Mitch McConnell Says There Will Be Peaceful Transition Of Power

Mitch McConnell contradicted Donald Trump Thursday, saying that there will be a peaceful transition of power on inauguration day in 2021. The incumbent president had previously refused to commit to this, instead saying that ballots would be thrown out and there would be “a continuation” of power rather than a transition.

As shown in the official White House transcript, Donald Trump said in a press briefing Wednesday evening that rather than a transition of power, there would be a “continuation.”

A reporter asked, during Trump’s press briefing, “Win, lose, or draw in this election, will you commit here, today, for a peaceful transferal of power after the election?…Will you commit to making sure that there is a peaceful transferal of power after the election?”

“Well, we’re going to have to see what happens. You know that. I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots,” Trump began.

When pressed, he said, “We want to have — get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very trans- — we’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly; there’ll be a continuation.”

With political figures, Trump insiders, and experts already raising concerns that the president might refuse to leave office, or that his supporters might engage in violence to keep him in office, this only fueled speculation.

However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out Thursday morning to contradict this and promise that there will be a peaceful transition.

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

He did not confirm that mail-in ballots would be counted, or that the election would be decided by the ballots, without legal challenges, however.