President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the U.S. election was an “embarrassment” that will reflect poorly on his legacy.
“I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly,” Biden said when asked what he thinks about Trump’s refusal to acknowledge defeat in the November 3 election.
“How can I say this tactfully,” Biden told reporters. “I think it will not help the president’s legacy.”
Biden, however, downplayed Trump’s refusal to assist with the transition toward a new U.S. administration.
“The fact that they’re not willing to acknowledge we won at this point is not of much consequence in our planning,” Biden said.
Separately, he said he had told several world leaders that “America is back.”
So far, Biden has spoken with a handful of leaders including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“I’m letting them know that America is back. We’re going to be back in the game. It’s not America alone,” Biden said, underlining a likely new approach to foreign policy under the incoming Democratic administration.