Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged the reality of the 2020 election on Tuesday, saying that “the Electoral College has spoken. So, today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.”
In response, President Trump took to social media, reminding McConnell of his total vote tally and saying that it was “too soon to give up.” Others on the Right lambasted the majority leader for his words, deeply disturbed that he would do such a thing. These antics from Trump and his most ardent supporters aren’t unexpected, but they are unfortunate.
As McConnell himself noted on the floor of the Senate, the election didn’t turn out the way that many voters wanted. More than 74 million people hoped that Biden would not be victorious. That is no small number.
Despite the record turnout for both major parties, the result is that Trump lost. Recognizing this is neither an embrace of the Democratic Party nor a personal rejection of the current president and his policies. It’s simply a statement of fact.
McConnell himself is a staunch Republican who has worked with the president and helped lead the party to many Trump-era victories. Yet, some of the loudest voices on the Right claim a “stolen election” and assert that he has given up, or worse, betrayed Trump and the GOP.
It’s time that Republicans move on from this election. It is important for both the short-term and long-term health of the party that its members accept the loss. These next four years will be led by the Biden-Harris administration. It will be as left-leaning an administration — and most likely even more so than what the country experienced during President Barack Obama’s eight years in office.
To combat this new direction, it requires some amount of unity among Republicans. Before another presidential victory can occur, the Republican Party will have to endure important midterm elections. It is useless to focus on the 2020 election, something that can neither be repeated nor undone.
Additionally, there is the everyday business of the country. The men and women who voted on Nov. 3, 2020, will be paying attention. Millions will take note of whether Republican politicians spend their time complaining about what they can’t change or use the time to be a legislative voice for their constituents. The latter is far more preferable.
At present, it is still the Trump administration, and it will be until Jan. 20. There have been dozens of legal failures and even more promises made in an effort to overturn the will of the people. The outcries from some give the impression that there is still a fight worth having. Not only is this not true, but in the end, it will not save his presidency. Worse than that, it will have a negative effect on the party, which will last far longer than his very public tantrums.
McConnell’s public acceptance of the results was a necessary step forward for the country as a whole. In a sharply divided political environment, it’s seen as an exceptional act by one side and a premature capitulation by the other.
In reality, it’s nothing more than a standard admission that follows any election defeat. During more normal times, it would receive little fanfare. But this year, with the election still being disputed, it is major news. That it was spoken by the Senate majority leader is an indication that party leadership is ready to move on.
If only Trump and his tireless admirers would do the same.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
