President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will leave the White House if Electoral College votes for Joe Biden.
Asked if he would depart the White House if the Electoral College votes for Biden, Trump said: “Certainly I will. Certainly, I will. And you know that.”
However, Trump insisted it would be difficult for him to concede because “we know there was massive fraud.”
“It was a rigged election ... at the highest level,” Trump insisted in a sometimes rambling discourse at the White House, while continuing to offer no concrete evidence of widespread voting irregularities.
Biden won the election with 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232. Meanwhile, the electors will meet on Dec. 14 to make the outcome official. Biden leads Trump by over 6 million in the popular vote tally.
Trump has refused to accept his defeat, though earlier this week he allowed Biden’s transition process to officially proceed.
“I just want to tell my people: don’t be disappointed yet because this race is far from over,” Trump said.
“President-elect Biden won 306 electoral votes. States continue to certify those results, the Electoral College will soon meet to ratify that outcome,” Michael Gwin, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, said when asked about Trump’s comments.
“Biden will be sworn in as President on Jan. 20, 2021.”
Biden's transition
A couple of days ago, the Biden transition team has been briefed on Operation Warp Speed, according to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
He said that Rear Adm. Erica Schwartz, the official in charge of the transition planning effort, discussed the Operation Warp Speed to the Biden transition team on Monday evening. The goal of Operation Warp speed is to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to the public in record time.
“We are immediately getting them all of the pre-prepared transition briefing materials,” Azar said.
“We will ensure coordinated briefings with them to ensure they’re getting whatever information that they feel they need,” Azar stressed, explaining that the “transition planning and execution will be professional, cooperative and collaborative.”
Azar’s update came after the General Services Administration (GSA) officially acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
GSA chief Emily Murphy told Biden that the Trump administration will make federal resources accessible for his transition into office.
Murphy’s letter about Biden’s victory was disclosed minutes before President Donald Trump tweeted that his administration authorizes Biden transition.
However, Trump has still refused to concede the elections to Biden, who is predicted to win 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.
Trump has falsely claimed that he won the U.S. election “by a lot,” and has spread conspiracies about an electoral fraud without evidence.
In her letter, Murphy explained her actions and responded to her critics.
“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right. Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of my decision,” Murphy wrote.
