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Sen. Mitch McConnell congratulates Joe Biden as president-elect, says Electoral College 'has spoken'

Sarah Silbiger/AP

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. Americans waiting for Republicans in Congress to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president-elect may have to keep waiting until January as GOP leaders stick with President Donald Trump’s litany of legal challenges and unproven claims of fraud. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via AP)

By: Associated Press

Posted at 10:32 AM, Dec 15, 2020

and last updated 2020-12-15 10:49:36-05

WASHINGTON (AP) — WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Democrat Joe Biden on Tuesday as the president-elect. The Republican leader said the Electoral College "has spoken."

The Republican leader's statement ends weeks of silence over President Donald Trump's defeat. It comes after a groundswell of leading Republicans said Biden is the winner of the presidential election.

.@senatemajldr: "So, as of this this morning, our country has officially a President-elect and a Vice President-elect... The Electoral College has spoken. So, today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden." pic.twitter.com/4S7Xv7otsH
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 15, 2020

They announced their views Monday after the Electoral College vote affirmed Biden won. A number of senators said the time has come to move on. They're essentially abandoning Trump’s assault on the outcome.

Some, though, vow to stick with Trump, carrying the fight to Jan. 6 when Congress votes on the Electoral College results.

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