GOP Lawmakers Double Down: ‘Media Do Not Get to Determine Who the President Is’

Allies of President Trump doubled down after several media outlets declared Joe Biden (D) the victor of the 2020 presidential election, stressing that the media “do not get to determine who the president is” and emphasizing that the election is far from over.

Several media outlets called the race for Biden on Saturday, including CNN, MSNBC, and the Associated Press. Celebrations immediately followed on social media, but a few allies of the president warned that the cries of victory are premature.

“The media do not get to determine who the president is,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said. “The people do. When all lawful votes have been counted, recounts finished, and allegations of fraud addressed, we will know who the winner is”:

The media do not get to determine who the president is. The people do. When all lawful votes have been counted, recounts finished, and allegations of fraud addressed, we will know who the winner is

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) November 7, 2020

“No matter what the media tells you, this is NOT over. It’s not over until every LEGAL vote is counted. This is America. We the PEOPLE decide who our next President is. NOT the media,” Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) said as the celebration erupted across social media:

No matter what the media tells you, this is NOT over.

It’s not over until every LEGAL vote is counted.

This is America. We the PEOPLE decide who our next President is.

NOT the media.

— Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) November 7, 2020

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) stressed that the election “isn’t over until all legal votes are counted and certified.”

“There are still serious legal challenges that have been made, and until that process is resolved, the election is not final,” he added:

The election isn’t over until all legal votes are counted and certified. There are still serious legal challenges that have been made, and until that process is resolved, the election is not final.

The American people deserve a fair and transparent process.

— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) November 7, 2020

On Friday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) vowed that Republicans “will not back down from this battle”:

Far from over. Republicans will not back down from this battle.

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 6, 2020

President Trump has maintained a similar tone.

“We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed,” Trump wrote in a statement on Saturday.

“Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media,” he added.

Rudy Giuliani made it clear on Saturday that Trump will not concede when “at least 600,000 ballots are in question.”