Rubio on peaceful transfer of power: ‘We will have a legitimate & fair election’

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) vowed on Thursday that the U.S. would have a legitimate election in November and a peaceful transfer of power next year should Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden win, a day after President Trump refused to commit to such a scenario.

In a tweet early Thursday morning, the Florida senator wrote that the November election would be “legitimate & fair,” though he cautioned “it may take longer than usual to know the outcome.”

“And at noon on Jan 20,2021 we will peacefully swear in the President,” he continued.

As we have done for over two centuries we will have a legitimate & fair election

It may take longer than usual to know the outcome,but it will be a valid one

And at noon on Jan 20,2021 we will peacefully swear in the President

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) September 24, 2020

His tweet comes the morning after Trump caused controversy with his comments at a White House press briefing refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power should the election results indicate a victory for his opponent, instead telling reporters that he’ll “see what happens” and again raising baseless claims about mail-in ballot fraud.

“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation,” Trump said on Wednesday. “The ballots are out of control. You know it, and you know who knows it better than anyone else? The Democrats know it better than anyone else.”

The comments were a lightning rod in Washington as both Democrats and some of Trump’s occasional GOP critics blasted his refusal to commit to peacefully handing over the White House should he lose.

“This is how democracy dies,” tweeted Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). “A president so desperate to cling to power that he won’t commit to a peaceful transition of power.”

“Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus. Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable,” added Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the only GOP senator to vote for the president’s removal from office during his impeachment trial earlier this year.