U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, a Michigan Republican, acknowledged Monday that President Donald Trump lost the election and that he should concede defeat for “the good of the nation.”
“I will keep trying this... @realDonaldTrump legal challenges alleging fraud have failed due to lack of evidence,” Mitchell, of Dryden, tweeted. “Recounts may change numbers slightly - not enough to change the outcome. The good of this nation requires an effective transition. Let’s just deal with it."
I will keep trying this...@realDonaldTrump legal challenges alleging fraud have failed due to lack of evidence. Recounts may change numbers slightly - not enough to change the outcome. The good of this nation requires an effective transition. Let’s just deal with it.
— Rep. Paul Mitchell (@RepPaulMitchell) November 16, 2020
Mitchell, who did not run for reelection, is among a notably small number of Republicans to publicly acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election.
In July 2019, when Trump suggested four Democratic congresswomen of color should “go back” to their own countries, Mitchell also spoke out about Trump’s combative rhetoric.
"We must be better than comments like these," he tweeted. “I share the political frustrations with some members of the other party, but these comments are beneath leaders.”
Asked last year why he wasn’t running for reelection, Mitchell said he wanted to spend more time with his children and that he was tired of partisan bickering.
"You look at the rhetoric and vitriol, it overwhelms policy, politics becomes the norm," he told Politico. "Everything’s about politics. Everything’s about an election. And at some point of time, that’s not why I came here."
Meanwhile, Trump declared Monday morning on Twitter, “I won the election!”
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