Several Republicans are moving away from Donald Trump’s attempts to declare an unsubstantiated victory and halt vote counting in several states, leaving him without important allies while continuing to chase Joe Biden in the election dispute.
Senate Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell, a Trump ally who was re-elected Tuesday in the state of Kentucky, told the press that “declaring that the election was won is different from ending the count.”
Senator Marc Rubio of Forida, who recently spoke at a Trump election rally, wrote on the social network Twitter: “Taking days to count votes cast by law is not fraud.”
And Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called for “everyone to be patient” as the results are released.
“It is critical that agents are given time to carry out their duties and that we ensure that all votes cast by law are considered and counted,” he said in a statement.
Another Republican, a member of the House of Representatives, Adam Kinzinger, elected by the State of Illinois, addressed Trump directly. “Stop. Stop for good,” he wrote on Wednesday in response to Trump’s accusation that Democrats were trying to “steal” the election.
“Votes must be counted and you will win or lose,” said Kinzinger, addressing Trump. “And the US. Patience is a virtue.”
These comments, critical and public, from Republican congressmen and Republican Party leaders to Trump have been rare, as Trump has demanded, and obtained, as a rule, loyalty to his supporters.
Many Republicans have a hard time criticizing Trump directly, even when they consider his attitude offensive to his values or goals.
The messages posted by Trump on the social network Twitter declaring victory and calling for “stop the count” were an initial test of his ability to maintain the support of Republicans when he seeks to challenge the electoral process in the courts.
On Wednesday, in statements at the White House, Trump, without advancing evidence, claimed victory and considered “the biggest fraud” in US history to continue the vote count, in the face of a huge increase in voter turnout.
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a Trump ally who is doing political analysis for ABC News television, said there was no basis for Trump’s argument.
“All votes must be counted,” he added.
Christie called the attack on the integrity of the election “a bad strategic decision” and “a bad political decision, which is not what is expected of someone who has the position he has”.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Wednesday on Fox News that, despite supporting Trump, “if this turns out to be Biden, everyone will accept it.”
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan called Trump’s comments “outrageous.”
Senator Rob Portman of Ohio stressed that it is the states that administer the elections, not the federal government. “We must respect the process and ensure that all ballot papers deposited under state law are counted. It is as simple as that,” Portman said in a statement.
“It is better for everyone to allow scrutineers to do their jobs,” added Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
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