Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), the second highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, pushed back against Hillary Clinton’s recommendation that Democratic nominee Joe Biden should avoid conceding the 2020 race “under any circumstances” because she believes he will eventually win the election if the he doesn’t do so.
“I disagree with Hillary Clinton,” Durbin told ABC News’ George Stephanapolous, who served as the White House communications director under former President Bill Clinton. “I respect her, I like her, but I think she’s just flat-out wrong. The election itself is going to be announced. The winner will be announced at some point.”
“It’ll take longer with all the paper ballots that are being cast, but at some point, I hope my choice—Joe Biden—is elected president,” Durbin continued. “But if we are going to maintain a democracy, peaceful transition through an election is the only way to do it. Just look at the streets of Belarus today if you want to see the alternative. We don’t need that in America. Whoever the winner is, if it is clear and legal, that should be announced, and the other party should concede.”
The topic arose in the interview after Durbin alluded to a comment that President Donald Trump made at the White House earlier this week, when the president responded to a question from a reporter about the peaceful transition of power by saying, “We’re going to have to see what happens.”
Republican lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), have since dismissed the idea that such a transition wouldn’t be peaceful.
“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792,” tweeted McConnell earlier this week.
The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792.
— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 24, 2020
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Clinton told her former communications director Jennifer Palmieri on a program last month that Biden will ultimately win the presidential election if the Democrats refuse to “give an inch” to Trump.
“We’ve gotta have a massive legal operation, I know the Biden campaign is working on that,” said Clinton. “We have to have poll workers, and I urge people who are able to, be a poll worker. We have to have our own teams of people to counter the force of intimidation that the Republicans and Trump are going to put outside polling places. … At least we know more now about what they’re going to do.”
“Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is gonna drag out and eventually I do believe he will win if we don’t give an inch,” she added.