting like a third-world dictator,” Markey said. “Unfortunately, too many Republicans are accommodating his refusal to accept the reality that he lost the election.”
Markey said Republicans know there isn’t any evidence to justify Trump’s claims.
The president continues to claim widespread fraud took place during the election. Senate Republicans continue to walk a fine line of defending Trump while not supporting fraud claims.
“There will be apparently litigation,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said. “Those cases will be decided and then the Electoral College will meet and then we’ll have the inauguration.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said despite Trump’s legal challenges, he expects Biden will be in the White House.
“The president is fully entitled to call for recounts and investigate any irregularities,” Romney said. “But I think at this stage, it’s likely that President-Elect Biden will be inaugurated in January.”