McConnell congratulates Joe Biden as president-elect
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, speaks during a news conference following a weekly meeting with the Senate Republican caucus, Tuesday, Dec. 8. 2020 at the Capitol in Washington.[Sarah Silbiger/Pool via AP]
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Democrat Joe Biden on Tuesday, calling him the president-elect and saying the Electoral College “has spoken.”
The Republican leader’s statement delivered in a speech on the Senate floor ends weeks of silence over President Donald Trump’s defeat. It comes after electors met Monday and affirmed Biden’s election win.
Biden clears 270-vote mark as electors affirm his victory
“Many of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result,” McConnell said. "But our system of government has the processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken.”
McConnell prefaced his remarks with praise for Trump’s four years in office, saying Trump and Vice President Mike Pence “deserve our thanks.”