For Blunt, it’s still ‘the person who is sworn in on Inauguration Day,’ not Joe Biden
Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said the group is planning a “normal” January 20 event despite concerns about the coronavirus.
“We’re moving forward, anticipating an outside, full-scale inauguration that’s easier to scale back than to scale up,” Blunt said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” Then he added:
“And we’re going to be talking to people this week about that very topic and hope that the person who’s sworn in on inaugural day sees it as a great day ... ”
The AP and numerous other news organizations called the election for former vice president Joe Biden on Saturday. President Donald Trump has yet to concede and his legal team has been filing lawsuits in both state and federal courts.
Blunt, however, remains one of numerous senior Republicans who are supporting Trump’s efforts to contest the election. He was asked directly by Stephanopoulos why he wouldn’t acknowledge that Biden had won.
“Well, what I said on Friday and what Chris Christie said just a few minutes ago on this show is, it’s time for the president’s lawyers to present the facts,” Blunt said, “and then it’s time for those facts to speak for themselves.”
Blunt also shared his belief that any challenges would probably not swing the projected result.
“Almost every state within seven to ten days of the election goes through that entire canvas. There are always some changes,” Blunt said. “Seems unlikely that any changes could be big enough to make a difference. But this is a close election, and we need to acknowledge that.”
Regardless of who wins, Blunt expects both Trump and Biden to attend Jan. 20’s Inauguration Day.
“I think we’re going to project to the world that democracy works,” Blunt said. “I’m confident we’re going to see that. I expect to see both vice president Biden and President Trump on the stage on Inaugural Day, and that will be a powerful message, no matter which one of them is sworn in that day.”
