Crédito: fuente
Kushner, the President’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has approached him to concede, two sources told CNN. The first lady, according to a separate source familiar with the conversations, has privately said the time has come for him to accept the election loss.
Meanwhile, Trump’s two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, have urged allies to continue pressing on and they have pushed Republicans and supporters to publicly reject the results even as CNN and other news organizations projected the race for Biden on Saturday.
The President, who was at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, on Saturday when the race was called, has not denied the outcome of the election privately even as he does so publicly, sources told CNN. But he’s continuing to push his attorneys to pursue legal challenges that would delay formal certification of the results, and he has made no public indication that he is ready to accept the results of the election.
Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller in a tweet Sunday morning denied that Kushner has approached Trump, although CNN stands by its reporting. «This story is not true,» said Miller. «Jared has advised @realDonaldTrump to pursue all available legal remedies to ensure accuracy.»
«I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands,» Trump said in the statement, which explains that the campaign’s legal battle will begin Monday.
Biden-Harris deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said Saturday night that there had been no communication between Biden and Trump, or between any representatives from either campaign, since the race was called earlier in the day.
And Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on «State of The Union» Sunday that «a number of Republicans from the Hill have reached out,» but said, «I don’t believe anyone from the White House has.»
Meanwhile, some members of Trump’s party on Sunday vocalized their opposition to the President conceding the election, urging him not to do so.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the President’s closest allies in the Senate, said «the President should not concede» during an interview on Fox News.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who was also Trump’s one-time primary rival, also advised against concession, saying it would be «premature.»
And Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of Republican leadership in the Senate, would not acknowledge on Sunday that Biden is the President-elect, citing both the legal challenges initiated by Trump’s lawyers in states across the country and the ongoing vote counting process as reasons.
Trump’s adult sons push ahead in fight
Beyond public posturing on social media, both Don Jr. and Eric Trump have been digging in their heels, seeking to drum up broad GOP support for contesting the election results and telling allies they genuinely believe the election was fraudulent.
In recent conversations, Eric Trump has told allies he believes the election was «stolen from us,» according to a source familiar with his comments, and vowed to fight to overturn the results.
And in the days since Don Jr. called out Republicans — and in particular «2024 GOP hopefuls» — for not offering sufficient backing to the President’s claims, the eldest son has been waging a lobbying effort among senators and governors to release supportive statements, according to people familiar with the conversations.
So far there has been only a moderate wave of outward support from Republicans, though some — including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Republican whip Steve Scalise — have said the President’s legal maneuvers must be resolved before the election can be called. And South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is said to be considering a run in 2024, appeared Sunday on ABC to say the President deserves his day in court.
Many other Republicans are also growing frustrated with the pressure campaign and lack of evidence of voter fraud thus far presented by the Trump team, with some prominent Republicans urging the President’s team to put up or shut up.
But Trump’s sons are not alone in encouraging the President to wage legal war rather than concede. Meadows is also said to be encouraging an arduous legal fight as have Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and the President’s longtime political advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie.
The President has privately expressed frustration that some Republican leaders appear ready to move on from his race to focus on the Georgia election, people familiar with the conversations said, insisting they focus on him instead.
This headline and story have been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Caroline Kelly, Betsy Klein, Keith Allen, Chandelis Duster, Devan Cole and Ali Main contributed to this report.
