Jake Tapper Says Republicans Are ‘Acting Like Babies’ For Not Congratulating Joe Biden
CNN host Jake Tapper said on Sunday that Republicans are “acting like babies” for refusing to acknowledge Democrat Joe Biden as the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election, The Washington Examiner reported.
Tapper made the remarks during an interview with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who — unlike most Republicans — congratulated Biden.
“As an American citizen, it’s really disappointing. Not you, but your party’s leaders are acting like babies. You lost the election. Congratulate the president-elect,” Tapper said.
Hogan did not cast his ballot for President Donald Trump. Instead, he wrote-in the late President Ronald Reagan.
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker have also congratulated Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris.
Tapper revisited the the topic at the end of his show, when he delivered a scathing monologue taking aim at Republican leaders for standing by Trump, who has refused to concede the election and alleged voter fraud.
“Republican officials have been complicit in the indecent behavior the president has subjected the nation to for the last five years,” the host said, pointing to Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic — which has killed more than 200,000 Americans — as evidence of his incompetence and unfitness for office.
Tapper noted that Trump is likely to remain an influential political figure on the right, suggesting that this is the main reason why GOP lawmakers are reluctant to rebuke him and embrace Biden as the next commander-in-chief.
Thanks to Twitter and right-wing media, Tapper concluded, Trump will always be a powerful force in conservative politics.
“As long as he has a voice, he will have influence with his tens of millions of supporters. And as long as he has influence with those supporters, Republicans who want to gain or to keep power will refuse to cross him.”
Some GOP lawmakers have openly sided with Trump, expressing support for his decision to contest the results. In an interview on Sunday, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham encouraged Trump to “fight hard,” arguing that it would not be a good idea to concede the race, per Newsweek.
Biden and Harris have brushed off Trump’s refusal to acknowledge defeat. They took the stage in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday evening to deliver their victory speeches. Biden pledged to united the nation and address the ongoing crises, while Harris focused on the historic nature of her nomination.
Although Trump has shown no sign of conceding defeat yet, members of the first family — including first lady Melania — have reportedly urged him to do so.
