As of this writing, polls in many states have been closed in the 2020 presidential election for three days. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic and a flood of mail-in votes, along with the razor tight margins in a number of states, have meant that we do not know if Republican president Donald Trump will get a second term or Democratic nominee Joe Biden will ascend to the presidency.
While Biden leads in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania — the latter of which on its own would give him the White House — prognosticators at every major outlet (with the exception of the AP and Fox News calling Arizona for Biden on election night) have left all of those uncalled. Votes are still being counted in every state, and many are frustrated that the call has not been made.
On Friday night, CNN’s Jake Tapper called on his beloved NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, to explain what’s going on. Tapper used a slogan that has been used by Sixers fans for years to preach patience as votes are counted.
.@jaketapper with the “Trust The Process” on air
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— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) November 7, 2020
Tapper was raised in Philly and considers “attending Dr. J’s last home Sixers game” as one of his favorite memories from his childhood. For why it’s taking so long to count votes in Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers in the state resisted efforts to allow votes to be counted early, as is the case in other states. As for why it’s taking so long to bring an NBA championship to Pennsylvania, those who say “trust the process” will frequently point to the resignation of former general manager Sam Hinkie in 2016. It is unclear if Tapper is one such Sixers fan — Jake, if you read this, please, let us know.