Former US President George W. Bush said today that he spoke to President-elect Joe Biden to congratulate him on winning the presidential elections, to be the most senior Republican figure to take this step in light of Republican President Donald Trump's refusal to acknowledge defeat against Trump.
Former US President George W. Bush added in a statement that "Biden is a good man who will unite America, and Americans can have confidence in the integrity of the elections." The former Republican president added that Trump had the right to request a recount and file legal appeals.
And the major American media announced yesterday, Saturday, that the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, won the American elections after resolving the state of Pennsylvania, after expanding the difference in the face of his opponent Trump with a number of votes, with whom he cannot request a recount according to state laws.
Mitt Romney
Before congratulating George W. Bush, Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a former candidate for the elections, said he was ready to work with Biden on an agenda agreed upon by the Republican and Democratic parties, adding that he believed that "Joe Biden wants to unify the country and he has a suitable personality."
Romney, who had previously criticized Trump in the past, said in statements to NBC today that voters voted for the Republican candidates in the congressional elections, but did not vote for Trump.
Republican Senator Roy Blunt to ABC:
Many of my fellow Republicans are not sure whether Trump's unsupported efforts will succeed in changing the election outcome.
- Ahmad_Alyehri (@Ahmad_Alyehri) November 8, 2020
The former Florida governor, Republican Jeb Bush, congratulated Biden yesterday on winning the election, and Jeb Bush said, addressing the president-elect, "It is time to heal the deep wounds. Many are counting on you to lead."
Republican former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a longtime ally of President Trump, said the incumbent president needs to provide evidence of his various allegations of election fraud or else the Republicans cannot accept the situation.
"I hope more Republicans will move in this direction. Not that we do not support the president, he has been a friend of mine for 20 years, but friendship does not mean that you are blind," Christie said in an interview with ABC.
Melania and Kushner
In a related context, CNN said that the wife of the current US president, Melania, joined the group calling on President Trump to admit defeat and accept the election result.
The same network, citing sources, said that Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and chief adviser to Trump, had contacted the incumbent president about the approval of the presidential election result.
Kushner's move came after Trump rejected on Saturday the result announced by US media that Democratic candidate Biden had won.
Trump had confirmed that he would prove in court that he was the winner, and that the elections were still far from over, and he added that the legal votes determine the president and not the media.
And the American newspaper "New York Times" reported yesterday that Trump advisers say they now want to give the president space to absorb the loss.
In the same context, Joe Biden's campaign said that a number of Republicans in Congress contacted Biden after his victory, but he did not receive any contact from the White House.