If you listen to the mainstream media, the race for the presidency is already over. The reality is that there are a lot of things left to be done, from finishing the counting of ballots in Arizona, to recounts in other states, to court challenges over voting irregularities. And though even some on the right want Trump to concede now (predictably and unfortunately), there is absolutely no reason for him to do so until he’s exhausted every option at his disposal.

On that note, President Trump released a new statement this afternoon on the state of the race. In my opinion, it hits all the right notes.

'This is no longer about any single election…' New, less combative, statement from President Trump: pic.twitter.com/2RyRvdLXQs

— Byron York (@ByronYork) November 6, 2020

Any media outlet, commentator, or politician demanding Trump simply fold up shop should be completely ignored. Just because the odds are longer than Republicans would like does not mean they are impossible and shouldn’t be tested. As the President outlines here, this is no longer just about his re-election. This is about a lack of integrity and credibility hampering the entire election system right now.

It is absolutely idiotic to ever have a situation where ballots are allowed to arrive after Election Day and be counted. It is one thing to make an exception for military ballots. It is another it allow non-postmarked ballots to flow in for days with zero accountability, as is happening in Pennsylvania right now because of an awful court ruling. If someone wants to vote early, they should be required to have their ballot in by Election Day. If it doesn’t arrive in time, they should be expected to go vote in person. In fact, just to be safe, I’d set a deadline for early vote arrivals up to three days prior to the election. That way they can start counting them and have the results ready for election night. The current system across many states has led to results still be tabulated days, and in some cases weeks later. That is unacceptable and the stuff you’d expect from a banana republic.

I ranted a bit about that this morning.

Allowing ballots that aren’t military to be sent after Election Day is freaking stupid. If you want to mail in a ballot, it should have to be there on time, otherwise go vote in person. This insanity where leads dwindle away four days after an election is banana republic crap.

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) November 6, 2020

Trump finishes by pledging to continue fighting via every legal aspect available to him. That is the right attitude. This is not the time to fold up shop and start talking about letting Joe Biden have a cabinet, which is something Lindsey Graham did today. It’s the time to stay calm, be methodical, and follow this thing through. There’s plenty of room for analysis of other aspects of the race and the future, including the House and Senate. RedState will continue to cover those aspects because they matter, but there’s also room to keep the pressure on in the presidential race, which is simply not over yet. Trump is doing just that, and a majority of Republicans are behind him.

(Please follow me on Twitter! @bonchieredstate)