DOMINIC Raab has refused to criticise Donald Trump for falsely claiming to have already won the election.
In an painful interview with the BBC, the Tory Foreign Secretary tried to say the President’s subversion of democracy was “commentary”.
He was speaking just minutes after an extraordinary early morning statement from Trump, where the tycoon claimed there had been widespread “fraud” in the election.
“This is a fraud on the American public,” Trump said. “This is an embarrassment to our country.”
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Trump added: “We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.”
He pledged to fight the results of the election at the Supreme Court, saying he wanted all “voting to stop”.
Raab was asked if it was time for the Tory government to “be distancing yourself right now from Donald Trump and what he said”.
“Look, it's a very close election,” Raab said. “We’re watching with great interest. It’s for the American people to decide and ultimately whatever the election night comments from either side of the campaign I'm confident and have full faith in the US institutions and the checks and balances in the US system that will produce a definitive result. So we’ll watch with interest but forgive me if I don't comment on the commentary.”
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When it was pointed out that this wasn’t commentary but rather “something that the President of the United States has said,” Raab doubled down.
“You are asking me to comment on the campaign commentary from both sides and indeed the pundits which, forgive me, I'll refrain from doing so.
“It’s a very close election. It's uncertain. We may not know the definitive result for hours if not days. But as I said I'm fully confident that the US system, with all its checks and balances in it, will produce a definitive result and we'll as a close friend of America watch and see how it turns out.”
"I'm confident and have full faith" US institutions will produce a "definitive result"
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 4, 2020
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says it may take "days rather than hours" to get a conclusive #Election2020 resulthttps://t.co/jLjAUP0uxN pic.twitter.com/Z51jcefhfM
He said the Government would “wait for the definitive result, we have full faith in the American system to produce one".
“It may take days rather than hours so we'll just have to be a bit more patient but we'll be there willing to and able and enthusiastic to work with our American friends and partners, irrespective of the outcome of the race”.
The election remains too close to call. While Trump has won some of the key battlegrounds, including Florida, Ohio and Iowa, there are still substantial numbers of votes to be counted in other states.
In a short speech to supporters Joe Biden said he was confident.
“We believe we are on track to win this election,” he said.
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