Joe Biden says he will accept the 'full election results and count every vote' as he slams Donald Trump for refusing to agree to accept them in advance
Former Vice President Joe Biden skewered President Donald Trump for refusing to say outright he would accept the results of the election, then provided his own answer to the question.
'Sure, the full results. Count every vote,' Biden responded, asked by CNN host Anderson Cooper about the freighted topic during a live, outdoor town hall-style meeting.
'Look, i mean, can anybody – any of you are history majors out there think of any president early on who said I'm not sure I'm going to accept the results of the election? It depends?' Biden said, raising his voice for emphasis. 'What's happened to us? This is not who we are. This is not what America is. No president's ever said anything like that.'
Former Vice President Joe Biden blasted President Donald Trump for refusing to say he will accept the election results. 'Sure, the full results. Count every vote,' Biden responded when asked if he would do so
Responding to a question about mail-in voting – the subject of repeated escalating attacks by President Trump – Biden responded: 'Look, if the president had even remote confidence that he was likely to win the election, he wouldn't be doing this.'
He told Cooper: 'Remember, I wasn't on your show, but I said some months ago, I predict the president is going to try to move the Election Day. Everybody said oh he'd never do that. Guess what? He suggested maybe we should move the election date, postpone the election,' Biden said.
Powerful Senate Republicans immediately shot down the idea after Trump floated it.
President Donald Trump has refused to say he will accept the election results. He said in July: 'Trump said in July: 'I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either'
In this file photo, absentee voting manager Matt Kelly holds the ballot envelopes that will be used to mail ballots at the Franklin County Board of Elections office in Columbus on Wednesday, July 29
Trump loyalist Attorney General Bill Barr has also blasted mail-in voting
'He's done every single thing, including having a postmaster general who still doesn't know who dismantled those machines – who ordered picking up those places to mail your ballots,' Biden said. 'I mean, it just is all about trying to delegitimize the effort.'
Trump told Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace in July when pressed on whether he would accept the results: 'I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.'
Trump took a similar posture in 2016, when he said: 'I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense.'
Cooper asked him point blank: 'Would you commit tonight to accepting the results of the election?'
Biden's call to 'count every vote' only hints at the political and legal battle that lies ahead. He is assembling a team of top litigators, including former solicitors general, to fight to allow ballots and anticipating challenges.
Trump continues to rail against mail-in voting, as he did at the White House yesterday.
Trump tweeted Thursday morning: 'Because of the new and unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots which will be sent to “voters”, or wherever, this year, the Nov 3rd Election result may NEVER BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED, which is what some want. Another election disaster yesterday. Stop Ballot Madness!,'
Asked by a Philadelphia voter what he would do to secure mail-in voting if elected, Biden said: 'I would not try to throw into question the legitimacy of the election like this president and the people around him have done.'
He spoke about an election two years ahead, when COVID-19 will hopefully be on the wane. 'Look it's all about people showing up and voting. And i'm confident notwithstanding all the efforts the president's made, I think you're going to see a massive turnout,' he said.