Hogan Says Trump Should Accept Results Or Prove There Was Fraud

ANNAPOLIS, MD — It's been four days since former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was projected to win the presidential election. President Donald Trump (R) has not conceded to these unofficial results, which won't be finalized for several weeks.

Trump instead claims that widespread voter fraud robbed him of re-election. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) pushed back Wednesday, saying Trump should accept the outcome or offer evidence of the fraud.

"We have legal processes for a reason," Hogan said at a Wednesday press conference. "They can be challenged. They have every right to do that."

Though Hogan supports Trump's right to a court appeal, he has not seen any evidence of voter fraud. Hogan believes most Marylanders have followed his lead and accepted that a Biden presidency is on the horizon.

"This is the way it works in America," Hogan said. "We cast the votes, we count the votes and we live with the results."

Hogan worries how a challenged election will effect potential coronavirus relief. The governor has called on Congress to pass a second stimulus package, but he has had little luck.

The money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security Act expires at the end of the year. This ticking clock has escalated Hogan's urgency.

With few rumblings on the national level, Hogan unveiled his own $250 million aid initiative in October. This stimulus, which draws from Maryland's rainy day fund, will help businesses stay open as coronavirus cases surge at their fastest rate yet.

This won't be enough, Hogan said. The governor still seeks federal help, but he doesn't think that will be possible without a stable transition.

"It's crazy," Hogan said. "We've got to move on."

Trump Alleges Fraud

Trump has asserted that ballots received after Election Day will not be counted. He does not control when states stop accepting votes.

Local laws typically allow states to take ballots until a specified date shortly after the election. These ballots must be placed in a dropbox or postmarked by Election Day, however. That means these added counts are legal.

Still, Trump is angry. He tweeted that Democrats are "trying to STEAL the Election" and demanded that states "STOP THE COUNT!"

Trump's campaign also filed several lawsuits in battleground states, hoping to stop ballot counts and add liberties for those watching vote tallies. The lawsuits have seen a mixed bag of success, but judges have thrown out many of Trump's cases. The few that stuck offered Trump little wiggle room.

"This is a fraud on the American public," Trump said in a speech last Wednesday. "We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election."

No major news outlet has projected that Trump won the election.

Maryland Election Results

Biden currently leads Trump in Maryland. The former vice president has 1,732,320 votes to the president's 906,094. The Associated Press projected on election night that Biden will win the state.

The Maryland State Board of Elections still has to count between 306,000 and 470,000 mail-in ballots. This tally is due by Friday, when Maryland is scheduled to release its official election results.

RELATED:

• Hogan Reduces Restaurant, Bar Capacity As Coronavirus Cases Spike
• As Trump Says 'Stop The Count,' Hogan Preaches Patience
• As Federal Coronavirus Aid Stalls, Hogan Helps Small Businesses
• Election Results: Biden Wins MD, Congressmen Keep Seats
• MD Congressional Election Results: Mfume, Hoyer, Harris, Sarbanes

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