Philly Mayor: Trump Should 'Put His Big Boy Pants On'

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia officials provided an update on their effort to count the largest number of mail-in ballots ever in the city as the race for President of the United States tightens.

Mayor Jim Kenney, City Commissioners Lisa Deeley and Omar Sabir, and City Council President Darrel Clarke spoke to the media Friday afternoon in the Pennsylvania Convention Center atrium.

Kenney called on Trump to concede to former Vice President Joe Biden, who has 3,307,571 votes in Pennsylvania to Trump's 3,295,246. Pennsylvania has 124,160 outstanding mail-in ballots as of 1:15 p.m. Friday

When asked about Trump's claims of fraud, Kenney did not mince words. Trump needs to "put his big boy pants on" and accept he has lost the presidency, Kenney said.

Deeley said as of 12:30 p.m. Friday, 690,360 votes have been counted in Philadelphia.

Of those votes, 337,609 have been by mail and 353,021 were cast at polling places. According to the state, 23,222 mail-in ballots have not been counted in Philadelphia.

Deeley said mail-in ballots received after 8 p.m. Tuesday have been segregated from the rest of the mail-in ballots. Deeley could not provide a number on how many ballots have been segregated.

She also said about 40,000 overseas ballots are outstanding.

Deeley, Sabir, Kenney, and Clarke all thanked the election staff for their continued work to ensure votes are counted.

According to Deeley, while the machines counting ballots makes the process faster, there is still a human element that requires time.

Envelopes must be sorted, then opened, then the secrecy envelope is opened. The ballot is pulled from the secrecy envelope and prepared for the scanning machine.

Officials urged patience and calmness as the final tally is counted.

"Stay calm and above the fray," Kenney said. He went on to say what's been happening outside the convention center were a "Count Every Vote" group and Trump supporter group have been demonstrating has been peaceful.

"What we've seen outside the convention center is not anger and contention," he said, "but dancing and celebration."

Police have created a line between the two groups at 12th and Arch streets, but no incidents have been reported.

Clarke said the process ongoing at the convention center shows democracy works.

"To say this was a tumultuous year would be an understatement," he said. "But in spite of all that, democracy works."