Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden said on Tuesday night that it’s not his place — nor Donald Trump’s — to declare victory in this election.
However, a few hours later, Trump said in the White House, “We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly we did win this election. We did win this election. So our goal now is to ensure the integrity for the good of this nation. This is a very big moment. This is a major fraud on our nation.”
Trump made unsubstantiated claims — without any evidence — of voter fraud. And said he would go to the Supreme Court, which he can’t do directly.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this morning he’s fine with the president’s approach: “Going to court is the way we resolve uncertainty in our country. So no, I’m not troubled at all by the president suggesting that, because the other side’s already doing it too. And you can anticipate in close elections both sides will be lawyered up, and we’ll end up in court. It’s happened over and over and over again.”
Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien says the president will request a recount in Wisconsin. The Associated Press just called that state for Biden at 11 a.m. PT today.
In Michigan, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit hoping to stop ballot counting until campaign representatives can witness the operation.
So far, election night was a good one for Senate Republicans. Joni Ernst won reelection in Iowa. Lindsey Graham kept his Senate seat after his challenger Jamie Harrison spent tens of millions of dollars trying to oust him. They also flipped a Senate seat in Alabama.
Democrats did flip Senate seats in Arizona, where retired astronaut Mark Kelly defeated retired fighter pilot Martha McSally. And in Colorado, former governor and presidential candidate John Hickenlooper defeated Republican incumbent Cory Gardner.
It’s still too soon to know who will take control of the Senate. And while Republicans didn’t flip the House, they did pick up seats and make their minority more powerful.