ToplineOne day after the Electoral College affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) acknowledged Biden will be the next president for the first time, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to do so. “Today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.” For over a month, McConnell refused to call Biden president-elect on record, though he did implicitly acknowledge the Democrat’s win twice. Key BackgroundWith the acknowledgment Tuesday, McConnell joins a small but growing number of Republicans who feel able to accept Biden’s victory publicly. Surprising FactBefore Monday, just 23 Republican members of Congress had acknowledged Biden as president-elect, including 14 House members and nine senators. However, Trump showed no indication he would concede anytime soon following the electoral college vote.

Source: Forbes December 15, 2020 15:23 UTC