White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said on Wednesday that Republicans are “not going to accept the results of these elections” for the coming Tuesday midterms.

The question came from Kelly O’Donnell when she asked about Biden’s speech on Wednesday night: “To what degree could you characterize how much the Pelosi attack influence the President’s decision to give this address tonight?” Kelly O’Donnell asked. “How much of a catalyst is that? And kind of as a related question, has the President made any personal outreach or considered making personal outreach, to Republican leaders to ask them for a more forceful response to condemn that attack and other violence? I understand the power of the bully pulpit tonight, but has he done any direct contact to Republicans?”

Karine Jean-Pierre: "The President is making this speech because we're seeing an alarming number of Republican officials who are saying—they're being very clear—they're not going to accept the results of these elections." pic.twitter.com/q1AOMDlk9g

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) November 2, 2022

I’m going to start with the last one first. It should not be controversial, to speak out against political violence. It should be something as political, as political leaders should automatically do in a forceful way. And you all have reported on what happened to Paul Pelosi and how horrific it was and how devastating it was and how dangerous that action was.

“And the rhetoric that we’re seeing, that rise of rhetoric that we are seeing, you know, you have people out there who listen, and who take that rhetoric very seriously. And so the President believes that it shouldn’t have to, he shouldn’t have to call them to say, ‘hey, you need to condemn, condemn what happened a little more forcefully.’ That is something that should just be something that’s automatic, and they should just do that. But the President, again, is making the speech because we’re seeing an alarming number of Republican officials who are saying they’re being very clear. They’re not going to accept the results of these elections. That’s a problem,” she said, adding that democracy was being “attack[ed].”

“The President has been very clear. We need to protect our democracy. We need to strengthen our democracy. And he feels it is important as the President of the United States to continue to speak to this guest given the stakes,” she said.