Former VP Al Gore Has A Message For Donald Trump
"Please do the right thing," the 2000 Democratic nominee pleads
For Vice President Al Gore, December 12, 2000, brought heartbreaking news.
The US Supreme Court delivered its history-making — yet endlessly controversial — decision, Bush v Gore, putting an end to what had been weeks of recounts in Florida as Gore had sought enough votes in the Sunshine State to turn aside Republican George W Bush's challenge in order to put Florida in his column and win what would become a razor-slim margin for the presidency.
Yet it was not to be. With that fateful Supreme Court decision, Bush would prevail in the Electoral College vote by the tinest of margins in Florida: just 537 out of approximately 5.8 million cast in the state.
It would become the first time in 112 years that the winner of the Electoral College wasn't also the popular vote getter on the road to the White House.
Yet, despite the fact that he won more than 500,000 more popular votes, Gore refused to play a sore loser. He didn't criticize the high court's decision, and he certainly didn't try to proclaim that the 2000 presidential election was somehow illegitimate.
Rather, Gore went before TV cameras and delivered an eloquent and gracious concession speech. Not only that, but in his waning days as vice president, it fell to Gore in his role as president of the Senate to preside over the certification of Electoral College votes.
And Gore oversaw the process with all of the dignity it deserves.
Gore knew that he was doing the right thing for the country.
Fast forward 20 years, and you find former president Donald Trump having taken an unfortunately much more negative — and harmful — direction.
Since before the first vote was counted, Trump has done nothing but baselessly lie his “Big Lie,” that somehow the 2020 election was stolen from him as the result of widespread Democratic fraud which never actually took place.
Even months out of office, Trump and his hardcore supporters continue to try to spread this fanciful tale, which only damages American democracy.
And, now, more than 20 years later, Gore publicly has delivered a message to Trump: presidential loser, to presidential loser.
Gore made his remarks during a recent interview with CNN.
"Well, I'm not sure that whatever I say to him would have any impact whatsoever. But just on the off chance that it would, I would say, 'Please do the right thing, acknowledge reality, stop hurting this country, stop undermining democracy, honor the great and honorable traditions of the United States of America,”' Gore said. "This cannot go on the way it is. Now, I will point out, Pamela, that it’s kind of a sideshow and people are turning off to it now, I really think they’re, beginning to, and Joe Biden's popularity continues to rise. Look at what he’s done in controlling the pandemic. Look at what he’s done in facilitating the incredible economic resurgence, with a very strong climate plan, going overseas and really bringing the respect for the United States back up again after it sunk to a historic low during the previous four years for reasons we all understand. I think he is really doing an outstanding job. He’s got a tough hand to play, but he’s playing it with great skill."