Trump refused to accept defeat in the 2020 election, despite Biden’s decisive victory in the Electoral College and the popular vote. The former vice president garnered nearly 80 million votes, more votes than any American presidential candidate in history, by a large margin. Trump received nearly 74 million votes.
CNN and other outlets expected Biden to win the race nearly two weeks ago, when Pennsylvania made 20 electoral votes Biden louder than the 270 required to become president. Biden is ultimately expected to receive 306 electoral votes while Trump won 232, the same amount that Trump won over Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The president refused to waive the race, making false allegations about widespread voter fraud without evidence and an attempt to undermine the democratic process. Judges have repeatedly rejected flimsy lawsuits citing fraud, citing a lack of evidence.
Americans have voted by mail in record numbers this year to protect themselves from exposure to the Coronavirus in the midst of a global pandemic. Experts have warned for months that there will be an extended vote and that the outcome may not be known on election night, or even days after that.
The president and his allies are trying to discredit the entire voting process and refuse to cooperate in the transfer of power. Public Services Director Emily Murphy has refused to formally initiate the presidential transition, preventing the Biden team from accessing millions of dollars in taxpayer money and other resources. The Biden team has warned that the delay has real consequences for national security and the response to the Coronavirus.
