thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Former RNC Chair: It's Time To Leave 'Stubborn Little Brat' Trump Behind

Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele said Wednesday that it was time for the nation to move on and heal from Donald Trump , even as the president launches a fight against the still-uncertain results of the election .
In an appearance on MSNBC , Steele was asked by host Nicolle Wallace about reports that Trump ’ s advisers are worried a defeat would lead to a further “ sour grape-like performance.
” Amid diminishing margins in his race against Democrat Joe Biden , Trump has railed against the electoral system , attacked democratic processes , initiated legal challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winner despite projections that so far appear to suggest a very narrow contest .
“ It rings very true to me , and confirms what I heard from probably some of the same people , ” said Steele , a frequent critic of the president .
“ I think , as a nation and certainly for a president-elect , Joe Biden , when that moment comes , you plan accordingly .
If he doesn ’ t want to come to the inauguration , it will be a blemish not on the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t want to cooperate on the transition , it will not be a blemish on the United States but him.
” In the lead-up to Election Day , Trump refused on multiple occasions to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose .
“ We need to stop carrying Donald Trump ’ s baggage , as a country .
We need to stop it , ” he added .
“ We need to now begin to free ourselves of this sickness and begin to heal ourselves and take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is prepared to move us in a different direction , and if Donald Trump wants to be that stubborn little brat standing in the middle of the mall stamping his feet refusing to move , OK. ” Steele , who was chair of the RNC from 2009 to 2011 , became a member of the anti-Trump Republican group The Lincoln Project in August and endorsed Biden for president last month .
He said he was crossing party lines with the belief a Biden administration would heal the divide exacerbated by Trump and @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele said Wednesday that it was time for the nation to move on and heal from Donald Trump, even as the president launches a fight against the still-uncertain results of the election.
In an appearance on MSNBC, Steele was asked by host Nicolle Wallace about reports that Trump’s advisers are worried a defeat would lead to a further “sour grape-like performance.”
Advertisement
Amid diminishing margins in his race against Democrat Joe Biden, Trump has railed against the electoral system, attacked democratic processes, initiated legal challenges in several battleground states and declared himself the winner despite projections that so far appear to suggest a very narrow contest.
“It rings very true to me, and confirms what I heard from probably some of the same people,” said Steele, a frequent critic of the president.
“I think, as a nation and certainly for a president-elect, Joe Biden, when that moment comes, you plan accordingly. If he doesn’t want to come to the inauguration, it will be a blemish not on the United States but on him. If he doesn’t want to cooperate on the transition, it will not be a blemish on the United States but him.”
In the lead-up to Election Day, Trump refused on multiple occasions to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose.
Advertisement
"We need to stop carrying Donald Trump's baggage as a country," former GOP chair Michael Steele said, telling America it's time to move on from this president. pic.twitter.com/fUYJ7IlZtr — PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) November 4, 2020
“We need to stop carrying Donald Trump’s baggage, as a country. We need to stop it,” he added. “We need to now begin to free ourselves of this sickness and begin to heal ourselves and take the risk with someone like Joe Biden, who is prepared to move us in a different direction, and if Donald Trump wants to be that stubborn little brat standing in the middle of the mall stamping his feet refusing to move, OK.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--Sean Hannity Rants At 'Absolute Disgrace' Of An Election Turning Against Trump

While President Donald Trump filed lawsuits , cried fraud and baselessly claimed that mail-in votes ― especially for Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ polls closed , Sean Hannity defended the election process .
The Fox News host actually @ @ @ @ @ often does on his show ― acting as a campaign minister for the incumbent , @ @ @ @ @ a nail-biter as votes continue to be counted in battleground states .
( See the @ @ @ @ @ And tonight what we ’ re really witnessing , we ’ re going to be @ @ @ @ @ good hard look at what ’ s happening is an absolute disgrace that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ , ” Hannity fumed .
Hannity claimed the election was the culmination of a four-year @ @ @ @ @ a duly elected president ” and cited disinformation and conspiracy theories being spread by Trump @ @ @ @ @ The prime time personality also seemed to reference false internet chatter about 100,000 votes that @ @ @ @ @ through corruption .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
While President Donald Trump filed lawsuits, cried fraud and baselessly claimed that mail-in votes ― especially for Joe Biden ― were cast after the polls closed, Sean Hannity defended the election process.
Just kidding!
The Fox News host actually did on Wednesday what he often does on his show ― acting as a campaign minister for the incumbent, who’s locked in a nail-biter as votes continue to be counted in battleground states. (See the video below.)
Advertisement
“And tonight what we’re really witnessing, we’re going to be honest, and take a good hard look at what’s happening is an absolute disgrace that’s unfolding right before our eyes,” Hannity fumed.
Hannity claimed the election was the culmination of a four-year “all out assault against a duly elected president” and cited disinformation and conspiracy theories being spread by Trump and his other allies. The prime time personality also seemed to reference false internet chatter about 100,000 votes that Biden picked up in Wisconsin through corruption.
Watch him carry on here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--House Democrats Rankled By Surprise Losses

But Democrats were hoping for considerable gains in both chambers ― four or five more Senate seats , and double-digit gains in the House .
Instead , it looks like Republicans will retain their Senate majority , even with uncalled races and a runoff election in Georgia .
And it now appears that Democrats will lose seats in the House .
In Florida , Democratic Reps. Donna Shalala and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell both lost to Republican challengers Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez , respectively .
In Minnesota , 15-term Democrat Collin Peterson ― the chairman of the Agriculture Committee ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting for a number of GOP priorities and against impeachment .
In Iowa , freshman Democrat Abby Finkenauer narrowly lost to Ashley Hinson .
In New Mexico , Rep. Xochitl Torres Small lost to GOP challenger Yvette Herrell .
In Oklahoma , Rep. Kendra Horn lost to Republican Stephanie Bice .
In New York , Max Rose badly lost to Republican Nicole Malliotakis , and Anthony Brindisi lost a rematch to former Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney .
And in South Carolina , Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham lost to Nancy Mace .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was emerging from Election Day was Republican women flipping districts .
In this Congress , there were only 13 Republican women in the House , compared to 89 for Democrats .
But even with a number of races yet to be called , Republicans will grow their female ranks significantly , particularly when you add in the Republicans who took over existing GOP seats , like QAnon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene , who won her safe Georgia seat by appealing to the far-right during the primary .
“ From every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upping the number of losses they said Republicans would have up to 20 just this week , or if you listened to Speaker Pelosi , or Cheri Bustos who runs the [ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ] , or the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ― they all said it was double digits .
Steny even upped it to 15 this week alone that they would win , ” McCarthy said .
“ They were all wrong.
” Pundits and professional pollsters were largely wrong , particularly in some districts , where polling had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
Conor Lamb ( D-Pa. ) , for example , looked like he was cruising to an easy reelection in western Pennsylvania by double digits .
But he ’ s currently down by eight points to Republican Sean Parnell , though strategists still believe he could pull out a victory based on mail-in ballots .
This lawmaker said the DCCC had led Democrats to believe they were on offense , when the case was clearly the opposite .
But Democratic strategists defended the DCCC by noting that , across the board , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t just internal Democratic numbers .
The DCCC did pour late money into some races that may have saved some seats .
It spent $ 1.1 million in freshman Democrat Susie Lee ’ s Nevada district in the final weeks of the campaign , as well as $ 950,000 in Haley Stevens ’ Michigan district .
That money may have saved both representatives .
And overall , the DCCC spent $ 75 million on vulnerable Democrats , so-called “ frontliners.
” But the committee also had its eyes on a far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , Democrats may have only flipped two North Carolina seats that were redistricted and were placed in the “ Likely Democratic ” category on Cook .
Across 17 GOP toss-ups , Republicans may have shot the moon and defended every single one of them .
“ Something was clearly very wrong on our polls , ” this Democrat said .
“ Clearly very wrong .
And it was wrong on the presidential level , but it was way off in some of these districts .
And that sucks because we probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defending some of our colleagues rather than trying to win some of these ghost seats.
” And yet another Democratic lawmaker said the reduced majority would make governing much harder , particularly if you expected vulnerable Democrats to try to establish their independence from the party .
“ We already lose motions to recommit every other week , ” this lawmaker said , referring to a procedural vote that Democrats have lost at a surprising rate .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Although many of the votes in House races were still being counted Wednesday, one thing was already clear: These were not the results Democrats hoped for or expected.
It wasn’t the worst-case scenario. As of Wednesday afternoon, Joe Biden appeared to have staked out an advantage against President Donald Trump as counting continued in several too-close-to-call states. And while Democrats don’t look like they’ll take back the Senate as they thought, their House majority appears intact.
Advertisement
But Democrats were hoping for considerable gains in both chambers ― four or five more Senate seats, and double-digit gains in the House. Instead, it looks like Republicans will retain their Senate majority, even with uncalled races and a runoff election in Georgia. And it now appears that Democrats will lose seats in the House.
Democrats had some cushion in the House, with a 232-197 party breakdown in the chamber (with five vacancies and one Libertarian). But Republicans appear poised to knock that number down by at least a half-dozen seats, potentially even crossing into double-digit territory.
Again, election officials are still counting votes in many races, but when the dust settles, it looks like Republicans will have flipped seats in Florida, New York, New Mexico, Minnesota and Iowa ― among others.
In Florida, Democratic Reps. Donna Shalala and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell both lost to Republican challengers Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez, respectively. In Minnesota, 15-term Democrat Collin Peterson ― the chairman of the Agriculture Committee ― finally lost his seat, even after voting for a number of GOP priorities and against impeachment. In Iowa, freshman Democrat Abby Finkenauer narrowly lost to Ashley Hinson. In New Mexico, Rep. Xochitl Torres Small lost to GOP challenger Yvette Herrell. In Oklahoma, Rep. Kendra Horn lost to Republican Stephanie Bice. In New York, Max Rose badly lost to Republican Nicole Malliotakis, and Anthony Brindisi lost a rematch to former Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney. And in South Carolina, Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham lost to Nancy Mace.
Advertisement
Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) was defeated in a surprise loss to Republican challenger Maria Elvira Salazar on Tuesday. POOL New / Reuters
If you couldn’t tell, one trend that was emerging from Election Day was Republican women flipping districts. In this Congress, there were only 13 Republican women in the House, compared to 89 for Democrats. But even with a number of races yet to be called, Republicans will grow their female ranks significantly, particularly when you add in the Republicans who took over existing GOP seats, like QAnon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who won her safe Georgia seat by appealing to the far-right during the primary.
On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) touted adding “14 to 19” women to the House GOP’s ranks, noting that it would be a record number of Republican women in the House.
“The Republican coalition is bigger, more diverse, and more energetic than ever before. And that is because of President Trump,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy also noted how much better Republicans did than expected.
“From every single pundit, even from the Cook Report upping the number of losses they said Republicans would have up to 20 just this week, or if you listened to Speaker Pelosi, or Cheri Bustos who runs the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee], or the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ― they all said it was double digits. Steny even upped it to 15 this week alone that they would win,” McCarthy said. “They were all wrong.”
Advertisement
Pundits and professional pollsters were largely wrong, particularly in some districts, where polling had massively favored incumbent Democrats who are currently down. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), for example, looked like he was cruising to an easy reelection in western Pennsylvania by double digits. But he’s currently down by eight points to Republican Sean Parnell, though strategists still believe he could pull out a victory based on mail-in ballots.
Democratic members told HuffPost on Wednesday that the polling was all over the place ― in some districts and states like California, the numbers were spot on. In other areas, like Texas and South Florida, the polls were way off.
“Nobody got a heads-up that Donna Shalala was in trouble,” one Democratic lawmaker said. “It makes me wonder what value polls even have at this point.” (This lawmaker, like several Democrats and strategists who spoke with HuffPost, requested anonymity in order to speak freely.)
This lawmaker said the DCCC had led Democrats to believe they were on offense, when the case was clearly the opposite. But Democratic strategists defended the DCCC by noting that, across the board, pollsters got races wrong ― it wasn’t just internal Democratic numbers.
“Everybody involved in campaigns is data-driven, but things missed the mark,” one Democratic strategist said. “First we need to figure out who wins and who loses, and then we can figure out why we got it wrong.”
Advertisement
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) faces a reduced Democratic presence in the chamber. ALYSSA SCHUKAR via Getty Images
The DCCC did pour late money into some races that may have saved some seats. It spent $1.1 million in freshman Democrat Susie Lee’s Nevada district in the final weeks of the campaign, as well as $950,000 in Haley Stevens’ Michigan district. That money may have saved both representatives. And overall, the DCCC spent $75 million on vulnerable Democrats, so-called “frontliners.” But the committee also had its eyes on a far more ambitious battleground.
Democrats expected to pick up multiple seats in Texas. Instead, it looks like Democrats may lose a seat there. They expected to pick off seats in New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, even GOP strongholds like Arkansas and Missouri.
But it looks like Republicans may have held Democrats off at every turn.
“Look at the toss-up seats on the Cook Political Report,” another Democratic lawmaker told HuffPost. “I’m not sure we won a single fucking one.”
In fact, at the moment, Democrats may have only flipped two North Carolina seats that were redistricted and were placed in the “Likely Democratic” category on Cook. Across 17 GOP toss-ups, Republicans may have shot the moon and defended every single one of them.
Advertisement
“Something was clearly very wrong on our polls,” this Democrat said. “Clearly very wrong. And it was wrong on the presidential level, but it was way off in some of these districts. And that sucks because we probably would have been putting more money into defending some of our colleagues rather than trying to win some of these ghost seats.”
And yet another Democratic lawmaker said the reduced majority would make governing much harder, particularly if you expected vulnerable Democrats to try to establish their independence from the party. “We already lose motions to recommit every other week,” this lawmaker said, referring to a procedural vote that Democrats have lost at a surprising rate.
Democrats didn’t think the reduced numbers would necessarily threaten Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s House speakership, mostly because many of the Democrats who lost their seats were the same Democrats who were prone to vote against her in a speaker election.
But Pelosi’s position isn’t exactly locked up. At the start of the 116th Congress, 15 Democrats voted against Pelosi. And at least eight of those Democrats will be returning to Congress. With a majority that looks to be in the single digits, Democrats could start the new Congress with a bitter leadership fight.
It was certainly not the night Democrats were hoping for.
“We got what we needed, which is to end the Trump presidency,” one of those Democratic lawmakers said optimistically. “We didn’t get what we wanted.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Trump Allies Are Pushing #SharpieGate Conspiracy Theory To Claim Election Theft

Allies of President Donald Trump are promoting a baseless conspiracy theory that poll workers tricked Trump voters by providing them with Sharpies to cast their votes , and then rejected the ballots due to the use of the marker .
The theory , trending as # SharpieGate on social media , appears to have first emerged in Arizona and has since spread to parts of Pennsylvania .
The claims are untrue : Election officials in both states have confirmed that Sharpies are an acceptable writing instrument for filling out ballots and that ballots are not being rejected due to Sharpie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversy burning through social media is false .
Don ’ t get caught up in it , ” the government of Pima County , Arizona , tweeted Wednesday .
“ All ballots in which voter intent can be discerned will be counted , ” the county wrote .
“ No ballots will be discarded because of the method used to color in the ovals.
” But hundreds of thousands of people may be seeing the conspiracy theory anyway , as Trump allies are easily able to promote it on social media platforms such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich , a Trump ally , has also boosted the theory .
On Wednesday afternoon , he said his office received “ hundreds of voter complaints regarding Sharpies at polling locations ” and sent a letter to Maricopa County demanding answers .
One early promoter of the SharpieGate theory is an Arizona real estate agent named Marko Trickovic , who has accused the state ’ s Republican governor of being a “ tyrant ” for implementing restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 .
In a video Trickovic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman claimed to have seen poll workers pushing voters to use Sharpies and blocking them from accessing regular pens .
She said she witnessed ballots marked with Sharpies getting rejected but that her ballot , marked with a regular pen , was accepted .
Facebook placed a warning over the video , indicating that it contained false information — but it still has been shared on the platform more than 100,000 times .
Trump boosters have since spread the claim on Twitter , as they push a false narrative that Democrats are stealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan Fournier stated as fact to his more than 1 million followers that “ people literally had their votes cancelled because they were given a sharpie at the polls.
” Women for Trump co-founder Amy Kremer told her 62,000 followers that SharpieGate “ is everywhere , ” and Republican lobbyist Matt Schlapp shared the theory with his 230,000 followers .
Election officials in Arizona and Pennsylvania are working to stop the misinformation and assure voters that using a Sharpie will not invalidate their ballots .
In Montgomery County , Pennsylvania , election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because “ Sharpie pens are recommended by our voting machine vendor , ” Kelly Cofrancisco , a spokesperson for the county ’ s board of commissioners , told HuffPost in an email .
“ Did you know we use Sharpies in the Vote Centers so the ink doesn ’ t smudge as ballots are counted onsite ?
” the Maricopa County Elections Department in Arizona tweeted on Tuesday before the manufactured controversy erupted .
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs ’ pinned tweet currently reads , “ IMPORTANT : If you voted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be counted , no matter what kind of pen you used ( even a Sharpie ) !
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Allies of President Donald Trump are promoting a baseless conspiracy theory that poll workers tricked Trump voters by providing them with Sharpies to cast their votes, and then rejected the ballots due to the use of the marker.
The theory, trending as #SharpieGate on social media, appears to have first emerged in Arizona and has since spread to parts of Pennsylvania. The claims are untrue: Election officials in both states have confirmed that Sharpies are an acceptable writing instrument for filling out ballots and that ballots are not being rejected due to Sharpie use.
Advertisement
“The felt-tip pen ballot controversy burning through social media is false. Don’t get caught up in it,” the government of Pima County, Arizona, tweeted Wednesday. “All ballots in which voter intent can be discerned will be counted,” the county wrote. “No ballots will be discarded because of the method used to color in the ovals.”
But hundreds of thousands of people may be seeing the conspiracy theory anyway, as Trump allies are easily able to promote it on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Trump ally, has also boosted the theory. On Wednesday afternoon, he said his office received “hundreds of voter complaints regarding Sharpies at polling locations” and sent a letter to Maricopa County demanding answers. By the next evening, he conceded that the use of Sharpies “did not result in disenfranchisement” in Maricopa County.
Advertisement
One early promoter of the SharpieGate theory is an Arizona real estate agent named Marko Trickovic, who has accused the state’s Republican governor of being a “tyrant” for implementing restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19.
In a video Trickovic posted to Facebook Tuesday night, a woman claimed to have seen poll workers pushing voters to use Sharpies and blocking them from accessing regular pens. She said she witnessed ballots marked with Sharpies getting rejected but that her ballot, marked with a regular pen, was accepted. Facebook placed a warning over the video, indicating that it contained false information — but it still has been shared on the platform more than 100,000 times.
Trump boosters have since spread the claim on Twitter, as they push a false narrative that Democrats are stealing the election. Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier stated as fact to his more than 1 million followers that “people literally had their votes cancelled because they were given a sharpie at the polls.” Women for Trump co-founder Amy Kremer told her 62,000 followers that SharpieGate “is everywhere,” and Republican lobbyist Matt Schlapp shared the theory with his 230,000 followers.
Twitter has labeled Fournier’s and Schlapp’s tweets as containing “disputed” or “misleading” information about the election.
Election officials in Arizona and Pennsylvania are working to stop the misinformation and assure voters that using a Sharpie will not invalidate their ballots.
Advertisement
In Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, election officials supply Sharpies to voters in all precincts because “Sharpie pens are recommended by our voting machine vendor,” Kelly Cofrancisco, a spokesperson for the county’s board of commissioners, told HuffPost in an email.
“Did you know we use Sharpies in the Vote Centers so the ink doesn’t smudge as ballots are counted onsite?” the Maricopa County Elections Department in Arizona tweeted on Tuesday before the manufactured controversy erupted.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--'Count Every Vote' Protesters March In Philadelphia As Trump Falsely Claims Victory

PHILADELPHIA — Hundreds of people gathered in Pennsylvania ’ s largest city on Wednesday in a series of protests demanding that every vote in the presidential election be counted in the key battleground state .
They were responding to an attempt by the campaign of President Donald Trump to stop the legal ballot-counting process here and to boost his false and premature claim of victory in this week ’ s tightly contested election .
A “ Count Every Vote ” protest , organized by various progressive groups , started in the early afternoon on a lawn near Philadelphia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local clergy and Democratic lawmakers , pointed to the symbolism of the location , saying the president ’ s attempt to undermine the 2020 election process amounted to an existential threat to the democracy created inside the historic building — where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted during America ’ s founding .
“ Everybody who ’ s here knows they have a role in protecting this democracy , ” Rep. Dwight Evans ( D-Pa. ) told the assembled crowd .
“ So let me hear you say it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstration was one of many across America on Wednesday , as the Trump campaign filed a series of baseless lawsuits against Pennsylvania , Michigan and Georgia in an attempt to stop the key swing states from counting legally cast mail-in ballots , a common voting method due to the coronavirus pandemic which has proved especially popular among supporters of the president ’ s opponent , Joe Biden .
“ We want to make sure that every vote is counted , ” Aaron Myers , 53 , who works for Aramark at the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Unite HERE Local 274 union , told HuffPost at Wednesday ’ s protest .
“ We just want to ensure that it ’ s a fair election .
If [ Trump ] wins , obviously we ’ ll be disappointed , but we believe that if every vote is counted , Joe Biden will win.
” They passed near the Pennsylvania Convention Center , where the Trump campaign had advertised a press conference featuring the president ’ s son , Eric Trump , along with the president ’ s attorney Rudy Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But as dozens of reporters waited for the press conference to begin , a campaign spokesman suddenly announced the event had been postponed .
A Philadelphia police officer told HuffPost the event had been scuttled because of the nearby protests .
A short time later Eric Trump and Giuliani held their press conference on the outskirts of the city near the Philadelphia International Airport , making baseless accusations about the legitimacy of the vote in Pennsylvania .
When the protesters reached City Hall many dispersed , but others stuck around for other protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cops and National Guard troops stood by , anticipating unrest .
“ The same system that has no respect for Black lives and hunts us down and shoots us in the streets , ” one man told the crowd through a megaphone as the march commenced , “ is the same system trying to disenfranchise Black and brown voters in Philadelphia , in Atlanta , in Milwaukee ... ”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
PHILADELPHIA — Hundreds of people gathered in Pennsylvania’s largest city on Wednesday in a series of protests demanding that every vote in the presidential election be counted in the key battleground state.
They were responding to an attempt by the campaign of President Donald Trump to stop the legal ballot-counting process here and to boost his false and premature claim of victory in this week’s tightly contested election.
Advertisement
A “Count Every Vote” protest, organized by various progressive groups, started in the early afternoon on a lawn near Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. Multiple speakers, including local clergy and Democratic lawmakers, pointed to the symbolism of the location, saying the president’s attempt to undermine the 2020 election process amounted to an existential threat to the democracy created inside the historic building — where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted during America’s founding.
“Everybody who’s here knows they have a role in protecting this democracy,” Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) told the assembled crowd. “So let me hear you say it: every vote counts!”
“Every vote counts!” the crowd repeated.
“Count Every Vote” demonstration kicking off in Philly pic.twitter.com/X8NYXMuMJc — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 4, 2020
The demonstration was one of many across America on Wednesday, as the Trump campaign filed a series of baseless lawsuits against Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia in an attempt to stop the key swing states from counting legally cast mail-in ballots, a common voting method due to the coronavirus pandemic which has proved especially popular among supporters of the president’s opponent, Joe Biden.
Advertisement
Trump also falsely declared victory in Tuesday’s election, even though millions of votes in multiple key states, including Pennsylvania, hadn’t been counted.
“We want to make sure that every vote is counted,” Aaron Myers, 53, who works for Aramark at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and is part of the Unite HERE Local 274 union, told HuffPost at Wednesday’s protest. “We just want to ensure that it’s a fair election. If [Trump] wins, obviously we’ll be disappointed, but we believe that if every vote is counted, Joe Biden will win.”
Around 3 p.m., the hundreds of protesters took to the streets for a march to City Hall.
They passed near the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where the Trump campaign had advertised a press conference featuring the president’s son, Eric Trump, along with the president’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, among other prominent campaign surrogates.
But as dozens of reporters waited for the press conference to begin, a campaign spokesman suddenly announced the event had been postponed.
A Philadelphia police officer told HuffPost the event had been scuttled because of the nearby protests. A short time later Eric Trump and Giuliani held their press conference on the outskirts of the city near the Philadelphia International Airport, making baseless accusations about the legitimacy of the vote in Pennsylvania.
Advertisement
National Guard soldiers patrol the streets the morning after Americans voted in the presidential election on Nov. 4, 2020, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Spencer Platt via Getty Images
When the protesters reached City Hall many dispersed, but others stuck around for other protests scheduled for that evening. Dozens of cops and National Guard troops stood by, anticipating unrest.
One protest — organized by leftist groups including Socialist Alternative — featured a drum corps, a small brass band, and people carrying banners reading “All Eyes On PA, The World Is Watching.”
Union members and a drum line at the pro-democracy protest in Philly pic.twitter.com/o5LRlOZ1dz — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 4, 2020
Another protest was organized to demand justice for Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man shot and killed by Philadelphia police on Oct. 26.
Advertisement
Eventually, the two protests merged and marched through the streets of Philadelphia.
Two protests marching together in solidarity on Market St in Philadelphia: one organized for Walter Wallace Jr., the other demanding every vote be counted pic.twitter.com/5TIExspPEp — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 4, 2020
“The same system that has no respect for Black lives and hunts us down and shoots us in the streets,” one man told the crowd through a megaphone as the march commenced, “is the same system trying to disenfranchise Black and brown voters in Philadelphia, in Atlanta, in Milwaukee...”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters Wins Reelection In Expensive Race

ASSOCIATED PRESS Gary Peters of Michigan was one of the few vulnerable Democratic senators on the ballot this year .
He is seen here at a Saturday ally headlined by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama .
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters has secured a second term after a hard-fought and expensive race against one of the GOP ’ s strongest recruits in the 2020 campaign , according to projections from NBC and ABC .
The GOP candidate , John James , has now twice failed in Senate races to unseat a Democratic incumbent in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq War veteran , two years ago lost by six-plus percentage points to Sen. Debbie Stabenow .
In a year the GOP had to play defense on upward of 10 competitive Senate seats , Peters ’ seat represented one of Republicans ’ few opportunities to pick off a Democrat in the party ’ s bid to maintain its majority in the chamber .
Democrats , he told HuffPost in late October , “ have a very real path to take the majority , and it gets more complicated if we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also in the spotlight as a crucial swing state in the presidential contest , polling for the Senate race mostly gave Peters with small leads , though some showed it essentially a dead heat .
Ultimately , more campaign dollars were spent on the Senate race than on the face-off between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the state .
The Senate Leadership Fund , the super PAC aligned with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , spent heavily on Michigan airwaves in support of the 39-year-old James .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend before Election Day alone .
Former President Barack Obama , whom Biden ’ s campaign deployed to several states with an eye to increasing voter turnout among Black men , cut an ad for Peters , highlighting his work on aiding Michigan ’ s all-important auto industry , protecting health insurance coverage for those with preexisting conditions and securing more funding for Great Lakes restoration .
Trump carried Michigan by less than 1 percentage point in 2016 ― a crucial win in his election ― and as part of the sustained effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic column Obama and Biden made a joint campaign stop in the state on Saturday .
Peters joined them , and the rally spotlighted the importance of his race as well to Democrats .
Michigan is among the handful of states that still has straight-ticket voting , allowing residents to vote for one party up and down the ballot with a single mark .
James attempted to bill himself as a “ non-partisan ” outsider candidate , capitalizing on Peters ’ low profile to paint him as an ineffective lawmaker .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump , including comments he was “ 2000 % ” in support of the president ’ s agenda .
And Peters made a point of tying James to Trump .
Perhaps the campaign ’ s most newsworthy moment for the unassuming Petters occurred when he became the first sitting senator to share his abortion story , telling Elle magazine of the wrenching decision he and his wife made to end a difficult pregnancy in the 1980s .
Over the course of his reelection bid he offered himself as a bipartisan dealmaker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw signed into law under Trump , including expanding training programs for small businesses and apprenticeships for veterans .
“ I think people want to make sure things get done and get done with some sort of consensus , ” Peters told HuffPost about his efforts .
“ In the long run , we have to return our country to that kind of way of operating.
” But given the current climate in Washington , where the Republican Senate majority just pushed through a conservative Supreme Court justice as the election loomed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Trump ― continue to question the public health consensus on battling the coronavirus pandemic , Peters clarified : “ Let me be clear , I ’ m a Democrat and I ’ m a proud Democrat and hold Democratic values .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters has secured a second term after a hard-fought and expensive race against one of the GOP’s strongest recruits in the 2020 campaign, according to projections from NBC and ABC.
Peters’ win is a key hold for the Democrats in the battle for Senate control.
The GOP candidate, John James, has now twice failed in Senate races to unseat a Democratic incumbent in the state. James, Black entrepreneur and Iraq War veteran, two years ago lost by six-plus percentage points to Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Advertisement
In a year the GOP had to play defense on upward of 10 competitive Senate seats, Peters’ seat represented one of Republicans’ few opportunities to pick off a Democrat in the party’s bid to maintain its majority in the chamber.
Peters, 61, who in his campaign had to overcome a surprisingly low profile, acknowledged these stakes.
Democrats, he told HuffPost in late October, “have a very real path to take the majority, and it gets more complicated if we don’t win here in Michigan.”
With Michigan also in the spotlight as a crucial swing state in the presidential contest, polling for the Senate race mostly gave Peters with small leads, though some showed it essentially a dead heat. Ultimately, more campaign dollars were spent on the Senate race than on the face-off between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
Advertisement
The Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), spent heavily on Michigan airwaves in support of the 39-year-old James. The group invested $4.63 million in the weekend before Election Day alone.
Former President Barack Obama, whom Biden’s campaign deployed to several states with an eye to increasing voter turnout among Black men, cut an ad for Peters, highlighting his work on aiding Michigan’s all-important auto industry, protecting health insurance coverage for those with preexisting conditions and securing more funding for Great Lakes restoration.
Trump carried Michigan by less than 1 percentage point in 2016 ― a crucial win in his election ― and as part of the sustained effort to put the state back in the Democratic column Obama and Biden made a joint campaign stop in the state on Saturday. Peters joined them, and the rally spotlighted the importance of his race as well to Democrats.
Michigan is among the handful of states that still has straight-ticket voting, allowing residents to vote for one party up and down the ballot with a single mark.
James attempted to bill himself as a “non-partisan” outsider candidate, capitalizing on Peters’ low profile to paint him as an ineffective lawmaker. But the Republican was dogged by his past closeness with Trump, including comments he was “2000%” in support of the president’s agenda. And Peters made a point of tying James to Trump.
Advertisement
Perhaps the campaign’s most newsworthy moment for the unassuming Petters occurred when he became the first sitting senator to share his abortion story, telling Elle magazine of the wrenching decision he and his wife made to end a difficult pregnancy in the 1980s.
Over the course of his reelection bid he offered himself as a bipartisan dealmaker, emphasizing the six bills he authored and saw signed into law under Trump, including expanding training programs for small businesses and apprenticeships for veterans.
“I think people want to make sure things get done and get done with some sort of consensus,” Peters told HuffPost about his efforts. “In the long run, we have to return our country to that kind of way of operating.”
But given the current climate in Washington, where the Republican Senate majority just pushed through a conservative Supreme Court justice as the election loomed and as some GOP lawmakers ― as well as Trump ― continue to question the public health consensus on battling the coronavirus pandemic, Peters clarified: “Let me be clear, I’m a Democrat and I’m a proud Democrat and hold Democratic values.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Biden Says 'It's Clear' He's Winning Enough States To Emerge Victorious In Election

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Wednesday that he believes “ it ’ s clear ” he is winning enough states to reach 270 Electoral College votes , which would secure him the presidency .
The former vice president ― accompanied by running mate Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) ― spoke in Wilmington , Delaware , as the final few states continue counting votes .
“ I ’ m not here to declare that we ’ ve won , ” he said .
“ But I am here to report , when the count is finished , we believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden : `` It 's clear that we 're winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency .
I 'm not here to declare that we 've won , but I am here to report that when the count is finished , we believe we will be the winners . ''
https : //t.co/vRpMV6pfsy pic.twitter.com/LKrT3GfSsX — CSPAN ( @ cspan ) November 4 , 2020 Biden and President Donald Trump have their eyes on the battleground states of Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Michigan .
As the counts continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Michigan , while Trump leads in Pennsylvania .
The former vice president encouraged election officials to continue counting every single legal ballot , a sharp change from his opponent who is currently demanding a recount in Wisconsin and trying to stop ballots from being counted in Pennsylvania and Michigan .
“ Here , the people rule .
Power can ’ t be taken or asserted , ” Biden said .
“ It flows from the people .
And it ’ s their will that determines who will be the president of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump has continued to cast doubt over the legitimacy of the election , specifically in those battleground states .
The president has accused these states of mysteriously “ finding ” ballots that may go to Biden .
However , election officials are simply counting mail-in ballots that they were not allowed to count prior to Election Day .
Trump and his surrogates have also attempted to claim victory in Pennsylvania , despite the ballots still being counted with no projections called .
Mail-in ballots take longer to process than in-person ballots because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and checked against voter rolls before being scanned and counted .
The ballots were not cast after Election Day like Trump and his allies allege ; they were just being counted , which is a normal , legal thing that happens in every election .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Wednesday that he believes “it’s clear” he is winning enough states to reach 270 Electoral College votes, which would secure him the presidency.
The former vice president ― accompanied by running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) ― spoke in Wilmington, Delaware, as the final few states continue counting votes.
Advertisement
“I’m not here to declare that we’ve won,” he said. “But I am here to report, when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners.”
Joe Biden: "It's clear that we're winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. I'm not here to declare that we've won, but I am here to report that when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners." https://t.co/vRpMV6pfsy pic.twitter.com/LKrT3GfSsX — CSPAN (@cspan) November 4, 2020
Biden and President Donald Trump have their eyes on the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. As the counts continue, Biden was projected to win Wisconsin and Michigan, while Trump leads in Pennsylvania.
The former vice president encouraged election officials to continue counting every single legal ballot, a sharp change from his opponent who is currently demanding a recount in Wisconsin and trying to stop ballots from being counted in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Advertisement
“Here, the people rule. Power can’t be taken or asserted,” Biden said. “It flows from the people. And it’s their will that determines who will be the president of the United States, and their will only.”
Trump has continued to cast doubt over the legitimacy of the election, specifically in those battleground states. The president has accused these states of mysteriously “finding” ballots that may go to Biden. However, election officials are simply counting mail-in ballots that they were not allowed to count prior to Election Day.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--The USPS Didn’t Actually Fail To Deliver 300,000 Ballots. Here’s What We Know.

The facts in front of us show this : There aren ’ t any signs of the systemwide meltdown at the USPS that many voters and voting rights advocates feared .
There isn ’ t any positive evidence that thousands of ballots went missing or arrived late .
The USPS took extraordinary measures to make sure ballots weren ’ t bogged down by the delays that are afflicting mail overall , and it looks like those measures mostly worked .
All the bad news about the mail is coming from the USPS itself , and the agency has good explanations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as alarming as they appear on their face .
On Tuesday , the USPS told a federal judge that it did not have delivery confirmation scans for about 300,000 ballots .
For weeks , ballots have been moving faster than the rest of the mail .
But the fact is the USPS has been intricately involved in elections for years and it is used to getting a huge number of absentee ballots into the right hands at the very last minute .
For this unprecedented election , the agency took even larger steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in other cases , per Judge Sullivan ’ s orders .
As I reported earlier this week : As soon as a piece of sorting equipment identifies a ballot , postal workers take that ballot out of the processing stream to be delivered directly to election officials .
… [ Other extraordinary measures ] include maximizing overtime , reassigning any employees who aren ’ t scheduled to perform another core part of their job to election duty , and upgrading any ballots being mailed out of state to express mail .
Sorting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning someone physically goes and checks every point in the sorting process that ballots might have gotten left behind .
The USPS Office of Inspector General is inside plants observing all of this .
Delays in Pennsylvania and Michigan slowed ballots down .
That doesn ’ t mean the USPS successfully executed that plan everywhere .
Both COVID-19 and long-standing staffing issues have decimated the ranks of postal carriers and processing plant staff , including in the swing states of Michigan and Pennsylvania .
The USPS admits that those delays extended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the ballots it had on hand on Tuesday doesn ’ t mean many more won ’ t show up at processing plants on Wednesday , too late in some states to count .
But the situation isn ’ t as dire as it may sound .
The USPS has been reporting its delivery performance to Judge Sullivan every day , and some people are taking those numbers out of context to suggest that the USPS failed to deliver thousands of ballots in swing states .
This is false .
In Detroit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day reported a very low service score of 78.86 % .
But that figure is not a measure of the total ballots delivered or the total ballots delivered in time for election officials to count them .
It is a processing score — a measure of how many ballots arrived on time by USPS standards .
The score doesn ’ t necessarily mean anything as far as the election goes .
If a Detroit voter mailed her ballot on Monday , Oct. 26 , and it didn ’ t arrive at the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ballot is “ late ” by USPS standards but still perfectly valid in the eyes of election officials , which is what actually matters .
As Election Day drew closer , the processing scores became less and less relevant .
That ’ s because ballots were no longer traveling in the normal mail stream .
Since last week , postal workers have been under instructions to pull ballots out of the mail as soon as they ’ re flagged by the machinery and put them on a truck bound directly for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some places where the post office is delivering ballots via this special arrangement , nearly 100 % of ballots are arriving at election offices the same day they were mailed , a top postal official testified in federal court on Saturday .
But because those ballots are not traveling with the general mail , the performance scores are not reflecting that particular feat .
All the bad news is coming from the USPS ’ s own reports , and it has some decent explanations .
Of course , all these feel-good explanations about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the context of defending the agency from multiple lawsuits filed by voting rights advocates .
Skepticism of the institution is high , justifiably so , and there ’ s reason to take all of this with a grain of salt .
But all of the scariest statistics about the USPS — such as the low performance scores — are also coming from the agency .
Take the 300,000 ballots with no outbound delivery scans .
At the same time the USPS reported that figure , it said the lack of scans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postal workers were delivering ballots directly to election officials .
As Vice ’ s Aaron Gordon , who has also been closely reporting on the mail , put it : “ The only evidence there are 300,000 missing ballots is the USPS ’ s own statistics , which it has repeatedly ( and , to my mind , convincingly ) argued are not to be taken seriously .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As the country waits on a handful of swing states to decide the presidential election, all eyes are on mail-in ballots: how many are left to count and whether the U.S. Postal Service, an agency plagued by delays and controversy, delivered every ballot on time.
The facts in front of us show this: There aren’t any signs of the systemwide meltdown at the USPS that many voters and voting rights advocates feared. There isn’t any positive evidence that thousands of ballots went missing or arrived late. The USPS took extraordinary measures to make sure ballots weren’t bogged down by the delays that are afflicting mail overall, and it looks like those measures mostly worked.
Advertisement
All the bad news about the mail is coming from the USPS itself, and the agency has good explanations for why some reports aren’t as alarming as they appear on their face. On Tuesday, the USPS told a federal judge that it did not have delivery confirmation scans for about 300,000 ballots.
But that didn’t turn out to mean the USPS had lost or failed to deliver hundreds of thousands of ballots. U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan ordered emergency sweeps of processing plants, which so far have found missing ballots in the single digits.
There are open questions about whether the monthslong slowdowns in key swing states — Michigan, Pennsylvania — delayed ballots in ways we haven’t yet realized.
A mail handler unloads pallets filled with Washington and Oregon mail-in ballots at a U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution center on Oct. 14, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Advertisement
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of what we know:
For weeks, ballots have been moving faster than the rest of the mail.
The massive slowdowns in mail this summer were real, serious and, in some places, intractable. But as soon as the USPS began releasing specific statistics for election mail, it was clear that ballots were moving faster than other types of first-class mail.
What made the difference? Every election cycle, the USPS has a series of “extraordinary measures” it takes in order to speed up the delivery of ballots and make sure none go missing.
Voters, advocates and news outlets focused a lot on the post office this year because its role in this election was so obvious. A record number of voters planned to participate by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic, and a disproportionate share of absentee voters supported former Vice President Joe Biden.
But the fact is the USPS has been intricately involved in elections for years and it is used to getting a huge number of absentee ballots into the right hands at the very last minute. For this unprecedented election, the agency took even larger steps — in some cases, voluntarily, and in other cases, per Judge Sullivan’s orders. As I reported earlier this week:
As soon as a piece of sorting equipment identifies a ballot, postal workers take that ballot out of the processing stream to be delivered directly to election officials. … [Other extraordinary measures] include maximizing overtime, reassigning any employees who aren’t scheduled to perform another core part of their job to election duty, and upgrading any ballots being mailed out of state to express mail. Sorting facilities are conducting multiple sweeps per day, meaning someone physically goes and checks every point in the sorting process that ballots might have gotten left behind. The USPS Office of Inspector General is inside plants observing all of this.
Delays in Pennsylvania and Michigan slowed ballots down.
That doesn’t mean the USPS successfully executed that plan everywhere. Both COVID-19 and long-standing staffing issues have decimated the ranks of postal carriers and processing plant staff, including in the swing states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. The USPS admits that those delays extended to ballots. Just because the agency delivered all the ballots it had on hand on Tuesday doesn’t mean many more won’t show up at processing plants on Wednesday, too late in some states to count.
But the situation isn’t as dire as it may sound. The USPS has been reporting its delivery performance to Judge Sullivan every day, and some people are taking those numbers out of context to suggest that the USPS failed to deliver thousands of ballots in swing states. This is false.
In Detroit, for example, the USPS on Election Day reported a very low service score of 78.86%. But that figure is not a measure of the total ballots delivered or the total ballots delivered in time for election officials to count them. It is a processing score — a measure of how many ballots arrived on time by USPS standards.
The score doesn’t necessarily mean anything as far as the election goes. If a Detroit voter mailed her ballot on Monday, Oct. 26, and it didn’t arrive at the board of elections until Monday, Nov. 2, that ballot is “late” by USPS standards but still perfectly valid in the eyes of election officials, which is what actually matters.
As Election Day drew closer, the processing scores became less and less relevant. That’s because ballots were no longer traveling in the normal mail stream. Since last week, postal workers have been under instructions to pull ballots out of the mail as soon as they’re flagged by the machinery and put them on a truck bound directly for the appropriate board of elections.
Advertisement
In some places where the post office is delivering ballots via this special arrangement, nearly 100% of ballots are arriving at election offices the same day they were mailed, a top postal official testified in federal court on Saturday. But because those ballots are not traveling with the general mail, the performance scores are not reflecting that particular feat.
All the bad news is coming from the USPS’s own reports, and it has some decent explanations.
Of course, all these feel-good explanations about the mail come from the USPS itself, in the context of defending the agency from multiple lawsuits filed by voting rights advocates. Skepticism of the institution is high, justifiably so, and there’s reason to take all of this with a grain of salt.
But all of the scariest statistics about the USPS — such as the low performance scores — are also coming from the agency. Take the 300,000 ballots with no outbound delivery scans. At the same time the USPS reported that figure, it said the lack of scans was probably due to the fact that postal workers were delivering ballots directly to election officials. As Vice’s Aaron Gordon, who has also been closely reporting on the mail, put it: “The only evidence there are 300,000 missing ballots is the USPS’s own statistics, which it has repeatedly (and, to my mind, convincingly) argued are not to be taken seriously.”
Voting rights advocates who felt extremely anxious about the USPS’s approach over the summer have mellowed out.
Here’s what Tammy Patrick, a senior adviser at the nonprofit Democracy Fund Voice, told HuffPost about the USPS in August:
Advertisement
“This is the first time I’ve heard this tone around election mail. ... It’s a massive shift from the overall vision of ‘the mail must go through’ to ‘the mail can wait.’ The mail can’t wait. For many voters, one day is too late.”
She was describing how top postal officials seemed blasé about their vital role in delivering democracy. Last week, when I asked Patrick how she felt about the more recent ballot data, she said she found it “reassuring.”
None of this definitively means the USPS performed the way it should have. The whole system doesn’t have to break down for there to be a catastrophe in a single district.
As Dane Coleman, the regional vice president of processing operations for the eastern U.S., testified in federal court: “We have identified a process to capture every single ballot. I don’t know if I’ll be able to certify with 100% accuracy that there were no ballots left behind.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Muslim American Lawmakers Mark Historic Firsts Across Several States

Three Muslim women won seats in state legislatures on Tuesday .
Mauree Turner , who won her race for state House in Oklahoma , will be the first Muslim lawmaker elected to the state ’ s legislature .
In Delaware , Madinah Wilson-Anton became the first Muslim elected to the legislature .
Iman Jodeh , who won election to the Colorado House of Representatives , will be the first Muslim lawmaker in the state ’ s history .
In Wisconsin , Samba Baldeh became the first Muslim elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly , as well as the first Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature .
Across the country in Florida , Christopher Benjamin became the first Muslim American elected to any state office in the Sunshine State , representing the 107th District in the House of Representatives .
Their historic wins are notable for Democrats , who are closely watching presidential nominee Joe Biden as he stakes out an advantage as counting continued in several too-close-to-call states .
Biden , who has been endorsed by several Muslim American officials and organizations , has previously vowed to include Muslim Americans in his administration and repeal Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are part of a new generation of American Muslim leaders who are changing our community ’ s civic engagement through effective relational organizing , ” said Mohammed Missouri , the executive director of the Justice Education Technology Political Advocacy Center ( also known as Jetpac ) , a political engagement group that trains American Muslims who want to run for public office .
“ Muslim women activists , campaign strategists , and politicians are building diverse coalitions to fight for justice in our health care , criminal law , immigration policies , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ This work is a critical part of defeating the violent rise of Islamophobia here and around the world.
” Baldeh , a 48-year old Muslim who immigrated from the Gambia to Madison , Wisconsin , in 2000 , joined local politics as an unlikely candidate .
On Wednesday , he successfully defeated his opponents in the race for state Assembly to represent the 48th District .
“ Being the first Muslim to ever be elected at the state Assembly is really exciting , but also an opportunity that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told HuffPost .
“ I am looking forward to the challenges , but obviously I ’ m very excited about the opportunity to serve District 48 , but also to represent , not only my constituents but my Muslims , Africans , and constituents of color.
” A member of the Madison city council since 2015 , Baldeh said he was frustrated by the uptick of Black deaths at the hands of law enforcement and the vilification of Muslims by various political figures which motivated him to run .
“ I hope [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to particularly kids of color and Muslims [ to show them ] , ‘ Look , we can do this .
This is all our country and we should see it as such , and behave as such , and participate as such , ’ ” Baldeh said .
In Delaware , Wilson-Anton first made waves back in September , when she defeated 11-term incumbent John Viola by just 43 votes in the Democratic primary .
Last night , she secured her win after defeating her Republican opponent for the District 26 state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her win will further shatter stereotypes about Muslims and Muslim women being oppressed or timid .
She said her win sends a message “ to our community that we are a part of this country , no matter if you ’ re a first-generation or if you ’ re a descendant of enslaved Africans .
We ’ re all part of this country.
” “ Hopefully , we can stop with all the first and have a really diverse government at all levels across the country , ” she said .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been preparing for this type of office since I was an undergrad at Florida Memorial University , a private historically Black university , where I majored in political science .
This is a great completion of that cycle , and to make history on top of it , is almost overwhelming , ” he said .
The South Florida native added that he plans to be an outspoken voice at a state level when relates to Muslim issues and plans to begin tackling criminal justice reform and expanding Medicaid for @ @ @ @ @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Five Democratic politicians made history last night by becoming the first Muslim legislators in their respective states.
Three Muslim women won seats in state legislatures on Tuesday. Mauree Turner, who won her race for state House in Oklahoma, will be the first Muslim lawmaker elected to the state’s legislature. In Delaware, Madinah Wilson-Anton became the first Muslim elected to the legislature. Iman Jodeh, who won election to the Colorado House of Representatives, will be the first Muslim lawmaker in the state’s history.
Advertisement
In Wisconsin, Samba Baldeh became the first Muslim elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, as well as the first Black man to represent Dane County in the legislature. Across the country in Florida, Christopher Benjamin became the first Muslim American elected to any state office in the Sunshine State, representing the 107th District in the House of Representatives.
Their historic wins are notable for Democrats, who are closely watching presidential nominee Joe Biden as he stakes out an advantage as counting continued in several too-close-to-call states. Biden, who has been endorsed by several Muslim American officials and organizations, has previously vowed to include Muslim Americans in his administration and repeal Donald Trump’s Muslim ban.
“They are part of a new generation of American Muslim leaders who are changing our community’s civic engagement through effective relational organizing,” said Mohammed Missouri, the executive director of the Justice Education Technology Political Advocacy Center (also known as Jetpac), a political engagement group that trains American Muslims who want to run for public office.
“Muslim women activists, campaign strategists, and politicians are building diverse coalitions to fight for justice in our health care, criminal law, immigration policies, and every other issue impacting American life,” he said. “This work is a critical part of defeating the violent rise of Islamophobia here and around the world.”
Advertisement
From left to right: Madinah Wilson-Anton, Christopher Benjamin and Samba Baldeh. Campaign Handouts
Baldeh, a 48-year old Muslim who immigrated from the Gambia to Madison, Wisconsin, in 2000, joined local politics as an unlikely candidate. On Wednesday, he successfully defeated his opponents in the race for state Assembly to represent the 48th District.
“Being the first Muslim to ever be elected at the state Assembly is really exciting, but also an opportunity that I am thankful for,” Baldeh told HuffPost. “I am looking forward to the challenges, but obviously I’m very excited about the opportunity to serve District 48, but also to represent, not only my constituents but my Muslims, Africans, and constituents of color.”
A member of the Madison city council since 2015, Baldeh said he was frustrated by the uptick of Black deaths at the hands of law enforcement and the vilification of Muslims by various political figures which motivated him to run.
“I hope [my win] is also an inspiration to particularly kids of color and Muslims [to show them], ‘Look, we can do this. This is all our country and we should see it as such, and behave as such, and participate as such,’” Baldeh said.
Advertisement
In Delaware, Wilson-Anton first made waves back in September, when she defeated 11-term incumbent John Viola by just 43 votes in the Democratic primary. Last night, she secured her win after defeating her Republican opponent for the District 26 state House race.
Wilson-Anton said she hopes her win will further shatter stereotypes about Muslims and Muslim women being oppressed or timid. She said her win sends a message “to our community that we are a part of this country, no matter if you’re a first-generation or if you’re a descendant of enslaved Africans. We’re all part of this country.”
But more important, Wilson-Anton, who is part a new class of progressives in Delaware, said she’s ready for more widespread representation moving forward.
“Hopefully, we can stop with all the first and have a really diverse government at all levels across the country,” she said.
Benjamin, the lawyer who won his election to Florida’s House outright during the August primary, said he has been looking forward to this day for months.
Advertisement
“This election has been a great journey. I’ve been preparing for this type of office since I was an undergrad at Florida Memorial University, a private historically Black university, where I majored in political science. This is a great completion of that cycle, and to make history on top of it, is almost overwhelming,” he said.
The South Florida native added that he plans to be an outspoken voice at a state level when relates to Muslim issues and plans to begin tackling criminal justice reform and expanding Medicaid for his constituents once in office.
Nationally, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, both won their reelections on Wednesdays for a second term in the U.S. House.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Kanye West Concedes 2020 Election But Signals He Isn’t Done

Kanye West conceded the 2020 presidential election early Wednesday morning with just three words .
The rapper-turned-independent-presidential-candidate tweeted out a @ @ @ @ @ front of an election map .
The photo was originally captioned , “ WELP… KANYE @ @ @ @ @ a subsequent post , West dropped the “ Welp , ” according to Mediaite .
@ @ @ @ @ chance to win the election , he picked up more than 10,000 votes in Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ 60,000 votes across the country , according to Deadline .
One of those votes came @ @ @ @ @ West himself .
On Tuesday , he tweeted that he was “ voting for the @ @ @ @ @ for the President of the United States , and it ’ s for someone I @ @ @ @ @ West ’ s promise to run again in four years got mixed reactions on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ have to support presidential candidate Gritty on that one https : //t.co/1I6nF132f3 — Tim Barnes @ @ @ @ @ 4 , 2020

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Kanye West conceded the 2020 presidential election early Wednesday morning with just three words.
The rapper-turned-independent-presidential-candidate tweeted out a photo of his silhouette in front of an election map.
The photo was originally captioned, “WELP… KANYE 2024,” though in a subsequent post, West dropped the “Welp,” according to Mediaite.
Advertisement
Although West never had a chance to win the election, he picked up more than 10,000 votes in Tennessee alone, and at least 60,000 votes across the country, according to Deadline.
One of those votes came, of course, from West himself.
On Tuesday, he tweeted that he was “voting for the first time in my life for the President of the United States, and it’s for someone I truly trust...me.”
West’s promise to run again in four years got mixed reactions on Twitter.
KANYE NOT. https://t.co/jKlMZFjbwV — Huw Samuel but spookier (@HuwSamuel) November 4, 2020
Advertisement
sorry, gonna have to support presidential candidate Gritty on that one https://t.co/1I6nF132f3 — Tim Barnes (@TimBarnes451) November 4, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Trump Voters Have Been Primed For His Bogus Voter Fraud Claims For Years

President Donald Trump , in an entirely predictable fashion , is using speculative and ill-informed allegations of mass voter fraud to suggest that an Electoral College victory is being stolen from him .
Many Republican voters , primed for unfounded accusations of widespread voter fraud by a decades-long campaign unmoored to facts , are likely to believe him .
Former Vice President Joe Biden has a commanding lead of the popular vote , and is likely to receive more votes than any presidential candidate in history .
But the candidate who wins the most votes doesn ’ t necessarily win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America the presidencies of George W. Bush , in 2000 , and Trump , in 2016 .
A spokesman for the Justice Department , which should be keenly interested in any criminal conspiracies to steal elections , did not respond to a request for comment .
Nor did a spokesman for U.S. Attorney William McSwain , a Republican whom Trump appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who has taken an extremely political and pro-Trump approach to his job at the top federal prosecutor in the district , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Pennsylvania ’ s other two top federal prosecutors : David J .
Freed of the Middle District and Scott W. Brady of the Western District .
Before the election , each Trump nominee reassured voters in their state that they were looking closely for signs of fraud and would work to uphold the integrity of the election .
Neither provided comment .
In Pennsylvania , the false conspiracy about mass fraud has been pushed by a network of right-wing activists that deals in misinformation .
Trump was already spreading his skepticism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that “ bad things happen in Philadelphia ” and urging his supporters to “ go into the polls and watch very carefully.
” Rudy Giuliani , who helped Trump spread misinformation ahead of the 2020 election , said Wednesday that he would be heading to Philadelphia .
“ Will not let Philly Democrat hacks steal it !
” he tweeted .
Rep. Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) , claimed in a press conference that what Trump really wanted is to “ make sure ” that “ every legal vote is counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said nothing of the sort and has called for legal votes not to be counted because they come from districts unfavorable to him .
McCarthy also suggested , completely baselessly , that people were voting after the election .
Asked if he had evidence , he ignored the question .
So far , Fox News has also appeared to act with some responsibility ; it called Arizona for Biden on Tuesday night and stood up to withering criticism from the Trump campaign and even some of its own talent over the call , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news outlets .
But all that might not be enough to shut down the narrative that the network and conservative activists have promoted for years : that Republicans lose elections because Democrats ― particularly in majority Black cities ― engage in massive criminal conspiracies to steal votes .
It ’ s a conspiracy theory that also requires you to believe that Republicans on every level are totally inept at discovering these massive criminal conspiracies .
Huge voter fraud on the scale Trump has suggested , however , would require a massive criminal conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in this election , have been watching the voting process closely .
In Philadelphia , the Trump campaign was reduced to surveilling ballot boxes and watching as voters dropped off a couple of ballots , which they attempted to spin into a mass conspiracy threatening election integrity .
On Election Day , a Trump campaign official spread misleading information about extremely minor potential violations of election code .
But an effort to find any evidence of mass voter fraud in the city of brotherly love landed , like expected , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively smoothly .
There were no huge systemic issues at polling places .
But the 2020 election ― happening in the midst of a pandemic that has taken the lives of 230,000 Americans ― is zeroing in on mail-in ballots , the exact form of voting that he discouraged his voters not to use .
He ’ s returning to the same playbook he used in 2016 .
Trump won the electoral college in 2016 , so his claims of voter fraud didn ’ t play as big of a role .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss in the popular vote , Trump insisted that voter fraud was a massive problem , and made the ludicrous claim that he would ’ ve won the popular vote without it .
His Republican appointees have been in charge of the Justice Department for more than three years now , and they ’ ve been on the hunt for mass voter fraud conspiracies .
But they ’ ve never bought a case alleging a massive , wide-scale conspiracy to steal an election .
Some of the voting cases they have brought have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the former head of the Justice Department ’ s Civil Rights Division , said Wednesday that while some Republicans had spoken out to calm fears of massive voter fraud , that she wished more would do so .
“ Whether or not that happens in as broad a swath as one would hope , that remains to be seen .
Obviously we ’ ve got the lessons of the last several years on that front , ” Gupta @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump, in an entirely predictable fashion, is using speculative and ill-informed allegations of mass voter fraud to suggest that an Electoral College victory is being stolen from him. Many Republican voters, primed for unfounded accusations of widespread voter fraud by a decades-long campaign unmoored to facts, are likely to believe him.
And, at the moment, Republican Party leaders and top officials at the Justice Department are aiding Trump in his campaign to undermine the election results, either actively or through their silence.
Advertisement
Former Vice President Joe Biden has a commanding lead of the popular vote, and is likely to receive more votes than any presidential candidate in history. But the candidate who wins the most votes doesn’t necessarily win the presidency, which is what gave America the presidencies of George W. Bush, in 2000, and Trump, in 2016.
With all eyes on the Electoral College, Trump is spreading disinformation about the voting process and suggesting that officials should stop counting votes. On Wednesday morning, he tweeted:
“Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted.”
“We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!”
“They are finding Biden votes all over the place — in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. So bad for our Country!”
“They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP. Likewise, Michigan and others!”
This is the point where responsible Republicans could step in and condemn this sort of rhetoric, and encourage patience and a fair count of all the votes. So far, they haven’t.
Advertisement
A spokesman for the Justice Department, which should be keenly interested in any criminal conspiracies to steal elections, did not respond to a request for comment. Nor did a spokesman for U.S. Attorney William McSwain, a Republican whom Trump appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who has taken an extremely political and pro-Trump approach to his job at the top federal prosecutor in the district, which includes Philadelphia.
HuffPost also contacted spokespersons for Pennsylvania’s other two top federal prosecutors: David J. Freed of the Middle District and Scott W. Brady of the Western District. Before the election, each Trump nominee reassured voters in their state that they were looking closely for signs of fraud and would work to uphold the integrity of the election. Neither provided comment.
In Pennsylvania, the false conspiracy about mass fraud has been pushed by a network of right-wing activists that deals in misinformation. Trump was already spreading his skepticism of vote counting in Philadelphia in presidential debates, saying that “bad things happen in Philadelphia” and urging his supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
Election workers count ballots on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Despite the president's unfounded claims, voting appeared to go fairly smoothly in Pennsylvania. Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani, who helped Trump spread misinformation ahead of the 2020 election, said Wednesday that he would be heading to Philadelphia. “Will not let Philly Democrat hacks steal it!” he tweeted. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), claimed in a press conference that what Trump really wanted is to “make sure” that “every legal vote is counted” — even though the president has said nothing of the sort and has called for legal votes not to be counted because they come from districts unfavorable to him. McCarthy also suggested, completely baselessly, that people were voting after the election. Asked if he had evidence, he ignored the question.
Advertisement
But Philadelphia officials were prepared. The office of District Attorney Larry Krasner put out updates on how things were unfolding in Philadelphia, the city ran a calming livestream of the vote counting process, and Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt ― a Republican ― urged patience as the votes rolled in.
So far, Fox News has also appeared to act with some responsibility; it called Arizona for Biden on Tuesday night and stood up to withering criticism from the Trump campaign and even some of its own talent over the call, which was later made by other mainstream news outlets. But all that might not be enough to shut down the narrative that the network and conservative activists have promoted for years: that Republicans lose elections because Democrats ― particularly in majority Black cities ― engage in massive criminal conspiracies to steal votes. It’s a conspiracy theory that also requires you to believe that Republicans on every level are totally inept at discovering these massive criminal conspiracies.
Ballot fraud does occasionally happen. In Philadelphia, a former judge of elections in South Philly admitted to accepting bribes to inflate vote totals, and a former congressman caught in a FBI sting in the 1970s was indicted in the same election fraud scheme.
Huge voter fraud on the scale Trump has suggested, however, would require a massive criminal conspiracy by countless officials. And Republicans, especially in this election, have been watching the voting process closely. In Philadelphia, the Trump campaign was reduced to surveilling ballot boxes and watching as voters dropped off a couple of ballots, which they attempted to spin into a mass conspiracy threatening election integrity. On Election Day, a Trump campaign official spread misleading information about extremely minor potential violations of election code. But an effort to find any evidence of mass voter fraud in the city of brotherly love landed, like expected, as a complete failure.
Election Day 2020 went relatively smoothly. There were no huge systemic issues at polling places. But the 2020 election ― happening in the midst of a pandemic that has taken the lives of 230,000 Americans ― is zeroing in on mail-in ballots, the exact form of voting that he discouraged his voters not to use. He’s returning to the same playbook he used in 2016.
Advertisement
“I’m guessing that part of it is he’s preparing to lose the election, and he wants to be able to say that he didn’t actually lose the election,” Lorraine Minnite, author of the 2010 book “The Myth of Voter Fraud,” said in 2016. “I just don’t think he cares about the effects of what he says.”
Back in 2016, when Trump also warned about voter fraud, a poll showed that 72% of Trump supporters thought that “a lot” or “some” voter fraud happened in their state. At the time, some Republican officials downplayed Trump’s claims of mass voter fraud. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said he was “fully confident” that states would conduct the election with integrity.
Trump won the electoral college in 2016, so his claims of voter fraud didn’t play as big of a role. But even then, hurt by his huge loss in the popular vote, Trump insisted that voter fraud was a massive problem, and made the ludicrous claim that he would’ve won the popular vote without it. His Republican appointees have been in charge of the Justice Department for more than three years now, and they’ve been on the hunt for mass voter fraud conspiracies. But they’ve never bought a case alleging a massive, wide-scale conspiracy to steal an election. Some of the voting cases they have brought have been pretty small potatoes.
Vanita Gupta, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said Wednesday that while some Republicans had spoken out to calm fears of massive voter fraud, that she wished more would do so.
“Whether or not that happens in as broad a swath as one would hope, that remains to be seen. Obviously we’ve got the lessons of the last several years on that front,” Gupta said.
Advertisement
Gupta also said it would be “important” for the Justice Department to put out a message about the integrity of the elections, but she doesn’t think that it will.
“I am not optimistic right now given the attorney general’s prior comments sort of validating some of the president’s misinformation in interviews that he has given in the past couple weeks that he will be the voice of reason upholding basic democratic norms at this moment,” Gupta said.
“Make no mistake: Our democracy is being tested in this election. This is a stress test of the ideals upon which this country was founded,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) on Wednesday. “And the basic rule of one person, one vote, that still carries, and it has to carry here.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--Republicans Back Trump After He Claims Victory Before Votes Are Counted

Top Republicans defended President Donald Trump on Wednesday after he declared himself the winner of the 2020 election — even as there were millions of ballots left to be counted in several key states , including the critical battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania .
“ It ’ s not unusual for people to claim they have won the election .
I can think of that happening on numerous occasions , ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) said at a news conference in Kentucky .
“ I ’ m not troubled at all by the president suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing it too , ” he added , noting that election disputes are often resolved in the courts .
In a press conference at the White House earlier on Wednesday , Trump attacked the legitimate counting of votes in several states that had not yet finished tallying absentee ballots , baselessly calling the ongoing efforts “ fraud.
” He later tweeted to falsely raise alarm about “ surprise ballot dumps ” and threatened to take the matter before the Supreme Court .
There ’ s nothing illegitimate or fraudulent about counting mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial results on election night would not accurately reflect vote totals because so many people voted by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Republican legislatures in Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania all blocked efforts to count ballots early .
Although he generally defended Trump , McConnell gently pushed back on the president ’ s claim that ballots are being counted illegally .
“ Claiming to win the election is different from finishing the counting , ” he said .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) giving remarks about the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said he was `` not troubled at all by the president suggesting '' he had won the election , even though many key battleground states were still close to call .
Vice President Mike Pence did not repeat Trump ’ s false claims in his remarks at the White House in the early hours of Wednesday morning , but he didn ’ t repudiate them , either .
Instead , Pence simply said he believed he and Trump were on the road to victory and that votes were still being counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the acting Senate Intelligence Committee chairman who had previously warned about the impact of foreign disinformation on the election , tweeted , “ The result of the presidential race will be known after every legally cast vote has been counted.
” The senator did not specifically mention Trump .
The election results in some states could hinge on how receptive the courts are to the phrase “ legally cast ” ballot , however .
Republicans are trying to convince judges in several key states to throw out thousands of ballots that were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day-of vote-by-mail .
The argument drew condemnation from longtime GOP election lawyer Ben Ginsberg .
During a call with reporters on Wednesday , Trump campaign advisers insisted the president would win the election if “ legally cast ballots ” were tallied .
They also demanded a recount in Wisconsin , where Democrat Joe Biden has a slim advantage .
Spokespersons for Sen. Roy Blunt ( R-Mo . )
, the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee , which handles election issues , as well as Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to requests for comment .
Spencer Cox , the GOP governor-elect of Utah , offered the clearest rebuke of Trump , sending a “ reminder ” to his Twitter followers that “ there is nothing nefarious about it taking a few days to count all legitimate votes .
So take a deep breath and look for the good around you .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Top Republicans defended President Donald Trump on Wednesday after he declared himself the winner of the 2020 election — even as there were millions of ballots left to be counted in several key states, including the critical battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“It’s not unusual for people to claim they have won the election. I can think of that happening on numerous occasions,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said at a news conference in Kentucky.
Advertisement
“I’m not troubled at all by the president suggesting that, because the other side is doing it too,” he added, noting that election disputes are often resolved in the courts.
In a press conference at the White House earlier on Wednesday, Trump attacked the legitimate counting of votes in several states that had not yet finished tallying absentee ballots, baselessly calling the ongoing efforts “fraud.” He later tweeted to falsely raise alarm about “surprise ballot dumps” and threatened to take the matter before the Supreme Court.
“They are working hard to make up 500,000 vote advantage in Pennsylvania disappear — ASAP,” Trump said in one tweet.
Officials in Pennsylvania say “millions” of early votes ― many from Democratic cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ― have yet to be counted.
Advertisement
There’s nothing illegitimate or fraudulent about counting mail-in ballots. Experts have warned for months that initial results on election night would not accurately reflect vote totals because so many people voted by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic. Republican legislatures in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania all blocked efforts to count ballots early.
Although he generally defended Trump, McConnell gently pushed back on the president’s claim that ballots are being counted illegally. “Claiming to win the election is different from finishing the counting,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) giving remarks about the election in Louisville, Kentucky, on Wednesday. He said he was "not troubled at all by the president suggesting" he had won the election, even though many key battleground states were still close to call. Jon Cherry via Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence did not repeat Trump’s false claims in his remarks at the White House in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but he didn’t repudiate them, either. Instead, Pence simply said he believed he and Trump were on the road to victory and that votes were still being counted.
Other GOP officials’ reactions to Trump’s comments were similarly muted.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the acting Senate Intelligence Committee chairman who had previously warned about the impact of foreign disinformation on the election, tweeted, “The result of the presidential race will be known after every legally cast vote has been counted.” The senator did not specifically mention Trump.
Advertisement
The election results in some states could hinge on how receptive the courts are to the phrase “legally cast” ballot, however. Republicans are trying to convince judges in several key states to throw out thousands of ballots that were cast using accommodations like drive-in voting and day-of vote-by-mail. The argument drew condemnation from longtime GOP election lawyer Ben Ginsberg.
During a call with reporters on Wednesday, Trump campaign advisers insisted the president would win the election if “legally cast ballots” were tallied. They also demanded a recount in Wisconsin, where Democrat Joe Biden has a slim advantage.
Biden campaign officials said they feel confident they’ve won Wisconsin, and that they expect to have an “insurmountable” vote-by-mail lead in Michigan soon.
Spokespersons for Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which handles election issues, as well as Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), another member of the committee, did not respond to requests for comment.
Spencer Cox, the GOP governor-elect of Utah, offered the clearest rebuke of Trump, sending a “reminder” to his Twitter followers that “there is nothing nefarious about it taking a few days to count all legitimate votes. So take a deep breath and look for the good around you.”
Advertisement
Democrats, meanwhile, slammed Trump’s rhetoric as irresponsible and compared it to something one might hear from a dictator.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a top ally of Biden, said Wednesday on MSNBC that Trump declaring victory before the votes had been counted was “both irrelevant and at some level outrageous.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-04--A Record Number Of Native Candidates Are Heading To Congress

ALASTAIR PIKE via Getty Images Reps. Sharice Davids ( D-Kan. ) and Deb Haaland ( D-N.M. ) just won their second terms to Congress .
They are the first two Native American women to ever serve in the House of Representatives .
Six Indigenous candidates won their House races , which means the chamber will now have the most Native lawmakers ever serving at a time .
Reps. Deb Haaland ( D-N.M. ) and Sharice Davids ( D-Kan. ) both won their second terms .
They made history in their own right in 2018 , as the first two Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are members of Pueblo of Laguna and Ho-Chunk Nation , respectively .
Rep. Tom Cole ( R-Okla. ) of Chickasaw Nation also won reelection on Tuesday , as did Rep. Markwayne Mullin ( R-Okla. ) of Cherokee Nation .
New members will include Republican Yvette Herrell , who unseated Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in New Mexico ’ s 2nd Congressional District .
It ’ s the second time they ’ ve competed for the seat ; Herrell ran against Torres Small in 2018 and narrowly lost .
Herrell , a member of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019 .
President Donald Trump endorsed her in October .
“ It ’ s the honor of my life to be elected to serve # NM02 , ” Herrell tweeted early Wednesday .
“ My commitment to each citizen of our district is that I will serve each of them with integrity as we work together to rebuild our economy and protect the values that make America great !
” The other new member is Democrat Kaiali ’ i “ Kai ” Kahele , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 2nd Congressional District .
The seat was vacated by former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , who launched an unsuccessful bid for president .
Kahele is only the second Native Hawaiian to represent Hawaii in Congress since it became a state in 1959 .
The first was the late Sen. Daniel Akaka ( D ) .
“ Mahalo Hawai ’ i !
Words can not express my deep appreciation to everyone who has believed in our campaign , supported us , voted , & donated !
” Kahele tweeted early Wednesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll do everything I can to bring our state the resources we need to recover and build a resilient Hawai ’ i .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A record number of Native candidates are heading to Congress after Tuesday night’s election.
Six Indigenous candidates won their House races, which means the chamber will now have the most Native lawmakers ever serving at a time.
Four of them are returning members.
Reps. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) both won their second terms. They made history in their own right in 2018, as the first two Native women ever elected to Congress. They are members of Pueblo of Laguna and Ho-Chunk Nation, respectively.
Advertisement
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) of Chickasaw Nation also won reelection on Tuesday, as did Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) of Cherokee Nation.
New members will include Republican Yvette Herrell, who unseated Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District. It’s the second time they’ve competed for the seat; Herrell ran against Torres Small in 2018 and narrowly lost.
Herrell, a member of Cherokee Nation, previously served in the state’s House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. President Donald Trump endorsed her in October.
Reps. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) and Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) just won their second terms to Congress. They are the first two Native American women to ever serve in the House of Representatives. ALASTAIR PIKE via Getty Images
Advertisement
“It’s the honor of my life to be elected to serve #NM02,” Herrell tweeted early Wednesday. “My commitment to each citizen of our district is that I will serve each of them with integrity as we work together to rebuild our economy and protect the values that make America great!”
The other new member is Democrat Kaiali’i “Kai” Kahele, who won his race for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District. The seat was vacated by former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who launched an unsuccessful bid for president.
Kahele is only the second Native Hawaiian to represent Hawaii in Congress since it became a state in 1959. The first was the late Sen. Daniel Akaka (D).
Kahele has served in the Hawaii Senate since 2016.
“Mahalo Hawai’i! Words cannot express my deep appreciation to everyone who has believed in our campaign, supported us, voted, & donated!” Kahele tweeted early Wednesday. “Our challenging work begins now, and I’ll do everything I can to bring our state the resources we need to recover and build a resilient Hawai’i.”