Kokomo Tribune
It’s been two weeks since the 2020 general election, and 11 days since presidential candidate Joe Biden became America’s president-elect. And still, President Donald Trump will not concede defeat.
No one should be surprised.
Trump spent the entire campaign telling Twitter followers and MAGA rally-goers of the coming “rigged” presidential election. The Associated Press reported Tuesday the president had “continued his assault on the U.S. vote in more than 40 Facebook and Twitter posts” since the election was called, despite his successor’s 270 electoral votes.
More than 70 million Americans voted to reelect Trump Nov. 3, and the Republican Party won additional seats in the House, showing strong backing of a conservative agenda. Job One in unifying the nation for Joe Biden will be engaging conservative Americans and Republican leaders to establish a better rapport and genuine collaboration.
There is much to be done. Biden won’t be successful in mobilizing the nation to fight the coronavirus pandemic that has sickened more than 10 million Americans and killed another 240,000 without a strategy the GOP can get behind.
Our next president won’t be able to secure funding for a nationwide infrastructure plan without Republican backing. He won’t be able to invest in green energy, or help ease racial tensions that were screwed as tautly as guitar strings under our current president.
President-elect Biden so far has struck the right tone, giving our petulant president space to sulk while downplaying concerns of a slow-walked transition. He’s addressed the nation and asked us all to wear face coverings around others, practice social distancing and hand hygiene until a COVID vaccine is made widely available.
The election is over. Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States. And Donald Trump will have to learn to live with it.
In the weeks before Inauguration Day Jan. 20, 2021, our president-elect must continue talking to a divided nation. He must listen to the 70 million people who voted for his opponent to learn their concerns, and work with Republican lawmakers to fulfill the promise of a better, stronger, more unified America.
