JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As President Donald Trump alleges widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, he has every right to challenge the election’s outcome in a court of law, which he’s doing in five battleground states where he trailed in the vote count.
On Nov. 9, 2016, at about 2:30 a.m., Hillary Clinton conceded to then President-elect Trump.
“I’m sorry this isn’t the outcome we wanted. We didn’t win the election,” Clinton said during her concession speech.
Even though she conceded the election. Clinton and the Democrats didn’t really accept the outcome, according to News4Jax political analyst Rick Mullaney.
″Hillary Clinton did give a concession speech, but she never really did accept the presidency of Donald Trump and really sought over the last four years to give reasons why she thought it would be illegitimate, right up to this very day, whether it was Russia, or whether it was the investigation by James Comey, whether it was other factors," Mullaney said.
The day after Clinton conceded, the General Services Administration authorized the release of $6.3 million for a presidential transition after the 2020 election. It’s a federal agency currently run by Trump appointee Emily Murphy, who must formally designate Joe Biden as the president-elect for the transfer of power to begin.
With the legal challenges pending, that has not yet happened.
“Joe Biden has 290 electoral votes because they haven’t finished counting in Georgia, but Georgia appears to be trending towards Joe Biden,” Mullaney explained. “If Joe Biden picks up Georgia, Donald Trump would have to win Pennsylvania for sure and one other state.”
Viewers upset about the election results have sent dozens of emails to News4Jax expressing their frustration. One person -- who gave their name as “Disappointed Viewer” -- wrote:
“I am asking you to please evaluate the bias within your station and surrounding the people that write your stories."
Another email from “Karen” reads:
“I guess the bribe money you get from the Democrats keeps you warm at night. It makes me sick. Try reporting both sides. You all will have to stand in front of God one day and you will be sent to hell.”
As we have for decades, News4Jax remains committed to transparency, fairness and honesty. And we will continue to report the facts of the election provided to us by election officials counting the votes.
Mullaney says the public’s frustration comes at a time of unprecedented challenges: a pandemic, mail-in voting, as well as economic and social unrest.
“We are in the midst of hotly contested legal disputes. But over time I do believe the American people will rally around the rule of law and whatever is decided here, from a legal standpoint, on the politics of it," Mullaney said. "There will always be those who will have the views on the validity of the election.”
Trump has paused his post-election public appearances. The White House said Americans will hear from him at the right moment. Election officials in the battleground states continue to dispute the allegations of widespread voter fraud.
The members of the Electoral College are scheduled to cast their ballots Dec. 14.