Daily US Times: Donald Trump’s resolve not to accept the US election result appeared unshaken on Sunday, as he continued to promote conspiracy theories about the vote, with little outward sign that anyone in his inner circle was prepared to talk him into conceding. Some Republicans back Trump challenge.
CNN cited White House sources saying that Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, had broached the subject of concession, and that his wife, Melania, was also advising him that “the time had come for him to accept the loss”. But other media outlets contradicted CNN’s reports, and Melania tweeted in support of her husband, implying “illegal votes” had been counted.
Donald Trump, a Republican, continued to tweet false claims that the election had been stolen, and the only public statements from those close to him were adamantly in favour of staying.
Top Republicans either amplified Trump’s baseless claims of widespread vote rigging or remained silent, with only a tiny number of moderates followed tradition and congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, along with the former president George W Bush.
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Mr Trump said in an interview with Fox Business: “Keep fighting for every legal and live vote,” pointing to a variety of legal challenges Trump’s lawyers were planning to launch on Monday.
“If we don’t fight back in 2020, we’re never going to win again presidentially. There is a lot at stake here,” he added.
Legal challenges and recounts where margins are small are routine in the aftermath of an election. There will be a recount in the state of Georgia. But there is no modern history for such processes leading to major changes in the election results. US and international observers, and Republican state officials, have said there is no evidence of widespread irregularities despite the challenges of holding an election at the height of a pandemic.
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