Republican Party may wait for January to say Biden won

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at a news conference following a weekly Senate Republican caucus meeting. A growing number of observers is calling on the GOP to do more to bring on an acceptance of Joe Biden’s election victory (Sarah Silbiger/Pool/AP)

Americans waiting for Republicans in Congress to acknowledge Joe Biden as president-elect may have to keep waiting until January as GOP leaders stick with President Donald Trump’s litany of legal challenges and unproven claims of fraud.

Tuesday’s deadline for states to certify their elections — once viewed as a pivot point for Republicans to mark Mr Biden’s win — came and went without much comment. Next week’s December 14 Electoral College deadline may produce just a few more congratulatory GOP calls to Mr Biden.