thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--How the Electoral College map has changed after the 2020 election

President Trump has changed the contours of the electoral map , but not all of the alterations are helpful to Republicans .
Four years after Trump seized the White House in a self-described `` landslide '' of 304 electoral votes , he 's likely moving out of the executive compound on Jan. 20 .
Pending Trump campaign lawsuits filed in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , and Pennsylvania over issues ranging from extended voter deadlines to transparency while ballots were counted , Democrat Joe Biden is the president-elect .
Though a hand recount is already underway in Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 306 votes when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 , well over the 270 threshold required to become the next commander in chief .
Biden 's presumptive victory comes after he reconstructed the segment of the so-called `` blue wall '' that runs through Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
He won Michigan by almost 3 percentage points , but clinched Pennsylvania by a single point and Wisconsin by less than a point .
2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton 's losses in the three states cost her the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states compared to previous cycles has political strategists predicting their collective 46 electoral votes may return to the Republican ledger in 2024 .
The opposite is true for a handful of Sunbelt states .
Democrats have long been mocked for hoping to shade Republican strongholds , such as Texas , blue .
But Arizona and apparently Georgia did just that this year , the first time the states have backed a Democratic standard-bearer since 1996 and 1992 , respectively .
Biden is on track to take Arizona and Georgia by less than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Upper Midwest was safely Democratic , and the South and Southwest were reliably Republican .
But we ’ re now seeing an entirely new landscape emerge , '' political analyst Dan Schnur , a Republican-turned-independent now at the University of Southern California , told the Washington Examiner .
Democrats have been monitoring demographic movements in Arizona , Georgia , and Texas as younger , more diverse people settle in the states .
Adjustments were hastened by Trump 's eroding support in their expanding suburbs .
`` Most of the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given the larger number of minority voters and changes in the composition of the suburban vote , '' Schnur confirmed .
`` Upper Midwestern states are trending more Republican as a result of the changing affiliation of white working-class voters , and Florida is a reflection of the same trend . ''
Florida does seem to be embedded in the Republican column , even though Trump only won it by 3 points .
Trump 's heavy investment in Cuban American outreach , in particular , paid off , earning him support in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The former two-term vice president was prevented from running up his margin of victory in Miami-Dade County to counteract Trump 's popularity elsewhere in the state .
At the same time , Democrats may be boosted by constitutionally-mandated redistricting .
Though it remained in Republican hands this month , Maine 's expansive 2nd Congressional District in the state 's north may become more Democratic if its borders are redrawn due to population growth in Maine 's south around Portland .
In the other state that splits its electoral votes , Biden flipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked it up last time .
But while pre-Election Day polling of other `` flyover '' parts of the country , such as Iowa and Ohio , had Biden within striking distance of the incumbent , they stayed out of reach for the Democrat .
Middlebury College political science professor Bert Johnson foresaw opportunities for both parties to `` shake up '' their state coalitions , arguing that decisions made before the 2022 midterm elections could reshape the map , `` consolidating some and leaving others to dissipate . ''
`` The suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest part , '' he said .
`` But we ’ re also seeing continuing shifts among some Hispanic voters , among younger people , and along an urban-rural split . ''
For Tom Schaller , a political science professor with the University of Maryland , Baltimore County , this election season further demonstrated Democrats ' non-Southern strategy , which he first outlined 14 years ago in Whistling Past Dixie .
`` Joe Biden is now the third Democrat to compile at least 270 non-southern electors , and his win makes five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , or Barack Obama have done so since 1992 , '' he said .
Future White House contests would still focus on the Upper Midwest , according to Schaller .
`` As it has been for more than a century , the Upper Midwest continues to be the most pivotal region in presidential politics , '' he said .
He added , `` Given how close Michigan and Wisconsin were in both 2016 and 2020 , look for both parties to continue fighting for dominance in the Great Lakes region .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

President Trump has changed the contours of the electoral map, but not all of the alterations are helpful to Republicans.
Four years after Trump seized the White House in a self-described "landslide" of 304 electoral votes, he's likely moving out of the executive compound on Jan. 20.
Pending Trump campaign lawsuits filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania over issues ranging from extended voter deadlines to transparency while ballots were counted, Democrat Joe Biden is the president-elect. Though a hand recount is already underway in Georgia, Biden is projected to be awarded 306 votes when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14, well over the 270 threshold required to become the next commander in chief.
Biden's presumptive victory comes after he reconstructed the segment of the so-called "blue wall" that runs through Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. He won Michigan by almost 3 percentage points but clinched Pennsylvania by a single point and Wisconsin by less than a point. Democrat Hillary Clinton's losses in the three states cost her the White House in 2016.
The competitiveness of the Upper Midwest states compared to previous cycles has political strategists predicting their collective 46 electoral votes may return to the Republican ledger in 2024.
The opposite is true for a handful of Sunbelt states.
Democrats have long been mocked for hoping to shade Republican strongholds, such as Texas, blue. But Arizona and apparently Georgia did just that this year, the first time the states have backed a Democratic standard-bearer since 1996 and 1992, respectively. Biden is on track to take Arizona and Georgia by less than a percentage point.
"For decades, the Upper Midwest was safely Democratic, and the South and Southwest were reliably Republican. But we’re now seeing an entirely new landscape emerge," political analyst Dan Schnur, a Republican-turned-independent now at the University of Southern California, told the Washington Examiner.
Democrats have been monitoring demographic movements in Arizona, Georgia, and Texas as younger, more diverse people settle in the states. Adjustments were hastened by Trump's eroding support in their expanding suburbs.
"Most of the rest of the Sunbelt is becoming more hospitable to Democrats, given the larger number of minority voters and changes in the composition of the suburban vote," Schnur confirmed. "Upper Midwestern states are trending more Republican as a result of the changing affiliation of white working-class voters, and Florida is a reflection of the same trend."
Florida does seem to be embedded in the Republican column, even though Trump only won it by 3 points. Trump's heavy investment in Cuban American outreach, in particular, paid off, earning him support in left-leaning South Florida to Biden's detriment. The former two-term vice president was prevented from running up his margin of victory in Miami-Dade County to counteract Trump's popularity elsewhere in the state.
At the same time, Democrats may be boosted by constitutionally mandated redistricting.
Though it remained in Republican hands this month, Maine's expansive 2nd Congressional District in the state's north may become more Democratic if its borders are redrawn due to population growth in Maine's south around Portland.
In the other state that splits its electoral votes, Biden flipped Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District after Trump picked it up last time. But while pre-Election Day polling of other "flyover" parts of the country, such as Iowa and Ohio, had Biden within striking distance of the incumbent, they stayed out of reach for the Democrat.
Middlebury College political science professor Bert Johnson foresaw opportunities for both parties to "shake up" their state coalitions, arguing that decisions made before the 2022 midterm elections could reshape the map, "consolidating some and leaving others to dissipate."
"The suburbs are part of that, and probably the largest part," he said. "But we’re also seeing continuing shifts among some Hispanic voters, among younger people, and along an urban-rural split."
For Tom Schaller, a political science professor with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, this election season further demonstrated Democrats' non-Southern strategy, which he first outlined 14 years ago in Whistling Past Dixie.
"Joe Biden is now the third Democrat to compile at least 270 non-Southern electors, and his win makes five times now that either he, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama have done so since 1992," he said.
Future White House contests would still focus on the Upper Midwest, according to Schaller.
"As it has been for more than a century, the Upper Midwest continues to be the most pivotal region in presidential politics," he said.
He added, "Given how close Michigan and Wisconsin were in both 2016 and 2020, look for both parties to continue fighting for dominance in the Great Lakes region. As it goes, so goes the presidency."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-19--Georgia secretary of state says voters are being 'spun up' by Republicans

The top-ranking election official in Georgia accused Republican leaders of fanning the flames of division as a recount of the 2020 election draws close with President-elect Joe Biden still in the lead .
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said people are `` angry '' about the results of the 2020 election , and he blamed Republicans in his state , such as Rep. Doug Collins , for promoting the idea that the election was stolen from President Trump .
“ There ’ s just people who are really angry , and they ’ re being spun up , ” Raffensperger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s really the spinners that should be ashamed for playing with people ’ s emotions .
Politicians of both sides should never play with people ’ s emotions .
It ’ s one thing to motivate people , I get that .
But to spin people up and play with their emotions , it ’ s emotional abuse , and they ought to grow up and start acting with integrity.
” Biden is leading in Georgia by more than 14,000 votes , and a recount shows little promise of overturning the result .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from inside his own party as Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have both called for him to resign when an election cycle that featured Georgia as the normally deep-red state became a pivotal part of the 2020 race .
“ I ’ m a Republican , I ’ m a conservative one , and I don ’ t like the idea that President Trump is not going to win , ” Raffensperger said .
“ But at the end of the day , I want every voter to know we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and make sure every legal vote is counted.
” Loeffler and Perdue are gearing up for a highly anticipated January runoff election after neither secured a victory on Election Day .

The top-ranking election official in Georgia accused Republican leaders of fanning the flames of division as a recount of the 2020 election draws close with President-elect Joe Biden still in the lead.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said people are "angry" about the results of the 2020 election, and he blamed Republicans in his state, such as Rep. Doug Collins, for promoting the idea that the election was stolen from President Trump.
“There’s just people who are really angry, and they’re being spun up,” Raffensperger told the Hill. “It’s really the spinners that should be ashamed for playing with people’s emotions. Politicians of both sides should never play with people’s emotions. It’s one thing to motivate people, I get that. But to spin people up and play with their emotions, it’s emotional abuse, and they ought to grow up and start acting with integrity.”
Biden is leading in Georgia by more than 14,000 votes, and a recount shows little promise of overturning the result.
Raffensperger, a Republican, has faced criticism from inside his own party as Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have both called for him to resign when an election cycle that featured Georgia as the normally deep-red state became a pivotal part of the 2020 race.
“I’m a Republican, I’m a conservative one, and I don’t like the idea that President Trump is not going to win,” Raffensperger said. “But at the end of the day, I want every voter to know we’re going to do our job and make sure every legal vote is counted.”
Loeffler and Perdue are gearing up for a highly anticipated January runoff election after neither secured a victory on Election Day.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--Georgia GOP Sens. Perdue and Loeffler tied with Democratic challengers: Poll

Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are embroiled in razor-thin contests with their Democratic challengers in a pair of runoff campaigns in Georgia that will determine the fate of the Senate majority , according to a new poll .
Perdue , running for a second term , is tied with Democrat Jon Ossoff at 49 % , with 2 % undecided .
Loeffler , appointed to the Senate in January by Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp , trails Democrat Raphael Warnock 49 % to 48 % , well within the polls ' 3.5 percentage-point margin of error and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nov. 3 election with 50 Senate seats .
But if the Democrats win both Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5 , they will capture the majority by virtue of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ s tie-breaking vote .
Both campaigns are expected to be competitive .
Georgia emerged as a battleground this year , with President-elect Joe Biden becoming the first Democrat to win the state ’ s Electoral College votes since 1992 .
“ The challenge for the two Republicans will be how to hold on to the over 10 % level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters while at the same time trying to convert suburban Atlanta white voters who have drifted away from the GOP , ” Insider Advantage Chairman Matt Towery told Fox Five Atlanta .
The poll of 800 registered voters , in which the same voters were asked about each race , was conducted on Monday for Fox Five Atlanta by Insider Advantage .
Although public and private opinion polls had a spotty record in the general election , the surveys of Georgia voters , showing a toss-up race between Biden and President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track to win Georgia by approximately 12,000 votes after a statewide hand recount concludes .
But Trump is refusing to accept the results , claiming massive voter fraud and other malfeasance with mail-in ballots .
The president has lashed Kemp for not taking action on his behalf .
“ Wow !
Governor Kemp will hopefully see the light before it is too late , ” he tweeted .
In the Insider Advantage poll , just 37 % give the governor positive marks , with 44 % disapproving and 19 % saying they were @ @

Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are embroiled in razor-thin contests with their Democratic challengers in a pair of runoff campaigns in Georgia that will determine the fate of the Senate majority, according to a new poll.
Perdue, running for a second term, is tied with Democrat Jon Ossoff at 49%, with 2% undecided. Loeffler, appointed to the Senate in January by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, trails Democrat Raphael Warnock 49% to 48%, well within the polls' 3.5 percentage-point margin of error and with 3% undecided.
Republicans finished the Nov. 3 election with 50 Senate seats. But if the Democrats win both Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5, they will capture the majority by virtue of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. Both campaigns are expected to be competitive. Georgia emerged as a battleground this year, with President-elect Joe Biden becoming the first Democrat to win the state’s Electoral College votes since 1992.
“The challenge for the two Republicans will be how to hold on to the over 10% level of support they have from African American voters while at the same time trying to convert suburban Atlanta white voters who have drifted away from the GOP,” Insider Advantage Chairman Matt Towery told Fox Five Atlanta.
The poll of 800 registered voters, in which the same voters were asked about each race, was conducted on Monday for Fox Five Atlanta by Insider Advantage. Although public and private opinion polls had a spotty record in the general election, the surveys of Georgia voters, showing a toss-up race between Biden and President Trump, were fairly accurate.
Biden is on track to win Georgia by approximately 12,000 votes after a statewide hand recount concludes. But Trump is refusing to accept the results, claiming massive voter fraud and other malfeasance with mail-in ballots. The president has lashed Kemp for not taking action on his behalf. “Wow! Governor Kemp will hopefully see the light before it is too late,” he tweeted.
In the Insider Advantage poll, just 37% give the governor positive marks, with 44% disapproving and 19% saying they were unsure.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--Michigan mother describes ‘heartbreaking’ attacks after questioning irregularities in Detroit-area p

Michigan mother describes ‘heartbreaking’ attacks after questioning irregularities in Detroit-area presidential vote

A Michigan mother who was one of two Republicans on a panel appointed to certify the Detroit-area election results said she faced “ heartbreaking ” attacks , including being called a racist , when she raised objections over potential irregularities .
She and the other Republican member of the board changed their votes against certifying election results Tuesday with little explanation after enduring nearly three hours of insults and intimidation , including mentions of their children .
In a statement late Wednesday , Wayne County canvassing board chairwoman Monica Palmer called it `` heartbreaking '' to sit and listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went off the hinges trying to suggest we wanted to suppress the black vote , and that was not the case .
Our concern was in Detroit , Livonia , and other communities that had unexplained imbalances , '' Palmer said .
`` There was not mob rule , but there was a lot of pressure to certify .
It was not easy to sit there and listen to all of the threats on the Zoom call and on social media . ''
Palmer said that she decided to certify the result because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her `` the promise that an audit that was supposedly going to occur . ''
Democrat Abraham Aiyash , who is representative-elect for Michigan ’ s State House District 4 after running unopposed , took aim at Palmer and brought up the school her children likely attend .
“ You , Miss Monica Palmer from Grosse Pointe Woods , which has a history of racism , are deciding to enable and continue to perpetuate the racist history of this country .
And I want you to think about what that means for your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pointe North , ” Aiyash said , a reference to a public high school in Palmer ’ s neighborhood .
Aiyash , on Wednesday morning , claimed that he did not mean to expose private information about Palmer ’ s family maliciously .
“ Yesterday , after a failed attempt to disenfranchise Detroit voters , folks spread a fake story that I threatened and ‘ doxxed ’ Monica Palmer , ” Aiyash said in a twee .
“ Y ’ all , I didn ’ t even know what doxxing was . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palmer and William Hartmann , initially voted against certifying the results of the election due to discrepancies in many precinct results .
The would have meant that election results from the state ’ s most populous county , which includes the city of Detroit , would have been sent to a state elections board .
Mere minutes after the initial vote to deadlock , Michigan GOP Chairwoman Laura Cox sent out a press release that hailed the decision and said that it `` would allow more time for us to get to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fraud .
But the vote set off a furious , and ultimately successful , effort to get the GOP members to back down .
Aiyash was not the only critic to bring up the Republican board members ' families during the public comment period .
`` Your children will be disgusted , and I am sad that you have influence over them , ” said Pastor Edward Pruitt .
`` Monica , your daughter is gon na look at you in disgust because she 's going to know , ” said Trische @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to affect her because people will ask her , 'Is your mother a racist ? '
'' `` I 'm sorry for your descendants , who will be so ashamed of you , '' said poll worker Liza Bielby .
Palmer drew controversy when she said she would be open to certifying some of the results from the county ’ s jurisdictions but not Detroit and other mismatched areas .
Some claimed it was an attempt at disenfranchisement , as Detroit is more than 78 % black .
“ You 're up there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all those people .
And your QAnon crap , that 's all gon na come out , ” said Kim Hunter .
“ Get ready for the racism that you unleash.
” “ I hope that your name lives in infamy of being — disenfranchising voters , and racist , and continuing Jim Crow laws , and the attitude of Jim Crow into 2020 , ” said Detroit Charter Revision Commissioner Denzel McCampbell .
One speaker , Ashley Daniels , accused Hartmann of being racist by not calling on people with “ ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re not that hard , ” she said .
“ You ’ re racist , and you do not like women , ” she added .
At the end of the public comment period , a Zoom live video that allowed the public to watch and participate in the meeting was mistakenly muted and cut off from showing the board for six minutes , 57 seconds .
When the board returned , the members explained that they had unanimously , although they demanded that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of the results in the out-of-balance precincts .
`` Did we have it muted for the whole thing ? ''
Palmer asked when the stream returned .
“ Oh , no , ” Palmer said , collapsing her head into her hands .
They offered no explanation for their changed position at the time .
Attempts by the Washington Examiner to reach Hartmann Wednesday were unsuccessful .
Palmer previously for her involvement with a nonprofit activist political group called Taxpayers for Grosse Point Schools , which supported candidates in the community 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated by the Wayne County Board of Ethics argues that her involvement with the board is `` incompatible with her public office . ''
Social media posts from Hartmann that portrayed former President Barack Obama as a pirate and falsely portrayed him as tied to Islamist terrorism also came under on Tuesday .
Wayne County has been the center of most of the lawsuits and allegations of election fraud that the Trump campaign and Republicans in the state have levied .
The Trump team ’ s federal lawsuit includes dozens of sworn affidavits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have witnessed electoral malfeasance , in particular at the TCF Center in Detroit , where absentee ballots were tabulated .
Some claim they endured harassment and “ intimidation ” from poll workers .

A Michigan mother who was one of two Republicans on a panel appointed to certify the Detroit-area election results said she faced “heartbreaking” attacks, including being called a racist, when she raised objections over potential irregularities.
She and the other Republican member of the board changed their votes against certifying election results Tuesday with little explanation after enduring nearly three hours of insults and intimidation, including mentions of their children.
In a statement late Wednesday, Wayne County canvassing board chairwoman Monica Palmer called it "heartbreaking" to sit and listen to people attack her.
"The Democrats went off the hinges trying to suggest we wanted to suppress the black vote, and that was not the case. Our concern was in Detroit, Livonia, and other communities that had unexplained imbalances," Palmer said. "There was not mob rule, but there was a lot of pressure to certify. It was not easy to sit there and listen to all of the threats on the Zoom call and on social media."
Palmer said that she decided to certify the result because a Democratic member of the board gave her "the promise that an audit that was supposedly going to occur."
Democrat Abraham Aiyash, who is representative-elect for Michigan’s State House District 4 after running unopposed, took aim at Palmer and brought up the school her children likely attend.
“You, Miss Monica Palmer from Grosse Pointe Woods, which has a history of racism, are deciding to enable and continue to perpetuate the racist history of this country. And I want you to think about what that means for your kids, who probably go to Grosse Pointe North,” Aiyash said, a reference to a public high school in Palmer’s neighborhood.
Aiyash, on Wednesday morning, claimed that he did not mean to expose private information about Palmer’s family maliciously.
“Yesterday, after a failed attempt to disenfranchise Detroit voters, folks spread a fake story that I threatened and ‘doxxed’ Monica Palmer,” Aiyash said in a twee t . “Y’all, I didn’t even know what doxxing was."
The four-person panel's two Republicans, Palmer and William Hartmann, initially voted against certifying the results of the election due to discrepancies in many precinct results. The 2-2 board deadlock would have meant that election results from the state’s most populous county, which includes the city of Detroit, would have been sent to a state elections board.
Mere minutes after the initial vote to deadlock, Michigan GOP Chairwoman Laura Cox sent out a press release that hailed the decision and said that it "would allow more time for us to get to the bottom of" allegations of election irregularities and fraud.
But the vote set off a furious, and ultimately successful, effort to get the GOP members to back down. Aiyash was not the only critic to bring up the Republican board members' families during the public comment period.
"Your children will be disgusted, and I am sad that you have influence over them,” said Pastor Edward Pruitt.
"Monica, your daughter is gonna look at you in disgust because she's going to know,” said Trische Duckworth. “And this is going to affect her because people will ask her, 'Is your mother a racist?'"
"I'm sorry for your descendants, who will be so ashamed of you," said poll worker Liza Bielby.
Palmer drew controversy when she said she would be open to certifying some of the results from the county’s jurisdictions but not Detroit and other mismatched areas. Some claimed it was an attempt at disenfranchisement, as Detroit is more than 78% black.
“You're up there with George Wallace and Bull Connor and all those people. And your QAnon crap, that's all gonna come out,” said Kim Hunter. “Get ready for the racism that you unleash.”
“I hope that your name lives in infamy of being — disenfranchising voters, and racist, and continuing Jim Crow laws, and the attitude of Jim Crow into 2020,” said Detroit Charter Revision Commissioner Denzel McCampbell.
One speaker, Ashley Daniels, accused Hartmann of being racist by not calling on people with “ethnic names” to provide comments. “They’re not that hard,” she said. “You’re racist, and you do not like women,” she added.
At the end of the public comment period, a Zoom live video that allowed the public to watch and participate in the meeting was mistakenly muted and cut off from showing the board for six minutes, 57 seconds. When the board returned, the members explained that they had unanimously voted to certify the election , although they demanded that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office conduct a “comprehensive audit” of the results in the out-of-balance precincts.
"Did we have it muted for the whole thing?" Palmer asked when the stream returned.
“I think it was,” Hartmann responded.
“Oh, no,” Palmer said, collapsing her head into her hands.
They offered no explanation for their changed position at the time.
Attempts by the Washington Examiner to reach Hartmann Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Palmer previously came under fire for her involvement with a nonprofit activist political group called Taxpayers for Grosse Point Schools, which supported candidates in the community's school board election. A complaint being investigated by the Wayne County Board of Ethics argues that her involvement with the board is "incompatible with her public office."
Social media posts from Hartmann that portrayed former President Barack Obama as a pirate and falsely portrayed him as tied to Islamist terrorism also came under scrutiny on Tuesday.
Wayne County has been the center of most of the lawsuits and allegations of election fraud that the Trump campaign and Republicans in the state have levied. The Trump team’s federal lawsuit includes dozens of sworn affidavits from GOP poll challengers who claim to have witnessed electoral malfeasance, in particular at the TCF Center in Detroit, where absentee ballots were tabulated. Some claim they endured harassment and “intimidation” from poll workers.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--Fired cybersecurity chief: DHS never claimed there was no fraud in 2020 election

The fired head of the U.S. government 's cybersecurity agency emphasized on Wednesday that he had never claimed there was zero fraud in the 2020 election .
Chris Krebs , the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , sounded off on his personal Twitter account to debunk what he saw as unfounded claims of election shenanigans one day after President Trump announced his firing while complaining about a statement that called this year 's contest the most secure ever .
“ Rumor Control : I never claimed there wasn ’ t fraud in the election , [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s job — it ’ s a law enforcement matter .
We did provide info on measures election officials use to prevent and detect dead voters , tho .
Don ’ t buy it .
And think 2x before sharing , '' he tweeted .
Last week , CISA and other election groups said that “ there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any way compromised ” as Trump pushed claims that the election was rigged in favor of President-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council Executive Committee ( which includes CISA ’ s Assistant Director Bob Kolasky , as well as leaders from the independent U.S. Election Assistance Commission , and others ) pushed back against allegations that U.S. voting machines had somehow been tampered with to steer votes from Biden to Trump .
“ The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history .
Right now , across the country , election officials are reviewing and double checking the entire election process prior to finalizing the result , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have close elections , many will recount ballots .
All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote , allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary ...
This process allows for the identification and correction of any mistakes or errors .
… Other security measures like pre-election testing , state certification of voting equipment , and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission ’ s certification of voting equipment help to build additional confidence in the voting systems used in 2020.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet by Trump that quoted One America News Network , claiming in all caps , “ REPORT : DOMINION DELETED 2.7 MILLION TRUMP VOTES NATIONWIDE .
DATA ANALYSIS FINDS 221,000 PENNSYLVANIA VOTES SWITCHED FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BIDEN .
941,000 TRUMP VOTES DELETED .
STATES USING DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS SWITCHED 435,000 VOTES FROM TRUMP TO BIDEN.
” Dominion Voting Systems pushed back , saying it “ categorically denies any claims about any vote switching or alleged software issues with our voting systems.
” CISA and the other election security groups stressed that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections , we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections.
” Krebs later tweeted out the joint statement , saying , “ TLDR : America , we have confidence in the security of your vote , you should , too.
” “ The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate , in that there were massive improprieties and fraud — including dead people voting , Poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ glitches ’ in the voting machines which changed votes from Trump to Biden , late voting , and many more .
Therefore , effective immediately , Chris Krebs has been terminated , ” Trump said , adding , “ The only thing secure about our 2020 Election was that it was virtually impenetrable by foreign powers.
” Krebs responded to his firing by tweeting , “ Honored to serve .
We did it right .
Defend Today , Secure Tomrorow [ sic ] .
# Protect2020.
” Krebs was defended by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , though some Trump officials have defended the firing .
Krebs ’ s assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA , Brian Ware , resigned on Thursday , and Krebs 's deputy , Matt Travis , also said he was forced out this week .
Brandon Wales , a career official , is next in line to be acting director .
A DHS official told the Washington Examiner that “ CISA was successful in preventing election interference via a cyberattack on election infrastructure during the president election , ” but “ election fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond the scope of CISA authorities.
” The official added , “ CISA does not have firsthand information on allegations of voting fraud or investigate such claims , responsibility for which lies with state and local authorities and the Department of Justice .
Each state is responsible for the execution of its own elections , not CISA and not the federal government .
Allegations of voter fraud are being adjudicated through the court system.
” Krebs released another statement one day after the election , saying that `` we have no evidence any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from voting or changing vote tallies.
” Krebs also repeatedly used his Twitter account to attempt to debunk what he saw as unfounded election-related claims and directed his followers to CISA ’ s “ Rumor Control ” website .
In the two weeks since Election Day , the Trump campaign has sued several states for alleged irregularities the president has described as a Democratic effort to “ steal ” the election .
The campaign and the White House have not proved these claims .
Biden has a projected 306-to-232 lead over Trump in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump by 11,000 votes in Arizona , 33,000 votes in Nevada , 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania , and 140,000 votes in Michigan .
In Wisconsin , where Biden leads by 20,000 votes , the Trump campaign is seeking a partial recount in heavily-Democratic areas such as Milwaukee and Madison .
In Georgia , where a hand recount is underway , Biden leads Trump by 13,000 votes , although thousands of votes were unearthed during the recount process , the majority of which were for Trump , helping the president close the gap a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to stop the certification of the election results in a number of states Biden has been projected to win .
So far , the courts have rejected the vast majority of the Trump campaign ’ s legal efforts .

The fired head of the U.S. government's cybersecurity agency emphasized on Wednesday that he had never claimed there was zero fraud in the 2020 election.
Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, sounded off on his personal Twitter account to debunk what he saw as unfounded claims of election shenanigans one day after President Trump announced his firing while complaining about a statement that called this year's contest the most secure ever.
“Rumor Control: I never claimed there wasn’t fraud in the election, [because] that’s not CISA’s job — it’s a law enforcement matter. We did provide info on measures election officials use to prevent and detect dead voters, tho. Don’t buy it. And think 2x before sharing," he tweeted.
Last week, CISA and other election groups said that “there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised” as Trump pushed claims that the election was rigged in favor of President-elect Joe Biden.
The members of the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council Executive Committee (which includes CISA’s Assistant Director Bob Kolasky, as well as leaders from the independent U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and others) pushed back against allegations that U.S. voting machines had somehow been tampered with to steer votes from Biden to Trump.
“The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. Right now, across the country, election officials are reviewing and double checking the entire election process prior to finalizing the result,” the joint statement said. “When states have close elections, many will recount ballots. All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote, allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary ... This process allows for the identification and correction of any mistakes or errors. … Other security measures like pre-election testing, state certification of voting equipment, and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s certification of voting equipment help to build additional confidence in the voting systems used in 2020.”
The joint statement followed a viral tweet by Trump that quoted One America News Network, claiming in all caps, “REPORT: DOMINION DELETED 2.7 MILLION TRUMP VOTES NATIONWIDE. DATA ANALYSIS FINDS 221,000 PENNSYLVANIA VOTES SWITCHED FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BIDEN. 941,000 TRUMP VOTES DELETED. STATES USING DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS SWITCHED 435,000 VOTES FROM TRUMP TO BIDEN.”
Dominion Voting Systems pushed back, saying it “categorically denies any claims about any vote switching or alleged software issues with our voting systems.”
CISA and the other election security groups stressed that “while we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections.”
Krebs later tweeted out the joint statement, saying, “TLDR: America, we have confidence in the security of your vote, you should, too.”
Trump responded by firing Krebs on Tuesday.
“The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud — including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, ‘glitches’ in the voting machines which changed votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more. Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated,” Trump said, adding, “The only thing secure about our 2020 Election was that it was virtually impenetrable by foreign powers.”
Krebs responded to his firing by tweeting, “Honored to serve. We did it right. Defend Today, Secure Tomrorow [sic]. #Protect2020.” Krebs was defended by a number of Republicans and a slew of Democrats, though some Trump officials have defended the firing. Krebs’s assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, Brian Ware, resigned on Thursday, and Krebs's deputy, Matt Travis, also said he was forced out this week. Brandon Wales, a career official, is next in line to be acting director.
A DHS official told the Washington Examiner that “CISA was successful in preventing election interference via a cyberattack on election infrastructure during the president election,” but “election fraud is different than election interference and is beyond the scope of CISA authorities.” The official added, “CISA does not have firsthand information on allegations of voting fraud or investigate such claims, responsibility for which lies with state and local authorities and the Department of Justice. Each state is responsible for the execution of its own elections, not CISA and not the federal government. Allegations of voter fraud are being adjudicated through the court system.”
Krebs released another statement one day after the election, saying that "we have no evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies.” Krebs also repeatedly used his Twitter account to attempt to debunk what he saw as unfounded election-related claims and directed his followers to CISA’s “Rumor Control” website.
In the two weeks since Election Day, the Trump campaign has sued several states for alleged irregularities the president has described as a Democratic effort to “steal” the election. The campaign and the White House have not proved these claims.
Biden has a projected 306-to-232 lead over Trump in the Electoral College, and Biden leads Trump by 11,000 votes in Arizona, 33,000 votes in Nevada, 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania, and 140,000 votes in Michigan. In Wisconsin, where Biden leads by 20,000 votes, the Trump campaign is seeking a partial recount in heavily-Democratic areas such as Milwaukee and Madison. In Georgia, where a hand recount is underway, Biden leads Trump by 13,000 votes, although thousands of votes were unearthed during the recount process, the majority of which were for Trump, helping the president close the gap a bit.
The Trump legal team is attempting to stop the certification of the election results in a number of states Biden has been projected to win. So far, the courts have rejected the vast majority of the Trump campaign’s legal efforts.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--House Democrats haven't abandoned hopes they can hold majority in 2022

Republicans have their eyes on the House majority in 2022 , but Democrats hope they can defy recent history and maintain control .
Democrats are in the midst of figuring out why they may have lost as many as 13 House seats after ballot counting is complete in all races .
Speculation over Democrats ’ failure to protect newly flipped blue districts and target competitive red districts ranges from wrong messaging to the failure to do enough for vulnerable freshman Democrats competing in districts President Trump won in 2016 .
House Democrats pointed fingers at each other immediately following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the striking losses , with Rep. Abigail Spanberger claiming more leftist Democratic lawmakers who touted “ socialism ” and “ defunding of the police ” made reelection efforts difficult for her and other members .
The Virginia Democrat , among others , warned that such messaging would only hurt more Democrats in future elections .
Rep. Brad Sherman told the Washington Examiner , however , that the midterm elections need to be played out differently than a presidential election year .
“ We do have to study the results of 2020 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's literally like , you did n't score as many touchdowns in 2020 , so how are you going to score more runs in 2022 ?
We 're playing baseball next time .
This was the highest turnout in history , going back into the 1800s .
The next race , we may have only half as many voters , ” the California Democrat said .
He continued , “ So the argument always is n't our party .
If you want to drive up turnout , go to the Left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle , and you ’ ve got to win over the middle , well , those are two different things .
So while it 's important to look at 2020 , we have to get gearing up for 2022 .
It is a completely different game.
” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a New York Democrat who led the 2018 first-term Democratic class of progressive lawmakers , defended the “ defund the police ” position and the progressive caucus members who stood behind it .
She told the Washington Examiner that she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the issue of prescription drug pricing in the 2022 cycle .
“ I think even some of my colleagues on the more moderate ends of the caucus , particularly those who do n't accept corporate PAC money , would agree .
And so I think that there 's kind of a push from all ends of the caucus , ” she said .
“ I think the difference is actually more generational than ideological in terms of going stronger and harder in lowering prescription drug prices , and I 'm on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be good news for Rep. Elissa Slotkin , who was considered a vulnerable freshman member and won reelection but hopes the Democratic Party sticks to legislation that can pass both the House and the Senate .
`` If we try to just kind of throw spaghetti against the wall , everybody has their pet bill , but we lose that strategic plan , then we 're going to have nothing concrete to show our constituents , and that 'll be a problem in general and specifically for 2022 , '' the Michigan Democrat @ @ @ @ @

Republicans have their eyes on the House majority in 2022, but Democrats hope they can defy recent history and maintain control.
Democrats are in the midst of figuring out why they may have lost as many as 13 House seats after ballot counting is complete in all races.
Speculation over Democrats’ failure to protect newly flipped blue districts and target competitive red districts ranges from wrong messaging to the failure to do enough for vulnerable freshman Democrats competing in districts President Trump won in 2016.
House Democrats pointed fingers at each other immediately following the election over who was to blame for the striking losses, with Rep. Abigail Spanberger claiming more leftist Democratic lawmakers who touted “socialism” and “defunding of the police” made reelection efforts difficult for her and other members.
The Virginia Democrat, among others, warned that such messaging would only hurt more Democrats in future elections.
Rep. Brad Sherman told the Washington Examiner, however, that the midterm elections need to be played out differently than a presidential election year.
“We do have to study the results of 2020, but '22 is like a whole different ballgame. It's literally like, you didn't score as many touchdowns in 2020, so how are you going to score more runs in 2022? We're playing baseball next time. This was the highest turnout in history, going back into the 1800s. The next race, we may have only half as many voters,” the California Democrat said.
He continued, “So the argument always isn't our party. If you want to drive up turnout, go to the Left. If you want to win over the middle, and you’ve got to win over the middle, well, those are two different things. So while it's important to look at 2020, we have to get gearing up for 2022. It is a completely different game.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat who led the 2018 first-term Democratic class of progressive lawmakers, defended the “defund the police” position and the progressive caucus members who stood behind it. She told the Washington Examiner that she would like to see her party go bolder on the issue of prescription drug pricing in the 2022 cycle.
“I think even some of my colleagues on the more moderate ends of the caucus, particularly those who don't accept corporate PAC money, would agree. And so I think that there's kind of a push from all ends of the caucus,” she said. “I think the difference is actually more generational than ideological in terms of going stronger and harder in lowering prescription drug prices, and I'm on a broader and deeper level.”
This may be good news for Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who was considered a vulnerable freshman member and won reelection but hopes the Democratic Party sticks to legislation that can pass both the House and the Senate.
"If we try to just kind of throw spaghetti against the wall, everybody has their pet bill, but we lose that strategic plan, then we're going to have nothing concrete to show our constituents, and that'll be a problem in general and specifically for 2022," the Michigan Democrat told the Washington Examiner.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--Trump campaign files for limited Wisconsin recount in Madison and Milwaukee

President Trump 's reelection campaign has filed for a recount to begin in two Wisconsin counties , pointing to a broad spectrum of alleged voting irregularities .
As reported by the Washington Examiner , the recount of the presidential vote will focus on Milwaukee and Dane counties .
Both counties lean heavily Democratic .
Sources say these could begin as early as Thursday .
`` President Donald J. Trump ’ s re-election campaign will file a petition today for a recount in two Wisconsin counties – Milwaukee and Dane – citing illegally altered absentee ballots , illegally issued absentee ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials allowing Wisconsin ’ s Voter ID laws to be circumvented , '' a campaign statement issued on Wednesday read .
`` These two counties were selected because they are the locations of the worst irregularities . ''
The campaign has transferred $ 3 million to the Wisconsin Elections Commission to cover the estimated cost of the recounts , the campaign said .
The Wisconsin Elections Commission projected the statewide recount would cost the campaign $ 7.9 million , but Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller denied that the limited scope was related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting where we have the most reported cases to be investigated , '' he said .
“ The people of Wisconsin deserve to know whether their election processes worked in a legal and transparent way , '' Wisconsin Judge Jim Troupis , who is representing the campaign , said in a statement .
Sources told the Washington Examiner that Troupis would likely be the point person for the recount effort in the state .
`` Regrettably , the integrity of the election results can not be trusted without a recount in these two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot requirements , '' he added .
The Trump campaign and Republicans in Wisconsin have raised questions about several issues related to the Nov. 3 election as potential points in which a recount could have an impact .
One of those is the concept of “ indefinitely confined voters.
” Indefinitely confined voters are defined by state law as voters who are confined to their residence because of age , physical illness , or disability for an indefinite period .
The state allows residents to self-certify as such , and doing so allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirement to show a photo ID in order to request an absentee ballot .
In Dane and Milwaukee counties , Democratic strongholds and Wisconsin ’ s two largest counties , clerks told voters in March that the state ’ s coronavirus restrictions qualified as a legitimate reason to list themselves as indefinitely confined , although after outcry from the GOP , the state ’ s Supreme Court said that the clerk 's “ advice was legally incorrect.
” A GOP official recently told the Washington Examiner that the party is concerned about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indefinitely confined .
Last year , the number of such voters was about 72,000 , but this year , it exploded to 243,000 .
Another matter that Trump ’ s team and the GOP have targeted is how absentee ballot envelopes were edited by clerks across the state .
The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance that said clerks were allowed to correct missing addresses for absentee ballot witnesses if they can find the information .
Wisconsin law states that incomplete absentee ballots can ’ t be counted , although it provides no direction @ @ @ @ @

President Trump's reelection campaign has filed for a recount to begin in two Wisconsin counties, pointing to a broad spectrum of alleged voting irregularities.
As reported by the Washington Examiner, the recount of the presidential vote will focus on Milwaukee and Dane counties. Both counties lean heavily Democratic. Sources say these could begin as early as Thursday.
"President Donald J. Trump’s re-election campaign will file a petition today for a recount in two Wisconsin counties – Milwaukee and Dane – citing illegally altered absentee ballots, illegally issued absentee ballots, and illegal advice given by government officials allowing Wisconsin’s Voter ID laws to be circumvented," a campaign statement issued on Wednesday read. "These two counties were selected because they are the locations of the worst irregularities."
The campaign has transferred $3 million to the Wisconsin Elections Commission to cover the estimated cost of the recounts, the campaign said. The Wisconsin Elections Commission projected the statewide recount would cost the campaign $7.9 million, but Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller denied that the limited scope was related to finances.
"We’re starting where we have the most reported cases to be investigated," he said.
“The people of Wisconsin deserve to know whether their election processes worked in a legal and transparent way," Wisconsin Judge Jim Troupis, who is representing the campaign, said in a statement. Sources told the Washington Examiner that Troupis would likely be the point person for the recount effort in the state.
"Regrettably, the integrity of the election results cannot be trusted without a recount in these two counties and uniform enforcement of Wisconsin absentee ballot requirements," he added.
The Trump campaign and Republicans in Wisconsin have raised questions about several issues related to the Nov. 3 election as potential points in which a recount could have an impact. One of those is the concept of “indefinitely confined voters.”
Indefinitely confined voters are defined by state law as voters who are confined to their residence because of age, physical illness, or disability for an indefinite period. The state allows residents to self-certify as such, and doing so allows them to circumvent the state’s requirement to show a photo ID in order to request an absentee ballot.
In Dane and Milwaukee counties, Democratic strongholds and Wisconsin’s two largest counties, clerks told voters in March that the state’s coronavirus restrictions qualified as a legitimate reason to list themselves as indefinitely confined, although after outcry from the GOP, the state’s Supreme Court said that the clerk's “advice was legally incorrect.”
A GOP official recently told the Washington Examiner that the party is concerned about the massive spike in people listing themselves as indefinitely confined. Last year, the number of such voters was about 72,000, but this year, it exploded to 243,000.
Another matter that Trump’s team and the GOP have targeted is how absentee ballot envelopes were edited by clerks across the state. The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance that said clerks were allowed to correct missing addresses for absentee ballot witnesses if they can find the information. Wisconsin law states that incomplete absentee ballots can’t be counted, although it provides no direction about “curing.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-18--McEnany: Fired cybersecurity chief tried to sabotage election legal challenges

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the top U.S. cybersecurity official , who was abruptly fired by President Trump after defending the integrity of the 2020 election , appeared motivated to discredit the president 's legal challenges in battleground states .
Asserting that there is a great deal of evidence of possible misconduct , including hundreds of pages of affidavits in Michigan and `` real questions '' in Pennsylvania , the chief Trump spokeswoman argued that Chris Krebs , who served as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , was misleading the public .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an inaccurate statement .
He actually made a few , if you look at his Twitter feed .
But , look , if you say that this was the most secure election in American history , as the president rightly pointed out , that may be true from the standpoint of foreign interference , '' she said on Wednesday 's episode of Fox & Friends before pointing to ballots found in Georgia that had not been included in the initial count .
`` So , to come out and say it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that 's just not an accurate statement , and it seems like a partisan attempt to just hit back at the president as he pursues important litigation , '' McEnany continued .
Last week , the Homeland Security Department agency led by Krebs released a joint statement with some partners and advisers that said that `` there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any way compromised , ” which is contrary to what Trump and his allies claim .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor of President-elect Joe Biden , although they have not presented evidence of a widespread plot to overturn the election .
Trump cited the statement , which also stressed that `` the Nov. 3rd election was the most secure in American history , '' in his pair of tweets Tuesday night announcing the firing of Krebs .
The president said it was `` highly inaccurate . ''
Krebs 's second in command , Matt Travis , also reportedly resigned under pressure , leaving career CISA official Brandon Wales to be acting director .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Krebs was defended by people across the political spectrum .
“ Director Krebs is a deeply respected cybersecurity expert who worked diligently to safeguard our elections , support state and local election officials , and dispel dangerous misinformation .
Yet , instead of rewarding this patriotic service , the president has fired Director Krebs for speaking truth to power and rejecting Trump ’ s constant campaign of election falsehoods , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said .
“ The president ’ s insistence on distracting and dividing the country by denying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy . ''
Still , Trump 's supporters have been incensed with Krebs for stepping out of line with what the president and his allies have been arguing in court .
Fox Business host Lou Dobbs criticized CISA for failing to disclose in the election security statement that two voting machine companies that have been subject to scrutiny are advisers to the agency .
McEnany was asked if Krebs had a political agenda driving him , which prompted her to explore some possibilities .
`` I don ’ t know if it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what it was .
But it definitely seemed to be animated by something , and it seemed to go directly at this president and legitimate claims that he ’ s pursuing in court , '' she said .
Steve Doocy , one of the co-hosts of Fox & Friends , then suggested DHS may not have found proof of voter fraud or irregularities , '' Yeah , well , look down in Georgia , '' McEnany replied .
“ We have one recount going on right now .
Just one .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen . ''

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the top U.S. cybersecurity official, who was abruptly fired by President Trump after defending the integrity of the 2020 election, appeared motivated to discredit the president's legal challenges in battleground states.
Asserting that there is a great deal of evidence of possible misconduct, including hundreds of pages of affidavits in Michigan and "real questions" in Pennsylvania, the chief Trump spokeswoman argued that Chris Krebs, who served as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was misleading the public.
"The president has pointed out that he made an inaccurate statement. He actually made a few, if you look at his Twitter feed. But, look, if you say that this was the most secure election in American history, as the president rightly pointed out, that may be true from the standpoint of foreign interference," she said on Wednesday's episode of Fox & Friends before pointing to ballots found in Georgia that had not been included in the initial count.
"So, to come out and say it’s the most secure election in American history, that's just not an accurate statement, and it seems like a partisan attempt to just hit back at the president as he pursues important litigation," McEnany continued.
Last week, the Homeland Security Department agency led by Krebs released a joint statement with some partners and advisers that said that "there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,” which is contrary to what Trump and his allies claim. They claim that the election was rigged in favor of President-elect Joe Biden, although they have not presented evidence of a widespread plot to overturn the election.
Trump cited the statement, which also stressed that "the Nov. 3rd election was the most secure in American history," in his pair of tweets Tuesday night announcing the firing of Krebs. The president said it was "highly inaccurate." Krebs's second in command, Matt Travis, also reportedly resigned under pressure, leaving career CISA official Brandon Wales to be acting director.
The firing was met with intense backlash, and Krebs was defended by people across the political spectrum.
“Director Krebs is a deeply respected cybersecurity expert who worked diligently to safeguard our elections, support state and local election officials, and dispel dangerous misinformation. Yet, instead of rewarding this patriotic service, the president has fired Director Krebs for speaking truth to power and rejecting Trump’s constant campaign of election falsehoods," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “The president’s insistence on distracting and dividing the country by denying his defeat in the election undermines our democracy."
Still, Trump's supporters have been incensed with Krebs for stepping out of line with what the president and his allies have been arguing in court. Fox Business host Lou Dobbs criticized CISA for failing to disclose in the election security statement that two voting machine companies that have been subject to scrutiny are advisers to the agency.
McEnany was asked if Krebs had a political agenda driving him, which prompted her to explore some possibilities.
"I don’t know if it was a partisan agenda, a personal grievance, what it was. But it definitely seemed to be animated by something, and it seemed to go directly at this president and legitimate claims that he’s pursuing in court," she said.
Steve Doocy, one of the co-hosts of Fox & Friends, then suggested DHS may not have found proof of voter fraud or irregularities,
"Yeah, well, look down in Georgia," McEnany replied. “We have one recount going on right now. Just one. There are others that may or may not happen."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-19--'We're Democrats, we're morons': Liberals and centrists bicker as Biden maps out administration

Liberal Democrats warned they would wage a pressure campaign on Joe Biden if he won the White House , and they 're not waiting until Inauguration Day .
Though President Trump has declined to concede , liberals are busy needling Biden about appointing like-minded Democrats to his Cabinet and other administration posts .
And they 're putting the president-elect in a bind .
Biden appears to have won more than 270 electoral votes thanks , in part , to the support and activism of more liberal Democrats who `` settled '' for him over Trump .
But centrist Democrats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of his broad coalition .
And if both the Senate Democratic candidates running in Georgia 's runoffs are defeated in January , as history predicts , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will preside over Biden 's confirmation processes .
Republican strategist Alex Conant , who advised Marco Rubio 's 2016 presidential campaign on communications , said Biden 's apparent victory earned him political capital with Democrats .
`` But that does n't change the fact that there are real divisions within the Democratic Party .
Keeping his party unified will be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conant told the Washington Examiner .
And it 's not just Republicans who foresee problems .
Democratic strategist Stefan Hankin , a pollster for former President Barack Obama who shares Biden 's more centrist approach to politics , was adamant that lawmakers , such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania , `` need to kind of shut the hell up and start figuring out how to work together . ''
The Democrats got into a war of words over whether liberals hurt their colleagues with slogans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakening their bargaining power .
`` Because we 're Democrats , we 're morons .
What did we take ?
Like four days , two days , for us to start infighting , '' Hankin said .
`` I hate to even call it fighting because it 's all ridiculous .
The stupidity part is both sides are correct . ''
Despite Hankin 's frustrations — he compared the factions to bickering children — he was convinced Biden would assemble a team with diverse backgrounds and ideas .
Biden is a consummate dealmaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Though he resisted one liberal request .
`` I would say that the more progressive view of anyone that has had anything to do with a company or a consulting firm should n't be in the Cabinet ...
I think you have to get over it , '' he said .
SKDKnickerbocker managing director Jon Reinish downplayed the intraparty squabbling .
This happens to the winning party every cycle , whether it 's jostling for a person , a piece of legislation , or a certain perspective , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabinet , the administration , the White House staff , the agency staff that 's going to execute his vision , '' Reinish said of Biden .
Biden 's first appointments , however , have come from his inner , centrist circle .
Last week , Biden chose longtime confidant Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff , attracting praise from Democrats across the spectrum given Klain 's reputation for at least listening to liberals .
But Biden 's decision Tuesday to tap Steve Ricchetti to become a presidential counselor was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign chairman , who , like Klain , was one of Biden 's chiefs of staff when he was vice president , is an ex-lobbyist .
Richetti 's brother Jeff still boosts pharmaceutical companies .
Reinish did n't consider it an issue .
Instead , he cautioned Biden against making decisions to please `` somebody else , '' saying the president-elect had a mandate .
`` If they are going to have the drama-free , leak-free , disciplined , organized , effective administration that Biden and Obama had , you 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know the best , who you trust , and who are like family to you , '' he said .
When asked whether McConnell provided political cover for Biden to select centrists , Rosenberg dismissed speculation the Kentucky Republican posed any real threat .
There was n't precedent for McConnell to `` assert some degree of ideological control over who gets in , '' Rosenberg said .
`` It does n't mean that Mitch wo n't do it , '' he said .
`` I think the question of whether somebody can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of live , but it has to do with can we sell this person ? ''
Rosenberg advised Biden to `` stay committed '' to the different factions he had brought together .
`` What makes coalitions work is that people get the sense that they may not win all the time , but that they win sometimes , '' he said .
`` Every part of the family , including moderate Republicans , will probably get something out of this leadership team and the administration . ''
The Progressive Change Campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an affiliate , are two of the more vocal groups pushing Biden to appoint liberals .
Co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor have repeatedly reminded Biden that their energized membership proved crucial in helping him take back the White House and will be a pivotal constituency in the 2022 midterm elections .
The organizations , which aligned early with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the primary , handed Biden 's transition aides a list of 400 personnel recommendations , from Cabinet officials to under-secretaries , even a potential Patent and Trademark Office director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who has publicly advocated to become labor secretary , does n't appear on their list .
Vermont 's Republican Gov .
Phil Scott has indicated he would name an independent replacement to caucus with Senate Democrats if he needed to fill Sanders 's seat temporarily .
Republican Massachusetts Gov .
Charlie Baker has n't made the same promise for Warren , who 's reportedly interested in heading up the Treasury .

Liberal Democrats warned they would wage a pressure campaign on Joe Biden if he won the White House, and they're not waiting until Inauguration Day.
Though President Trump has declined to concede, liberals are busy needling Biden about appointing like-minded Democrats to his Cabinet and other administration posts. And they're putting the president-elect in a bind.
Biden appears to have won more than 270 electoral votes thanks, in part, to the support and activism of more liberal Democrats who "settled" for him over Trump. But centrist Democrats, independents, and disenchanted Republicans are also members of his broad coalition.
And if both the Senate Democratic candidates running in Georgia's runoffs are defeated in January, as history predicts, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will preside over Biden's confirmation processes.
Republican strategist Alex Conant, who advised Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign on communications, said Biden's apparent victory earned him political capital with Democrats.
"But that doesn't change the fact that there are real divisions within the Democratic Party. Keeping his party unified will be an ongoing challenge for his presidency," Conant told the Washington Examiner.
And it's not just Republicans who foresee problems.
Democratic strategist Stefan Hankin, a pollster for former President Barack Obama who shares Biden's more centrist approach to politics, was adamant that lawmakers, such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, "need to kind of shut the hell up and start figuring out how to work together." The Democrats got into a war of words over whether liberals hurt their colleagues with slogans, including "defund the police," weakening their bargaining power.
"Because we're Democrats, we're morons. What did we take? Like four days, two days, for us to start infighting," Hankin said. "I hate to even call it fighting because it's all ridiculous. The stupidity part is both sides are correct."
Despite Hankin's frustrations — he compared the factions to bickering children — he was convinced Biden would assemble a team with diverse backgrounds and ideas. Biden is a consummate dealmaker and really more of a pragmatist, he said. Though he resisted one liberal request.
"I would say that the more progressive view of anyone that has had anything to do with a company or a consulting firm shouldn't be in the Cabinet ... I think you have to get over it," he said.
SKDKnickerbocker managing director Jon Reinish downplayed the intraparty squabbling. This happens to the winning party every cycle, whether it's jostling for a person, a piece of legislation, or a certain perspective, he said.
"He will put together the Cabinet, the administration, the White House staff, the agency staff that's going to execute his vision," Reinish said of Biden.
Biden's first appointments, however, have come from his inner, centrist circle.
Last week, Biden chose longtime confidant Ron Klain as his White House chief of staff, attracting praise from Democrats across the spectrum given Klain's reputation for at least listening to liberals. But Biden's decision Tuesday to tap Steve Ricchetti to become a presidential counselor wasn't so warmly welcomed. Biden's campaign chairman, who, like Klain, was one of Biden's chiefs of staff when he was vice president, is an ex-lobbyist. Richetti's brother Jeff still boosts pharmaceutical companies.
Reinish didn't consider it an issue. Instead, he cautioned Biden against making decisions to please "somebody else," saying the president-elect had a mandate.
"If they are going to have the drama-free, leak-free, disciplined, organized, effective administration that Biden and Obama had, you're going to tend to pick from the people who you know the best, who you trust, and who are like family to you," he said.
NDN's Simon Rosenberg held another opinion.
When asked whether McConnell provided political cover for Biden to select centrists, Rosenberg dismissed speculation the Kentucky Republican posed any real threat. There wasn't precedent for McConnell to "assert some degree of ideological control over who gets in," Rosenberg said.
"It doesn't mean that Mitch won't do it," he said. "I think the question of whether somebody can get through a confirmation process is always kind of live, but it has to do with can we sell this person?"
Rosenberg advised Biden to "stay committed" to the different factions he had brought together.
"What makes coalitions work is that people get the sense that they may not win all the time, but that they win sometimes," he said. "Every part of the family, including moderate Republicans, will probably get something out of this leadership team and the administration."
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and the Progressive Change Institute, an affiliate, are two of the more vocal groups pushing Biden to appoint liberals. Co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor have repeatedly reminded Biden that their energized membership proved crucial in helping him take back the White House and will be a pivotal constituency in the 2022 midterm elections.
The organizations, which aligned early with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the primary, handed Biden's transition aides a list of 400 personnel recommendations, from Cabinet officials to under-secretaries, even a potential Patent and Trademark Office director, on behalf of 40 partners.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has publicly advocated to become labor secretary, doesn't appear on their list. Vermont's Republican Gov. Phil Scott has indicated he would name an independent replacement to caucus with Senate Democrats if he needed to fill Sanders's seat temporarily. Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker hasn't made the same promise for Warren, who's reportedly interested in heading up the Treasury.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-19--Washington 'revolving door' may not turn for Trump alumni

They came to Washington to drain the swamp .
Now , if they want to wade into it anyway , things wo n't be so easy .
Officials serving in President Trump ’ s administration worry they will have a harder time taking advantage of the employment opportunities that are usually available to people who have worked in the White House .
Prominent liberals and some Never Trump conservatives have called on companies and academic institutions to bar mid- to low-level Trump subordinates after he leaves office .
“ Employers considering them should know there are consequences for hiring anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” tweeted former Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan in announcing a website called the “ Trump Accountability Project.
” Some have wanted to cast a wider net than that .
“ I ’ m not going to lie , ” said a former Trump 2016 campaign official .
“ It ’ s a little scary.
” Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich , a leading liberal commentator , tweeted that it was important to “ name every official , politician , executive , and media mogul whose greed and cowardice enabled this catastrophe.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth and reconciliation commission precisely because our normal institutions have failed , ” Elie Mystal in the Nation .
“ We need to understand how that failure happened , who is responsible , and who should face justice . ''
“ We still have to have a society with these Trump people , and that can ’ t happen until we understand what they ’ ve done and feel measures have been taken to protect us from them again , ” he added .
`` How do you not try to purge a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president of the United States says he did n't rape a journalist because she was n't 'my type ' ? ''
longtime Republican operative Stuart Stevens ABC News .
`` What do you do about people that really are quiet when the president of the United States is refusing , and the vice president , refusing to accept the results of an election ? ''
“ We have to collectively , in essence , burn down the Republican Party , ” opined Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin on MSNBC .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are survivors , if there are people who weather this storm , they will do it again.
” While these are extreme examples , it may complicate the “ revolving door ” that usually exists from government to lobbying and business for Trump appointees compared to past executive branch employees .
“ Working for the president of the United States is usually a lottery ticket for high-paying jobs in the lobbying industry and corporate America , ” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon .
“ But these firms place a premium on hiring people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with people of all political persuasions .
Former staffers of an administration , which was noted for its inability to get along with anybody , will have trouble finding jobs in the traditional landing places for veterans of presidential administrations .
Especially when looking for jobs is viewed as a sign of disloyalty by a president who wo n't admit he lost.
” The Trump people will also be seeking employment during a pandemic .
“ It 's always hard during a transition , but especially when a different party seizes control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It was really difficult for Clinton staff and really , really difficult for Bush staff to find jobs after they left office . ''
Obama alumni had it easier .
`` For the Obama team , many went into the nonprofit world or into the media , '' Feehery said .
`` And because corporate America has steadily become more woke , it was n't as hard for them to find jobs.
” This will be a particular problem for people who worked for Trump , the most un-woke president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they will encounter a hostile corporate culture that has largely been opposed to the populist goals of a more nationalist president , ” Feehery said .
“ Trump 's reluctance to accept the media 's verdict that the election is over has n't really helped either .
So these folks are going to have to hustle .
They are going to have to create their own path forward .
They probably should n't wait around for those plumb corporate jobs because I do n't think they will be readily available .
”

They came to Washington to drain the swamp. Now, if they want to wade into it anyway, things won't be so easy.
Officials serving in President Trump’s administration worry they will have a harder time taking advantage of the employment opportunities that are usually available to people who have worked in the White House.
Prominent liberals and some Never Trump conservatives have called on companies and academic institutions to bar mid- to low-level Trump subordinates after he leaves office.
“Employers considering them should know there are consequences for hiring anyone who helped Trump attack American values,” tweeted former Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan in announcing a website called the “Trump Accountability Project.”
Some have wanted to cast a wider net than that. “I’m not going to lie,” said a former Trump 2016 campaign official. “It’s a little scary.”
Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, a leading liberal commentator, tweeted that it was important to “name every official, politician, executive, and media mogul whose greed and cowardice enabled this catastrophe.”
“We need a form of truth and reconciliation commission precisely because our normal institutions have failed,” wrote Elie Mystal in the Nation. “We need to understand how that failure happened, who is responsible, and who should face justice."
“We still have to have a society with these Trump people, and that can’t happen until we understand what they’ve done and feel measures have been taken to protect us from them again,” he added.
"How do you not try to purge a party of people who say nothing when the president of the United States says he didn't rape a journalist because she wasn't 'my type'?" longtime Republican operative Stuart Stevens told ABC News. "What do you do about people that really are quiet when the president of the United States is refusing, and the vice president, refusing to accept the results of an election?"
“We have to collectively, in essence, burn down the Republican Party,” opined Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin on MSNBC. “We have to level them because if there are survivors, if there are people who weather this storm, they will do it again.”
While these are extreme examples, it may complicate the “revolving door” that usually exists from government to lobbying and business for Trump appointees compared to past executive branch employees.
“Working for the president of the United States is usually a lottery ticket for high-paying jobs in the lobbying industry and corporate America,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. “But these firms place a premium on hiring people who can work closely with and get along with people of all political persuasions. Former staffers of an administration, which was noted for its inability to get along with anybody, will have trouble finding jobs in the traditional landing places for veterans of presidential administrations. Especially when looking for jobs is viewed as a sign of disloyalty by a president who won't admit he lost.”
The Trump people will also be seeking employment during a pandemic.
“It's always hard during a transition, but especially when a different party seizes control,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “It was really difficult for Clinton staff and really, really difficult for Bush staff to find jobs after they left office."
Obama alumni had it easier. "For the Obama team, many went into the nonprofit world or into the media," Feehery said. "And because corporate America has steadily become more woke, it wasn't as hard for them to find jobs.”
This will be a particular problem for people who worked for Trump, the most un-woke president of all.
“For the Trump folks, they will encounter a hostile corporate culture that has largely been opposed to the populist goals of a more nationalist president,” Feehery said. “Trump's reluctance to accept the media's verdict that the election is over hasn't really helped either. So these folks are going to have to hustle. They are going to have to create their own path forward. They probably shouldn't wait around for those plumb corporate jobs because I don't think they will be readily available.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-19--Top House conservative plots post-Trump GOP

The leader of an influential House conservative caucus is charting a future for the GOP that deemphasizes President Trump but marries his populist agenda with traditional conservatism , a hybrid Republicanism he believes can win national elections .
“ The Trump agenda was what was popular — not Trump the man , ” Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana , incoming chairman of the Republican Study Committee , told the Washington Examiner in an interview .
“ As it appears more and more likely that Trump will not be in the White House and we will begin the post-Trump era , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what we look like moving forward .
No one is having that conversation .
I want to lead it.
” The RSC focuses on writing legislation and , over the years , has been a springboard for prominent Republicans such as Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan , a leader of the House Freedom Caucus , and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana .
Banks assumes command of the group in January .
The 41-year-old congressman and military veteran views Trump ’ s loss to President-elect Joe Biden as a failure of personality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains in Congress as proof the commander in chief ’ s legislative portfolio resonates .
Banks wants to keep what worked , pairing popular elements of Trump populism with a fresh slate of reforms rooted in pre-Trump conservative principles that address healthcare , deficit reduction , and other thorny political issues .
Banks wants to pitch this updated GOP agenda with a unifying tone .
The substantial bloc of disaffected Republicans who voted for Biden but supported Republicans down-ballot are his target .
“ No one in the conservative movement is having the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives and marry them with Trump populists — the party of Reagan with the party of Trump , ” Banks said .
“ How do we fold all that together into a winning party , a winning message , a winning agenda ?
” For Republicans , the outcome of the Nov. 3 election was a mixed bag .
The party could gain more than 10 House seats by the time all votes are counted and is poised to hold the Senate majority , depending on two Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislature , which will help the GOP heading into redistricting .
Trump deserves much of the credit .
He is popular with Republican voters , attracted more nonwhite voters to the party , and juiced turnout across the country .
House Republicans are grateful and are expressing their appreciation by supporting Trump ’ s refusal to concede to Biden .
“ Almost all members of our party in our Republican conference , today , are very loyal to President Trump , ” Banks said .
“ We rally around his agenda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that changing .
I really believe the party is going to look a lot more like Trump for a generation than it ’ s going to look like George W. Bush … or Reagan.
” But the president was defeated by Biden .
He lost the once-reliably red states of Arizona and Georgia and again lost the national popular vote .
The defection of Republican voters who backed the Democratic president-elect but voted GOP for Congress and in state and local races are the culprit .
Banks wants them back in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Democrats and new voters who joined the GOP specifically to pull the lever for Trump .
The congressman is aiming to help Republicans assemble a majority coalition that gains the party unmistakable victories in the 2022 midterm elections and then the next presidential contest .
“ I want the next two years to focus my chairmanship of the Republican Study Committee [ on ] having this conversation of where the party and where the conservative movement goes from here to rebuild the conservative movement so we can win elections moving forward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one potential problem for Banks with moving to a post-Trump party : The president may run again in 2024 .

The leader of an influential House conservative caucus is charting a future for the GOP that deemphasizes President Trump but marries his populist agenda with traditional conservatism, a hybrid Republicanism he believes can win national elections.
“The Trump agenda was what was popular — not Trump the man,” Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, incoming chairman of the Republican Study Committee, told the Washington Examiner in an interview. “As it appears more and more likely that Trump will not be in the White House and we will begin the post-Trump era, our party has to begin a conversation of what we look like moving forward. No one is having that conversation. I want to lead it.”
The RSC focuses on writing legislation and, over the years, has been a springboard for prominent Republicans such as Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a leader of the House Freedom Caucus, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Banks assumes command of the group in January.
The 41-year-old congressman and military veteran views Trump’s loss to President-elect Joe Biden as a failure of personality, not policy, pointing to Republican gains in Congress as proof the commander in chief’s legislative portfolio resonates. Banks wants to keep what worked, pairing popular elements of Trump populism with a fresh slate of reforms rooted in pre-Trump conservative principles that address healthcare, deficit reduction, and other thorny political issues.
Banks wants to pitch this updated GOP agenda with a unifying tone. The substantial bloc of disaffected Republicans who voted for Biden but supported Republicans down-ballot are his target.
“No one in the conservative movement is having the conversation about how we bring Bush compassionate conservatives and marry them with Trump populists — the party of Reagan with the party of Trump,” Banks said. “How do we fold all that together into a winning party, a winning message, a winning agenda?”
For Republicans, the outcome of the Nov. 3 election was a mixed bag.
The party could gain more than 10 House seats by the time all votes are counted and is poised to hold the Senate majority, depending on two Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia. The Democrats failed to flip one state legislature, which will help the GOP heading into redistricting. Trump deserves much of the credit. He is popular with Republican voters, attracted more nonwhite voters to the party, and juiced turnout across the country.
House Republicans are grateful and are expressing their appreciation by supporting Trump’s refusal to concede to Biden.
“Almost all members of our party in our Republican conference, today, are very loyal to President Trump,” Banks said. “We rally around his agenda, his message. I don’t see that changing. I really believe the party is going to look a lot more like Trump for a generation than it’s going to look like George W. Bush … or Reagan.”
But the president was defeated by Biden.
He lost the once-reliably red states of Arizona and Georgia and again lost the national popular vote. The defection of Republican voters who backed the Democratic president-elect but voted GOP for Congress and in state and local races are the culprit. Banks wants them back in the presidential fold in 2024 without repelling the former Democrats and new voters who joined the GOP specifically to pull the lever for Trump.
The congressman is aiming to help Republicans assemble a majority coalition that gains the party unmistakable victories in the 2022 midterm elections and then the next presidential contest.
“I want the next two years to focus my chairmanship of the Republican Study Committee [on] having this conversation of where the party and where the conservative movement goes from here to rebuild the conservative movement so we can win elections moving forward,” Banks said.
But there is one potential problem for Banks with moving to a post-Trump party: The president may run again in 2024.