Republican Congressman Francis Rooney, of Florida, said during an interview on CNN on Monday that he doesn’t understand the unquestioning loyalty some of his fellow Republicans have for President Donald Trump.
“There will be books written about this hold that President Trump has over a lot of the Republican leadership, I don’t understand it,” Rooney told CNN’s Jim Sciutto when asked about why more GOP lawmakers haven’t come forward to acknowledge former Vice President Joe Biden’s (D) projected victory in the 2020 presidential election amid threats of legal challenges from the president
“It was never that way with previous Republican leaders, and I think the peaceful transfer of power is a critical element of our democracy,” he added.
A handful of Republican lawmakers including Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have released statements congratulating Biden on his victory, but the vast majority have remained silent among threats of legal challenges in several states where the president trails Biden closely in votes.
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Watch the interview below:
"There will be books written about this hold that President Trump has over a lot of the Republican leadership… I don't understand it," says GOP @RepRooney, who has publicly congratulated Biden and Harris.
"The peaceful transfer of power is a critical element of our democracy." pic.twitter.com/CpuE9zPxaz
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) November 9, 2020
