Reaping discord: Republicans split after Biden declares victory over Trump in US presidential election
A projected election win by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden has caused a divide in the Republican Party, as some of its key figures rushed to congratulate him, while others agreed with Donald Trump that the race isn’t over yet.
Biden declared himself the winner in the US presidential election on Saturday after several major television networks projected that the 77-year-old candidate had defeated the incumbent following four days of tense vote counts in several battleground states.
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, a member of the Bush family, which gave America two Republican presidents, was one of the first to congratulate the candidate from the rival party.
Bush wrote on Twitter that he had been praying for US presidents most of his adult life and that he was going to continue doing the same for Biden. “Many are counting on you to lead the way,” he said, addressing the Democratic nominee.
Congratulations to President-elect Biden. I have prayed for our President most of my adult life. I will be praying for you and your success. Now is the time to heal deep wounds. Many are counting on you to lead the way.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) November 7, 2020
Mitt Romney, who was the Republicans’ presidential candidate in 2012 but lost to Barack Obama, insisted that Biden and his running-mate, Kamala Harris, were both “people of good will and admirable character.” He also promised to pray for them during their time in office.
Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 7, 2020
Republican Party veteran and senator from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, stopped short of congratulating Biden. The 80-year-old only urged both candidates to accept the results of the vote, reminding that the presidential election was “the most enduring symbol of our democracy.”
After counting every valid vote and allowing courts to resolve disputes, it is important to respect and promptly accept the result. The orderly transfer or reaffirming of immense power after a presidential election is the most enduring symbol of our democracy.
— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) November 7, 2020
Junior senator from Missouri, Josh Hawley, also pointed out that it wasn’t up to the media to designate the president, and called on the public to wait for the official results.
The media do not get to determine who the president is. The people do. When all lawful votes have been counted, recounts finished, and allegations of fraud addressed, we will know who the winner is
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 7, 2020
There were some in the Republican camp who weren’t yet ready to accept defeat. Representative for Arizona Paul Gosar insisted “the election isn’t over until all the votes are counted,” basically repeating an earlier statement by Trump, who blasted Biden for falsely posing as the winner.
ThE eLeCtiOn IsNt OvEr UnTiL aLL tHe VoTeS aRe CoUnTed
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) November 7, 2020
Former Republican Senate majority whip John Cornyn warned that Biden and the Democratic majority in the Senate “would cinch the radical agenda of the left.” He called for the Democrats to be stopped during the runoff in the Senate race in Georgia in early January, as it’ll determine who will have control of the upper chamber of Congress.
A Democratic majority in the Senate would cinch the radical agenda of the left. They must be stopped on January 5th in Georgia. https://t.co/KzRxVU6DwZ
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) November 7, 2020
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