Elections in the United States: Cracks appear in the Republican wall when Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat to Joe Biden

Republicans have largely followed the line when it comes to supporting US President Donald Trump, as he refuses to admit his electoral defeat to Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

But a few are breaking ranks and encouraging him to come to terms with reality and allow for a smooth presidential transition.

For more than a week, Trump has asserted, without proof, a series of claims including that election observers were denied access from counting rooms, that voter tabulation machines had been hacked, and that the election was “rigged”.

The Trump campaign has filed some 16 lawsuits in numerous US states, in an attempt to block the certification of President-elect Joe Biden from the Electoral College.

On Saturday, his team lost cases in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and he abandoned one of his challenges in Arizona.

On Sunday, the president appeared to acknowledge that he had lost the election to Biden in a tweet. But then he doubled down on the previous statements, saying, “We will win.”

John Bolton, the president’s former national security adviser, urged Republicans to acknowledge that their leader was defeated in the election.

“He will come out of the Oval Office, but he will not do it kindly, and in the meantime he will do a lot of damage,” Bolton warned.

“I think it is very important that the leaders of the Republican Party explain to our voters, that they are not as stupid as the Democrats think, that, in fact, Trump has lost the election and that his claims of voter fraud are unfounded.”

Bolton dismissed Trump’s litigation efforts, calling them “the legal equivalent of throwing pennies.” He warned that the president’s efforts to block a smooth transition for the incoming administration could be a danger to the country’s national security.

Several other Republicans have joined the call for a smooth presidential transition.

Lt. Gen. HR McMaster, another former national security adviser to the president, called Trump’s claims about the election “incorrect.”

“What the president is saying in this tweet, it’s just wrong, it’s regrettable, it’s counterproductive,” McMaster told CNN. “I think our democracy could be stronger than ever.”

Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson also said in an interview that he hoped Biden would become the next president.

“I hope Joe Biden is the next president of the United States. In fact, it was good to see President Trump tweet that he won. I think that’s the beginning, the beginning of an acknowledgment,” Hutchinson said.

“And it’s very important for Joe Biden to have access to intelligence reports to make sure he’s prepared.

“In times of transition, our enemies have the opportunity to take advantage of us and we want to make sure there is a smooth transition.”

Another Trump supporter, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, said it was important that the presidential transition begin, regardless of Trump’s legal battles.

“I think we have to have faith in our judicial system and faith in our electoral system,” DeWine said. He added that the president has “every right” to present legal challenges in court.

“On the other hand, we now know that Joe Biden is president-elect, and that the transition for the good of the country is important.

“And the president can follow this other path, this legal path, we can respect that. But we also have to start that process.”

Some 150 former senior national security, military and elected officials also wrote to Emily W. Murphy, head of the General Services Administration, urging her to acknowledge the victory of Biden and Kamala Harris.

Murphy is the officer in charge of facilitating the transition.

The letter, sent Thursday, warned: “Further delaying the transition represents a serious risk to our national security.”