US elections: Donald Trump ‘downcast’ likely to give in to Biden, says CNN

US President Donald Trump is “dejected” over his electoral defeat to Joe Biden and those close to him believe it is only a matter of time before he gives in, reports CNN.

The network, citing “anonymous people who spoke to him,” said the president was “digressing hour and day” between wanting to keep fighting for the result and “a more resigned attitude that his efforts will ultimately fail.”

CNN said “almost everyone close to Trump” believed it was “only a matter of time” before he accepted that he would not be president on January 20, but that he would continue to blame his loss on a “rigged election.”

“It could be days. It could be weeks,” a presidential adviser reportedly told CNN.

It comes days after Fox News reported that Trump would grant and execute a peaceful transfer of power if his legal challenges weren’t enough.

The Trump campaign continues to fight the election results through a combination of court cases and requests for official counts and audits, but aides have warned the president that his chances of victory are slim as internal debate rages on. on the wisdom of continuing the legal battle.

Biden was declared president-elect by the media over the weekend after garnering 290 votes in the electoral college, more than the 270 needed for victory.

Trump, who currently has 217 votes in the electoral colleges, would need to reverse the outcome in the key battlefield states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada to win re-election.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday (NZT Thursday), Biden said it was “a shame” that Trump refused to concede, adding: “I don’t think it will help the president’s legacy.”

According to CNN, a possible date that Trump could decide to disconnect is next Friday, November 20, the deadline for Georgia to complete its manual recount and certify its election results.

The network said a “senior” Republican Senate official said Thursday that the party’s leadership had told senators that they expected the current situation to drag on “no more than one more week,” although lawmakers close to Trump acknowledge that they have little information about your strategy.

Even her own children are reportedly giving their father conflicting advice. Don Jr and Eric urge him to keep fighting, while Ivanka encourages him to consider whether his legacy and potentially his business is worth damaging.

The president made his first official public appearance since his projected election defeat on Wednesday, traveling to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for a wreath ceremony to mark Veterans Day.

Along with First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence, he stood in the pouring rain for the ceremony, during which he saluted to show his respect for fallen United States soldiers.

The president placed his hand on the crown and was silent for several seconds. He was there for a total of about six minutes and made no comment.

Trump’s last public comments were on Friday, where he held a press conference to claim that he had “won easily” and that Democrats were trying to “steal the election” from us with “illegal votes.”

So far, the Trump campaign has not provided definitive evidence of widespread election fraud, but it has produced hundreds of affidavits for its court filings in which poll workers and other observers claim they witnessed nefarious activity.