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U.K. foreign secretary Dominic Raab appeared on the BBC on Wednesday morning.
Nicholas Kamm/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
The U.K.’s foreign secretary wouldn’t comment on President Donald Trump’s allegations of election fraud as the race for the American presidency remains undecided, instead reiterating his faith in the strength of U.S. institutions.
Dominic Raab adopted a cautious, wait-and-see attitude on the election results in a national television appearance on the BBC, the U.K.’s national broadcaster.
“It is a very close election, we’re watching with great interest, it is for the American people to decide,” Raab said. “Whatever the election night comments from either side of the campaigns, I am confident and have full faith in the U.S. institutions.”
Raab’s appearance came just an hour after a speech from Trump at the White House, where the president claimed victory and said the election is “a fraud on the American public.”
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In his speech, Trump vowed to take an election fight to the Supreme Court, as millions of ballots remain uncounted in a number of crucial states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. This year saw record numbers of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Just after midnight on Wednesday, Biden told supporters that the election “ain’t over until every vote is counted, every ballot is counted.”
By early Wednesday, the election for the next president was on a knife’s edge, with neither candidate having enough electoral votes for a victory. Former Vice President Biden was narrowly leading with 238 electoral votes to Trump’s 213, according to Associated Press race calls.
Raab highlighted the uncertainty, saying “we may not know the definitive results for hours if not days.”
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When pressed by the BBC to comment directly on Trump’s speech, and his allegations of election fraud, Raab declined.
“You’re asking me to comment on the campaign commentary from both sides and indeed the pundits, which forgive me, I’ll refrain from doing,” said the foreign secretary.
Raab also said that the close ties between the U.K. and the U.S., dubbed the “special relationship,” would endure no matter the result.
“I am very confident that regardless of whether there is a Republican or Democrat win, the British-U.S. relationship is in great shape,” Raab said.
His Conservative Party, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has attempted warm relations with Trump’s Republican administration as the U.K. seeks renewed alliances as it leaves the European Union.
