thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Fox News' Biggest Hosts Go Full Election Conspiracy For Trump

John Moore via Getty Images Supporters of President Donald Trump watched a video featuring one of his most vocal backers , Fox News host Sean Hannity , ahead of Trump 's arrival to a campaign rally on Oct. 30 in Waterford , Michigan .
It is a strange time at Fox News .
Caught between the reality that Democratic nominee Joe Biden is on pace to win the White House and an unwavering fealty to President Donald Trump , the network is divided between its decision desk reporting of the results and its marquee opinion hosts bent on discrediting those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s legitimacy .
The network ’ s decision desk called Arizona for Biden on election night ( with only The Associated Press joining it in doing so ) , and that provoked the severe ire of the Trump campaign .
As the vote count has continued in closely contested states , Fox News ’ daytime news anchors have noted Trump has no evidence for his claims of mass ballot fraud .
But during morning shows and in primetime , Fox News is airing a different story .
Hosts Tucker Carlson , Sean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom serve as informal advisors to Trump ― are using their platform to undermine the vote and sow distrust in the outcome .
On Thursday evening , the network ’ s evening coverage was marked by the hosts and various Republican officials and hosts spreading falsehoods that had initially only circulated among far-right conspiracy outlets , diehard Trump supporters and the social media accounts of the president ’ s adult sons .
Ingraham aired a segment featuring the widely debunked falsehood that Sharpie pens were given to voters in the swing state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , a conspiracy that had gained enormous traction on social media .
The segment featured a pro-Trump Arizona voter who claimed without evidence that her ballot was affected while Ingraham made false claims suggesting Democrats were possibly committing election fraud .
In reality , by the time the segment on Ingraham ’ s show aired , the Sharpie conspiracy has been widely discredited ― including by Arizona ’ s Republican attorney general who issued a statement saying “ we are now confident that the use of Sharpie markers did not result in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump won this election , so everyone who is listening : Do not be quiet , do not be silent about this .
We can not allow this to happen before our very eyes , ” McCarthy said .
Fox News has had a codependent relationship with Trump from well before he became president .
It ’ s his favorite network ― he calls in just to chat and often tweets about the same subjects its hosts are discussing on TV .
And the network promotes him and his messaging .
That could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loss for the president , break with him and air more critical content , as conservative news outlets such as The New York Post have .
But whether it ’ s because the opinion hosts are true believers or because they know many of their own viewers side with the president , Fox News ’ s opinion personalities are for now remaining loyal .
That means some tension with the decision desk , particularly after its Arizona call .
The move enraged the Trump campaign , prompting panic among aides and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior adviser and son-in-law , Jared Kushner , to Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch to plead for a retraction .
Murdoch refused to intervene , resulting in a visible rift between the openly Trump-loyalist hosts and decision desk head Arnon Mishkin .
Trump supporters have also expressed anger at the network ’ s call , and Republican protesters swarming vote-counting centers to rally around the president have chanted “ Fox News sucks ” as part of their efforts to intimidate election officials .
Carlson , Fox News ’ top-rated host , has repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an Arizona win , and condemned news organizations in general for making “ hasty calls ” about the election .
“ People are very concerned ” about the decision desk call , Carlson said on Wednesday .
Hannity ― who appeared in a Trump campaign ad endorsing him ― has repeated the president ’ s groundless accusations of voter fraud and , on his Thursday night broadcast , brought up the idea that Pennsylvania could have a “ do-over ” election .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , one of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania ’ s largest city , Philadelphia , “ crooked ” and suggested the state legislature should consider invalidating the vote .
Another guest , Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Tex . )
, echoed Graham , saying that Democrats were trying to “ potentially steal an election.
” And on the same show , former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ( R-Ga. ) went on a long rant , calling the election a “ crisis of survival ” for America .

Supporters of President Donald Trump watched a video featuring one of his most vocal backers, Fox News host Sean Hannity, ahead of Trump's arrival to a campaign rally on Oct. 30 in Waterford, Michigan. John Moore via Getty Images
It is a strange time at Fox News. Caught between the reality that Democratic nominee Joe Biden is on pace to win the White House and an unwavering fealty to President Donald Trump, the network is divided between its decision desk reporting of the results and its marquee opinion hosts bent on discrediting those calls and creating doubts about the election’s legitimacy.
The network’s decision desk called Arizona for Biden on election night (with only The Associated Press joining it in doing so), and that provoked the severe ire of the Trump campaign. As the vote count has continued in closely contested states, Fox News’ daytime news anchors have noted Trump has no evidence for his claims of mass ballot fraud. But during morning shows and in primetime, Fox News is airing a different story. Hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham ― all of whom serve as informal advisors to Trump ― are using their platform to undermine the vote and sow distrust in the outcome.
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On Thursday evening, the network’s evening coverage was marked by the hosts and various Republican officials and hosts spreading falsehoods that had initially only circulated among far-right conspiracy outlets, diehard Trump supporters and the social media accounts of the president’s adult sons.
Ingraham aired a segment featuring the widely debunked falsehood that Sharpie pens were given to voters in the swing state of Arizona in an attempt to invalidate GOP votes, a conspiracy that had gained enormous traction on social media. The segment featured a pro-Trump Arizona voter who claimed without evidence that her ballot was affected while Ingraham made false claims suggesting Democrats were possibly committing election fraud.
In reality, by the time the segment on Ingraham’s show aired, the Sharpie conspiracy has been widely discredited ― including by Arizona’s Republican attorney general who issued a statement saying “we are now confident that the use of Sharpie markers did not result in disenfranchisement for Arizona voters.”
Ingraham didn’t acknowledge that development.
Another Ingraham guest, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), made absurd victory claims and suggested without evidence that some kind of plot to steal the election was underway.
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“President Trump won this election, so everyone who is listening: Do not be quiet, do not be silent about this. We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes,” McCarthy said.
Ingraham didn’t correct him, either.
Fox News has had a codependent relationship with Trump from well before he became president. It’s his favorite network ― he calls in just to chat and often tweets about the same subjects its hosts are discussing on TV. And the network promotes him and his messaging. That could change; Fox News could, sensing a loss for the president, break with him and air more critical content, as conservative news outlets such as The New York Post have. But whether it’s because the opinion hosts are true believers or because they know many of their own viewers side with the president, Fox News’s opinion personalities are for now remaining loyal.
That means some tension with the decision desk, particularly after its Arizona call. The move enraged the Trump campaign, prompting panic among aides and a desperate call from the president’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch to plead for a retraction. Murdoch refused to intervene, resulting in a visible rift between the openly Trump-loyalist hosts and decision desk head Arnon Mishkin.
Trump supporters have also expressed anger at the network’s call, and Republican protesters swarming vote-counting centers to rally around the president have chanted “Fox News sucks” as part of their efforts to intimidate election officials.
Carlson, Fox News’ top-rated host, has repeatedly questioned the decision desk’s projection of an Arizona win, and condemned news organizations in general for making “hasty calls” about the election. “People are very concerned” about the decision desk call, Carlson said on Wednesday.
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Hannity ― who appeared in a Trump campaign ad endorsing him ― has repeated the president’s groundless accusations of voter fraud and, on his Thursday night broadcast, brought up the idea that Pennsylvania could have a “do-over” election.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of his guests, called the vote count in Pennsylvania’s largest city, Philadelphia, “crooked” and suggested the state legislature should consider invalidating the vote. Another guest, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), echoed Graham, saying that Democrats were trying to “potentially steal an election.” And on the same show, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) went on a long rant, calling the election a “crisis of survival” for America.
On the pro-Trump show Fox & Friends, Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.) proclaimed that Trump had won and that Democrats were “just finding votes at this point.”
As the Fox & Friends hosts condemned the media and suggested election fraud, Trump’s lead in Pennsylvania continued to slip away before Biden eventually pushed ahead.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Philadelphia Police Investigating Alleged Plot To Attack Vote Counting

Philadelphia police arrested two men armed with guns Thursday night after receiving a tip reporting a plot to attack the Pennsylvania Convention Center , where city workers are counting mail-in ballots from the presidential election .
The men , whose names weren ’ t released , were charged with firearms offenses , police said .
They were arrested after police were tipped that armed men driving a silver Hummer SUV were heading to the convention center .
Officers spotted an unoccupied silver Hummer outside the convention center at 10:20 p.m. , 6 ABC reported , and seized the two armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hummer , which reportedly had Virginia license plates , was theirs , police said .
Officers said they found a third gun inside the vehicle .
Neither of the men had a Pennsylvania gun permit , police alleged .
The Hummer , which remained parked at the scene , displayed QAnon stickers in photos taken by Philadelphia Inquirer photographer Jessica Griffin .
QAnon is an extremist conspiracy group that believes President Donald Trump is fighting an evil cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles .
Trump has repeatedly made comments that have emboldened the conspiracy theorists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hummer parked near Pa. Convention Center and under investigation after police got a tip that occupants were armed and targeting the Convention Center where vote-counting in presidential election is underway .
pic.twitter.com/SKAUhcmBvQ — Robert Moran ( @ RobertMoran215 ) November 6 , 2020 Inside the convention center , election workers continued working around the clock counting mail-in ballots , even as President Donald Trump ’ s protesting supporters demanded that the tally be stopped .
The Trump campaign on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to stop the vote count in Pennsylvania , arguing ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election should not be counted .
A federal judge dismissed the claim .
Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Friday inched ahead of Trump in the Pennsylvania count .
If he maintains the lead , he ’ ll win enough votes in the Electoral College to claim victory in the election .

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Philadelphia police arrested two men armed with guns Thursday night after receiving a tip reporting a plot to attack the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where city workers are counting mail-in ballots from the presidential election.
The men, whose names weren’t released, were charged with firearms offenses, police said. They were arrested after police were tipped that armed men driving a silver Hummer SUV were heading to the convention center. Officers spotted an unoccupied silver Hummer outside the convention center at 10:20 p.m., 6 ABC reported, and seized the two armed men nearby.
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The men acknowledged the Hummer, which reportedly had Virginia license plates, was theirs, police said. Officers said they found a third gun inside the vehicle. Neither of the men had a Pennsylvania gun permit, police alleged.
The FBI reportedly joined Philadelphia police in the investigation.
The Hummer, which remained parked at the scene, displayed QAnon stickers in photos taken by Philadelphia Inquirer photographer Jessica Griffin. QAnon is an extremist conspiracy group that believes President Donald Trump is fighting an evil cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. Trump has repeatedly made comments that have emboldened the conspiracy theorists.
QAnon decals on back window of Hummer parked near Pa. Convention Center and under investigation after police got a tip that occupants were armed and targeting the Convention Center where vote-counting in presidential election is underway. pic.twitter.com/SKAUhcmBvQ — Robert Moran (@RobertMoran215) November 6, 2020
Inside the convention center, election workers continued working around the clock counting mail-in ballots, even as President Donald Trump’s protesting supporters demanded that the tally be stopped.
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The Trump campaign on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to stop the vote count in Pennsylvania, arguing ballots received up to three days after the election should not be counted. A federal judge dismissed the claim.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Trump's Chances Of Getting Supreme Court To Intervene Are Getting Tiny

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump has repeatedly said there ’ s one place he wants to determine the outcome of the presidential election : the U.S. Supreme Court .
But he may have a difficult time ever getting there .
Over the last two days , Trump has leaned in to the idea that the high court should get involved in the election as it did in 2000 .
Then , the court effectively settled the contested election for President George W. Bush in a 5-4 decision that split the court ’ s liberals and conservatives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are conservatives , including three nominated by Trump .
But the outcome of this year ’ s election seemed to be shaping up very differently from 2000 , when Florida ’ s electoral votes delivered the presidency to George W. Bush .
Then , Bush led in Florida and went to court to stop a recount .
Trump , for his part , has suggested a strategy that would focus on multiple states where the winning margins appear to be slim .
But he might have to persuade the Supreme Court to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent Joe Biden from becoming president .
Chief Justice John Roberts , for his part , is not likely to want the election to come down to himself and his colleagues .
Roberts , who was not on the court for Bush v. Gore in 2000 but was a lawyer for Bush , has often tried to distance the court from the political branches of government and the politics he thinks could hurt the court ’ s reputation .
It ’ s also not clear what legal issues might cause the justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeated , unsubstantiated claims of election fraud .
Lawsuits filed by his campaign so far have been small-scale efforts unlikely to affect many votes , and some already have been dismissed .
Still , Trump has focused on the high court .
In the early morning hours following Election Day he said : “ We ’ ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court — we want all voting to stop.
” And on Thursday , as Biden inched closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to end up , perhaps , at the highest court in the land , we ’ ll see.
” On Twitter too he urged , “ U.S .
Supreme Court should decide !
” There is currently one election case at the Supreme Court and it involves a Republican appeal to exclude ballots that arrived after Election Day in the battleground state of Pennsylvania .
But whether or not those ballots ultimately are counted seems unlikely to affect who gets the state ’ s electoral votes .
Still , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervene in the case , an appeal of a decision by Pennsylvania ’ s highest court to allow three extra days for the receipt and counting of mailed ballots .
Because the case is ongoing , the state ’ s top election official has directed that the small number of ballots that arrived in that window , before 5 p.m. Friday , be separated but counted .
Republicans on Friday asked for a high court order ensuring the ballots are separated .
So far , Trump ’ s campaign and Republicans have mounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most are small-scale lawsuits that do not appear to affect many votes .
On Thursday , the Trump campaign won an appellate ruling to get party and campaign observers closer to election workers who are processing mail-in ballots in Philadelphia .
But Judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly dismissed two other campaign lawsuits Thursday .
Biden ’ s campaign , meanwhile , has called the existing lawsuits meritless , more political strategy than legal .
“ I want to emphasize that for their purposes these lawsuits don ’ t have to have merit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
...
It is to create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what ’ s taking place in the electoral process , ” lawyer Bob Bauer said Thursday , accusing the Trump campaign of “ continually alleging irregularities , failures of the system and fraud without any basis.
” On the other side , Trump ’ s campaign manager Bill Stepien , in a call with reporters Thursday morning , said that “ every night the president goes to bed with a lead ” and every night new votes “ are @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has repeatedly said there’s one place he wants to determine the outcome of the presidential election: the U.S. Supreme Court. But he may have a difficult time ever getting there.
Over the last two days, Trump has leaned in to the idea that the high court should get involved in the election as it did in 2000. Then, the court effectively settled the contested election for President George W. Bush in a 5-4 decision that split the court’s liberals and conservatives.
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Today, six members of the court are conservatives, including three nominated by Trump. But the outcome of this year’s election seemed to be shaping up very differently from 2000, when Florida’s electoral votes delivered the presidency to George W. Bush.
Then, Bush led in Florida and went to court to stop a recount. Trump, for his part, has suggested a strategy that would focus on multiple states where the winning margins appear to be slim. But he might have to persuade the Supreme Court to set aside votes in two or more states to prevent Joe Biden from becoming president.
Chief Justice John Roberts, for his part, is not likely to want the election to come down to himself and his colleagues. Roberts, who was not on the court for Bush v. Gore in 2000 but was a lawyer for Bush, has often tried to distance the court from the political branches of government and the politics he thinks could hurt the court’s reputation.
It’s also not clear what legal issues might cause the justices to step in. Trump has made repeated, unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. Lawsuits filed by his campaign so far have been small-scale efforts unlikely to affect many votes, and some already have been dismissed.
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Still, Trump has focused on the high court. In the early morning hours following Election Day he said: “We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court — we want all voting to stop.” And on Thursday, as Biden inched closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, Trump again told Americans, “It’s going to end up, perhaps, at the highest court in the land, we’ll see.” On Twitter too he urged, “U.S. Supreme Court should decide!”
There is currently one election case at the Supreme Court and it involves a Republican appeal to exclude ballots that arrived after Election Day in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. But whether or not those ballots ultimately are counted seems unlikely to affect who gets the state’s electoral votes.
Biden opened a narrow lead over Trump on Friday, and any additional mail-in votes probably would help Biden, not the president.
Still, Trump’s campaign is currently trying to intervene in the case, an appeal of a decision by Pennsylvania’s highest court to allow three extra days for the receipt and counting of mailed ballots. Because the case is ongoing, the state’s top election official has directed that the small number of ballots that arrived in that window, before 5 p.m. Friday, be separated but counted. Republicans on Friday asked for a high court order ensuring the ballots are separated.
Beyond the Pennsylvania case, if Trump wanted to use a lawsuit to challenge the election outcome in a state, he’d need to begin by bringing a case in a lower court.
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So far, Trump’s campaign and Republicans have mounted legal challenges in several states, but most are small-scale lawsuits that do not appear to affect many votes. On Thursday, the Trump campaign won an appellate ruling to get party and campaign observers closer to election workers who are processing mail-in ballots in Philadelphia. But Judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly dismissed two other campaign lawsuits Thursday.
Trump and his campaign have promised even more legal action, making unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud.
Biden’s campaign, meanwhile, has called the existing lawsuits meritless, more political strategy than legal. “I want to emphasize that for their purposes these lawsuits don’t have to have merit. That’s not the purpose. ... It is to create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what’s taking place in the electoral process,” lawyer Bob Bauer said Thursday, accusing the Trump campaign of “continually alleging irregularities, failures of the system and fraud without any basis.”
On the other side, Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien, in a call with reporters Thursday morning, said that “every night the president goes to bed with a lead” and every night new votes “are mysteriously found in a sack.”
It’s common in presidential elections to have vote counting continue after Election Day, however. And while most states make Election Day the deadline to receive mailed-in ballots, 22 states — 10 of which backed Trump in the 2016 election — have a post-Election Day deadline.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Trump Is Deliberately Eroding Faith In Democracy. The GOP Is Helping.

As outrageous as Trump ’ s behavior has been in the days after the Nov. 3 election , he ’ s been signaling for months that he would do anything , even lie and cheat , to stay in office .
He ’ s falsely claimed mail-in ballots lead to widespread fraud .
His campaign engaged in voter intimidation .
He preemptively refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power .
He openly encouraged people to carry out political violence on his behalf .
He vowed legal challenges to prevent states from counting ballots after Election Day .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s efforts to undermine people ’ s faith in the election are being echoed by GOP leaders in Congress , longtime politicians who know the president is being dishonest .
They simply care more about not upsetting Trump ’ s base of supporters for their own political purposes .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a longtime ally to Trump , refused on Thursday to dismiss the idea that the Pennsylvania legislature should ignore its election results and appoint pro-Trump electors anyway , based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His comments came as Democratic nominee Joe Biden pulled ahead in the pivotal state as more ballots were counted .
“ I am angry .
The American people are right to be angry .
We need observers .
Now , ” Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) said while tweeting a clip of himself fuming on Fox News that Democrats are being “ lawless ” and trying to “ steal the election ” in Pennsylvania .
“ The President and his campaign representatives had falsely claimed throughout the day that their representatives were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their counsel admitted at the hearing , after questions from the court , that they had several representatives in the room , ” reads a statement Thursday from Philadelphia ’ s bipartisan Commission on Elections .
“ President Trump won this election , ” McCarthy falsely stated in a Thursday interview with Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham .
“ Everyone who ’ s listening : Do not be quiet .
Do not be silent about this .
We can not allow this to happen before our very eyes.
” His tweet didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every legal vote should be counted ” ― a phrase Republicans like McCarthy are using to suggest that this isn ’ t already happening , which it is .
McConnell also said that all sides should be able to observe the process , which , again , is already happening .
Meanwhile , Trump campaign surrogates like former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grennell are holding public events in key areas like Las Vegas , where ballots are still being counted , to whip up crowds of die-hard Trump supporters with false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of election observers .
( Grenell fled in a van on Thursday when reporters asked for evidence of his claims ) .
Every day that passes with no official result and with Republicans making outlandish claims about the process , more pro-Trump demonstrators appear on the streets outside state capitols and ballot-counting centers .
The FBI and Philadelphia police arrested two armed men Thursday night who reportedly had plans to attack the counting center in that city .
It ’ s difficult to gauge how damaging this nonsense will ultimately be for America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s faith in them .
But there ’ s reason to be concerned about GOP leaders demonstrating loyalty to Trump above all else ― a red flag of creeping authoritarianism , said Dr. Pippa Norris , the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and director of The Electoral Integrity Project .
She said it reflects a growing trend of Republicans trying to manipulate rules to their partisan advantage .

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When the history books are written, they will reflect that Donald Trump did everything he could to delegitimize the 2020 presidential election and the democratic process itself as he headed toward a resounding loss.
It should not be lost in those pages that elected Republican leaders went right along with his lies.
As outrageous as Trump’s behavior has been in the days after the Nov. 3 election, he’s been signaling for months that he would do anything, even lie and cheat, to stay in office. He’s falsely claimed mail-in ballots lead to widespread fraud. His campaign engaged in voter intimidation. He preemptively refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power. He openly encouraged people to carry out political violence on his behalf. He vowed legal challenges to prevent states from counting ballots after Election Day.
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What is arguably more alarming is that Trump’s efforts to undermine people’s faith in the democratic process are being echoed by GOP leaders in Congress, longtime politicians who know the president is being dishonest. They simply care more about not upsetting Trump’s base of supporters for their own political purposes.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a longtime ally to Trump, on Thursday refused to dismiss the idea that the Pennsylvania legislature should ignore its election results and appoint pro-Trump electors anyway, based on false conspiracy theories about fraud. His comments came as Democratic nominee Joe Biden pulled ahead in the pivotal state as more ballots were counted.
“Everything should be on the table,” Graham told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “Philadelphia elections are crooked as a snake,” he added, without citing any evidence that “dead people” and people who do not live in Pennsylvania have cast ballots there.
Sens. Ted Cruz (D-Texas) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are among the top Republicans fueling President Donald Trump's lies about fraud in the presidential election, setting a dangerous precedent. Jim Bourg / Reuters
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Later in the same program, Graham’s colleague from Texas — and the runner-up in the 2016 presidential primary — joined the GOP delegitimization campaign.
“I am angry. The American people are right to be angry. We need observers. Now,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said while tweeting a clip of himself fuming on Fox News that Democrats are being “lawless” and trying to “steal the election” in Pennsylvania.
But there is no evidence of poll watchers being denied access to ballot counting there. In fact, people on the scene said poll watchers there have had access all along.
“The President and his campaign representatives had falsely claimed throughout the day that their representatives were not allowed in the room. But their counsel admitted at the hearing, after questions from the court, that they had several representatives in the room,” reads a Thursday statement from Philadelphia’s bipartisan Commission on Elections.
“In fact, they had at least 19 party representatives as observers in the Convention Center this afternoon, and more than 15 in the room while the case was being heard this evening.”
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The second-ranked Republican in Congress, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), straight-up lied that Trump had already won the election and dangerously urged his supporters to reject the legitimacy of the result if Biden wins.
“President Trump won this election,” McCarthy falsely stated in a Thursday interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. “Everyone who’s listening: Do not be quiet. Do not be silent about this. We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes.”
Even after it became clear that Biden was on the verge of locking up the election by winning Pennsylvania, McCarthy insisted that people keep fighting the result.
“Far from over,” the GOP leader tweeted Friday afternoon. “Republicans will not back down from this battle.”
"President Trump won the election," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy claimed. This is a lie. Tom Williams via Getty Images
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responded Friday with laughter and a request that people read his Twitter feed when asked about Trump’s false allegations of voter fraud.
“I sent out a tweet this morning that covers my thoughts about the national situation,” McConnell told Kentucky reporters. “I’ve covered the subject already this morning.”
His tweet didn’t say much, other than “every legal vote should be counted” ― a phrase Republicans like McCarthy are using to suggest that this isn’t already happening, which it is. McConnell also said that all sides should be able to observe the process, which, again, is already happening.
Plenty of other Republican officials are sowing doubts about the integrity of the election, with no evidence to back up their claims. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) suggested illegal votes are being cast, without evidence. Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both headed for runoff races in January and eager to boost GOP turnout for themselves, said they expected Trump to win once all the “lawful” ballots were counted. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) echoed the need to count only lawful votes. Even Vice President Mike Pence chimed in that every “legal” vote should be counted. This is already happening, of course. And they know it is.
Meanwhile, Trump campaign surrogates like former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell are holding public events in key areas like Las Vegas, where ballots are still being counted, to whip up crowds of die-hard Trump supporters with false claims of voter fraud and a lack of election observers. (Grenell fled in a van on Thursday when reporters asked for evidence of his claims).
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Every day that passes with no official result and with Republicans making outlandish claims about the process, more pro-Trump demonstrators appear on the streets outside state capitols and ballot-counting centers. The FBI and Philadelphia police arrested two armed men Thursday night who reportedly had plans to attack the counting center in that city.
On Saturday, after Biden was declared the winner after winning Pennsylvania and surpassing the required 270 electoral votes, Republican leaders were still falsely alleging fraud. Graham and Cruz were leading the charge, urging Trump not to concede. McCarthy was still calling for every “legal” vote to be counted, which is already happening.
Put another way: Only two Republican senators, Mitt Romney (Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), congratulated Biden on his win and said it is time to move forward. And while Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said there is “no evidence” of fraud, all the remaining GOP senators have been silent or continued casting doubts on the democratic process. The situation was the same in the House, where Reps. Don Young (Alaska) and Fred Upton (Mich.) were among just a handful of GOP lawmakers who conceded that Biden had won.
“This is both predictable and yet alarming.” - Dr. Pippa Norris on Republicans lying about voter fraud to help Trump
It’s difficult to gauge how damaging the GOP’s behavior will ultimately be for America’s democratic institutions and people’s faith in them. But there’s reason to be concerned about GOP leaders supporting Trump above all else ― a red flag of creeping authoritarianism, said Dr. Pippa Norris, the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and director of The Electoral Integrity Project. She said it reflects a growing trend of Republicans trying to manipulate rules to their partisan advantage.
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“This is both predictable and yet alarming,” Norris said in an email. “During the last decade, even before Trump, the Republican Party has moved towards authoritarian values, challenging basic democratic norms and principles.”
Valerie Bunce, the Aaron Binenkorb professor of international studies and professor of government at Cornell University, said there are clear parallels between this situation and how things work in authoritarian societies. For one, authoritarian rulers cannot build or maintain their power without enablers. Republican members of Congress arguably became co-conspirators, she said, when they voted against Trump’s impeachment.
“Trump is ‘different,’ not dangerous, they rationalize. They conveniently assume that the risks involved in supporting him are lower than the risks involved in opposing him. Of course, they are dead wrong,” said Bunce. “The real issue is whether they hurt themselves, likely at most in the short term, versus eroding democracy, likely in the short and longer term.”
Some Republicans have adopted an “end justifies the means” mentality because their constituencies shrink every year due to changing demographics, she continued. The result is that they see themselves as being engaged in an existential struggle, so anything goes, she said, including support of “an unstable, corrupt, racist, misogynistic authoritarian president.”
“What makes this dynamic all the more entrenched and extreme is that as Republicans engage in more and more morally bankrupt behavior, they become less able to exit, more comfortable with arguments that rationalize what they have been doing,” Bunce added. “The fantasy of Republicans having a revelation, in short, is just that — a fantasy.”
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But some experts say the fact that any Republican leaders are pushing back on Trump’s disinformation campaign is a sign that American democracy can withstand this otherwise dangerous situation.
Steven Levitsky, the author of “How Democracies Die,” a modern history of healthy democracies that slid into autocracy, said he worried for months about a scenario involving Republicans supporting Trump’s false claims of fraud in a close election. But he’s not so worried anymore because some Republicans, like Toomey and Romney, are telling the truth.
“Even the behavior of Fox News suggests to me that the Republicans may not be prepared to make this jump,” said Levitsky, referring to Fox News calling Arizona for Biden, even as Trump protests. “Some [Republicans] obviously will, but if the party splits and key players defect, Trump will get nowhere.”
Asked if it is alarming to him nonetheless to see people like McConnell and McCarthy, the top Republicans in the House and Senate, parroting the president’s lies about fraud, Levitsky said he isn’t losing sleep over it.
“I don’t think Trump has the capacity to pull it off,” he added. “So far, his efforts have been pathetic.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Ilhan Omar On Trump's Bid To Flip Minnesota: 'He Effed Around And Found Out'

President Donald Trump , who routinely insulted Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) on the campaign trail , was convinced he ’ d flip Minnesota in the 2020 election .
He didn ’ t .
Omar discussed the president ’ s bid to win the state , and his attacks against her , with The Intercept ’ s Washington bureau chief , Ryan Grim , on the podcast “ Deconstructed.
” At a rally last year , Trump called Omar a “ fraud ” and “ disgrace to our country.
” He has often unleashed xenophobic attacks against Omar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to America when she was a child .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won Minnesota with 52.6 % of the vote , although the national result was not final as of Friday night .
Minnesota hadn ’ t voted Republican in a presidential race since Richard Nixon ’ s reelection in 1972 .
Still , Trump treated the state , where he narrowly lost in 2016 , as a potential battleground and campaigned heavily there .
At his rally just now , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a “ disgrace.
” He shouted xenophobic conspiracy theories about me .
He scolded my district for voting for me .
His hate is no match for our movement .
Stand with me by donating now : https : //t.co/QdUrT9zJsr pic.twitter.com/Ik8I9zlRTf — Ilhan Omar ( @ IlhanMN ) October 11 , 2019 Omar , who won the Democratic primary for Minnesota ’ s 5th Congressional District in August , campaigned and organized for Biden in her district and state leading up to the election .
The progressive congresswoman , who handily won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , said during the podcast interview that her team had shifted its focus to getting Biden elected after her primary win .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) joined a chorus of voices on Twitter praising Omar for her organizing work for Biden and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Minnesota .
“ Shout out to @ IlhanMN and @ RashidaTlaib for the INCREDIBLE turnout and ground game they ran in two key counties of two key states , MI & MN.
” Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet that also celebrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her organizing efforts in her Midwestern state .
On Twitter on Friday evening , Omar encouraged her followers to “ breathe ” and “ take a moment ” as Biden closed in on a 2020 election victory .
“ Breathe , and rid yourself of all the emotional baggage of the past four years , ” she wrote .
“ Check in on family and friends .
We all have work to do as we bring everything into focus again .
”

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President Donald Trump, who routinely insulted Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on the campaign trail, was convinced he’d flip Minnesota in the 2020 election. He didn’t.
He “effed around and found out,” Omar said Friday about Trump.
Omar discussed the president’s bid to win the state, and his attacks against her, with The Intercept’s Washington bureau chief, Ryan Grim, on the podcast “Deconstructed.” At a rally last year, Trump called Omar a “fraud” and “disgrace to our country.” He has often unleashed xenophobic attacks against Omar, who was born in Somalia and whose family lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to America when she was a child.
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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won Minnesota with 52.6% of the vote, although the national result was not final as of Friday night.
Minnesota hadn’t voted Republican in a presidential race since Richard Nixon’s reelection in 1972. Still, Trump treated the state, where he narrowly lost in 2016, as a potential battleground and campaigned heavily there.
At his rally just now, Trump called me an “America-hating socialist” and a “disgrace.” He shouted xenophobic conspiracy theories about me. He scolded my district for voting for me.
His hate is no match for our movement. Stand with me by donating now: https://t.co/QdUrT9zJsr pic.twitter.com/Ik8I9zlRTf — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 11, 2019
Omar, who won the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in August, campaigned and organized for Biden in her district and state leading up to the election.
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″You get what you organized for,” Omar said on “Deconstructed.”
The progressive congresswoman, who handily won her reelection to Congress in the general election, said during the podcast interview that her team had shifted its focus to getting Biden elected after her primary win.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) joined a chorus of voices on Twitter praising Omar for her organizing work for Biden and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Minnesota.
“Shout out to @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib for the INCREDIBLE turnout and ground game they ran in two key counties of two key states, MI & MN.” Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet that also celebrated Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her organizing efforts in her Midwestern state.
Shout out to @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib for the INCREDIBLE turnout and ground game they ran in two key counties of two key states, MI & MN. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 4, 2020
On Twitter on Friday evening, Omar encouraged her followers to “breathe” and “take a moment” as Biden closed in on a 2020 election victory.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--COVID-Positive Missouri Election Supervisor Dies After Working At Polls

“ That shouldn ’ t have happened ... she shouldn ’ t have let that happen , ” an acquaintance @ @ @ @ @ be identified told KSDK , a local NBC affiliate .
“ The city shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ I ’ m disappointed in her as a friend and neighbor , @ @ @ @ @

“That shouldn’t have happened ... she shouldn’t have let that happen,” an acquaintance who did not wish to be identified told KSDK, a local NBC affiliate. “The city shouldn’t have let that happen,”
“I’m disappointed in her as a friend and neighbor,” the acquaintance added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--A Biden Administration Could Unilaterally Undo A Bunch Of Safety Net Cuts

With a lead in key states as of Friday morning , it looks like Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden might be heading to the White House , but Republicans might retain control of the Senate ― which would make it impossible for Democrats to pass ambitious legislation .
There are some big things a President Biden could do on his own , however , such as reversing a series of cuts to food and disability benefits that President Donald Trump ’ s administration has been trying to enact through regulations .
“ If we have a Biden administration , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and look at things the Trump administration did , or proposed , and have a chance to revise a lot of that , ” said Bethany Lilly , director of income policy at The Arc , a community organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities .
Trump ’ s Social Security Administration has proposed more frequent reviews of whether Social Security disability recipients are still disabled after they ’ ve already been approved for benefits , as well as overhauling the eligibility process to make it more difficult to qualify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a desk part time .
Neither rule has been finalized .
“ If a new administration comes in and it hasn ’ t been finalized , they can effectively just put a stop to it , ” Lilly said .
“ I would expect the Biden administration to do so.
” Another rule , one that the Trump administration did finalize earlier this year , said a claimant ’ s inability to speak English is no longer a factor in whether the government awards benefits or decides they could get some sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age and health problems .
Undoing that rule would likely require another regulation , which can take a long time but is a process that the administration controls .
The administration has also unilaterally said states could impose limits on health benefits for the unemployed , changed immigration rules to disallow green cards to immigrants who use safety net programs , and suggested it would alter the annual calculation of poverty thresholds so that fewer people would be eligible for various benefits over time .
Normally legislation sets eligibility rules for food benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cuts through Congress in 2018 , so the administration lifted ideas directly from a bill that GOP lawmakers were unable to push through the Senate .
The three proposed regulations from Trump ’ s Department of Agriculture would tighten eligibility standards for SNAP , which provides a monthly food allowance to tens of millions of low-income Americans .
One of the proposals , which would have disallowed states from waiving a three-month time limit on benefits to unemployed adults , was set to take effect when a federal judge put a stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , as a global pandemic poses widespread health risks , guaranteeing that government officials at both the federal and state levels have flexibility to address the nutritional needs of residents and ensure their well-being through programs like SNAP , is essential , ” Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell in Washington , D.C. , said in a preliminary injunction that she affirmed last month .
Judge Howell said the administration had violated the Administrative Procedure Act , the law that sets out the rule-making process , partly because the administration failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside experts heaped on a draft version of the rule .
Several of the other proposed regulations have also been panned by stakeholders .
Last week , a different federal judge cited the Administrative Procedure Act in rejecting Trump ’ s changes to the so-called “ public charge ” rule , which allowed immigration officials to deny residency to people who receive public benefits .
Two other bigger SNAP cuts , including one that would have cut enrollment by 3 million , haven ’ t been finalized .
And they won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes office and doesn ’ t want them to .
Ed Bolen , a nutrition assistance expert with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , said a change in administration all by itself would take pressure off state officials to prod people off benefits , and make immigrants less afraid to apply for benefits in the first place .
Experts say the mere threat of deportation caused eligible immigrants to shy away from asking for help .

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With a lead in key states as of Friday morning, it looks like Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden might be heading to the White House, but Republicans might retain control of the Senate ― which would make it impossible for Democrats to pass ambitious legislation.
There are some big things a President Biden could do on his own, however, such as reversing a series of cuts to food and disability benefits that President Donald Trump’s administration has been trying to enact through regulations.
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“If we have a Biden administration, I’m very excited to go back and look at things the Trump administration did, or proposed, and have a chance to revise a lot of that,” said Bethany Lilly, director of income policy at The Arc, a community organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Trump’s Social Security Administration has proposed more frequent reviews of whether Social Security disability recipients are still disabled after they’ve already been approved for benefits, as well as overhauling the eligibility process to make it more difficult to qualify for benefits if an applicant can sit at a desk part time. Neither rule has been finalized.
“If a new administration comes in and it hasn’t been finalized, they can effectively just put a stop to it,” Lilly said. “I would expect the Biden administration to do so.”
Another rule, one that the Trump administration did finalize earlier this year, said a claimant’s inability to speak English is no longer a factor in whether the government awards benefits or decides they could get some sort of low-wage job in spite of their age and health problems. Undoing that rule would likely require another regulation, which can take a long time but is a process that the administration controls.
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The administration has also unilaterally said states could impose limits on health benefits for the unemployed, changed immigration rules to disallow green cards to immigrants who use safety net programs, and suggested it would alter the annual calculation of poverty thresholds so that fewer people would be eligible for various benefits over time.
Some of Trump’s most notable proposed regulations:
Most notably, several regulations sought to trim enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often known as food stamps.
Normally legislation sets eligibility rules for food benefits, but Republicans couldn’t get their cuts through Congress in 2018, so the administration lifted ideas directly from a bill that GOP lawmakers were unable to push through the Senate.
Advertisement
The three proposed regulations from Trump’s Department of Agriculture would tighten eligibility standards for SNAP, which provides a monthly food allowance to tens of millions of low-income Americans. One of the proposals, which would have disallowed states from waiving a three-month time limit on benefits to unemployed adults, was set to take effect when a federal judge put a stop to it in March.
“Especially now, as a global pandemic poses widespread health risks, guaranteeing that government officials at both the federal and state levels have flexibility to address the nutritional needs of residents and ensure their well-being through programs like SNAP, is essential,” Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell in Washington, D.C., said in a preliminary injunction that she affirmed last month.
Judge Howell said the administration had violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the law that sets out the rule-making process, partly because the administration failed to reckon with the overwhelmingly negative feedback outside experts heaped on a draft version of the rule. Several of the other proposed regulations have also been panned by stakeholders. Last week, a different federal judge cited the Administrative Procedure Act in rejecting Trump’s changes to the so-called “public charge” rule, which allowed immigration officials to deny residency to people who receive public benefits.
Two other bigger SNAP cuts, including one that would have cut enrollment by 3 million, haven’t been finalized. And they won’t be, at least not if Biden takes office and doesn’t want them to.
Ed Bolen, a nutrition assistance expert with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said a change in administration all by itself would take pressure off state officials to prod people off benefits, and make immigrants less afraid to apply for benefits in the first place. Experts say the mere threat of deportation caused eligible immigrants to shy away from asking for help.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Pro-Trump Groups Call For Civil War, In Apparent Defiance Of Facebook’s Policy

On Thursday afternoon , as the membership in a “ Stop the Steal ” group on Facebook swelled to more than 360,000 , the social media company made a decision to shut it down .
The group was “ creating real-world events , ” was “ organized around the delegitimization of the election process , ” and some members of the group made “ worrying calls for violence , ” Facebook told HuffPost , explaining the removal .
But by Friday , as President Donald Trump continued to inflame his supporters with baseless claims of an election being stolen from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” groups with tens of thousands of members continued to proliferate on the platform .
Like the one that Facebook removed on Thursday , these groups promoted real-world demonstrations throughout the country , spread disinformation about voter fraud and election-rigging , and encouraged the use of violence to keep Trump in office .
One “ STS 2.0 ” group HuffPost observed issued multiple violent threats as it pushed the message that the election was illegitimate .
By Thursday ’ s standards , it should also be removed , and the name ( an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a barely concealed attempt to mimic the large , already-canceled group .
But its numbers grew through Friday to more than 100,000 people .
In that group , as well as several other Stop the Steal groups active on Facebook as of Friday evening , lurid themes have emerged in members ’ discussions — including calls for the execution of supposedly treasonous Democrats and a shared fantasy about civil war .
There are dozens of groups with memberships of anywhere from a few people to tens of thousands .
“ If Biden/Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly be thrusted into a civil war .
It will be law @ order/gun toting Constitutionalists vs. democratic powers , ” a member of one of the larger groups posted .
“ They better bring an Army .
Cause we got the guns , & the Vets who know how to use them , ” another commented .
“ It ’ s coming , ” a third member wrote , including a picture of the logo of the Three Percenters , a far-right militia .
The inconsistent standards by which Facebook appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredibly tense period for U.S. democracy , raise the danger that groups trying to delegitimize the election and threatening violence will continue to find users on the platform .
Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Some members of STS 2.0 mused about a civil war in which Trump loyalists outgunned their opposition and said it would be worth dying in the fight to keep Trump in office .
The false narrative that Trump is the victim of a Democratic effort to steal the presidency has already given rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Philadelphia police arrested two armed men after receiving a tip about a plan to attack a convention center where ballots were being counted .
The next day , law enforcement detained a man in Los Angeles who threatened to “ do like a school shooter , just take out all these Democrats ” if Biden wins the election .
STS 2.0 was created on Thursday , originally under the name STOP THE STEAL 2.0 .
Its name changed on Friday , presumably in an effort to evade Facebook ’ s content moderators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Florida , Virginia and Texas — part of a nationwide series of demonstrations .
At one Stop the Steal event earlier this week , armed demonstrators showed up at an election office in Maricopa County in Arizona where election workers had to be escorted to their cars by the police .
Two days later , on Friday , Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s eldest son , promoted other “ Stop The Steal ” rallies on Twitter .
Some members of STS 2.0 mused about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgunned their opposition and said it would be worth dying in the fight to keep Trump in office .
“ If the courts [ fail ] us… ... we don ’ t give up our freedom .
No we don ’ t because we fight like our founding fathers did , ” a member of the group wrote , referring to the Trump campaign ’ s baseless lawsuits in several swing states .
“ I have family that ’ s fought in every war some have died .
I am not afraid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life by another ’ s leave.
” Another member posted a transphobic meme depicting red states punching blue states with the caption , “ Folks keep talking about another civil war .
One side has about 8 trillion bullets , while the other side doesn ’ t know which bathroom to use.
” Another meme posted in the group included the caption “ If there is another civil war it ’ ll be antifa , snowflakes , and BLM against ex military , country boys , hunters , and bikers … That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never get back.
” In a separate , 50,000-member “ Stop The Steal ” group , which promoted a series of “ # StopTheBidenSteal ” rallies that took place on Thursday in Florida , people have called for Democrats to be hanged and groundlessly accused Biden of pedophilia .
Group members appear to be growing increasingly anxious and hostile as Trump ’ s chances at maintaining the presidency diminish .
In a post urging “ patriots ” to “ be ready for whatever happens , ” multiple group members claimed that they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted that he “ only [ has ] 100 rounds ” of ammunition , to which another person replied , “ ration it accordingly .
Spare what you can to your comrades , keep what you need of course , ” and offered advice on where to purchase cheap bullets to stockpile .

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On Thursday afternoon, as the membership in a “Stop the Steal” group on Facebook swelled to more than 360,000, the social media company made a decision to shut it down. The group was “creating real-world events,” was “organized around the delegitimization of the election process,” and some members of the group made “worrying calls for violence,” Facebook told HuffPost, explaining the removal.
But by Friday, as President Donald Trump continued to inflame his supporters with baseless claims of an election being stolen from him, multiple “Stop the Steal” groups with tens of thousands of members continued to proliferate on the platform. Like the one that Facebook removed on Thursday, these groups promoted real-world demonstrations throughout the country, spread disinformation about voter fraud and election-rigging, and encouraged the use of violence to keep Trump in office.
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One “STS 2.0” group HuffPost observed issued multiple violent threats as it pushed the message that the election was illegitimate. By Thursday’s standards, it should also be removed, and the name (an acronym for Stop the Steal), was a barely concealed attempt to mimic the large, already-canceled group. But its numbers grew through Friday to more than 100,000 people.
In that group, as well as several other Stop the Steal groups active on Facebook as of Friday evening, lurid themes have emerged in members’ discussions — including calls for the execution of supposedly treasonous Democrats and a shared fantasy about civil war. There are dozens of groups with memberships of anywhere from a few people to tens of thousands.
“If Biden/Harris win the White House our country will quickly be thrusted into a civil war. It will be law@order/gun toting Constitutionalists vs. democratic powers,” a member of one of the larger groups posted. “They better bring an Army. Cause we got the guns, & the Vets who know how to use them,” another commented. “It’s coming,” a third member wrote, including a picture of the logo of the Three Percenters, a far-right militia.
The inconsistent standards by which Facebook appears to be enforcing these bans, during an incredibly tense period for U.S. democracy, raise the danger that groups trying to delegitimize the election and threatening violence will continue to find users on the platform. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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“Some members of STS 2.0 mused about a civil war in which Trump loyalists outgunned their opposition and said it would be worth dying in the fight to keep Trump in office.”
The false narrative that Trump is the victim of a Democratic effort to steal the presidency has already given rise to violent plots: On Thursday night, Philadelphia police arrested two armed men after receiving a tip about a plan to attack a convention center where ballots were being counted. The next day, law enforcement detained a man in Los Angeles who threatened to “do like a school shooter, just take out all these Democrats” if Biden wins the election.
STS 2.0 was created on Thursday, originally under the name STOP THE STEAL 2.0. Its name changed on Friday, presumably in an effort to evade Facebook’s content moderators. The group promoted protest events in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia and Texas — part of a nationwide series of demonstrations. At one Stop the Steal event earlier this week, armed demonstrators showed up at an election office in Maricopa County in Arizona where election workers had to be escorted to their cars by the police. Two days later, on Friday, Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, promoted other “Stop The Steal” rallies on Twitter.
Some members of STS 2.0 mused about a civil war in which Trump loyalists outgunned their opposition and said it would be worth dying in the fight to keep Trump in office.
“If the courts [fail] us…...we don’t give up our freedom. No we don’t because we fight like our founding fathers did,” a member of the group wrote, referring to the Trump campaign’s baseless lawsuits in several swing states. “I have family that’s fought in every war some have died. I am not afraid to die but i will not live my life by another’s leave.”
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Another member posted a transphobic meme depicting red states punching blue states with the caption, “Folks keep talking about another civil war. One side has about 8 trillion bullets, while the other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use.” Another meme posted in the group included the caption “If there is another civil war it’ll be antifa, snowflakes, and BLM against ex military, country boys, hunters, and bikers … That’ll be an hour we’ll never get back.”
In a separate, 50,000-member “Stop The Steal” group, which promoted a series of “#StopTheBidenSteal” rallies that took place on Thursday in Florida, people have called for Democrats to be hanged and groundlessly accused Biden of pedophilia. Group members appear to be growing increasingly anxious and hostile as Trump’s chances at maintaining the presidency diminish.
“What do we do now?” one member asked. “I’m ready, guns are oiled,” someone responded.
Other people discussed raiding the home of Biden’s son, Hunter, and vowed to “fight to the death” if necessary.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--How Do Election Recounts Work? What You Need To Know.

Per the U.S. Constitution , it ’ s up to states how they do congressional and presidential elections , and so the procedures for a recount are a matter of state law .
In some states , a close result can automatically trigger a recount ; in others , a campaign can request one .
Recounts are unlikely to dramatically shift the results .
FairVote , a nonpartisan group that pushes for electoral reform , analyzed nearly 2,000 recounts in statewide elections over the past two decades and found that only three reversed the result .
The average shift in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 430 votes ― a far smaller swing than President Donald Trump would need to overtake Biden in key states .
Georgia seems most likely to head toward a recount .
As of Friday afternoon , Joe Biden had a narrow lead of about 4,000 votes , with nearly 5 million votes cast .
Officials are still counting absentee and provisional ballots .
There are also nearly 9,000 outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots that will still be counted if they were postmarked by Election Day and are received by the end of Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request a recount if the margin of victory is less than half of one percent of the total votes cast .
The law does not specify when or how quickly the recount has to happen .
Wisconsin does not require automatic recounts , but a candidate can request a recount if the vote margins are within 1 % .
As of Friday afternoon , Biden led Trump by less than 1 % ― 49.6 % to 48.9 % ― prompting the Trump campaign to request a recount on Wednesday , which according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for .
The campaign , however , won ’ t be able to file a recount petition until Wisconsin certifies its results , which are due the latest Dec. 1 .
The recount must be completed within 13 days after the original results are in .
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien alleged voter suppression in several Wisconsin counties , despite no evidence of any wrongdoing at the polls or in the ballot count .
“ There have been reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday .
Voters here can request a recount but an election decided by less than half a percent of the total vote automatically triggers one .
As of Friday afternoon , the vote total put Biden ahead of Trump by less than 15,000 votes , with 49.5 % of the vote to Trump ’ s 49.3 % , apparently still within the recount range with 2 % of ballots still outstanding .
Nevada does not have a state law triggering an automatic recount .
A losing candidate can request a recount within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the count .
They would have to pay for it , but if the recount finds they in fact got the most votes , that candidate can get their money back .
The state has 10 days to complete the recount .
State law here says a recount is automatically triggered if the margin is 0.1 % of the total votes cast ― which would be just about 200 votes , and which Secretary of State Katie Hobbs ( D ) says is highly unlikely .
Arizona does not allow candidates to request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask for a recount if they have a good-faith belief that they have a “ reasonable chance of winning the election , ” according to Michigan state law .
The Trump campaign has up to 48 hours after the election results are finalized , which Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said could take up to two weeks , to request a recount .
The deadline to complete the recount is 30 days .
While the Trump campaign has not asked for a recount in Michigan , it did file a lawsuit alleging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting process .
“ I see this as a meritless , frivolous lawsuit that ’ s really just an attempt to sow seeds of doubt in the integrity of our elections process , which are quite secure , quite accessible , ” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ( D ) told ABC News on Thursday .
Trump won Michigan by less than 1 % , or 10,704 votes , in 2016 .
A partial recount was conducted then at the request of Green Party candidate Stein , but it was stopped halfway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stein had no real chance of winning and therefore had no legal standing to request a recount .
The stipulation that a candidate must have a reasonable belief that they could win was then added to the recount law in 2016 after Stein ’ s recount request .

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Though it looks like Democratic nominee Joe Biden has won, the outcome of the presidential election is so close in several states that recounts are likely to happen.
Per the U.S. Constitution, it’s up to states how they do congressional and presidential elections, and so the procedures for a recount are a matter of state law. In some states, a close result can automatically trigger a recount; in others, a campaign can request one.
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Recounts are unlikely to dramatically shift the results. FairVote, a nonpartisan group that pushes for electoral reform, analyzed nearly 2,000 recounts in statewide elections over the past two decades and found that only three reversed the result. The average shift in the margin in those statewide recounts was 430 votes ― a far smaller swing than President Donald Trump would need to overtake Biden in key states.
Here’s what the recount procedures look like in the six states everyone is watching.
Georgia
Georgia seems most likely to head toward a recount. As of Friday afternoon, Joe Biden had a narrow lead of about 4,000 votes, with nearly 5 million votes cast. Officials are still counting absentee and provisional ballots. There are also nearly 9,000 outstanding military and overseas absentee ballots that will still be counted if they were postmarked by Election Day and are received by the end of Friday.
Under state law, campaigns can request a recount if the margin of victory is less than half of one percent of the total votes cast. The law does not specify when or how quickly the recount has to happen.
“As we are closing in on a final count, we can begin to look toward our next steps,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) said Friday. ”With a margin that small, there will be a recount in Georgia.”
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Wisconsin
Wisconsin does not require automatic recounts, but a candidate can request a recount if the vote margins are within 1%. As of Friday afternoon, Biden led Trump by less than 1% ― 49.6% to 48.9% ― prompting the Trump campaign to request a recount on Wednesday, which according to state law the campaign will have to pay for.
The campaign, however, won’t be able to file a recount petition until Wisconsin certifies its results, which are due the latest Dec. 1. The recount must be completed within 13 days after the original results are in.
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien alleged voter suppression in several Wisconsin counties, despite no evidence of any wrongdoing at the polls or in the ballot count. “There have been reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results,” Stepien said on Wednesday.
Despite being asked for evidence of the alleged widespread voter fraud, the Trump campaign has none.
Wisconsin Elections Commission Director Meagan Wolfe rebuked the Trump campaign’s claim, telling reporters on Wednesday: “It’s insulting for our local election officials to say that yesterday’s election was anything but an incredible success.”
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Wisconsin has some recent recount experience. In 2016, Green Party nominee Jill Stein requested a recount, which cost upward of $3.5 million and only changed roughly 1,500 votes out of 3 million.
Pennsylvania
Voters here can request a recount but an election decided by less than half a percent of the total vote automatically triggers one. As of Friday afternoon, the vote total put Biden ahead of Trump by less than 15,000 votes, with 49.5% of the vote to Trump’s 49.3%, apparently still within the recount range with 2% of ballots still outstanding.
If a recount does occur, state law says it would have to be completed by Nov. 24.
People participate in a protest in support of counting all votes on Nov. 4 in Philadelphia as the election in Pennsylvania is still unresolved. Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Nevada
Nevada does not have a state law triggering an automatic recount. A losing candidate can request a recount within three working days of the certification of the count. They would have to pay for it, but if the recount finds they in fact got the most votes, that candidate can get their money back. The state has 10 days to complete the recount.
As of Friday afternoon’s count on the state Board of Elections site, Biden was leading Trump by 20,137 votes ― or 1.6% ― with about 85% of votes counted.
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Arizona
State law here says a recount is automatically triggered if the margin is 0.1% of the total votes cast ― which would be just about 200 votes, and which Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) says is highly unlikely. Arizona does not allow candidates to request a recount.
Biden was leading Trump by 39,769 votes in Arizona as of Friday afternoon.
Michigan
State law here requires a recount when there are less than 2,000 votes separating the top two candidates. As of Friday afternoon, Biden had a 146,000-vote advantage, with 99% of estimated votes counted ― making an automatic recount unlikely.
But a candidate can ask for a recount if they have a good-faith belief that they have a “reasonable chance of winning the election,” according to Michigan state law. The Trump campaign has up to 48 hours after the election results are finalized, which Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said could take up to two weeks, to request a recount. The deadline to complete the recount is 30 days.
While the Trump campaign has not asked for a recount in Michigan, it did file a lawsuit alleging that state officials had mishandled the vote counting process. “I see this as a meritless, frivolous lawsuit that’s really just an attempt to sow seeds of doubt in the integrity of our elections process, which are quite secure, quite accessible,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) told ABC News on Thursday.
Trump won Michigan by less than 1%, or 10,704 votes, in 2016. A partial recount was conducted then at the request of Green Party candidate Stein, but it was stopped halfway after a state supreme court judge ruled Stein had no real chance of winning and therefore had no legal standing to request a recount. The stipulation that a candidate must have a reasonable belief that they could win was then added to the recount law in 2016 after Stein’s recount request.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--GOP Senate Winner Tommy Tuberville Blitzed Over Sports Defense Of Trump Tantrums

No Tommy .
It is more like when you went up 7-0 on Oklahoma in 2010 and then 45 more @ @ @ @ @ but you cried to the refs that those points shouldn ’ t be allowed because @ @ @ @ @ happened .
Then you lost 45-7 .

No Tommy. It is more like when you went up 7-0 on Oklahoma in 2010 and then 45 more points came in for Oklahoma but you cried to the refs that those points shouldn’t be allowed because you were winning when they happened. Then you lost 45-7.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Progressive Prosecutor George Gascón Projected To Win Los Angeles District Attorney Race

George Gascón appears to be the winner of the Los Angeles County district attorney race , a victory for the coalition of activists who have organized for years to oust the current top prosecutor , Jackie Lacey , who conceded Friday morning .
At the time of her concession , Lacey trailed Gascón by more than 7 % , too large of a gap to close .
“ Los Angeles County has voted decisively for a new vision for our criminal justice system , and I am incredibly honored to have earned the support of so many to be your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement on Friday declaring victory .
“ Many viewed this campaign and this movement for reform to be a long shot in the largest county in the nation , and I could not be happier that we proved them wrong.
” Despite being a local election , the race drew national attention this year as the country erupted this summer in nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the criminal justice system .
During Lacey ’ s eight years in office , on duty law enforcement officials in LA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the district attorney ’ s office has prosecuted only one case .
LA County is home to the biggest jail population in the country , with Black residents incarcerated at disproportionate rates .
Although California has led the country in criminal justice reform , Lacey has opposed most reform measures that have come up during her time in office .

George Gascón appears to be the winner of the Los Angeles County district attorney race, a victory for the coalition of activists who have organized for years to oust the current top prosecutor, Jackie Lacey, who conceded Friday morning.
At the time of her concession, Lacey trailed Gascón by more than 7%, too large of a gap to close.
“Los Angeles County has voted decisively for a new vision for our criminal justice system, and I am incredibly honored to have earned the support of so many to be your next District Attorney,” Gascón said in a statement on Friday declaring victory. “Many viewed this campaign and this movement for reform to be a long shot in the largest county in the nation, and I could not be happier that we proved them wrong.”
Despite being a local election, the race drew national attention this year as the country erupted this summer in nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the criminal justice system. During Lacey’s eight years in office, on duty law enforcement officials in LA County have killed hundreds of people, but the district attorney’s office has prosecuted only one case. LA County is home to the biggest jail population in the country, with Black residents incarcerated at disproportionate rates. Although California has led the country in criminal justice reform, Lacey has opposed most reform measures that have come up during her time in office.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Nevada Is First State To Protect Same-Sex Marriage In Its Constitution

Nevada ’ s LGBTQ community has a reason to celebrate amid a contentious election week as the Silver State became the first to enshrine same-sex marriage rights in its constitution .
Nearly 62 % of voters Tuesday backed a constitutional amendment recognizing marriage “ as between couples regardless of gender.
” The Marriage Regardless of Gender Amendment also allows religious organizations and clergy to retain the right “ to refuse to perform a marriage.
” Previously , Nevada was one of 30 U.S. states with a constitution that defined marriage as strictly between one man and one woman .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following a voter referendum only to be struck down by a state appeals court in 2014 .
In 2015 , the U.S. Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide .
Human Rights Campaign Nevada State Director Briana Escamilla said in an email that she hoped the amendment would remind lawmakers “ across the country that LGBTQ equality is a winning issue millions of voters care about and prioritize at the ballot.
” “ Nevada has sent a message that it is a welcoming place for anyone looking to make a life here , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be a reminder that LGBTQ equality is not just the right thing to do , it is exactly what Nevadans want.
” Other LGBTQ advocacy groups felt similarly and applauded Nevada even as the state remained a focal point in an undecided presidential race .
News of the amendment followed the release of a national survey that found support for marriage equality at an all-time high in the U.S. About 70 % of U.S. residents favored granting same-sex couples the right to marry , according to the 2020 American Values Survey published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase of about 9 percentage points from the 2017 edition of the report .
Still , many couples and advocacy groups said they are concerned marriage equality and other LGBTQ rights could be in jeopardy moving forward .
In October , the Supreme Court tilted to a 6-3 conservative majority following the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett .
Nevada ’ s constitutional amendment , however , will ensure protections for married same-sex couples even if marriage equality is overturned at the federal level .

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Nearly 62% of voters Tuesday backed a constitutional amendment recognizing marriage “as between couples regardless of gender.” The Marriage Regardless of Gender Amendment also allows religious organizations and clergy to retain the right “to refuse to perform a marriage.”
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Previously, Nevada was one of 30 U.S. states with a constitution that defined marriage as strictly between one man and one woman. The ban was put in place in 2002 following a voter referendum only to be struck down by a state appeals court in 2014. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide.
Human Rights Campaign Nevada State Director Briana Escamilla said in an email that she hoped the amendment would remind lawmakers “across the country that LGBTQ equality is a winning issue millions of voters care about and prioritize at the ballot.”
“Nevada has sent a message that it is a welcoming place for anyone looking to make a life here,” she said. “This overwhelming majority should be a reminder that LGBTQ equality is not just the right thing to do, it is exactly what Nevadans want.”
Other LGBTQ advocacy groups felt similarly and applauded Nevada even as the state remained a focal point in an undecided presidential race.
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Congratulations to Nevada - where voters overwhelmingly repealed the state's constitutional ban on marriage for same-sex couples! https://t.co/pcdH7YvppY — Freedom to Marry (@freedomtomarry) November 4, 2020
BREAKING NEWS: Nevada becomes the first state in the nation to protect same-sex marriage it its constitution #NOH8 pic.twitter.com/TUnoqPHBOg — NOH8 Campaign (@NOH8Campaign) November 4, 2020
News of the amendment followed the release of a national survey that found support for marriage equality at an all-time high in the U.S.
About 70% of U.S. residents favored granting same-sex couples the right to marry, according to the 2020 American Values Survey published last month. That’s an increase of about 9 percentage points from the 2017 edition of the report.
Still, many couples and advocacy groups said they are concerned marriage equality and other LGBTQ rights could be in jeopardy moving forward. In October, the Supreme Court tilted to a 6-3 conservative majority following the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Colorado Throws Itself To The Wolves

Colorado Throws Itself To The Wolves

While the Associated Press hasn ’ t officially called the race , which has hovered in too-close-to-call territory for days , CPW said Thursday that it expects the measure to pass , as the margin of votes in favor of it ticked past 30,000 .
The proposition ’ s opponents also conceded Thursday .
The measure directs CPW to lay out and implement a program by the end of 2023 , with the first wolves set for release in the mountainous western half of the state .
The Parks and Wildlife Commission will also take on the responsibility of fairly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predation .
Richard Connell , a director at the Colorado Farm Bureau , which opposed the measure , argued that Colorado ’ s demographics are especially problematic compared to those of other states where wolves have already been reintroduced .
Colorado has less than one-third of the combined land area of Wyoming , Idaho and Montana , yet more than double the human population .
In 2016 , the Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted what effectively amounted to a “ live and let live ” policy regarding wolves in the state .
Should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to leave them be , but it opposed the intentional release of the animals , noting their potential to harm Colorado ’ s livestock industry and big game population , both of which are significant contributors to the state economy .
Proponents also say that the science backs them up , with advocates highlighting ecological successes in Yellowstone National Park after wolves were returned there as proof that Colorado should follow suit .
Wolves are credited with triggering a “ trophic cascade ” in the park after their reintroduction in 1995 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via the addition of this apex predator .
“ With wolves on the landscape , elk and deer need to stay on the move , ” said Murtaugh .
“ This movement allows for a more natural and even distribution of grazing patterns , giving plants time to generate and grow .
Vegetation like aspen and willow shoots are then more likely to persist into maturity , providing habitat for animals like songbirds and beaver.
” Colorado wildlife experts hope that wolves might also reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease ( CWD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mad cow disease that first cropped up in the 1980s .
As elk herd populations soared to record highs in the 1990s , the disease spread right along with them .
CWD has now been detected in more than half of Colorado ’ s deer herds and around 40 % of the state ’ s elk herds .
According to Diana Tomback , a professor at the University of Colorado Denver with expertise in evolutionary ecology , there ’ s reason to hope that wolves would help contain it .

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DENVER ― My, Colorado, what adventurous ballot measures you have!
The better to reintroduce wolves with, my dear.
Colorado voters are expected to pass Proposition 114, directing the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (CPW) to develop a plan for reintroducing gray wolves in the state.
While the Associated Press hasn’t officially called the race, which has hovered in too-close-to-call territory for days, CPW said Thursday that it expects the measure to pass, as the margin of votes in favor of it ticked past 30,000. The proposition’s opponents also conceded Thursday.
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The measure directs CPW to lay out and implement a program by the end of 2023, with the first wolves set for release in the mountainous western half of the state. The Parks and Wildlife Commission will also take on the responsibility of fairly compensating ranchers for any livestock lost to predation.
The passage of Proposition 114 marks the first time in U.S. history that voters ― not land managers ― have directed the reintroduction of a species.
Humans largely eradicated Canis lupus from the western U.S. in the 1930s via a combination of shooting, trapping and poisoning. Colorado’s last native gray wolf was killed sometime between 1943 and 1945 in a remote southern corner of the rugged San Juan Mountains.
In 2009, a female wolf known as 341F made headlines after traveling more than 1,000 circuitous miles across the Mountain West region, tracing a route from southern Montana through Wyoming and northeast Utah before finally reaching Colorado’s White River National Forest.
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The wolf died suddenly that March. Given her body’s proximity to a road, 341F was initially believed to have been hit by a car. Subsequent tests showed she’d actually been poisoned by Compound 1080, a cousin of sodium cyanide that’s illegal in Colorado.
Unlike in Wyoming and Montana, where self-sustaining gray wolf populations led to a relaxing of the species’ protected status, Canis lupus was a federally protected endangered species in Colorado at the time and therefore illegal to kill. (The Trump administration delisted the gray wolf from Endangered Species Act protections at the end of October.)
No suspects were ever identified in the death of 341F.
Like her, a handful of other confirmed lone wolves have wandered into Colorado via Wyoming over the years (in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2015 and 2019), but without any means to reproduce they’re doomed to wander and die alone, a fate often expedited by a speeding vehicle.
(1/3) Wolf Update 🐺: The Jackson County sighting was confirmed by @WGFD to be a dispersing male gray wolf from WY. It is from the Snake River pack, and was last recorded by transmission signals on Feb. 12 during routine telemetry flights around South Pass. pic.twitter.com/XYnpC4Y4uu — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) July 10, 2019
Proposition 114’s opponents would have liked to keep it that way.
Writing for western Colorado’s Montrose Daily Press, one opponent compared the reintroduction of gray wolves to putting “50 serial killers on the loose in our mountains” and warned of the potential threat to humans, livestock and domestic pets.
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“This is a decision that belongs to the folks affected, not those of Denver, Boulder, Aurora, and Golden,” the writer argued, highlighting the state’s growing rural-urban divide.
While fatal encounters with wolves in North America are exceedingly rare, the proposition’s opponents noted that run-ins with humans are inevitable.
Richard Connell, a director at the Colorado Farm Bureau, which opposed the measure, argued that Colorado’s demographics are especially problematic compared to those of other states where wolves have already been reintroduced. Colorado has less than one-third of the combined land area of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, yet more than double the human population.
“Knowing the kind of people we have in Colorado who have fed bears, and fed other wildlife on their back porches, [wolves] will start learning the habits of people, and start wandering into backyards,” Connell told the Aspen Times.
“Those wolves will become habituated to our way of life,” he said. “When they do, they watch us, they learn from us. Eventually, they will become bold enough to attack us.”
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Commissioners in 39 counties, most of them rural, passed nonbinding resolutions opposing the measure. That list includes Moffat County in northwestern Colorado, where a pack of six wolves was spotted in March, having entered from Wyoming.
In 2016, the Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted what effectively amounted to a “live and let live” policy regarding wolves in the state. Should they migrate here naturally, the agency agreed to leave them be, but it opposed the intentional release of the animals, noting their potential to harm Colorado’s livestock industry and big game population, both of which are significant contributors to the state economy.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which opposed the measure, criticized it as “ballot-box biology.”
“Using the ballot box to circumvent professional wildlife managers and create wildlife management policy is reckless. On top of that, now more than ever, it’s fiscally irresponsible,” said the foundation’s president, Kyle Weaver, referring to the state’s multibillion-dollar budget shortfall thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Proponents of reintroducing the gray wolf say there was no other way.
Colorado’s constitution explicitly prohibits federal authorities like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from reintroducing endangered species. Instead, that right is reserved for the state legislature or voters via ballot measure. Previous attempts to pass legislation, including one in January, failed to gain traction.
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Proponents also say that the science backs them up, with advocates highlighting ecological successes in Yellowstone National Park after wolves were returned there as proof that Colorado should follow suit. Wolves are credited with triggering a “trophic cascade” in the park after their reintroduction in 1995, improving the health of an entire ecosystem via the addition of this apex predator.
“The wolf’s primary ecological impact has to do with their relationship to their prey,” said John Murtaugh, the Rockies and Plains representative for Defenders of Wildlife, an organization that has long advocated for reintroducing wolves.
“In the absence of predators, animals like elk and deer spend more time browsing in a specific region,” he told HuffPost. “This can lead to over-browsing, which can impact the ability for plants to regenerate and damage the soil.”
Rocky Mountain National Park, home to an increasingly non-migratory elk herd, has had to contend with similar damage. Land managers there have responded by culling animals when necessary and installing fencing to protect damaged habitat.
“With wolves on the landscape, elk and deer need to stay on the move,” said Murtaugh. “This movement allows for a more natural and even distribution of grazing patterns, giving plants time to generate and grow. Vegetation like aspen and willow shoots are then more likely to persist into maturity, providing habitat for animals like songbirds and beaver.”
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“Over time, these effects can ripple out and impact a wide variety of species. This wide-reaching effect is known as a trophic cascade and, in the case of wolves, can represent a return to a more natural balance,” he continued.
Wolfgang Kaehler via Getty Images
Colorado wildlife experts hope that wolves might also reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), an elk-borne prion similar to mad cow disease that first cropped up in the 1980s. As elk herd populations soared to record highs in the 1990s, the disease spread right along with them.
CWD has now been detected in more than half of Colorado’s deer herds and around 40% of the state’s elk herds. According to Diana Tomback, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver with expertise in evolutionary ecology, there’s reason to hope that wolves would help contain it.
“Wolves target weak prey and detect diseased animals, and many experts think that wolves could limit the spread of this CWD,” Tomback told a university publication. “The increasing incidence of this disease may be related to wolf extirpation.”
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As for the threat that wolves pose to cattle and elk, Tomback is unconcerned.
“In the northern Rockies states ― where there are now about 2,000 wolves and 1.6 million cattle ― wolves prey on less than 0.01% of cattle annually,” she said. “In these states, cattle outnumber elk about 4 to 1, but wolves prefer elk as prey.”
If the wolves end up reducing CWD, hunters stand to benefit from a healthier elk population, too. In addition, there isn’t as clear a link between wolf predation and elk population as one might think. “Wolf predation by itself does not initiate declines in prey populations,” Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks found, “but it can exacerbate them or lengthen periods of prey population rebounds.”
Studies of elk and wolf interaction in Montana and Yellowstone found that factors like drought, habitat, other large predators and human hunting all play a large role in elk populations.