More than one hundred former US national security officials in a joint statement on Monday urged the Republican Party leadership to demand that President Donald Trump concede his electoral defeat and immediately start a transition of power to projected winner Joe Biden
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2020) More than one hundred former US national security officials in a joint statement on Monday urged the Republican Party leadership to demand that President Donald Trump concede his electoral defeat and immediately start a transition of power to projected winner Joe Biden.
"We believe that President Trump's refusal to concede the election and allow for an orderly transition constitutes a serious threat to America's democratic process and to our national security," ex-officials wrote. "We therefore call on Republican leaders - especially those in Congress - to publicly demand that President Trump cease his anti-democratic assault on the integrity of the presidential election."
Petitioners served in various capacities in Republican administrations under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Donald Trump or as Republican members of Congress. Among them are former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Director of the CIA Michael Hayden along with several former ambassadors and White House staffers.
"President Trump's continued efforts to cast doubt on the validity of the election and to interfere in state electoral processes undermine our democracy and risk long-term damage to our institutions," they warned. "President Trump's refusal to permit the presidential transition also poses significant risks to our national security, at a time when the US confronts a global pandemic and faces serious threats from global adversaries, terrorist groups, and other forces."
The Republican incumbent refuses to acknowledge his defeat to the Democratic rival who was proclaimed President-elect by major US media outlets. Trump seeks to overturn the results by filling lawsuits in key battleground states and accusing all-denying opponents of massive election fraud. Of 36 lawsuits filed to block vote certification, at least 24 have already been denied, dismissed, withdrawn, or settled with no impact on the outcome, according to an NBC tally.
