Donald Trump has come the closest yet to acknowledging he lost the US presidential election, almost a week after the vote was called for Democrat Joe Biden.
Mr Trump and his campaign have refused to concede the election, using social media and news conferences to baselessly allege widespread voter fraud.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday about the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Trump said his administration would not put the US into lockdown.
“Ideally we won’t go to a lockdown,” he said. “I will not go. This administration will not be going to a lockdown.”
“Hopefully the, the, uh, whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration will be, I guess time will tell, but I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown.”
Mr Trump then stood by while several other speakers addressed the administration’s response to the pandemic, which has left more than 243,000 people dead in the United States.
He then left the event without responding to reporters who were shouting questions such as, “When will you admit you lost the election, sir?”
Mr Trump’s stubborn refusal to concede has thrown a spanner in the works of a smooth transition to the next administration.
US networks projected on Friday that Mr Biden won the state of Georgia, giving him 306 votes in the Electoral College that determines the White House winner. Mr Trump finished with 232.
Mr Trump’s legal team has also filed lawsuits in key battleground states, though several of those have already been thrown out.
With AFP.
