Topline
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday came as close as he’s ever been to conceding his 2020 election loss in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, also claiming he is rooting for President Joe Biden’s success on the world stage.
Key Facts
Trump said that although he did “much better” in 2020 than he did in 2016 in terms of total votes, “we didn’t win,” adding that the result was “shocking.”
Earlier in the interview, Trump had alluded to his repeated, baseless claims of widespread fraud in the election by claiming it was “unbelievably unfair.”
Trump also professed to wanting Biden to succeed in international diplomacy, claiming he wants him to “go out and do well for our country” but adding that his recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin was “terrible.”
Trump touted his “good relationship” with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin, claiming he and Putin “get along” but that he was “so tough” on the Russian strongman despite widespread criticism of his handling of Russia.
The former president also signaled more endorsements ahead for 2022 candidates, claiming his endorsement “means more than any endorsement that has ever been given by anybody.”
Key Background
Though he acknowledged in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 election that he would be leaving office, Trump has typically stopped short of conceding that he lost the election legitimately. Recently, he has returned to loudly proclaiming the election was stolen through widespread fraud – despite repeated rejections of those claims by the courts – and pouring his hopes into bizarre election audits in key states.
Tangent
Trump also reportedly believes the audits will lead to his reinstatement as president, as well as the reinstatements of several GOP senators ousted in 2020, such as David Perdue of Georgia and Martha McSally of Arizona. He hasn’t expressed such a belief publicly, but he hinted at it in a GOP fundraising video earlier this month by stating Republicans will take back the White House and Congress “sooner than you think.”
What To Watch For
Trump has begun a return to the national political stage, headlining a North Carolina GOP event earlier this month where he endorsed Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) to replace retiring Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Trump on Wednesday announced a June 26 rally in Ohio to campaign for his former aide Max Miller, who is challenging Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in January.
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