Joe Biden no relation democracy
North America
United States
A peaceful transition of power has historically been the norm in United States presidential transitions. The transition from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson in 1801 was considered an important milestone for the United States fledgling democracy. From then until 2020, the losing party in every presidential election "willingly and peacefully" relinquished power to the opposition. The transition is institutionalized through symbolic acts like the presidential inaugurations. Outgoing U.S. presidents traditionally attend the inaugurations of their successors, a symbol of the peaceful passage of power from one administration to the next.During the 2020 presidential elections, experts described a risk of democratic backsliding in the U.S., as President Donald Trump publicly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost his election bid. In September 2020, after Trump's statements, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution committing to a peaceful transition of power and opposing any attempt "by the President or any person in power to overturn the will of the people of the United States"; many senators cited the peaceful transition of power's centrality to U.S. democracy. Business leaders also made statements calling for a peaceful transfer.Trump was defeated in the 2020 election by Joe Biden in both the popular vote and the electoral vote, but refused to accept defeat. Trump falsely claimed election fraud, initiated a seven-part plan to overturn the election, and engaged in an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to remain in power.
Trump's fellow Republicans had varied reactions to Trump's false election-fraud claims. Trump stated on 15 October 2020 that he would accept a peaceful transfer (after a long period of ambiguous answers to the question) while still falsely alleging fraud and waging a legal battle to attempt to overturn the election results.On January 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob, inflamed by false claims, attacked the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in a failed attempt to keep Trump in power. The mob disrupted the counting of the electoral votes by a joint session of Congress for several hours. Five people died either shortly before, during, or following the attack. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted that "if this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral." On 7 January 2021, Trump condemned the riots and committed to the peaceful transition of power, although since leaving office he has continued to routinely repeat election lies and defend the riots.
no relation