Donald Trump Reportedly Still In ‘Denial’ As Aides Accept Defeat
According to a Saturday report from The New York Times, President Donald Trump is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been projected the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Per the publication’s sources, the majority of those close to Trump have accepted defeat, but the president is still in “denial.”
Trump was reportedly not surprised when major media organizations called the election in his opponent’s favor and remains hopeful that mounting legal challenges in key states could help him win another term.
The commander-in-chief spent Saturday morning at his private golf club in suburban Virginia. While he was still on the course at his National Golf Club, he released a statement saying that the presidential contest is “far from over.”
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated.”
According to individuals familiar with Trump’s thinking, he “refused to acknowledge yet that the race was over, maintaining his baseless accusation that Democrats had stolen victory from him.”
His aides, meanwhile, shifted their focus to “data points they believed Mr. Trump could cite as accomplishments even in defeat, including receiving the second-most votes in American history and drawing a new batch of voters into the Republican Party.”
Several officials told The New York Times that they want to give Trump “space to process the loss,” but noted they were “exhausted” by everything that has transpired over the past four years.
Dan Eberhart, a prominent Trump supporter and donor, described Biden’s victory as “unfortunate,” saying that Trump “should go against his nature and call off the legal dogs.”
Still, aides are confident that Trump will not try to “block” Biden from assuming the presidency. However, some reportedly believe that he would not be open to delivering a concession speech, which could force members of the first family to try and convince the commander-in-chief that the time has come to accept the will of the people.
It remains unclear whether Trump will follow longstanding norms and invite Biden to the White House for a meeting or attend his apparent successor’s inauguration.
The rest of the world has already moved on, embracing Biden as the 46th President of the United States. On Saturday, after virtually all reputable news organizations declared Biden the winner, world leaders — including Britain’s Boris Johnson, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Canada’s Justin Trudeau — sent congratulatory messages.
