In the months leading up to the 2020 election, many wondered how Donald Trump would handle an impending defeat. Would he accept the results and bow out with dignity? Or, would he take the less graceful route and refuse to concede?
According to CNN, the president has refused to prepare a concession speech despite Joe Biden's expanding lead. Some outlets have already declared Biden the president-elect; However, Trump and his team have continued to delegitimize the results by making baseless claims about ballot fraud. He's also indicated that the outcome of the election should be determined by the court rather than the reported vote counts.
"This is no longer about any single election. This is about the integrity of our entire election process," he wrote in a statement to CNN on Friday. "We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee the American people have confidence in our government. I will never give up fighting for you and our nation."
Sources tell CNN some of the president's aides and allies are encouraging him to pursue litigation before giving any thought to conceding.
"He's in fighting mode," a source close to the White House said. "He thinks it's in his benefit to fight."
Though it's possible, a number of legal experts say it is unlikely for Trump to successfully steal the election through the highest court. Why? Because the lawsuits he's filed in battleground states would do very little to change the outcome.
But there's still a chance that Trump could refuse to leave the Oval Office after exhausting all his legal options. Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, believes that will be easily handled though.
"The US government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House," he stated.
