Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat, is being asked privately by Republicans to congratulate Joseph R. Biden while President Trump contests the results of their White House race, he said Tuesday.
“They call me to say, you know, ’Congratulations, please convey my well wishes to the President-elect, but I can’t say that publicly yet,’” Mr. Coons said on CNN’s “New Day” program.
Various news agencies projected Mr. Biden to be the winner of the U.S. presidential election Saturday.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the week since the election came to an end, and few other Republicans have publicly acknowledged its outcome, however.
Mr. Coons, who holds the Senate seat Mr. Biden vacated upon becoming vice president in 2010, added he plans to continue privately encouraging Republicans to help Mr. Trump “accept reality.”
“Time is up for President Trump to accept the judgment of the American voters,” Mr. Coons said elsewhere during the interview.
“I think it is time, past time, for Republican leaders to stand up and say we should accept the results of this election, and I continue to work with colleagues to urge them to do so,” he added.
Only four Republican colleagues of Mr. Coons — Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska — have publicly congratulated Mr. Biden so far.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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