Graene Massie, Independent
A Republican senator has urged Donald Trump accept defeat in the US presidential election and begin the transition process, condemning his campaign’s “unprecedented” attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.
Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski took to Twitter to say Joe Biden had beaten Mr Trump fairly and told the president it was time to give up his legal team’s efforts to stay in power.
Senator Murkowski is among just a handful of Republican politicians to recognise Mr Biden’s win.
“As state’s wrap up the 20202 election and certify the results, it is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that we respect the integrity of the election process and uphold Americas’ faith in our electoral system,” she tweeted.
“Each state has worked to ensure a free and fair elections process. President Trump has had the opportunity to litigate his claims, and the courts have found them without merit.”
Ms Murkowski also took a shot at the president’s efforts to influence state Republicans to ignore election results and favour his re-election.
“A pressure campaign on state legislators to influence the electoral outcome is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process.
“It is time to begin the full and formal transition process”
The Trump campaign has filed and lost a string of lawsuits in battleground states across the country and the president and aides have made baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud.
The president’s team have failed to produce any evidence to back up their claims and have so far seen the allegations rejected by judges in Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Ms Murkowski was also joined in her criticism of the president by Maryland’s Republican governor.
“If you had done your job, America’s governors wouldn’t have been forced to fend for themselves to find tests in the middle of a pandemic, as we successfully did in Maryland,” said Larry Hogan on Twitter.
“Stop golfing and concede.”
