First lady Jill Biden emphasized the importance of a “peaceful transfer of power” in January in an article from NBC News that published Friday.
“I think we have to vote. As Americans, you know, that’s a right that we’ve been given, and I think we have to take advantage of that, and then we have to have a peaceful transfer of power,” she proclaimed.
The first lady, NBC reported, had been asked what she would tell the country “during a toxic campaign season.”
After President Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election, Trump refused to accept the results of the presidential race.
On Jan. 6, 2021, the day the 2020 election would be certified, Trump rallied supporters in Washington, many of whom marched to the Capitol and ransacked it. There have been multiple deaths tied to the attack, and roughly 1,000 arrests have been made in connection with it.
Trump’s allies have been accused in several criminal cases of backing a scheme in battleground states to create slates of fake electors. Trump himself faces election interference charges in Georgia.
To date, Trump, continues to question the results of the 2020 election. The former president and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), have either not confirmed they would accept the outcome of the 2024 election, or they have said they would do so only conditionally.
During his only presidential debate with Vice President Harris, Trump again attempted to sow doubts about 2020 results.
“There’s so much proof,” he said last week. “All you have to do is look at it.”
This summer, polling showed that Americans fear an election cycle with political violence. In a survey taken just after the first attempted assassination of former President Trump, a majority said the current political climate makes violence more likely.
The first lady also told NBC her husband and her family are at “peace” and waiting for “someone else” to “take the reins” after Biden suspended his campaign in July and endorsed the vice president.
“I think there’s so many things that are still going on in the world that are pretty heavy,” she said. “But hopefully as time goes on, that’ll ease back a bit and somebody else will take the reins.”