WASHINGTON, D.C. - Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio on Tuesday issued his first statement after former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the victor in the 2020 presidential election, cautioning that although Biden is leading in enough states to win the presidency, the vote count is still underway.
“In this close election, President Trump has every right to insist that all legally cast ballots are counted,” Portman’s statement said. “He also has the right to appropriate recounts and the right to go to court to resolve any questions about irregularities. At the same time, the Trump campaign has an obligation to come forward with evidence to support any allegations of election fraud.”
Although vote tallies indicate that Biden has more than enough Electoral College votes to become president in January and has already begun to plan for his transition, Trump has refused to acknowledge defeat and has pledged to contest the vote counts in states where balloting was close, making unsubstantiated claims of fraud.
While several Republican U.S. Senators including Maine’s Susan Collins and Utah’s Mitt Romney issued congratulatory statements after the Associated Press and other media organizations called the race for Biden on Saturday, many of Portman’s fellow Republicans in Congress have issued statements like Portman’s that back Trump’s legal challenges.
“Both Democrat and Republican candidates have used these laws themselves,” said a Tuesday statement from Florida’s Marco Rubio. “They’ve availed themselves to these rights many times, including in this election. Joe Biden had hired an army of election lawyers to use this very process if he had fallen short in the preliminary results. And therefore, President Trump is well within his legal rights to pursue all these things under these laws now.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky took a similar stance in a Tuesday speech on the Senate floor, saying Trump “has every right to look into allegations and request recounts under the law.”
“The core principle here is not complicated,” McConnell said. “In the United States of America, all legal ballots must be counted. Any illegal ballots must not be counted. The process should be transparent or observable by all sides and the courts are here to work through concerns.”
On Monday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statement Monday to “congratulate” Biden, which also noted that Trump’s lawyers “have every right” to challenge election irregularities.
“When lawsuits have concluded and and election results are certified, it is important for all Americans to honor the outcome,” DeWine’s statement said.
In a Tuesday press conference, Biden expressed confidence that Republicans would eventually acknowledge him as the rightful president-elect.
“I think that the whole Republican Party has been put in a position, with few notable exceptions, of being mildly intimidated by the sitting president,” said Biden, adding that Trump will be president until Jan. 20 and his administration will continue to plan for the transition.
Here’s Portman’s entire statement:
"With historic turnout across the board, it’s clear that the American people were fully engaged in this election. The strong turnout for both candidates and both parties is a healthy sign for our democracy. Along with more than 71 million Americans, and a majority of Ohio voters, I supported President Trump.
"Right now, former Vice President Biden is leading in enough states to win the presidency. But there are still votes being counted. In this close election, President Trump has every right to insist that all legally cast ballots are counted. He also has the right to appropriate recounts and the right to go to court to resolve any questions about irregularities. At the same time, the Trump campaign has an obligation to come forward with evidence to support any allegations of election fraud.
“Allowing a fair and transparent process at this juncture is important to providing Americans more assurances of the integrity of the election and helping the country heal after a contentious campaign. I hope the states and the courts will move expeditiously to a resolution.”
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Sen. Rob Portman backs President Trump’s right to file election lawsuits, seek recounts - cleveland.com
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