Paul Ryan calls for Trump to accept results: ‘The election is over’

Former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is calling for President Trump to accept the election results and move forward with a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden. 

While speaking at the Bank of America’s virtual European Credit Conference on Tuesday, Ryan said he believes it’s time for Trump to acknowledge that “the General Services Administration ascertained the election” so Biden can begin the process of populating his future administration.

The Wisconsin Republican then called for the Trump campaign to end its legal challenges in multiple swing states, noting they have failed to produce evidence of voter fraud.  

“I think maybe even more important is that these legal challenges to the outcome and the attacks on our voting system really need to stop, in my opinion,” he said, as first reported by Politico.

“The outcome will not be changed, and it will only serve to undermine our faith in our system of government, our faith in our democracy,” he added.  

Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, said he understands the disappointment of losing an election, but he’s confident that the results are correct and the unfounded claims of Trump’s legal team are “doing damage to our country, to our democratic institutions and norms.” 

“It is not pleasant, and I know there are a lot of people in this country who are really disappointed. But I think it’s really important that we’re clear about this, which is the mere fact that the president’s lawyers throw these sort of baseless conspiracy theories out at press conferences but offer no evidence of these in court tells you that there is not the kind of widespread voter fraud or systemic voter fraud that would be required to overturn the outcome of this election,” he said. 

“So, the election is over. The outcome is certain, and I really think the orderly transfer of power — that is one of the most uniquely fundamental American components of our political system,” he added.  

Ryan joins a growing number of GOP lawmakers and former lawmakers — including his former running mate Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) — calling for Trump to move on and accept the results.

A day earlier, the General Services Administration began the process of the presidential transition, but Trump still refuses to concede the election, which was called for Biden weeks ago.