thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Pragmatic Obama sees ‘defund the police’ as political poison

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was onto something when he said of Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , “ I ’ m understanding she ’ s not that active with her bills or in committee .
She ’ s more active on Twitter than anything else.
” He is not wrong .
Ocasio-Cortez is omnipresent on social media .
More importantly , however , is the likelihood that her popularity on social media , where her presence is defined by snotty comebacks , glib one-liners , and catchy phrases , has led her to believe that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual political power .
They aren ’ t , and she doesn ’ t .
But don ’ t take my word for it .
Former President Barack Obama himself said as much this week with his none-too-flattering assessment of the “ defund the police ” movement , which is championed by the ultra-liberal wing of the Democratic Party .
That ultra-liberal wing , by the way , is represented by Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow colleagues on the `` Squad , '' including Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan , Ilhan Omar of Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are other left-wing politicians and activists who support dismantling police departments , but those congresswomen are among the most notable .
The “ defund the police ” movement , said Obama during a Good Luck America interview that aired Wednesday , may play well with certain corners of the Democratic base .
But it has the exact opposite effect of winning over allies .
It certainly won ’ t win the support necessary to enact meaningful criminal justice reforms , he added .
Obama ’ s remarks came after host Peter Hamby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take on the anti-police initiative , which a number of veteran Democratic lawmakers , including Majority Whip James Clyburn , blame for the party 's poor showing in the 2020 elections .
Hamby said , “ When you were a community organizer , a lot of the folks in the community you were dealing with really just kind of wanted modest change .
They wanted to do better for their families . ''
“ If you ’ re a young activist today , ” the host added , “ and you believe really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Police , ’ what is your advice to that activist , also knowing that a lot of politicians won ’ t go near that phrase ?
” Obama responded , saying , “ It ’ s interesting , we take for granted that if you want people to buy your sneakers , then you ’ re going to market it to an audience .
If a musician drops a record , they ’ re going to try to reach certain audiences , speaking to folks where they are .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you believe , as I do , that we should be able to reform the criminal justice system so that it ’ s not biased and treats everybody fairly , ” the former commander in chief continued , “ I guess you can use a snappy slogan like ‘ Defund the Police , ’ but you know you ’ ve lost a big audience the minute you say it .
Which makes it a lot less likely that you ’ re actually going to get the changes you want done.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surprise to the left-wing activists who appear to be laboring under the delusion that likes and retweets equal real-world popular support .
He continued : “ But if you instead say , ‘ Let ’ s reform the police department so that everybody ’ s being treated fairly , divert young people from getting into crime , and if there ’ s a homeless guy , maybe we send a mental health worker there instead of an armed unit that could end up resulting in a tragedy.
’ ” “ Suddenly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of folks who might not otherwise listen to you are listening to you .
So , the key is deciding do you want to actually get something done , or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with ?
And if you want to get something done , in a democracy , in a country as big and diverse as ours , you ’ ve got to be able to meet people where they are and play a game of addition and not subtraction.
” Obama is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ defund the police ” is a nonstarter .
President-elect Joe Biden has said as much .
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , who is himself not exactly a “ moderate ” politician , likewise dismissed the movement in June of this year .
It is funny because it is true , the bit about how catchy slogans don ’ t necessarily lead to meaningful change .
But try telling that the “ defund ” supporters , many of whom spend most of their days trawling for approval social media .
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grown up , they will learn that politics is about more than sick owns , online fights , and whipping up the base with ill-conceived political crusades .
They could learn a thing or two from Manchin , one of the few remaining Democratic senators in a deep , deep-red state .

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was onto something when he said of Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “I’m understanding she’s not that active with her bills or in committee. She’s more active on Twitter than anything else.”
He is not wrong. Ocasio-Cortez is omnipresent on the popular social media platform, scoring hundreds of thousands of likes and retweets with snotty comebacks and glib one-liners. Her ability to excite the Twitter faithful is likely one of the reasons why she believes her positions are favored and that she wields actual political power. They aren’t, and she doesn’t.
But don’t take my word for it. Former President Barack Obama himself said as much this week with his none-too-flattering assessment of the “defund the police” movement, which is championed by the ultra-liberal wing of the Democratic Party. That ultra-liberal wing, by the way, is represented by Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow colleagues on the "Squad," including Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. There are other left-wing politicians and activists who support dismantling police departments, but those congresswomen are among the most notable.
The “defund the police” movement, said Obama during a Good Luck America interview that aired Wednesday, may play well with certain corners of the Democratic base. But it has the exact opposite effect of winning over allies. It certainly won’t win the support necessary to enact meaningful criminal justice reforms, he added.
Obama’s remarks came after host Peter Hamby asked the former president specifically for his take on the anti-police initiative, which a number of veteran Democratic lawmakers, including Majority Whip James Clyburn, blame for the party's poor showing in the 2020 elections.
Hamby said, “When you were a community organizer, a lot of the folks in the community you were dealing with really just kind of wanted modest change. They wanted to do better for their families."
“If you’re a young activist today,” the host added, “and you believe really passionately in a slogan like ‘Defund the Police,’ what is your advice to that activist, also knowing that a lot of politicians won’t go near that phrase?”
Obama responded, saying, “It’s interesting, we take for granted that if you want people to buy your sneakers, then you’re going to market it to an audience. If a musician drops a record, they’re going to try to reach certain audiences, speaking to folks where they are. It’s no different in terms of ideas.”
“If you believe, as I do, that we should be able to reform the criminal justice system so that it’s not biased and treats everybody fairly,” the former commander in chief continued, “I guess you can use a snappy slogan like ‘Defund the Police,’ but you know you’ve lost a big audience the minute you say it. Which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done.”
Obama’s advice may come as a surprise to the left-wing activists who appear to be laboring under the delusion that likes and retweets equal real-world popular support.
He continued: “But if you instead say, ‘Let’s reform the police department so that everybody’s being treated fairly, divert young people from getting into crime, and if there’s a homeless guy, maybe we send a mental health worker there instead of an armed unit that could end up resulting in a tragedy.’”
“Suddenly,” he concluded, “a whole bunch of folks who might not otherwise listen to you are listening to you. So, the key is deciding do you want to actually get something done, or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with? And if you want to get something done, in a democracy, in a country as big and diverse as ours, you’ve got to be able to meet people where they are and play a game of addition and not subtraction.”
Obama is not the only prominent Democrat to say “defund the police” is a nonstarter. President-elect Joe Biden has said as much. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is himself not exactly a “moderate” politician, likewise dismissed the movement in June of this year.
It is funny because it is true, the bit about how catchy slogans don’t necessarily lead to meaningful change. But try telling that the “defund” supporters, many of whom spend most of their days trawling for approval social media. Maybe one day, when they are all grown up, they will learn that politics is about more than sick owns, online fights, and whipping up the base with ill-conceived political crusades. They could learn a thing or two from Manchin, one of the few remaining Democratic senators in a deep, deep-red state.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Republican prepares challenge to Electoral College votes in Congress

A Republican member of Congress is preparing a challenge to the Electoral College returns when Congress counts the votes next month .
Rep. Mo Brooks , a GOP lawmaker representing Alabama 's 5th Congressional District , believes the election was `` stolen '' from President Trump and confirmed to Politico that he has had `` indirect communication '' with some senators about his longshot bid to contest the result .
At least one lawmaker in each chamber needs to object on Jan. 6 when the vote-counting process takes place for the joint session of Congress to split up and consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgment , if only lawful votes by eligible American citizens were cast , Donald Trump won the Electoral College by a significant margin , and Congress ’ s certification should reflect that , ” Brooks said .
“ This election was stolen by the socialists engaging in extraordinary voter fraud and election theft measures.
” As it stands now , President-elect Joe Biden stands to collect 306 Electoral College votes , 36 more than is needed to win the White House .
Trump has 232 electoral votes .
Trump refuses to concede the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certify their results , his legal team and allies have engaged in a series of largely unsuccessful legal challenges .
They are also banking on GOP-led state legislatures in battleground states such as Pennsylvania that went for Biden to select electors who would cast their Electoral College votes for Trump because of what they claim to be a flawed popular vote .
The Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 , and on Jan. 6 , days after the new Congress is sworn in , the House and Senate will hold a joint session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objecting members of Congress must issue their decisions in writing , and an explanation is required , although there are no guidelines as to the level of specificity required .
Even if Brooks is able to convince a Republican senator to join his cause , there will be an uphill battle to convince both chambers to exclude the contested votes , particularly with the House set to be in Democratic control .
Democrats tried this tactic in 2001 and in 2017 — when Al Gore and Hillary Clinton , respectively , lost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
In both years , Democratic House members objected to the certification , but no senators joined them .
Brooks said he would still proceed with his objection , even if he is unable to find a Senate ally .
Other House Republicans could join Brooks in protesting the certification .
Freshman GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that she 's `` on board 100 % ! ''
Similarly , Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona told Newsmax on Wednesday that people should n't be `` surprised '' if Republicans challenge the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it around . ''

A Republican member of Congress is preparing a challenge to the Electoral College returns when Congress counts the votes next month.
Rep. Mo Brooks, a GOP lawmaker representing Alabama's 5th Congressional District, believes the election was "stolen" from President Trump and confirmed to Politico that he has had "indirect communication" with some senators about his longshot bid to contest the result.
At least one lawmaker in each chamber needs to object on Jan. 6 when the vote-counting process takes place for the joint session of Congress to split up and consider their challenges separately.
“In my judgment, if only lawful votes by eligible American citizens were cast, Donald Trump won the Electoral College by a significant margin, and Congress’s certification should reflect that,” Brooks said. “This election was stolen by the socialists engaging in extraordinary voter fraud and election theft measures.”
As it stands now, President-elect Joe Biden stands to collect 306 Electoral College votes, 36 more than is needed to win the White House. Trump has 232 electoral votes.
Trump refuses to concede the race, and as states work to certify their results, his legal team and allies have engaged in a series of largely unsuccessful legal challenges. They are also banking on GOP-led state legislatures in battleground states such as Pennsylvania that went for Biden to select electors who would cast their Electoral College votes for Trump because of what they claim to be a flawed popular vote.
The Electoral College meets on Dec. 14, and on Jan. 6, days after the new Congress is sworn in, the House and Senate will hold a joint session on the official certification date. The objecting members of Congress must issue their decisions in writing, and an explanation is required, although there are no guidelines as to the level of specificity required.
Even if Brooks is able to convince a Republican senator to join his cause, there will be an uphill battle to convince both chambers to exclude the contested votes, particularly with the House set to be in Democratic control.
Democrats tried this tactic in 2001 and in 2017 — when Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, respectively, lost the Electoral College vote but won the popular vote. In both years, Democratic House members objected to the certification, but no senators joined them. Brooks said he would still proceed with his objection, even if he is unable to find a Senate ally.
Other House Republicans could join Brooks in protesting the certification. Freshman GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that she's "on board 100%!"
Similarly, Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona told Newsmax on Wednesday that people shouldn't be "surprised" if Republicans challenge the results and that he is "sure kicking it around."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-02--Krebs says it's 'un-American' that US election officials are getting 'blowback' after Trump loss

A fired former senior Trump administration official lambasted those who have attacked him and his agency in the wake of President Trump 's loss .
`` How un-American and undemocratic it is that the actual individuals that are responsible for the process of this most sacred democratic institution of elections are the ones that are getting — getting the blowback here , '' Chris Krebs said in a live interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius on Wednesday .
Joe diGenova , a former U.S. attorney who is serving on Trump ’ s election legal team , said in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Infrastructure Security Agency director ought to be “ taken out and shot.
” '' We 're actively undermining democracy .
We 're actively undermining confidence in the electoral process , '' Krebs said Wednesday .
`` How the heck are we going to recruit election workers and election administration officials going forward if they think they 're going to get death threats online and in person ?
This has got to stop .
It has to stop .
We have to let the professionals do their jobs , and it 's — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both sides of the political spectrum to call for an end . ''
DiGenova attempted to walk back his comment Tuesday , saying he meant the comment in jest .
Krebs maintained Wednesday that legal action from his team of lawyers was imminent and that he would respond to diGenova in closed-door meetings , not in public .
`` I 'm not going to litigate this in , you know , on TV and in — in a , you know , in a parking lot somewhere .
My lawyers will do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court , '' said Krebs .
`` They ’ re an outstanding team that knows how to win , and like I said yesterday , they 're gon na be busy . ''
Trump announced Krebs 's termination last month following CISA 's statements that foreign powers had not interfered in the election and that the results were sound .
In the four weeks since Election Day , the Trump campaign has sued several states for alleged irregularities that the president has described as a Democratic effort to `` steal '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House have not proven these claims .
In the days following the election , CISA launched a “ Rumor Control ” page that denounced “ disinformation ” that included White House messaging .
Krebs has been outspoken on Twitter , retweeting an election organization director ’ s message urging the public not to share “ baseless claims about voting machines , even if they 're made by the president.
” Krebs , a former top official at Microsoft , joined the Trump administration as senior counselor to the secretary of homeland security in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later confirmed as undersecretary for national protection and programs at the Department of Homeland Security .
That office was replaced by the CISA , and Krebs was made its director of operations , assisting 8,000 election systems nationwide to secure the 2020 vote .

A fired former senior Trump administration official lambasted those who have attacked him and his agency in the wake of President Trump's loss.
"How un-American and undemocratic it is that the actual individuals that are responsible for the process of this most sacred democratic institution of elections are the ones that are getting — getting the blowback here," Chris Krebs said in a live interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius on Wednesday.
Joe diGenova, a former U.S. attorney who is serving on Trump’s election legal team, said in an interview Monday night that the former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director ought to be “taken out and shot.”
"We're actively undermining democracy. We're actively undermining confidence in the electoral process," Krebs said Wednesday. "How the heck are we going to recruit election workers and election administration officials going forward if they think they're going to get death threats online and in person? This has got to stop. It has to stop. We have to let the professionals do their jobs, and it's — it's well beyond time for everyone on both sides of the political spectrum to call for an end."
DiGenova attempted to walk back his comment Tuesday, saying he meant the comment in jest. Krebs maintained Wednesday that legal action from his team of lawyers was imminent and that he would respond to diGenova in closed-door meetings, not in public.
"I'm not going to litigate this in, you know, on TV and in — in a, you know, in a parking lot somewhere. My lawyers will do the talking. They'll do it in court," said Krebs. "They’re an outstanding team that knows how to win, and like I said yesterday, they're gonna be busy."
Trump announced Krebs's termination last month following CISA's statements that foreign powers had not interfered in the election and that the results were sound. In the four weeks since Election Day, the Trump campaign has sued several states for alleged irregularities that the president has described as a Democratic effort to "steal" the election. The campaign and the White House have not proven these claims.
In the days following the election, CISA launched a “Rumor Control” page that denounced “disinformation” that included White House messaging. Krebs has been outspoken on Twitter, retweeting an election organization director’s message urging the public not to share “baseless claims about voting machines, even if they're made by the president.”
Krebs, a former top official at Microsoft, joined the Trump administration as senior counselor to the secretary of homeland security in March 2017. He then was nominated and later confirmed as undersecretary for national protection and programs at the Department of Homeland Security. That office was replaced by the CISA, and Krebs was made its director of operations, assisting 8,000 election systems nationwide to secure the 2020 vote.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-03--Trump escalates attacks on fellow Republicans amid fears he will split party on way out

President Trump ’ s escalating attacks on Republican elected officials he perceives as insufficiently supportive of his efforts to contest the election results in several closely contested battleground states are raising concerns he will divide the party on his way out of the White House .
Trump has refused to concede the presidential race , reiterating in a Wednesday that when the courts review the evidence , it will prove voter fraud sufficient to overturn the results in enough states to hand him a potential Electoral College majority and another four years in office .
And he is increasingly outspoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not endorse this view .
Trump has expressed regret about endorsing Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp and has lashed out at Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey , both Republicans who have refused to sow doubts about election results showing Democratic President-elect Joe Biden won their states by small margins .
Trump carried both states in 2016 .
`` Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office ? ''
Trump demanded as Ducey discussed the swearing-in of newly elected Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly .
`` Especially when so many horrible things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hearing going on right now . ''
Trump was referring to a meeting between his campaign lawyers and some Arizona GOP lawmakers .
`` What is going on with @ dougducey ? ''
he continued on Twitter .
`` Republicans will long remember ! ''
Trump retweeted users saying Ducey “ betrayed the people of Arizona ” and asking , “ Who needs Democrats when you have Republicans like Brian Kemp and Doug Ducey ?
” “ I take the president ’ s displeasure with the governor for what it is — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsurprising , ” said Chuck Coughlin , a veteran Republican strategist in Arizona .
“ There are several questions Trump supporters should be asking themselves .
If the president turned that quickly on the governor and Sen. McSally , how long before he treats me just the same ?
Given the president ’ s track record and his relationship to the truth , do I want to stake my entire political fortunes on this one guy who just lost Arizona ?
” The president has also taken aim at Georgia ’ s Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Wednesday ahead of a second recount , “ It looks like Vice President Biden will be carrying Georgia , and he is our president-elect.
” Trump has called Raffensperger an “ enemy of the people.
” Earlier , Trump appeared to question the political future of Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine , a Republican leading a state he won easily , for urging the administration to begin the transition of power to Biden .
There are even rumors the president is displeased with Attorney General William Barr , who said Tuesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufficient to alter the outcome of the election .
Of most immediate importance to national Republicans is a pair of Georgia runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate next year .
There is widespread concern that Trump casting doubts on the state ’ s voting process will demoralize Republicans .
Lin Wood , a conservative attorney who is not affiliated with Trump ’ s campaign but is contesting the election results , led a rally in “ Lock him up !
” chants against GOP elected officials and urged Georgians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Republican incumbent Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler .
`` Do not be fooled twice , '' Wood said .
`` This is Georgia .
We ai n't dumb . ''
Trump , who is appearing with the GOP senators in Georgia on Saturday , hasn ’ t gone that far .
“ A very important election that 's coming up will determine whether or not we hold the Senate , ” he said Wednesday .
“ David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are two tremendous people.
” But he added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same horrible Dominion system ” he blames for tipping key states against him .
“ There ’ s unquestionably real risk that he ’ s going to depress turnout in Georgia , ” said Brendan Buck , who served as a top adviser to House Speaker Paul Ryan .
“ The question is how much , but these races are going to be close enough that it could potentially cost us the majority .
You can only tell people elections don ’ t work for so long until they stop participating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether this will have any long-term consequences on GOP voter turnout , but it ’ s only one party ’ s voters who are being told not to trust the system .
It ’ s completely self-defeating.
” Early voting in Georgia begins on Dec. 14 , the same day the Electoral College will vote for president .
Yet Trump has given his party , elements of which he has had a contentious relationship with since announcing his candidacy in 2015 , little indication he .
“ What a mess , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. “ But so typical of Trump .
”

President Trump’s escalating attacks on Republican elected officials he perceives as insufficiently supportive of his efforts to contest the election results in several closely contested battleground states are raising concerns he will divide the party on his way out of the White House.
Trump has refused to concede the presidential race, reiterating in a 46-minute videotaped speech Wednesday that when the courts review the evidence, it will prove voter fraud sufficient to overturn the results in enough states to hand him a potential Electoral College majority and another four years in office. And he is increasingly outspoken about his disappointment with Republican leaders who do not endorse this view.
Trump has expressed regret about endorsing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and has lashed out at Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans who have refused to sow doubts about election results showing Democratic President-elect Joe Biden won their states by small margins. Trump carried both states in 2016.
"Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office?" Trump demanded as Ducey discussed the swearing-in of newly elected Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. "Especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now."
Trump was referring to a meeting between his campaign lawyers and some Arizona GOP lawmakers. "What is going on with @dougducey?" he continued on Twitter. "Republicans will long remember!" Trump retweeted users saying Ducey “betrayed the people of Arizona” and asking, “Who needs Democrats when you have Republicans like Brian Kemp and Doug Ducey?”
“I take the president’s displeasure with the governor for what it is — self-centered, egotistical behavior totally expected and unsurprising,” said Chuck Coughlin, a veteran Republican strategist in Arizona. “There are several questions Trump supporters should be asking themselves. If the president turned that quickly on the governor and Sen. McSally, how long before he treats me just the same? Given the president’s track record and his relationship to the truth, do I want to stake my entire political fortunes on this one guy who just lost Arizona?”
The president has also taken aim at Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who said Wednesday ahead of a second recount, “It looks like Vice President Biden will be carrying Georgia, and he is our president-elect.” Trump has called Raffensperger an “enemy of the people.” Earlier, Trump appeared to question the political future of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican leading a state he won easily, for urging the administration to begin the transition of power to Biden.
There are even rumors the president is displeased with Attorney General William Barr, who said Tuesday that the Justice Department has uncovered no evidence of voter fraud sufficient to alter the outcome of the election.
Of most immediate importance to national Republicans is a pair of Georgia runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate next year. There is widespread concern that Trump casting doubts on the state’s voting process will demoralize Republicans. Lin Wood, a conservative attorney who is not affiliated with Trump’s campaign but is contesting the election results, led a rally in “Lock him up!” chants against GOP elected officials and urged Georgians to boycott the runoffs rather than vote for Republican incumbent Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. "Do not be fooled twice," Wood said. "This is Georgia. We ain't dumb."
Trump, who is appearing with the GOP senators in Georgia on Saturday, hasn’t gone that far. “A very important election that's coming up will determine whether or not we hold the Senate,” he said Wednesday. “David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are two tremendous people.” But he added that “in Georgia, they're using the same horrible Dominion system” he blames for tipping key states against him.
“There’s unquestionably real risk that he’s going to depress turnout in Georgia,” said Brendan Buck, who served as a top adviser to House Speaker Paul Ryan. “The question is how much, but these races are going to be close enough that it could potentially cost us the majority. You can only tell people elections don’t work for so long until they stop participating. It’s too early to say whether this will have any long-term consequences on GOP voter turnout, but it’s only one party’s voters who are being told not to trust the system. It’s completely self-defeating.”
Early voting in Georgia begins on Dec. 14, the same day the Electoral College will vote for president. Yet Trump has given his party, elements of which he has had a contentious relationship with since announcing his candidacy in 2015, little indication he will go quietly .
“What a mess,” said a longtime Republican operative in Washington, D.C. “But so typical of Trump.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-04--Trump's cries of voter fraud register with Republican voters

President Trump ’ s claims that voter fraud turned the 2020 election against him haven ’ t gained much traction with the courts or state canvassing boards , but he has found one receptive audience : Republican voters .
After multiple media organizations declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner , Republican confidence in the election results plummeted .
A Politico/Morning Consult poll found that 70 % of Republicans doubted the election was free and fair , up significantly from 35 % before Election Day .
An Economist/YouGov poll similarly found that 73 % of Republicans were skeptical about whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that 61 % of Republicans are not at all confident in the fairness or accuracy of the election , and 77 % of Trump voters believed Biden ’ s win was due to fraud .
Among all voters , 60 % said Biden won fair and square , while 32 % blamed fraud .
“ The anger among Trump ’ s base is tied to a belief that the election was stolen , ” said Monmouth ’ s polling director Patrick Murray in a statement .
On Thursday , the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump-friendly One America News Network , purporting to show suitcases of ballots in Georgia being pulled from a suitcase and counted after a supervisor asked poll workers to leave the room .
Twitter flagged it as potential disinformation .
Georgia ’ s Republican secretary of state has denied voter fraud as the state has had to content with two recounts .
Trump has not conceded the presidential race and is still contesting the results in several battleground states , asserting again on Wednesday that he is confident he will be declared the winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican elected officials in some of these states have disputed many of Trump ’ s specific claims about the election , some of his allegations are rooted in GOP skepticism of mail-in voting , urban Democratic political machines , and the fairness of many COVID-19 regulations .
“ The Democrats had this election rigged right from the beginning , ” Trump claimed in a video from the White House .
“ They used the pandemic , sometimes referred to as the China virus , where it originated , as an excuse to mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which ultimately led to a big part of the fraud , a fraud that the whole world is watching , and there is no one happier right now than China.
” Other Republicans , such as conservative attorney and former George W. Bush Justice Department official J. Christian Adams , have made more measured versions of this argument .
“ What happened in 2020 is cultural and systemic , and sadly , generally legal , ” Adams , adding , “ COVID led to a dismantling of state election integrity laws by everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prerogative to change the rules of electing the president — the state legislatures.
” Some have pointed to problems with mail-in voting in New York , where an error led to being sent out in New York City just months after local election officials struggled to process and count mail-in ballots in a spring primary election .
That primary was frequently cited by Trump as an example of mail-in voting being a “ disaster.
” Many Republicans are suspicious of states where Trump led on election night only to lose days later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped and Biden took the lead after the tabulations resumed .
“ In Wisconsin , as an example , where we were way up on election night , they ultimately had us miraculously losing by 20,000 votes , ” Trump complained .
Trump has additionally raised questions about how he could lose an election where Republicans performed unexpectedly well down-ballot .
Trump himself outperformed the polling averages .
“ It is statistically impossible that the person , me , that led the charge lost , ” he said .
Adams blamed liberal groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This also explains how the GOP was so successful everywhere … except at the top of the ticket , ” he wrote .
“ A flood of blue votes gushing out of deep blue urban areas has a statewide effect only for statewide candidates .
It doesn ’ t affect legislative races outside of the cities.
” He also argued that explained how Trump improved his share of black and Hispanic voters and still lost .
Henry Olsen of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center looked at the numbers in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All three states ’ results indicate what was to blame for Trump ’ s defeat : suburban vote slippage , ” he .
Other analysts argued Trump hurt himself by discouraging his supporters from voting by mail .
Trump supporters also point to affidavits signed under penalty of perjury gathered by the campaign ’ s legal team alleging specific examples of fraud or the exclusion of Republican poll watchers , contrasting this with claims Trump-Russia collusion swung the 2016 election .
Stacey Abrams , a leading booster of the Democratic candidates in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2018 gubernatorial election there due to voter suppression .
Her Republican opponent was secretary of state at the time .
Attorney General William Barr said this week that the Justice Department had not uncovered evidence of voter fraud sufficient to alter the outcome of the election , and Trump has found himself GOP elected officials who deny irregularities in their states .
A Republican strategist in Arizona called the president ’ s actions “ self-centered ” and “ egotistical.
” Yet rank-and-file GOP voters keep telling pollsters they are sympathetic to Trump @ @ @ @

President Trump’s claims that voter fraud turned the 2020 election against him haven’t gained much traction with the courts or state canvassing boards, but he has found one receptive audience: Republican voters.
After multiple media organizations declared President-elect Joe Biden the winner, Republican confidence in the election results plummeted. A Politico/Morning Consult poll found that 70% of Republicans doubted the election was free and fair, up significantly from 35% before Election Day. An Economist/YouGov poll similarly found that 73% of Republicans were skeptical about whether the election was conducted fairly. Monmouth University found that 61% of Republicans are not at all confident in the fairness or accuracy of the election, and 77% of Trump voters believed Biden’s win was due to fraud. Among all voters, 60% said Biden won fair and square, while 32% blamed fraud.
“The anger among Trump’s base is tied to a belief that the election was stolen,” said Monmouth’s polling director Patrick Murray in a statement. On Thursday, the Trump campaign circulated a video, broadcast by the Trump-friendly One America News Network, purporting to show suitcases of ballots in Georgia being pulled from a suitcase and counted after a supervisor asked poll workers to leave the room. Twitter flagged it as potential disinformation. Georgia’s Republican secretary of state has denied voter fraud as the state has had to content with two recounts.
WATCH: Video footage from Georgia shows suitcases filled with ballots pulled from under a table AFTER supervisors told poll workers to leave room and 4 people stayed behind to keep counting votes pic.twitter.com/AcbTI1pxn4 — Team Trump (@TeamTrump) December 3, 2020
Trump has not conceded the presidential race and is still contesting the results in several battleground states, asserting again on Wednesday that he is confident he will be declared the winner once the evidence is reviewed. While Republican elected officials in some of these states have disputed many of Trump’s specific claims about the election, some of his allegations are rooted in GOP skepticism of mail-in voting, urban Democratic political machines, and the fairness of many COVID-19 regulations.
“The Democrats had this election rigged right from the beginning,” Trump claimed in a video from the White House. “They used the pandemic, sometimes referred to as the China virus, where it originated, as an excuse to mail out tens of millions of ballots, which ultimately led to a big part of the fraud, a fraud that the whole world is watching, and there is no one happier right now than China.”
Other Republicans, such as conservative attorney and former George W. Bush Justice Department official J. Christian Adams, have made more measured versions of this argument.
“What happened in 2020 is cultural and systemic, and sadly, generally legal,” Adams wrote , adding, “COVID led to a dismantling of state election integrity laws by everyone except the one body with the constitutional prerogative to change the rules of electing the president — the state legislatures.”
Some have pointed to problems with mail-in voting in New York, where an error led to thousands of flawed absentee ballots being sent out in New York City just months after local election officials struggled to process and count mail-in ballots in a spring primary election. That primary was frequently cited by Trump as an example of mail-in voting being a “disaster.”
Many Republicans are suspicious of states where Trump led on election night only to lose days later. In some cases, the vote counting stopped and Biden took the lead after the tabulations resumed. “In Wisconsin, as an example, where we were way up on election night, they ultimately had us miraculously losing by 20,000 votes,” Trump complained.
Trump has additionally raised questions about how he could lose an election where Republicans performed unexpectedly well down-ballot. Trump himself outperformed the polling averages. “It is statistically impossible that the person, me, that led the charge lost,” he said.
Adams blamed liberal groups’ get-out-the-vote efforts in large cities. “This also explains how the GOP was so successful everywhere … except at the top of the ticket,” he wrote. “A flood of blue votes gushing out of deep blue urban areas has a statewide effect only for statewide candidates. It doesn’t affect legislative races outside of the cities.” He also argued that explained how Trump improved his share of black and Hispanic voters and still lost.
Henry Olsen of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center looked at the numbers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. “All three states’ results indicate what was to blame for Trump’s defeat: suburban vote slippage,” he wrote . Other analysts argued Trump hurt himself by discouraging his supporters from voting by mail.
Trump supporters also point to affidavits signed under penalty of perjury gathered by the campaign’s legal team alleging specific examples of fraud or the exclusion of Republican poll watchers, contrasting this with claims Trump-Russia collusion swung the 2016 election. Stacey Abrams, a leading booster of the Democratic candidates in the Georgia Senate runoffs, claimed she lost the 2018 gubernatorial election there due to voter suppression. Her Republican opponent was secretary of state at the time.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-03--Newly elected GOP politician vows 'Freedom Force' will form to counter AOC's 'Squad'

A recently elected candidate for Congress says he and other newly elected representatives will form a “ Freedom Force ” to oppose the far-left “ Squad ” led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
“ Americans just want to have opportunities to succeed , ” Rep.-elect Byron Donalds .
“ They don ’ t want people in Washington telling them how they ’ re going to go about doing that .
They want to have the freedom to choose for themselves , and I ’ m here to fight for that — and that ’ s what the Freedom Force is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the 2020 election , which saw Republicans gain double-digit seats in the House of Representatives , showed that “ Americans just want to be left alone.
” “ If you really look at these elections in 2020 , what ’ s clear is that Americans just want to be left alone , ” Donalds said during a Monday interview with Fox News .
“ They want smart policies .
They want to follow the Constitution .
They want freedom.
” When asked what he plans to do in Congress , Donalds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t smart enough to make those decisions ” for people .
“ The plans are simple ; it ’ s never really changed .
It ’ s about supporting the Constitution .
It ’ s about making sure that we actually have bills , policies , laws that make sense for all Americans , ” Donalds said .
“ It ’ s about making sure that our businesses have freedom to operate , that our families have the freedom to choose what they ’ re going to do in their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t smart enough to make those decisions for them.
” The Freedom Force will consist of Republican Rep.-elects Michelle Steele of California , Nicole Malliotakis of New York , Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida , Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma , Burgess Owens of Utah , and Victoria Spartz of Indiana .
“ Our goal , really , is to push a message of freedom and individual liberty .
And in those times when we clash on policy ideas , we ’ ll be there front and center to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy will be heard by all Americans , ” Donalds .
Donalds said that the “ Green New Deal ” is an “ idea is going to cost trillions of dollars ” and result in higher electricity prices on poor people in cities .
“ So , when they try to push that idea , we ’ re going to come with the alternative idea that , no , we need to be opening the energy complex like we have over the last four years .
That ’ s some of the contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Freedom Force , ” Donalds said .
Donalds also spoke out against the Squad ’ s “ top-down draconian socialist policies , ” that will only hurt “ middle-class and families.
” “ The very rich are going to be fine , ” he said .
“ It ’ s going to be small business owners , microbusiness owners , people who have five , 10 , 20 employees .
They ’ re the ones who suffer under the weight of government regulation and government bureaucracy . ''
“ Even if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the big struggles has been small businesses getting access to capital , real small businesses , ” Donalds continued .
“ We need to stop people like the 'Squad , ' and other people the people on the Left , from pushing those terrible policies that are actually hurtful to the American people . ''

A recently elected candidate for Congress says he and other newly elected representatives will form a “Freedom Force” to oppose the far-left “Squad” led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Americans just want to have opportunities to succeed,” said Rep.-elect Byron Donalds. “They don’t want people in Washington telling them how they’re going to go about doing that. They want to have the freedom to choose for themselves, and I’m here to fight for that — and that’s what the Freedom Force is here to do.”
The Florida Republican said that the 2020 election, which saw Republicans gain double-digit seats in the House of Representatives, showed that “Americans just want to be left alone.”
“If you really look at these elections in 2020, what’s clear is that Americans just want to be left alone,” Donalds said during a Monday interview with Fox News. “They want smart policies. They want to follow the Constitution. They want freedom.”
When asked what he plans to do in Congress, Donalds said that “people in the capital aren’t smart enough to make those decisions” for people.
“The plans are simple; it’s never really changed. It’s about supporting the Constitution. It’s about making sure that we actually have bills, policies, laws that make sense for all Americans,” Donalds said. “It’s about making sure that our businesses have freedom to operate, that our families have the freedom to choose what they’re going to do in their lives — and the people in this capital aren’t smart enough to make those decisions for them.”
The Freedom Force will consist of Republican Rep.-elects Michelle Steele of California, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Burgess Owens of Utah, and Victoria Spartz of Indiana.
“Our goal, really, is to push a message of freedom and individual liberty. And in those times when we clash on policy ideas, we’ll be there front and center to make sure the way we view public policy will be heard by all Americans,” Donalds said .
Donalds said that the “Green New Deal” is an “idea is going to cost trillions of dollars” and result in higher electricity prices on poor people in cities.
“So, when they try to push that idea, we’re going to come with the alternative idea that, no, we need to be opening the energy complex like we have over the last four years. That’s some of the contrast you’re going to see from the Freedom Force,” Donalds said.
Donalds also spoke out against the Squad’s “top-down draconian socialist policies,” that will only hurt “middle-class and families.”
“The very rich are going to be fine,” he said. “It’s going to be small business owners, microbusiness owners, people who have five, 10, 20 employees. They’re the ones who suffer under the weight of government regulation and government bureaucracy."
“Even if you take a look at COVID-19 right now, one of the big struggles has been small businesses getting access to capital, real small businesses,” Donalds continued. “We need to stop people like the 'Squad,' and other people the people on the Left, from pushing those terrible policies that are actually hurtful to the American people."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-03--It’s no mystery: Millions of people voted specifically against Trump

Everyone ’ s got their puzzles to solve these days .
The key to unlock these mysteries is a simple one : President Trump is extremely disliked , and millions of voters were voting primarily against him .
Trump and his die-hard supporters can not fathom how Republican congressional candidates could have outperformed the president at the polls .
Set aside the preposterous explanations offered by Trumpworld here , including a massive voter fraud conspiracy involving Republican officials , South American dictators , and breakable algorithms .
Set aside for now the revealing tone of Trump ’ s tweet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he led bear the rewards ?
!
Unthinkable ! )
The fact is ticket-splitting is perfectly normal behavior .
It used to be much more normal .
People often vote for their preferred candidate despite , or regardless of , party .
Why millions would ticket-split in a very particular way is supposedly the mystery .
Thomas Edsall at the New York Times puzzles over his own mystery .
“ Honestly , This Was a Weird Election , ” is his headline , with his subheading puzzling that “ Biden soared among crucial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much.
” Edsall explains , “ In battleground congressional and statehouse districts , the same pattern appeared over and over again this year .
At the top of the ticket , Joe Biden won , often handily .
Further down the ticket , in contests for seats in the House and state legislatures , Democratic candidates repeatedly lost.
” This was odd because so many analysts thought the suburbs were on a straight-line march into the Democratic camp .
Upper-middle-class , college-educated white suburbanites have been trending Democratic for decades .
Trump accelerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats got most of their House pickups in exactly these wealthy , educated , white suburban districts .
What Edsall finds “ weird ” is that those same congressional districts tended to vote Republican this time around .
What is weird to Edsall and impossible to Trump has the same explanation ( and Edsall , unlike Trump , understands it ) : Millions of voters find Trump uniquely awful , and they vote explicitly against him and not for a particular party or candidate .
The corollary to this story is that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politician in the world as off-putting as he himself was : Hillary Clinton .
Consider this little detail told by exit polls : In both 2016 and 2020 , about 82 million voters had a negative opinion of Trump .
In 2016 , 12 million of those ( 15 % ) nevertheless voted for Trump , while this time around , only about 4 million ( 5 % ) of Trump disapprovers voted for him .
That ’ s about 8 million people who stomached Trump when Clinton was the alternative but happily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe who possessed human decency and only average corruption .
After the 2018 election , I noted that while Trump picked up millions of detached , independent , and Democratic voters among the white working class ( enough to deliver him a victory and have some coattails down-ballot ) , he did not make these working-class voters into Republicans .
He made them into Trump voters .
That partially explained the 2018 outcomes : Trump wasn ’ t delivering working-class votes to Republicans running for Congress or governor or state legislature , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running for those same offices .
I suspected at the time that Trump had fully made the upper-middle-class vote firmly Democratic .
2020 shows me that ’ s not true .
The simplest explanation might be this : In 2018 , many independents and white-collar Republicans voted Democratic for Congress and governor because it was the closest they could get to voting against Trump ; in 2020 , they were able to actually vote against Trump , and so that freed them up to vote Republican down-ballot .
Edsall makes the same argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in congressional and legislative races were clearly the result of animosity to Trump that found expression in voting against Republicans not named Trump — because Trump was not on the ballot .
With Trump on the ballot this year , however , these same voters discovered that they could voice their disapproval of him by voting against his re-election , while returning to their more conservative instincts by voting Republican in the rest of the races.
” There ’ s plenty of evidence that many Republican voters voted against Clinton in 2016 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanation for this is simple : Hillary was awful , and so is Trump .

Everyone’s got their puzzles to solve these days. The key to unlock these mysteries is a simple one: President Trump is extremely disliked, and millions of voters were voting primarily against him.
Trump and his die-hard supporters cannot fathom how Republican congressional candidates could have outperformed the president at the polls.
“Democrats suffered crushing down-ballot loss across America.” @nytimes. This is true. All statehouses won, and in Washington we did great. So I led this great charge, and I’m the only one that lost? No, it doesn’t work that way. This was a massive fraud, a RIGGED ELECTION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2020
Set aside the preposterous explanations offered by Trumpworld here, including a massive voter fraud conspiracy involving Republican officials, South American dictators, and breakable algorithms. Set aside for now the revealing tone of Trump’s tweet. (A leader might suffer while those he led bear the rewards?! Unthinkable!)
The fact is ticket-splitting is perfectly normal behavior. It used to be much more normal. People often vote for their preferred candidate despite, or regardless of, party. Why millions would ticket-split in a very particular way is supposedly the mystery.
Thomas Edsall at the New York Times puzzles over his own mystery. “Honestly, This Was a Weird Election,” is his headline, with his subheading puzzling that “Biden soared among crucial suburban voters. Democrats? Not so much.”
Edsall explains, “In battleground congressional and statehouse districts, the same pattern appeared over and over again this year. At the top of the ticket, Joe Biden won, often handily. Further down the ticket, in contests for seats in the House and state legislatures, Democratic candidates repeatedly lost.”
This was odd because so many analysts thought the suburbs were on a straight-line march into the Democratic camp. Upper-middle-class, college-educated white suburbanites have been trending Democratic for decades. Trump accelerated that in 2016. In 2018, Democrats got most of their House pickups in exactly these wealthy, educated, white suburban districts.
What Edsall finds “weird” is that those same congressional districts tended to vote Republican this time around.
What is weird to Edsall and impossible to Trump has the same explanation (and Edsall, unlike Trump, understands it): Millions of voters find Trump uniquely awful, and they vote explicitly against him and not for a particular party or candidate.
The corollary to this story is that in 2016, Trump drew perhaps the only politician in the world as off-putting as he himself was: Hillary Clinton.
Consider this little detail told by exit polls: In both 2016 and 2020, about 82 million voters had a negative opinion of Trump. In 2016, 12 million of those (15%) nevertheless voted for Trump, while this time around, only about 4 million (5%) of Trump disapprovers voted for him. That’s about 8 million people who stomached Trump when Clinton was the alternative but happily voted for a kind of normal Uncle Joe who possessed human decency and only average corruption.
After the 2018 election, I noted that while Trump picked up millions of detached, independent, and Democratic voters among the white working class (enough to deliver him a victory and have some coattails down-ballot), he did not make these working-class voters into Republicans. He made them into Trump voters.
That partially explained the 2018 outcomes: Trump wasn’t delivering working-class votes to Republicans running for Congress or governor or state legislature, but he was delivering upper-middle-class votes to Democrats running for those same offices.
I suspected at the time that Trump had fully made the upper-middle-class vote firmly Democratic. 2020 shows me that’s not true. The simplest explanation might be this: In 2018, many independents and white-collar Republicans voted Democratic for Congress and governor because it was the closest they could get to voting against Trump; in 2020, they were able to actually vote against Trump, and so that freed them up to vote Republican down-ballot.
Edsall makes the same argument: “In 2018, Democratic gains in congressional and legislative races were clearly the result of animosity to Trump that found expression in voting against Republicans not named Trump — because Trump was not on the ballot. With Trump on the ballot this year, however, these same voters discovered that they could voice their disapproval of him by voting against his re-election, while returning to their more conservative instincts by voting Republican in the rest of the races.”
There’s plenty of evidence that many Republican voters voted against Clinton in 2016 and then against Trump in 2020. The explanation for this is simple: Hillary was awful, and so is Trump.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-03--House Democrats tap New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney for campaign chief in tough election cycle

House Democrats on Thursday tapped Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , putting the New York congressman at the helm of their 2022 election efforts as they try to hold onto their narrow majority .
Maloney competed for the seat against California Rep. Tony Cardenas after former DCCC chair Cheri Bustos , an Illinois Democrat , announced she would not be running for the House Democrats ’ campaign arm post again .
The New York Democrat previously attempted to run for DCCC chair in 2018 but withdrew after he fell ill and was unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maloney faces a difficult election season in 2022 with President-elect Joe Biden in the Oval Office , as his party is running the House by a narrow majority and the president ’ s party usually loses additional seats in the first midterm election following the race for the White House .
The party is also still debating what caused the massive losses in the chamber , even as Biden beat President Trump .
That includes messaging aimed at appealing to far-left voters such as `` defund the police . ''
However , Maloney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurgents in his party by repealing the prohibition against political consultants who worked for candidates who challenged the party 's chosen nominees .

House Democrats on Thursday tapped Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, putting the New York congressman at the helm of their 2022 election efforts as they try to hold onto their narrow majority.
Maloney competed for the seat against California Rep. Tony Cardenas after former DCCC chair Cheri Bustos, an Illinois Democrat, announced she would not be running for the House Democrats’ campaign arm post again.
The New York Democrat previously attempted to run for DCCC chair in 2018 but withdrew after he fell ill and was unable to return to Washington for the election.
Maloney faces a difficult election season in 2022 with President-elect Joe Biden in the Oval Office, as his party is running the House by a narrow majority and the president’s party usually loses additional seats in the first midterm election following the race for the White House.
The party is also still debating what caused the massive losses in the chamber, even as Biden beat President Trump. That includes messaging aimed at appealing to far-left voters such as "defund the police."
However, Maloney is looking to make amends with left-wing insurgents in his party by repealing the prohibition against political consultants who worked for candidates who challenged the party's chosen nominees.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-03--Arizona GOP finds 2% of duplicate ballots took votes away from Trump after judge allows sample to be

Arizona GOP finds 2% of duplicate ballots took votes away from Trump after judge allows sample to be examined

Republican officials in Arizona found that 2 % of the duplicate ballots the party was allowed to examine were changed to take votes away from President Trump .
“ We got to examine 100 of them , ” said Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward .
“ Guess what ?
We found two ballots that were changed : One was changed from Trump to Biden ; one was just taken away from Trump — for no reason that we can find an explanation for.
” Ward called the findings “ explosive news , '' saying there was an attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is good news because those media propagandists who say there ’ s no evidence of fraud can now shut up , ” Ward said .
“ The bad news is this looks like this election has been attempted to be stolen from President Trump.
” “ And to remind you what a duplicate ballot is : It ’ s when there ’ s a damaged ballot or , for some reason , the machine can not read a ballot , ” Ward said .
“ So , then , election workers ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duplicate ’ it for the voter .
And it ’ s either fed back into the machine or created electronically.
” The inspection came after Judge Randall Warner ruled that he would allow signatures from 100 ballot envelopes and 100 duplicate or reconstructed ballots to be inspected .
`` I 'm inclined to err on the side of transparency and air these things out , '' Warner .
Warner called for the inspection to be completed at the voting center and gave the GOP officials access to the scanned signatures on the computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need a huge data sample to know whether there are irregularities or misconduct , '' Warner said .
Warner set an evidentiary hearing for Thursday morning for Ward ’ s legal team to present the results of their inspection .

Republican officials in Arizona found that 2% of the duplicate ballots the party was allowed to examine were changed to take votes away from President Trump.
“We got to examine 100 of them,” said Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward. “Guess what? We found two ballots that were changed: One was changed from Trump to Biden; one was just taken away from Trump — for no reason that we can find an explanation for.”
In today's update, Chairwoman @kelliwardaz announces the findings from our investigation of 100 duplicate ballots, in which TWO votes were discovered to have been altered and removed from President @realDonaldTrump's total. pic.twitter.com/6Dg9zd2XGd — Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) December 2, 2020
Ward called the findings “explosive news," saying there was an attempt to steal the election from Trump.
“This is good news because those media propagandists who say there’s no evidence of fraud can now shut up,” Ward said. “The bad news is this looks like this election has been attempted to be stolen from President Trump.”
“And to remind you what a duplicate ballot is: It’s when there’s a damaged ballot or, for some reason, the machine cannot read a ballot,” Ward said. “So, then, election workers ‘recreate’ that ballot. They ‘duplicate’ it for the voter. And it’s either fed back into the machine or created electronically.”
The inspection came after Judge Randall Warner ruled that he would allow signatures from 100 ballot envelopes and 100 duplicate or reconstructed ballots to be inspected.
"I'm inclined to err on the side of transparency and air these things out," Warner said .
Warner called for the inspection to be completed at the voting center and gave the GOP officials access to the scanned signatures on the computer.
"I don't think you need a huge data sample to know whether there are irregularities or misconduct," Warner said.
Warner set an evidentiary hearing for Thursday morning for Ward’s legal team to present the results of their inspection.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-04--Suburbs turnout drop-off in Georgia bodes poorly for Raphael Warnock

A Georgia district attorney race should set off political alarm bells for Rev .
Raphael Warnock and his team as the Democratic Senate candidate tries to unseat appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler .
Deborah Gonzalez , a Democrat , won her special election runoff Tuesday to become Georgia 's next Western Judicial Circuit district attorney .
But voter turnout in her jurisdiction 's key Democratic stronghold was low .
And that 's a trend Warnock will have to buck if he hopes to beat Loeffler on Jan. 5 .
Warnock and Loeffler are running together after finishing as the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary .
The race is for the final 22 months of the term won by Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson in 2016 .
Isakson resigned from the Senate about a year ago due to health reasons .
The Warnock-Loeffler fight is actually one of two Georgia Senate races that are headed to a runoff on Jan. 5 .
Republican Sen. David Perdue is trying to win a second six-year term against the Democratic nominee , filmmaker Jon Ossoff .
Both races have national significance as they 'll determine who holds a Senate majority during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in office .
Democrats need to win both races to grab a bare majority , while twin GOP victories would give Republicans a 52-48 edge .
Polls show both races are effectively tied .
But Georgia elections that have happened since Nov. 3 , like the judicial race Gonzalez won , show a marked fall-off in Democratic support in some areas the party needs to win strongly if its Senate candidates have hopes of prevailing .
Gonzalez received about 13,500 votes to independent prosecutor James Chafin ’ s 12,600 , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's about 52 % support for Gonzalez .
Yet , while turnout was lower across the board compared to the Nov. 3 elections , it dived even deeper in Athens-anchored Clarke County than in conservative-leaning Oconee County .
University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock warned Warnock that the results were `` a straw in the wind . ''
`` We recognize that Clark County and Oconee County vote at different rates anyway , '' he said .
`` But even factoring that in , the Clark County folks did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming back . ''
He added , `` And Clark County being a Democratic county and Oconee being a Republican county , that does foretell what could happen in January , with Republicans coming back at higher rates than Democrats and then they win . ''
The turf war over Georgia 's suburbs is defining the special election runoff between Warnock , 51 , and Loeffler , 50 .
Bullock described the suburbs around Athens as `` still quite red , '' in contrast to those around Atlanta .
The biggest pools of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Fulton , Gwinnett , Cobb , and DeKalb counties .
`` Democrats , to the extent that this is a warm-up for January , would like to have seen their voters come back at the same rate of return , '' Bullock said .
Yet , Warnock may outperform Gonzalez for one main reason : Warnock 's background .
`` Deborah Gonzalez is Hispanic and not black .
Raphael Warnock is black .
And the core constituency for Democrats are African Americans , where Democrats should get around 90 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ History , though , is against Warnock .
If successful , he 'll be Georgia 's first black senator .
And the state has n't elected a Democratic senator since 1996 .
That 's four years after it last backed a Democratic presidential nominee , Bill Clinton , before turning blue this cycle for President-elect Joe Biden .
Republicans have also won every runoff in Georgia 's electoral history .
State-based political pundits chalk up the GOP victories to precipitous Democratic voter drop-off .
Democrats may break that Republican winning streak in January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that there are two runoffs on the ballot , and Warnock 's historic candidacy gin up voter enthusiasm .
To capitalize on any excitement , Democrats must replicate their organizing efforts from before Nov. 3 .
That was led largely by 2018 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams .
However , it 's tricky to apply conventional political wisdom to Georgia .
Georgia Democrats are motivated by the prospect of Senate control to help Biden pass a liberal agenda through Congress .
But the state 's Republicans are equally driven to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's influence in the chamber .
And turnout before Jan. 5 may be boosted by a greater reliance on mailed-in ballots .
At the same time , turnout may be suppressed by Trump and his allies discouraging people from voting with their fraud claims .
`` Democrats seem to be much more united than Republicans , '' Bullock said .
`` It 's hard to know what share of the Republican electorate is buying into the argument made by Lin Wood and Sidney Powell . ''
He continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheering . ''

A Georgia district attorney race should set off political alarm bells for Rev. Raphael Warnock and his team as the Democratic Senate candidate tries to unseat appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
Deborah Gonzalez, a Democrat, won her special election runoff Tuesday to become Georgia's next Western Judicial Circuit district attorney. But voter turnout in her jurisdiction's key Democratic stronghold was low. And that's a trend Warnock will have to buck if he hopes to beat Loeffler on Jan. 5.
Warnock and Loeffler are running together after finishing as the top two candidates in a Nov. 3 non-party primary. The race is for the final 22 months of the term won by Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson in 2016. Isakson resigned from the Senate about a year ago due to health reasons.
The Warnock-Loeffler fight is actually one of two Georgia Senate races that are headed to a runoff on Jan. 5. Republican Sen. David Perdue is trying to win a second six-year term against the Democratic nominee, filmmaker Jon Ossoff.
Both races have national significance as they'll determine who holds a Senate majority during President-elect Joe Biden's first two years in office. Democrats need to win both races to grab a bare majority, while twin GOP victories would give Republicans a 52-48 edge.
Polls show both races are effectively tied. But Georgia elections that have happened since Nov. 3, like the judicial race Gonzalez won, show a marked fall-off in Democratic support in some areas the party needs to win strongly if its Senate candidates have hopes of prevailing.
Gonzalez received about 13,500 votes to independent prosecutor James Chafin’s 12,600, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. That's about 52% support for Gonzalez. Yet, while turnout was lower across the board compared to the Nov. 3 elections, it dived even deeper in Athens-anchored Clarke County than in conservative-leaning Oconee County.
University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock warned Warnock that the results were "a straw in the wind."
"We recognize that Clark County and Oconee County vote at different rates anyway," he said. "But even factoring that in, the Clark County folks did not do as good a job at coming back."
He added, "And Clark County being a Democratic county and Oconee being a Republican county, that does foretell what could happen in January, with Republicans coming back at higher rates than Democrats and then they win."
The turf war over Georgia's suburbs is defining the special election runoff between Warnock, 51, and Loeffler, 50.
Bullock described the suburbs around Athens as "still quite red," in contrast to those around Atlanta. The biggest pools of Democratic votes in Georgia are greater Atlanta's Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb counties.
"Democrats, to the extent that this is a warm-up for January, would like to have seen their voters come back at the same rate of return," Bullock said.
Yet, Warnock may outperform Gonzalez for one main reason: Warnock's background.
"Deborah Gonzalez is Hispanic and not black. Raphael Warnock is black. And the core constituency for Democrats are African Americans, where Democrats should get around 90% of the black vote," Bullock said.
History, though, is against Warnock. If successful, he'll be Georgia's first black senator. And the state hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 2000. In fact, it's been 28 years since it last backed a Democratic presidential nominee, Bill Clinton, before turning blue this cycle for President-elect Joe Biden.
Republicans have also won every runoff in Georgia's electoral history. State-based political pundits chalk up the GOP victories to precipitous Democratic voter drop-off.
Democrats may break that Republican winning streak in January depending on whether the national attention, the fact that there are two runoffs on the ballot, and Warnock's historic candidacy gin up voter enthusiasm.
To capitalize on any excitement, Democrats must replicate their organizing efforts from before Nov. 3. That was led largely by 2018 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams.
However, it's tricky to apply conventional political wisdom to Georgia.
Georgia Democrats are motivated by the prospect of Senate control to help Biden pass a liberal agenda through Congress. But the state's Republicans are equally driven to return Loeffler to the Senate, bolstering Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's influence in the chamber.
And turnout before Jan. 5 may be boosted by a greater reliance on mailed-in ballots. At the same time, turnout may be suppressed by Trump and his allies discouraging people from voting with their fraud claims.
"Democrats seem to be much more united than Republicans," Bullock said. "It's hard to know what share of the Republican electorate is buying into the argument made by Lin Wood and Sidney Powell."
He continued, "Democrats are sitting back and cheering."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-04--Nail-biter New York congressional contest 'may end up in the House,' Pelosi says

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinted Friday that the contested race for New York 's 22nd Congressional District may end up being reviewed by the House — like another disputed race in Iowa .
New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Brindisi was 28,422 votes behind former New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney on election night based on in-person ballots received during early voting on Election Day .
But her massive lead disappeared to just 100 votes after almost 60,000 mail-in ballots were counted .
Both campaigns went to court to have a judge rule on disputes about more than 2,000 absentee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recount by 12 votes several days ago , after more ballots were reviewed , the advantage swung back to Tenney , who now leads the contest by 12 votes .
Iowa Democrat Rita Hart announced on Wednesday about her plan to file with the House Committee on Administration under the Federal Contested Elections Act .
Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin , who serves as the vice chairman of the committee , will lead a panel to review that petition .
“ The issue relating to Iowa is an issue for the House Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rita Hart , an excellent candidate for Congress , will be asking the House to take this up .
For further information about the technicalities of that , that becomes a House , not a political but a House Administration matter .
The House decides who it will seat , ” Pelosi told reporters Friday at her weekly news conference .
As for New York 's 22nd District , that 's `` a completely different situation , '' she said .
`` In New York , there could be 1,500 , 5,000 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to the court Monday .
And we 'll see what happens in the court .
That may end up in the House .
I do n't know , but the court will decide which votes will be counted . ''
Congress last involved itself in a disputed close House race back in 1985 .
Known as the “ Bloody Eighth , ” a messy political fight erupted on the Democratic-controlled House floor over who would represent Indiana ’ s 8th Congressional District .
The Democratic incumbent initially won by just 72 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by margins of 34 and 418 votes , respectively , following two state recounts .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinted Friday that the contested race for New York's 22nd Congressional District may end up being reviewed by the House — like another disputed race in Iowa.
New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Brindisi was 28,422 votes behind former New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney on election night based on in-person ballots received during early voting on Election Day. But her massive lead disappeared to just 100 votes after almost 60,000 mail-in ballots were counted.
Both campaigns went to court to have a judge rule on disputes about more than 2,000 absentee and affidavit ballots. Although Brindisi commanded the recount by 12 votes several days ago, after more ballots were reviewed, the advantage swung back to Tenney, who now leads the contest by 12 votes.
Iowa Democrat Rita Hart announced on Wednesday about her plan to file with the House Committee on Administration under the Federal Contested Elections Act. Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, who serves as the vice chairman of the committee, will lead a panel to review that petition.
“The issue relating to Iowa is an issue for the House Administration Committee. It's my understanding that Rita Hart, an excellent candidate for Congress, will be asking the House to take this up. For further information about the technicalities of that, that becomes a House, not a political but a House Administration matter. The House decides who it will seat,” Pelosi told reporters Friday at her weekly news conference.
As for New York's 22nd District, that's "a completely different situation," she said. "In New York, there could be 1,500, 5,000 votes not counted yet. So, that is going to the court Monday. And we'll see what happens in the court. That may end up in the House. I don't know, but the court will decide which votes will be counted."
Congress last involved itself in a disputed close House race back in 1985. Known as the “Bloody Eighth,” a messy political fight erupted on the Democratic-controlled House floor over who would represent Indiana’s 8th Congressional District. The Democratic incumbent initially won by just 72 votes but lost to his Republican challenger by margins of 34 and 418 votes, respectively, following two state recounts.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-04--Georgia surveillance footage gives Trump legal team rare traction in voter fraud quest

Following weeks of court defeats across the country , President Trump 's legal team is hopeful that newly obtained security footage from a ballot-counting facility in Georgia may have given their campaign to overturn election results some rare , and much-needed , traction .
The video , taken from inside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta , purports to show ballot counters removing four concealed boxes of ballots from under a table after election supervisors supposedly had left the facility for the night .
After removing the boxes of ballots , the facility employees seem to begin counting the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation of the state 's election regulations , according to Trump 's legal team .
The president 's attorneys believe nearly 25,000 ballots , all of which they say should be discarded , could have been counted .
The Thursday release of the video has given new life to Trump 's claims that November 's presidential election was rigged against him and the first piece of credible video evidence that some irregularities might have taken place in precincts that heavily swung toward presumptive President-elect Joe Biden .
New accusations of fraud stemming from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp , a Republican , to reiterate his calls for a signature audit .
`` I called early on for a signature audit .
Obviously , the secretary of state , per the laws of the Constitution , would have to order that , '' he said Thursday night in an interview with Fox News .
`` He has not done that .
I think it should be done .
Especially after what we saw today .
There needs to be transparency on that .
Hopefully , in the next 24 hours , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Kemp has been repeatedly hammered by Trump and his supporters for not going to greater lengths to investigate accusations of fraud and has remained steadfast in his denial that any systemic improprieties that could have changed the results of the election .
On Friday morning , the Fulton County Elections Director , Rick Barron , addressed the State Farm Arena video in a hearing and argued his agency saw no irregularities .
`` What the video shows is that they pulled out underneath the desks , those are bins they keep under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then cut the seals on those and open those up and pull the ballots out , '' Barron said .
`` It was normal processing that occurred there ... other than that , we 've gone through everything with the secretary of state investigators . ''
Barron 's explanation did little to quell concerns with Republicans in the state and prompted Georgia House Speaker David Ralston , a Republican , to call for a new hearing over voting processes and elections in Georgia before the Senate elections .
`` Ahead of the critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is imperative that we ensure free and fair elections that inspire confidence and certainty in the results , '' the speaker wrote in a statement .
`` For that reason , I 'm asking [ Government Affairs Committee Chairman Shays ] Blackmon and his committee to act swiftly and aggressively to follow the facts wherever they may lead so as to reassure Georgia voters their vote will count in January . ''
The state 's voting implement manager , Gabriel Sterling , who went viral earlier this week when he accused Trump of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against workers overseeing the voting system , reviewed the tape on Friday and concluded that the behavior constituted `` normal ballot harvesting . ''
`` The 90 second video of election workers at State Farm arena , purporting to show fraud was watched in its entirety ( hours ) by @ GaSecofState investigators , '' Sterling , a Republican , tweeted .
Supporters of the president say if a small percentage — five-to-10 % — of ballots in Fulton County are discarded after a signature audit , the state could flip to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by under 13,000 votes , the first Democrat to earn a victory in the state in a presidential election since Bill Clinton in 1992 .
State officials in Georgia have generally been dismissive of the Trump campaign 's claims of fraud there .
Citing threats of violence against him and his wife , Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has publicly pleaded for the president 's supporters to accept the results of the election and move on .
The insistence of fraud in the Georgia elections has spurred panic by GOP officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will simply sit out of the Senate runoffs out of protest or belief their vote simply wo n't be counted .
On Friday , Vice President Michael Pence arrived in the state for a rally with Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Savannah .
The next day , Trump himself will arrive in the state to hold a rally for the two lawmakers as well .
Following Kemp 's call of a signature audit , the president 's attorney Rudy Giuliani accused Fulton County Democrats of stealing the election and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven to be a fraud . ''

Following weeks of court defeats across the country, President Trump's legal team is hopeful that newly obtained security footage from a ballot-counting facility in Georgia may have given their campaign to overturn election results some rare, and much-needed, traction.
The video, taken from inside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, purports to show ballot counters removing four concealed boxes of ballots from under a table after election supervisors supposedly had left the facility for the night. After removing the boxes of ballots, the facility employees seem to begin counting the new ballots with no third-party oversight — a violation of the state's election regulations, according to Trump's legal team. The president's attorneys believe nearly 25,000 ballots, all of which they say should be discarded, could have been counted.
The Thursday release of the video has given new life to Trump's claims that November's presidential election was rigged against him and the first piece of credible video evidence that some irregularities might have taken place in precincts that heavily swung toward presumptive President-elect Joe Biden. New accusations of fraud stemming from the video prompted Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, to reiterate his calls for a signature audit.
WATCH: Video footage from Georgia shows suitcases filled with ballots pulled from under a table AFTER supervisors told poll workers to leave room and 4 people stayed behind to keep counting votes pic.twitter.com/AcbTI1pxn4 — Team Trump (@TeamTrump) December 3, 2020
"I called early on for a signature audit. Obviously, the secretary of state, per the laws of the Constitution, would have to order that," he said Thursday night in an interview with Fox News. "He has not done that. I think it should be done. Especially after what we saw today. There needs to be transparency on that. Hopefully, in the next 24 hours, we'll see a lot more."
Kemp has been repeatedly hammered by Trump and his supporters for not going to greater lengths to investigate accusations of fraud and has remained steadfast in his denial that any systemic improprieties that could have changed the results of the election.
On Friday morning, the Fulton County Elections Director, Rick Barron, addressed the State Farm Arena video in a hearing and argued his agency saw no irregularities.
"What the video shows is that they pulled out underneath the desks, those are bins they keep under their desks near the scanners, they then cut the seals on those and open those up and pull the ballots out," Barron said. "It was normal processing that occurred there ... other than that, we've gone through everything with the secretary of state investigators."
Barron's explanation did little to quell concerns with Republicans in the state and prompted Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, to call for a new hearing over voting processes and elections in Georgia before the Senate elections.
"Ahead of the critical Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff, it is imperative that we ensure free and fair elections that inspire confidence and certainty in the results," the speaker wrote in a statement. "For that reason, I'm asking [Government Affairs Committee Chairman Shays] Blackmon and his committee to act swiftly and aggressively to follow the facts wherever they may lead so as to reassure Georgia voters their vote will count in January."
The state's voting implement manager, Gabriel Sterling, who went viral earlier this week when he accused Trump of failing to condemn escalating threats of violence against workers overseeing the voting system, reviewed the tape on Friday and concluded that the behavior constituted "normal ballot harvesting."
"The 90 second video of election workers at State Farm arena, purporting to show fraud was watched in its entirety (hours) by @GaSecofState investigators," Sterling, a Republican, tweeted.
Supporters of the president say if a small percentage — five-to-10% — of ballots in Fulton County are discarded after a signature audit, the state could flip to Trump's column. Biden narrowly won Georgia by under 13,000 votes, the first Democrat to earn a victory in the state in a presidential election since Bill Clinton in 1992.
State officials in Georgia have generally been dismissive of the Trump campaign's claims of fraud there. Citing threats of violence against him and his wife, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has publicly pleaded for the president's supporters to accept the results of the election and move on.
The insistence of fraud in the Georgia elections has spurred panic by GOP officials, who worry that many Republicans in Georgia will simply sit out of the Senate runoffs out of protest or belief their vote simply won't be counted. On Friday, Vice President Michael Pence arrived in the state for a rally with Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Savannah. The next day, Trump himself will arrive in the state to hold a rally for the two lawmakers as well.
Following Kemp's call of a signature audit, the president's attorney Rudy Giuliani accused Fulton County Democrats of stealing the election and that the "election in Georgia is now proven to be a fraud."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-04--Perdue appears to recognize incoming Biden administration on leaked call

Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue appeared to accept that President-elect Joe Biden won the election in a conference call with a GOP group even though he has yet to do so publicly .
Perdue , who , along with Sen. Kelly Loeffler , the other senator from Georgia , is facing a runoff election next month with the Senate majority on the line , and President Trump is heading down to the Peach State this weekend to campaign for them .
Neither incumbent has publicly addressed Biden as the president-elect , as Trump has refused to concede , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of the two of them in which Perdue implicitly acknowledged a Biden presidency .
“ We know what this change of command at the top will mean with our foreign relations , ” Perdue said in the video , adding : “ If we can keep the majority in the Senate , we can at least be a buffer on some of the things that the Biden camp has been talking about in terms of their foreign policy.
” The video was recorded Wednesday .
It was a conversation between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Norm Coleman who runs the Republican Jewish Coalition .
Perdue also discussed Biden ’ s record of working across the aisle and mentioned that his willingness to do so again during his administration could result in compromises between Congress and the White House that haven ’ t been done in “ two or three administrations.
” He also noted that the political divide during “ the last administration , ” which he said was Trump ’ s , was too great for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House to overcome .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that maybe we lost in the last administration between [ House Speaker Nancy ] Pelosi and Trump , ” Perdue said .
“ That was just a bridge too far to think that we were going to get them to negotiate .
But here we have Biden and McConnell , who are ex-colleagues in the Senate , who are known negotiators , who , if Biden can get away from this extreme part of his party , he might make some deals.
” The comments come at a tumultuous time for Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid his claims of a stolen election while also trying to encourage voters to turn out for the runoff election , which will take place on Jan. 5 .
Trump 's legal team has filed a handful of lawsuits in battleground states Biden won that have largely been unsuccessful .
The campaign 's strategy also involves convincing state legislatures with Republican majorities , including Pennsylvania , to appoint electors who will cast their votes for Trump .
Meanwhile , Trump has attacked Georgia Republicans , such as Gov .
Brian Kemp and Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has accused them of not doing enough to promote his claims , which has caused a rift in the state party .
A spokesman for Perdue focused more on `` the consequences '' of the runoff election and less about the senator 's nod to a Biden presidency in a statement .
“ Sen .
Perdue totally supports President Trump and his fight for transparency and accuracy in this election , '' John Burke said .
`` Perdue for weeks has been repeatedly sounding the alarm about what the consequences of total Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Majority Leader Chuck ] Schumer wins these two seats in Georgia .
”

Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue appeared to accept that President-elect Joe Biden won the election in a conference call with a GOP group even though he has yet to do so publicly.
Perdue, who, along with Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the other senator from Georgia, is facing a runoff election next month with the Senate majority on the line, and President Trump is heading down to the Peach State this weekend to campaign for them. Neither incumbent has publicly addressed Biden as the president-elect, as Trump has refused to concede, but the Washington Post obtained and published a Zoom video of the two of them in which Perdue implicitly acknowledged a Biden presidency.
“We know what this change of command at the top will mean with our foreign relations,” Perdue said in the video, adding: “If we can keep the majority in the Senate, we can at least be a buffer on some of the things that the Biden camp has been talking about in terms of their foreign policy.”
The video was recorded Wednesday. It was a conversation between the two Georgia senators and former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman who runs the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Perdue also discussed Biden’s record of working across the aisle and mentioned that his willingness to do so again during his administration could result in compromises between Congress and the White House that haven’t been done in “two or three administrations.”
He also noted that the political divide during “the last administration,” which he said was Trump’s, was too great for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House to overcome.
“We have an opportunity to do something that maybe we lost in the last administration between [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and Trump,” Perdue said. “That was just a bridge too far to think that we were going to get them to negotiate. But here we have Biden and McConnell, who are ex-colleagues in the Senate, who are known negotiators, who, if Biden can get away from this extreme part of his party, he might make some deals.”
The comments come at a tumultuous time for Republicans as some try to placate the president amid his claims of a stolen election while also trying to encourage voters to turn out for the runoff election, which will take place on Jan. 5. Trump's legal team has filed a handful of lawsuits in battleground states Biden won that have largely been unsuccessful. The campaign's strategy also involves convincing state legislatures with Republican majorities, including Pennsylvania, to appoint electors who will cast their votes for Trump.
Meanwhile, Trump has attacked Georgia Republicans, such as Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and has accused them of not doing enough to promote his claims, which has caused a rift in the state party.
A spokesman for Perdue focused more on "the consequences" of the runoff election and less about the senator's nod to a Biden presidency in a statement.
“Sen. Perdue totally supports President Trump and his fight for transparency and accuracy in this election," John Burke said. "Perdue for weeks has been repeatedly sounding the alarm about what the consequences of total Democratic control of Congress would be if [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer wins these two seats in Georgia.”