If President Trump loses the November election to Joe Biden, there will be “an orderly transfer of power” in January, just as there has been “every four years since Washington was elected for a second term in 1792,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told “Fox News @ Night” in an exclusive interview Thursday.
In the same conversation, McConnell also spoke about the Supreme Court vacancy and the recent unrest in his home state of Kentucky in reaction to developments in the Breonna Taylor case.
McConnell’s remarks about the transfer of power were prompted by comments President Trump made at a White House news conference Wednesday, after a reporter asked: “Win, lose or draw in this election, will you commit here today for a peaceful transferal of power after the election?”
“We’re going to have to see what happens,” Trump answered. “You know that I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster.”
McConnell tweeted earlier Thursday: “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.
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McConnell later responded to criticism of his intention to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death last week of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, telling host Shannon Bream: “We can’t pick and choose when big decisions are foisted upon us by things that we didn’t anticipate, like the untimely death of Justice Ginsburg, who, by the way, had a spectacular career and was an inspiration to millions of Americans.
“But the election,” he added, “is no reason to dodge our responsibility and not go forward with a well-qualified nominee, which I anticipate we’re going to get Saturday afternoon.”
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On protests that have erupted in his home state of Kentucky over the Breonna Taylor case, McConnell said it was “very sad” to see Louisville looking a lot like Portland, Ore.
“I think the American people can distinguish between peaceful protest on the one hand, constitutionally protected activity and rioting, looting, violence and shooting police officers, which is unfortunately what we’ve seen unfortunately in my hometown.”
Fox News’ Evie Fordham and Brie Stimson contributed to this story.
