More than a week has passed since election day, and President Donald Trump is not showing any signs that he is ready to concede to President-elect Joe Biden.
The 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.), took to the Senate floor on Thursday to recount the example of his running mate’s decision to concede to Trump four years ago.
During a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Kaine noted that Clinton won the popular vote and that she was “deeply concerned about the election itself” and Russian interference.
Still, he said, “Hillary Clinton was and is a patriotic American. She knew that she was behind by nearly 77,000 votes in the key states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And she knew that it was highly unlikely that recounts would change any of those three deficits.”
“I watched Secretary Clinton struggle with the war between her personal feelings and her earnest search for what was right for the country,” he continued. “I was proud of Secretary Clinton when she walked to a microphone and said these words, ‘Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country.”
He then read a portion of her concession speech where she acknowledged her defeat and urged Americans to accept the result and give Trump a “chance to succeed.”
“It takes a strong moral compass to quickly set aside personal disappointment and choose country over your own personal feelings. Hillary Clinton demonstrated leadership that day,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Sen. @timkaine: "@HillaryClinton was and is a patriotic American. She knew that she was behind by nearly 77,000 votes in the key states… I was proud of Secretary Clinton when she walked to a microphone and said these words — 'Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump.'" pic.twitter.com/iqu0ERydxu
— The Hill (@thehill) November 12, 2020
Kaine proceeded to note that major news outlets have called the race for Biden and urged his Republican colleagues to encourage Trump. He noted that Biden leads Trump by 5 million votes and roughly 220,000 votes in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Additionally, he noted that Biden appears to have carried Arizona and Georgia.
He took aim at Trump for his behavior in the days after the election:
“How is President Trump acting? Like a spoiled child. But it is not just a childish refusal to concede a loss. In his weakness, he is willing to speak and act in ways destructive to our democracy. He has not reached out to President-elect Biden. He has not conceded.”
Additionally, he noted government agencies’ delays in participating in the transition process and Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud.
Finally, he charged that it is futile to “ask President Trump to put country over his personal interest.”
However, he called on Senate Republicans to acknowledge Biden won the election and speak out to refute the president’s claim of voter fraud.
So far, four Senate Republicans have publicly congratulated Biden, but the majority of the Republican caucus has not been willing to declare the former vice president the winner.