Trump officials called Democrats ‘sore losers’ in 2016 for questioning election results

Back then, they decried election recount requests. Now, after nearly two weeks, Trump still hasn't conceded.

Following the 2016 presidential race, in which Donald Trump bested Hillary Clinton in the electoral college while losing the popular vote by three million ballots, Republican victors mocked Democrats as “sore losers.” 

Their comments came as Democrats questioned Russian interference in the election, which reportedly was intended to help Trump win, and after Green Party candidate Jill Stein embarked on several recounts in battleground states that proved unsuccessful. 

In a December 2016 photo from his post-election “thank-you” rally tour, President-elect Donald Trump addresses an audience at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

Dismayed at these efforts, Republicans like Kayleigh McEnany, a CNN contributor at the time, opined: “You have people trying to delegitimize the president-elect of the United States right now. You have people out there that are calling for recounts that are unsubstantiated based on no evidence.” 

However, just days ago, McEnany, who is doubling as press secretary for the White House and spokesperson for outgoing President Trump’s failed re-election campaign, waved hundreds of affidavits alleging election misconduct on Fox News. 

Examined by several major news outlets, these statements are mostly complaints about rude looks or vague suspicions. One woman lamented that a man of “intimidating size” was wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. 

That Republicans are making a complete about-face is to no surprise to anyone. However, it is rather stunning on its face to watch. 

Back then, Matt Schlapp, a Trump ally, called Clinton a “sore loser” who needs to “get out of the way and let Donald Trump be President.” 

Clinton conceded the morning after the election. 

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Now, it has been nearly two weeks, and Trump has yet to concede. Further, 12 lawsuits filed in various states have been rejected by judges. 

CNN’s K-File, run by reporter Andrew Kaczynski, is the receipts section of the popular news site. In a new report, he found statements from 2016 of top Republican leaders condemning the very behavior they are engaging in four years later. 

“They have to decide whether they’re going to interfere with him finishing his business, interfere with the peaceful transition, transfer of power to President-elect Trump and Vice-President-elect Pence, or if they’re going to be a bunch of crybabies and sore losers about an election they can’t turn around,” said Kellyanne Conway. 

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His report goes on and on like that. 

Part of the detailing may have been inspired by an awesome supercut video created by The Daily Show that showed Fox hosts and other Republicans mocking Democrats in 2018. 

Kaczynski retweeted the video on Monday. “This is so good,” he wrote.

It was shared another 23,000 times. 

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