US President Donald Trump is sending an incredibly damaging message to the international community by not conceding the election results, President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday. Major news networks have declared Biden as the winner of the November 3 presidential elections, weeks ahead of their formal certification by the respective State legislatures.

Trump, however, has refused to concede. He has filed multiple lawsuits in several states challenging the election results alleging that there has been massive voters’ fraud and electoral malpractice, a charge denied by state officials and news outlets. I think they were witnessing incredible irresponsibility; incredibly damaging messages being sent to the rest of the world about how democracy functions. I do not know his motive, but I just think it is totally irresponsible, Biden, 77, said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors in Wilmington.

What the president is doing now is going to be another incident where he will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents of America,” he said in response to a question. We are going to end up making it clear that we won, and but it is hard to fathom how this man thinks. I am confident he knows he has not won and is not going to be able to win, and we are going to be sworn in on January 20…,” he said.

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Responding to another question, Biden said he is not concerned that people may question the legitimacy of his administration. The vast majority of the American people, they have already–all the polling data has indicated all the Republicans who worry about it is higher, but you know, over 78 percent of the American people believe it is without question, it is legitimate, he said. I think most of the Republicans I have spoken to, including some governors, think this is debilitating. It sends a horrible message about who we are as a country, he added.

The President-elect in response to another question did not rule out taking action against the General Services Administration (GSA), the governmental department which has refused to help him in the transition. Biden also said that he has already decided on the name of the next Treasury Secretary and will make the announcement around Thanksgiving. You will soon hear my choice for Treasury. I have made that decision. We have made that decision and you will hear that either just before or after Thanksgiving, he said. You will find it is someone who I think will be accepted by all elements of the Democratic Party from progressive to the moderate coalitions, Biden added.

First Published:Nov 20, 2020 8:14 AM IST