WASHINGTON — Twenty-seven Republican lawmakers said former Vice President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, according to a Washington Post survey.
An even larger majority, 220 Congressmen and women at the time of this writing, were either unclear in their answer or did not provide a response. Two Republican lawmakers said President Donald Trump won the election.
For those two, and others inclined to believe the same: Biden won the election with 306 electoral votes, putting him above the 270 needed to clinch the presidency, according to the Associated Press' latest result count. Trump won 232 electoral votes.
"The results demonstrate the fear that most Republicans have of the outgoing president and his grip on the party, despite his new status as just the third incumbent president to lose reelection in the last 80 years," The Post said.
The Post says a team of 25 reporters contacted aides for every Republican by email and phone -- they also researched previous public statements -- and asked the following questions:
- Who won the election?
- Do you support or oppose Donald Trump's continuing efforts to claim victory?
- If Joe Biden wins a majority in the Electoral College, will you accept him as the legitimately elected president of the United States?
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio indicated Biden won the election by calling him "president-elect" in a USA Today opinion piece. The Post placed Florida's second senator, Republican Rick Scott, in its unclear/no answer column as he did not respond to The Post. It found he told Politico "it would be great" if Trump ran again in 2024.
With California certifying its electors late last week, Biden officially crossed the threshold of 270 pledged electors needed to become president. They will meet Dec. 14 in each state to cast their votes.
Trump and his campaign since the election have unsuccessfully tried to delay the certification process in key battleground states. The AP found that of at least 50 legal cases Trump's team have brought in states Biden won, more than 30 have been rejected in court or dropped.
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