Community Live Bloggers: Joe Biden addresses the nation because he won the Electoral College
CBS News reports that technically Trump got fewer electoral college votes (304) in 2016 because of two faithless electors. Biden received all 306 elector votes.
“President Trump called his Electoral College tally a landslide. By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now”
Biden: “4 years ago, when I was VP, it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress … I did my job … now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history.”
A sometimes-emotional and -forceful incoming president called Mr Trump’s claims of a “rigged election” nothing shy of “unconscionable,” saying in a short speech from Wilmington, Delaware that the Electoral College vote Monday making him the winner showed the 2020 election was “honest, and it was free and it fair.”He hailed state and local officials who endured death and other threats of violence from Mr Trump’s supporters. “And they wouldn’t be bullied. It was truly remarkable.” Mr Biden said.Notably, the president-elect and former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman – himself a lawyer by training – noted the outgoing president was allowed “every legal avenue” to pursue his claims of fraud.But the matter, he said, has been “resolved through the legal process, and that’s precisely what happened here.” His use of the past tense appeared an attempt to describe the election as a closed matter, seeming to contend that Mr Trump has expended his use of the courts and is out of options – other than to return to civilian life on 20 January.
A strange bit of synchrony that will bear no fruit:
“Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job!” — Trump on Barr resignation
· annieli
JRB talks about the attempt by Trump to overturn the election, CBS calls it a “vigorous attack” on Trump.
“Unprecedented assault on our democracy.”
This is a victory speech that is understated.
Mentions the pandemic.
15 minutes.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020
— Molly Kordares (@mollykord) December 15, 2020
