thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--'Not a fraud case': Trump campaign's Arizona lawyer rebuts 'stop the steal' in case shifted from Sha

'Not a fraud case': Trump campaign's Arizona lawyer rebuts 'stop the steal' in case shifted from Sharpies to 191 votes

President Trump says that the 2020 election was `` stolen '' as his supporters cry `` stop the steal '' at protests across the country alleging widespread election fraud .
But a lawyer representing Trump 's campaign rejected that argument when it comes to the legal complaints about ballot tabulation in Maricopa County , the most populous county in Arizona .
“ This is not a fraud case .
It is not a stealing-the-election case , ” said Kory Langhofer , the lawyer representing the Trump campaign and the Arizona Republican Party , in a six-hour court hearing on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively boring an anodyne case about the proper procedures being followed . ''
In another comment , Langhofer echoed concerns of Democrats warning that Trump 's allegation of widespread fraud is harmful to the democratic system of the United States .
`` The words we use here have real effects in the real world and the confidence in our public systems , '' Langhofer said .
`` I just want to be very clear on the record about what we 're talking about here and what we are not . ''
What started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theory that bleed-through from Sharpie markers caused tabulation errors in how ballots in Maricopa County has turned into a narrowly focused case about a small number of ballots ( 191 so far ) unlikely to make a difference in the presidential election results in the Grand Canyon State .
At issue in the case is whether some in-person Election Day voters ' ballots were improperly pushed through a tabulation machine after being flagged as having a problem .
Trump 's legal team presented several witnesses at the hearing who said that a poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push , a `` green button '' that caused the ballot to be accepted .
The green-button direction would process votes that had an `` overvote '' in which the machine found that a selection was made for multiple candidates in a contest rather than just one , causing no vote to be recorded for that candidate .
The witnesses testified that they were instructed or pushed the green button despite not having selected multiple candidates in any race .
After reading more information online , they question whether their votes counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley was that if the results of any statewide race end up being larger than the margin of the leading candidate , that the overvote ballots be allowed to be inspected and checked to ensure that votes for president were correctly tabulated .
That marks a much narrower argument than the original aim of the lawsuit about widespread systemic errors .
`` The plaintiffs in this case have zigzagged wildly all over the place , '' said Sarah Gonski , a lawyer for the Democratic National Committee .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been about a worker error and green button .
We have affidavits that are about bleed-through and Sharpies .
Their briefs are apparently about a theory that overvoted ballots are equivalent to defective or damaged ballots . ''
Furthermore , there are only 191 overvotes in Maricopa County in the presidential race so far .
Because Democratic President-elect Joe Biden leads by about 12,000 votes in the state , and outstanding ballots are unlikely to significantly narrow that margin , the issue of overvotes in the county is unlikely to affect the overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maricopa County and Arizona 's Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs also noted that none of the voter witnesses said that their specific ballots had overvotes despite having to press the green button to push their ballots through .
They also argued that Arizona law does not provide a mechanism to accommodate the Trump campaign 's request .
Parts of the hearing proved messy for the Trump campaign 's argument .
Kiley rejected the request of the Trump campaign 's lawyers to admit additional descriptions from voters about green-button issues submitted on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The fact that your process for obtaining these affidavits yielded affidavits that you yourself found to be false does not support a finding that this process generates reliable evidence , '' Kiley said .
`` This is concerning . ''
One expert witness for the Trump campaign testifying about the security of the election website , Zack Alcoyne , was shown on cross-examination to be a business partner of the lead lawyer for the Trump campaign , Langhofer .
Kiley ended the hearing without issuing a ruling , saying that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @

President Trump says that the 2020 election was "stolen" as his supporters cry "stop the steal" at protests across the country, alleging widespread election fraud.
But a lawyer representing Trump's campaign rejected that argument when it comes to the legal complaints about ballot tabulation in Maricopa County, the most populous county in Arizona.
“This is not a fraud case. It is not a stealing-the-election case,” said Kory Langhofer, the lawyer representing the Trump campaign and the Arizona Republican Party, in a six-hour court hearing on Thursday. He called the case a "relatively boring an anodyne case about the proper procedures being followed."
In another comment, Langhofer echoed concerns of Democrats warning that Trump's allegation of widespread fraud is harmful to the democratic system of the United States.
"The words we use here have real effects in the real world and the confidence in our public systems," Langhofer said. "I just want to be very clear on the record about what we're talking about here and what we are not."
What started as a lawsuit based on a now-debunked theory that bleed-through from Sharpie markers caused tabulation errors in how ballots in Maricopa County has turned into a narrowly focused case about a small number of ballots (191 so far) unlikely to make a difference in the presidential election results in the Grand Canyon State.
At issue in the case is whether some in-person Election Day voters' ballots were improperly pushed through a tabulation machine after being flagged as having a problem. Trump's legal team presented several witnesses at the hearing who said that a poll worker pushed, or they were instructed to push, a "green button" that caused the ballot to be accepted.
The green-button direction would process votes that had an "overvote" in which the machine found that a selection was made for multiple candidates in a contest rather than just one, causing no vote to be recorded for that candidate. The witnesses testified that they were instructed or pushed the green button despite not having selected multiple candidates in any race. After reading more information online, they question whether their votes counted.
Langhofer's request to Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley was that if the results of any statewide race end up being larger than the margin of the leading candidate, that the overvote ballots be allowed to be inspected and checked to ensure that votes for president were correctly tabulated.
That marks a much narrower argument than the original aim of the lawsuit about widespread systemic errors.
"The plaintiffs in this case have zigzagged wildly all over the place," said Sarah Gonski, a lawyer for the Democratic National Committee. "We have live evidence today that's been about a worker error and green button. We have affidavits that are about bleed-through and Sharpies. Their briefs are apparently about a theory that overvoted ballots are equivalent to defective or damaged ballots."
Furthermore, there are only 191 overvotes in Maricopa County in the presidential race so far. Because Democratic President-elect Joe Biden leads by about 12,000 votes in the state, and outstanding ballots are unlikely to significantly narrow that margin, the issue of overvotes in the county is unlikely to affect the overall outcome of the race.
Lawyers for Maricopa County and Arizona's Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs also noted that none of the voter witnesses said that their specific ballots had overvotes despite having to press the green button to push their ballots through. They also argued that Arizona law does not provide a mechanism to accommodate the Trump campaign's request.
Parts of the hearing proved messy for the Trump campaign's argument.
Kiley rejected the request of the Trump campaign's lawyers to admit additional descriptions from voters about green-button issues submitted on a Republican website created to collect green-button complaints.
“The fact that your process for obtaining these affidavits yielded affidavits that you yourself found to be false does not support a finding that this process generates reliable evidence," Kiley said. "This is concerning."
One expert witness for the Trump campaign testifying about the security of the election website, Zack Alcoyne, was shown on cross-examination to be a business partner of the lead lawyer for the Trump campaign, Langhofer.
Kiley ended the hearing without issuing a ruling, saying that he would take the testimony under advisement.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--Zuckerberg says outcome of election is 'clear,' tells staff Biden will be 'next president': Report

The founder of one of the largest social media apps reportedly told his staff on Thursday that Joe Biden will be confirmed as the next president .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told close staff members that Biden will be confirmed as the next president and that the outcome was `` clear '' amid allegations from President Trump that voter fraud was committed in several key battleground states , according to BuzzFeed News , which cited the audio of a meeting .
`` I believe the outcome of the election is now clear , and Joe Biden is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's important that people have confidence that the election was fundamentally fair , and that goes for the tens of millions of people that voted for Trump . ''
Audio taken from an all-hands meeting that was called to discuss the outward-facing relationship between Facebook and a new Biden administration revealed frustration among staffers who agreed with criticism from media outlets that have argued the platform is not doing enough to censor misinformation .
Staffers reportedly objected to pages that they alleged were connected to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci drew pushback from some .
Zuckerberg apparently told staffers that the election would not be overturned and that it 's `` quite unhelpful '' when people claim otherwise .
“ Part of what we ’ re seeing out here are people who are calling for recounts and legal challenges , which , in a lot of cases , is their right and something you see in a lot of elections , ” he said .
“ But I think it ’ s also quite unhelpful that people out there are raising expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different outcome than from what was projected.
” The Washington Examiner reached out to Facebook for comment .

The founder of one of the largest social media apps reportedly told his staff on Thursday that Joe Biden will be confirmed as the next president.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told close staff members that Biden will be confirmed as the next president and that the outcome was "clear" amid allegations from President Trump that voter fraud was committed in several key battleground states, according to BuzzFeed News, which cited the audio of a meeting.
"I believe the outcome of the election is now clear, and Joe Biden is going to be our next president," Zuckerberg said. "It's important that people have confidence that the election was fundamentally fair, and that goes for the tens of millions of people that voted for Trump."
Audio taken from an all-hands meeting that was called to discuss the outward-facing relationship between Facebook and a new Biden administration revealed frustration among staffers who agreed with criticism from media outlets that have argued the platform is not doing enough to censor misinformation.
Staffers reportedly objected to pages that they alleged were connected to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, whose recent comments about Dr. Anthony Fauci drew pushback from some.
Zuckerberg apparently told staffers that the election would not be overturned and that it's "quite unhelpful" when people claim otherwise.
“Part of what we’re seeing out here are people who are calling for recounts and legal challenges, which, in a lot of cases, is their right and something you see in a lot of elections,” he said. “But I think it’s also quite unhelpful that people out there are raising expectations that there is going to be a different outcome than from what was projected.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Facebook for comment.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--Ron Klain, Biden’s incoming chief of staff and Gore recount lawyer, hasn't let 2000 go

Ron Klain , who has been selected to be President-elect Joe Biden ’ s chief of staff even as President Trump refuses to concede , was a top lawyer on former Vice President Al Gore ’ s recount effort .
For years , the longtime civil servant has insisted that Gore had more votes than then-Gov .
George W. Bush in Florida , blasting the Supreme Court and saying he will “ never be over it.
” In a July 14 , 2014 , tweet unearthed by conservatives on Wednesday , Vox tweeted that “ 68 % of Americans think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klain replied , “ That 's because they are.
” The article Klain was responding to was more subtle than the tweet , saying , “ A new Rasmussen poll finds that 68 percent of Americans think elections are rigged in favor of incumbents .
And they 're basically right .
The term ‘ rigged ’ might go a tad far .
The problem here is n't fraud .
In elections , like in so much else , the scandal is what 's legal.
” But Klain has repeatedly cast doubt on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Gore should have beaten Bush .
Early on election night in 2000 , networks called Florida for Gore before polls closed in the Republican-heavy Florida panhandle .
The networks withdrew those calls , with Bush leading by more than 1,700 votes the next day .
Gore privately conceded to Bush but withdrew his concession as Florida conducted a mandatory statewide recount , bringing Gore closer but still leaving Bush ahead by a few hundred votes .
Some counties conducted their own hand recounts , during which Bush always led and sometimes saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
After legal battles and multiple court decisions , Florida certified Bush defeated Gore by 537 votes in late November .
The Florida Supreme Court ordered more recounts in December , and the U.S. Supreme Court intervened , hearing arguments on Dec. 11 and issuing its opinion the next day .
The U.S. Supreme Court 's 7-2 ruling said the manner of the recount must be stopped on equal protection constitutional grounds .
It also ruled 5-4 that there was no other lawful way for a recount to continue , and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking to meet 3 U.S.C .
§ 5 ’ s December 12 ‘ safe-harbor ’ date would be unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause , the Florida Supreme Court ’ s judgment ordering manual recounts is reversed.
” Bush held a lead throughout .
During the recount , Democrats controversially tried to get hundreds of late-arriving military ballots tossed out .
Democratic lawyer Mark Herron ’ s Nov. 15 , 2000 , memo suggested recount observers should challenge these absentee ballots .
He included “ definitions for points of origin and postmark that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and instructions on “ Protest of Overseas Absentee Ballot.
” “ We thought this is manna from heaven , ” Bush campaign lawyer James Baker told CNN in 2015 .
“ How in the world can you put out a memo that the only reading of which is to suppress the votes of our military men and women ? ''
But Klain defended it to CNN , saying , “ The idea that people were going to vote after the election and have those votes count , that 's a pretty irregular idea.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Lieberman told Tim Russert of NBC 's Meet The Press that he would `` give the benefit of the doubt to ballots coming in from military personnel.
” Similar to what is going on now between Trump and Biden , then-President Bill Clinton denied Bush access to the presidential daily briefing intelligence until the end of November , with Bush receiving the briefing on Dec. 5 , 2000 .
Clinton ’ s General Services Administration declined to cooperate fully with the Bush transition team until after Gore ’ s Dec. 13 concession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 2011 that “ only one sitting VP since Civil War has been elected Pres : Bush 88 ... unless you also count Gore 2000.
” And he tweeted in November 2018 that “ for 18 years I 've blasted Bush v. Gore , offered the view that Gore had more votes , and certainly more voters who thought they had voted for him , ” though he stressed that “ I ’ ve never used the word ‘ stolen ’ .
” The New York Times reported in 2001 that “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from last year 's presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United States Supreme Court had allowed the statewide manual recount of the votes that the Florida Supreme Court had ordered to go forward.
” The report concluded that the Supreme Court `` did not award an election to Mr. Bush that otherwise would have been won by Mr. Gore.
” “ The first lesson from 2000 on how to handle a close election — is do n't let it be a close election .
Out today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v. Gore , from The Atlantic , ” Klain tweeted in August , telling the outlet that “ I am not over it .
I don ’ t think I ’ ll ever be over it.
” Klain tweeted in response to a July 2017 Daily Beast article that “ sadly , Hillary Clinton has serious competition from Al Gore for the ‘ most screwed over ’ crown.
” In response to an August 2018 Atlantic article claiming that “ The Confirmation Wars Are Over .
Partisanship won out.
” Following the nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` I think it misses the critical role that Bush v. Gore played in ‘ partisanizing ’ how people see the Supreme Court.
” In response to a September 2018 Washington Post op-ed titled “ The Supreme Court was America ’ s least damaged institution — until now , '' he said , “ I have three words in response to this : Bush Versus Gore , ” and in response to a Politico op-ed asking , “ Will Democrats regret weaponizing the judiciary ?
” , he repeated , “ Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Bush Versus Gore.
” Klain tweeted in May 2019 that “ Nominees — D and R — got confirmed easily after Bork .
But since Bush v. Gore , and the unavoidable link between Court makeup and partisan outcomes , EVERY confirmation has been a battle.
” In February , he insisted that “ Bush v. Gore played a large part in launching our dysfunctional current politics.
” The soon-to-be chief of staff became chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Biden chaired it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversaw judicial nominations , including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , and became Gore 's chief of staff .
After Gore ’ s defeat , he worked as a lobbyist , including for Fannie Mae .
He worked as then-Vice President Biden ’ s chief of staff in 2008 , did more lobbying work , then became former President Barack Obama ’ s “ Ebola Czar ” in 2014 .
Klain was played by Kevin Spacey in the 2008 HBO movie Recount .

Ron Klain, who has been selected to be President-elect Joe Biden’s chief of staff even as President Trump refuses to concede, was a top lawyer on former Vice President Al Gore’s recount effort.
For years, the longtime civil servant has insisted that Gore had more votes than then-Gov. George W. Bush in Florida, blasting the Supreme Court and saying he will “never be over it.”
In a July 14, 2014, tweet unearthed by conservatives on Wednesday, Vox tweeted that “68% of Americans think elections are rigged,” to which Klain replied, “That's because they are.” The article Klain was responding to was more subtle than the tweet, saying, “A new Rasmussen poll finds that 68 percent of Americans think elections are rigged in favor of incumbents. And they're basically right. The term ‘rigged’ might go a tad far. The problem here isn't fraud. In elections, like in so much else, the scandal is what's legal.”
But Klain has repeatedly cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2000 election, insisting that Gore should have beaten Bush.
Early on election night in 2000, networks called Florida for Gore before polls closed in the Republican-heavy Florida panhandle. The networks withdrew those calls, with Bush leading by more than 1,700 votes the next day. Gore privately conceded to Bush but withdrew his concession as Florida conducted a mandatory statewide recount, bringing Gore closer but still leaving Bush ahead by a few hundred votes. Some counties conducted their own hand recounts, during which Bush always led and sometimes saw it grow to as many as 930 votes. After legal battles and multiple court decisions, Florida certified Bush defeated Gore by 537 votes in late November.
The Florida Supreme Court ordered more recounts in December, and the U.S. Supreme Court intervened, hearing arguments on Dec. 11 and issuing its opinion the next day. The U.S. Supreme Court's 7-2 ruling said the manner of the recount must be stopped on equal protection constitutional grounds. It also ruled 5-4 that there was no other lawful way for a recount to continue, and “because it is evident that any recount seeking to meet 3 U.S.C. § 5’s December 12 ‘safe-harbor’ date would be unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause, the Florida Supreme Court’s judgment ordering manual recounts is reversed.” Bush held a lead throughout.
During the recount, Democrats controversially tried to get hundreds of late-arriving military ballots tossed out. Democratic lawyer Mark Herron’s Nov. 15, 2000, memo suggested recount observers should challenge these absentee ballots. He included “definitions for points of origin and postmark that are valid for military overseas ballots” and instructions on “Protest of Overseas Absentee Ballot.”
“We thought this is manna from heaven,” Bush campaign lawyer James Baker told CNN in 2015. “How in the world can you put out a memo that the only reading of which is to suppress the votes of our military men and women?"
But Klain defended it to CNN, saying, “The idea that people were going to vote after the election and have those votes count, that's a pretty irregular idea.”
In 2000, then-vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman told Tim Russert of NBC's Meet The Press that he would "give the benefit of the doubt to ballots coming in from military personnel.”
Similar to what is going on now between Trump and Biden, then-President Bill Clinton denied Bush access to the presidential daily briefing intelligence until the end of November, with Bush receiving the briefing on Dec. 5, 2000. Clinton’s General Services Administration declined to cooperate fully with the Bush transition team until after Gore’s Dec. 13 concession speech.
Klain quipped on Twitter in June 2011 that “only one sitting VP since Civil War has been elected Pres: Bush 88... unless you also count Gore 2000.” And he tweeted in November 2018 that “for 18 years I've blasted Bush v. Gore, offered the view that Gore had more votes, and certainly more voters who thought they had voted for him,” though he stressed that “I’ve never used the word ‘stolen’.”
The New York Times reported in 2001 that “a comprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots from last year's presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United States Supreme Court had allowed the statewide manual recount of the votes that the Florida Supreme Court had ordered to go forward.” The report concluded that the Supreme Court "did not award an election to Mr. Bush that otherwise would have been won by Mr. Gore.”
“The first lesson from 2000 on how to handle a close election — is don't let it be a close election. Out today, a new oral history of Bush v. Gore, from The Atlantic,” Klain tweeted in August, telling the outlet that “I am not over it. I don’t think I’ll ever be over it.”
Klain tweeted in response to a July 2017 Daily Beast article that “sadly, Hillary Clinton has serious competition from Al Gore for the ‘most screwed over’ crown.” In response to an August 2018 Atlantic article claiming that “The Confirmation Wars Are Over. Partisanship won out.” Following the nomination of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Klain said, "I think it misses the critical role that Bush v. Gore played in ‘partisanizing’ how people see the Supreme Court.”
In response to a September 2018 Washington Post op-ed titled “The Supreme Court was America’s least damaged institution — until now," he said, “I have three words in response to this: Bush Versus Gore,” and in response to a Politico op-ed asking, “Will Democrats regret weaponizing the judiciary?”, he repeated, “Three words on ‘weaponizing the judiciary’: Bush Versus Gore.”
Klain tweeted in May 2019 that “Nominees — D and R — got confirmed easily after Bork. But since Bush v. Gore, and the unavoidable link between Court makeup and partisan outcomes, EVERY confirmation has been a battle.” In February, he insisted that “Bush v. Gore played a large part in launching our dysfunctional current politics.”
The soon-to-be chief of staff became chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Biden chaired it. In the Clinton administration, Klain oversaw judicial nominations, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and became Gore's chief of staff.
After Gore’s defeat, he worked as a lobbyist, including for Fannie Mae. He worked as then-Vice President Biden’s chief of staff in 2008, did more lobbying work, then became former President Barack Obama’s “Ebola Czar” in 2014. Klain was played by Kevin Spacey in the 2008 HBO movie Recount.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-12--'No evidence' any voting system lost or changed votes, Trump's election security agency says

The Department of Homeland Security ’ s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other groups said on Thursday that “ there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any way compromised ” as President Trump pushes 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 , the National Association of Secretaries of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Directors , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary .
This is an added benefit for security and resilience .
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 follows a massively viral tweet sent by Trump earlier in the day that quoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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.
” “ First and foremost , Dominion Voting Systems categorically denies any claims about any vote switching or alleged software issues with our voting systems , ” the company said .
“ Dominion systems continue to reliably and accurately count ballots , and state and local election authorities have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Edison Research has also categorically denied any claims that their data suggests any voting irregularities , including vote switching.
” CISA and the other election security groups also stressed in a statement with some of the text in bold : “ There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any way compromised… 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and you should too .
When you have questions , turn to elections officials as trusted voices as they administer elections.
” Trump referred to the “ Rigged Election !
” earlier in the day .
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , who is Trump 's personal lawyer , claimed on Fox Business on Wednesday that Dominion voting systems parent company was founded to “ fix elections.
” He added , “ Yes they can be hacked , and yes they can change votes.
” CISA released the statement after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Christopher Krebs , expects to be fired by Trump .
He later tweeted out the joint statement , saying , “ TLDR : America , we have confidence in the security of your vote , you should , too.
” Krebs also released a statement last week , one day after the election , that talked about how his agency was certain no other country meddled in the 2020 contest .
“ Over the last four years , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has been a part of a whole-of-nation effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Krebs said .
“ Importantly , after millions of Americans voted , we have no evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies.
” In addition , Krebs has repeatedly used his Twitter account to attempt to debunk what he sees as unfounded election-related claims , and has directed his follower ’ s to CISA ’ s “ Rumor Control ” website .
In early August , William Evanina , the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center , released the Intelligence Community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The statement warned that Russia is “ using a range of measures to primarily denigrate ” Biden .
The same statement also said China “ prefers ” that Trump not win reelection and is `` expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020.
” In addition , Evanina said Iran “ seeks to undermine '' Trump 's presidency .
More than a week after Election Day , Trump continues to contest the contest .
Media outlets projected Biden to be the winner on Saturday .
after Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Biden leads Trump by 11,000 votes , the Trump campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits .
In Michigan , where Biden leads Trump by 145,000 votes , the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to toss out 1.2 million ballots .
In Pennsylvania , where Biden leads Trump by 55,000 votes , the commonwealth ’ s Supreme Court sided with the GOP on a case related to late voter ID verification on Thursday .
Pennsylvania Republicans are pushing the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign pushes for the state ’ s results not to be certified .
Numerous GOP election lawsuits have been thrown out .
In Georgia , where Biden currently leads Trump by 13,000 votes , the state will begin a hand recount on Friday .
The General Services Administration has not begun to cooperate fully with Biden ’ s transition team , and the former vice president has been denied access to the presidential daily briefing .
Republican Sens .
Chuck Grassley , James Lankford , Lindsey Graham , and others have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefings , even as Trump ’ s lawsuits continue to play out .

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other groups said on Thursday that “there is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised” as President Trump pushes 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, the National Association of Secretaries of State, the National Association of State Election Directors, 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 is an added benefit for security and resilience. 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 follows a massively viral tweet sent by Trump earlier in the day 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 against the claim.
“First and foremost, Dominion Voting Systems categorically denies any claims about any vote switching or alleged software issues with our voting systems,” the company said. “Dominion systems continue to reliably and accurately count ballots, and state and local election authorities have publicly confirmed the integrity of the process. Edison Research has also categorically denied any claims that their data suggests any voting irregularities, including vote switching.”
CISA and the other election security groups also stressed in a statement with some of the text in bold: “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised… 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, and you should too. When you have questions, turn to elections officials as trusted voices as they administer elections.”
Trump referred to the “Rigged Election!” earlier in the day. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Trump's personal lawyer, claimed on Fox Business on Wednesday that Dominion voting systems parent company was founded to “fix elections.” He added, “Yes they can be hacked, and yes they can change votes.”
CISA released the statement after Reuters reported on Thursday that its director, Christopher Krebs, expects to be fired by Trump. He later tweeted out the joint statement, saying, “TLDR: America, we have confidence in the security of your vote, you should, too.”
Krebs also released a statement last week, one day after the election, that talked about how his agency was certain no other country meddled in the 2020 contest.
“Over the last four years, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has been a part of a whole-of-nation effort to ensure American voters decide American elections,” Krebs said. “Importantly, after millions of Americans voted, we have no evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies.”
In addition, Krebs has repeatedly used his Twitter account to attempt to debunk what he sees as unfounded election-related claims, and has directed his follower’s to CISA’s “Rumor Control” website.
In early August, William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, released the Intelligence Community’s assessment on foreign election meddling. The statement warned that Russia is “using a range of measures to primarily denigrate” Biden. The same statement also said China “prefers” that Trump not win reelection and is "expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020.” In addition, Evanina said Iran “seeks to undermine" Trump's presidency.
More than a week after Election Day, Trump continues to contest the contest. Media outlets projected Biden to be the winner on Saturday. after Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes were called for him.
In Arizona, where Biden leads Trump by 11,000 votes, the Trump campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits. In Michigan, where Biden leads Trump by 145,000 votes, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to toss out 1.2 million ballots.
In Pennsylvania, where Biden leads Trump by 55,000 votes, the commonwealth’s Supreme Court sided with the GOP on a case related to late voter ID verification on Thursday. Pennsylvania Republicans are pushing the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case related to late-arrival mail-in ballots, as the Trump campaign pushes for the state’s results not to be certified. Numerous GOP election lawsuits have been thrown out.
In Georgia, where Biden currently leads Trump by 13,000 votes, the state will begin a hand recount on Friday.
The General Services Administration has not begun to cooperate fully with Biden’s transition team, and the former vice president has been denied access to the presidential daily briefing. Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley, James Lankford, Lindsey Graham, and others have said that Biden should be receiving classified intelligence briefings, even as Trump’s lawsuits continue to play out.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-12--'Integrity of elections': San Diego Trump supporter leads caravan from California to DC for Trump ra

'Integrity of elections': San Diego Trump supporter leads caravan from California to DC for Trump rally

A supporter of President Trump is leading a caravan from San Diego to Washington , D.C. , for a Trump rally .
`` This is a peaceful , non-militant way to have our voice heard for the truth and integrity , ” Josh Cantor said .
“ This is about the integrity of elections , ” he told KUSI San Diego .
“ We ’ re here to say we count every vote that ’ s valid , and we don ’ t count every vote that ’ s not valid.
” The group “ Caravan for Truth ” was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attention of other Trump supporters across the country to travel from their respective locations and meet in Washington .
“ This is one of many , many thousands of launches that are happening across the country .
And the first date that people are really culminating in D.C. is this Saturday .
And you may have heard of the Million MAGA March that ’ s happening Saturday at noon from the Supreme Court to the Capitol , '' he said .
“ In the following days after that , the crowd in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany projected that the turnout of Trump support in the district this weekend will be “ quite large , ” but she didn ’ t have an estimate .
“ People want to show up and have their voice heard .
I mean this president — look , he got more votes than any Republican nominee , or for president , I should say , in the history of our country .
And indeed , he got more Republican votes as any nominee in the history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McEnany said .
The event comes as media outlets declared Joe Biden as the victor of the presidential election , which Trump has contested , saying voter fraud tipped the election in Biden ’ s favor .
`` Our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated , '' Trump said in a statement on Saturday .
`` The American people are entitled to an honest election : That means counting all legal ballots and not counting any illegal @ @ @

A supporter of President Trump is leading a caravan from San Diego to Washington, D.C., for a Trump rally.
"This is a peaceful, non-militant way to have our voice heard for the truth and integrity,” Josh Cantor said.
“This is about the integrity of elections,” he told KUSI San Diego. “We’re here to say we count every vote that’s valid, and we don’t count every vote that’s not valid.”
Trump Caravan organizer, Josh Cantor, explained there are many different caravans originating from cities across the United States.
"This is a peaceful, non-militant, way to have our voice heard for the truth and integrity."
More info: https://t.co/M80t1GFhiz pic.twitter.com/6nTNu1vTef — KUSI News (@KUSINews) November 10, 2020
The group “Caravan for Truth” was launched on social media and has grabbed the attention of other Trump supporters across the country to travel from their respective locations and meet in Washington.
“This is one of many, many thousands of launches that are happening across the country. And the first date that people are really culminating in D.C. is this Saturday. And you may have heard of the Million MAGA March that’s happening Saturday at noon from the Supreme Court to the Capitol," he said.
“In the following days after that, the crowd in Washington is going to grow.”
On Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany projected that the turnout of Trump support in the district this weekend will be “quite large,” but she didn’t have an estimate.
“People want to show up and have their voice heard. I mean this president — look, he got more votes than any Republican nominee, or for president, I should say, in the history of our country. And indeed, he got more Republican votes as any nominee in the history of our party back in 2016,” McEnany said.
The event comes as media outlets declared Joe Biden as the victor of the presidential election, which Trump has contested, saying voter fraud tipped the election in Biden’s favor.
"Our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," Trump said in a statement on Saturday. "The American people are entitled to an honest election: That means counting all legal ballots and not counting any illegal ballots."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-12--GOP clings to improbable chance of Trump pulling ahead in Arizona

Republicans continue to cling to the hope of proving news network projections wrong and securing a surprise victory for President Trump in the last days of ballot-counting in Arizona .
As of Thursday morning , President-elect Joe Biden leads Trump by 11,635 votes in Arizona , 49.4 % to 49.1 % Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward on Wednesday said she was “ still confident that we are going to deliver Arizona ’ s 11 electoral votes to President Donald J. Trump ” as more votes were counted and tabulated .
But after around 15,000 votes were posted that evening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes behind Biden , her tone changed .
“ It is razor-thin , ” Ward said in a video posted on Twitter Thursday .
“ That is 0.4 % of the vote .
There ’ s about 25,000 votes still out there.
” Ward said that the Trump campaign and Arizona Republicans “ are chasing those ballots ” that have problems by trying to contact voters who need to correct issues in order for their votes to count .
“ We are knocking on doors .
We are making phone calls .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ method possible to make sure every legal vote is counted.
” About 3,500 ballots , almost all of which are in populous Maricopa County , are ready for tabulation and are expected to be posted on Thursday evening .
About 2,700 are mail-in ballots that have signatures that need to be verified .
Another 18,500 provisional ballots need to be processed , not all of which will be counted .
Provisional ballots include ballots cast by individuals who are ineligible to vote , or who have already voted .
NBC News estimates that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be counted , 6,600 won ’ t be counted , and 6,000 have yet to be verified .
That means Trump would have to win more than 63 % of the 18,400 ballots that may be posted , and if the actual number is lower , then the percentage he needs to win increases .
Recently posted batches of votes have Trump well below that percentage .
Around 10,000 of the remaining provisional ballots are from Pima County , a Democratic-leaning county .
Arizona provides no way for a candidate to request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triggers a recount if the margin between the two candidates is less than 0.01 % or fewer than 200 votes , whichever is less .
Unwillingness to concede the election despite the lack of a pathway to election extends to the state 's Senate race .
Republican Sen. Martha McSally has not conceded her race to Democrat Mark Kelly , despite there being no way for her to win the race , even if 100 % of estimated remaining votes were cast for her .
Republicans and the Trump campaign , though , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase the president ’ s vote share .
A Trump campaign lawsuit accuses election workers at in-person polling places of improperly directing or causing some voters in Maricopa County , the state ’ s most populous county , to press a button that caused those votes to not be counted .
The thinking behind the move is that if successful , the case could increase the number of votes for Trump .
A court hearing for the case is taking place on Thursday .
Arizona State Senate President Karen Fann , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Katie Hobbs to authorize an independent review of the voting machines used in the case .
Hobbs denied that request .

Republicans continue to cling to the hope of proving news network projections wrong and securing a surprise victory for President Trump in the last days of ballot-counting in Arizona.
As of Thursday morning, President-elect Joe Biden leads Trump by 11,635 votes in Arizona, 49.4% to 49.1%
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward on Wednesday said she was “still confident that we are going to deliver Arizona’s 11 electoral votes to President Donald J. Trump” as more votes were counted and tabulated.
But after around 15,000 votes were posted that evening, narrowing the margin to Trump being 11,635 votes behind Biden, her tone changed.
“It is razor-thin,” Ward said in a video posted on Twitter Thursday. “That is 0.4% of the vote. There’s about 25,000 votes still out there.”
Ward said that the Trump campaign and Arizona Republicans “are chasing those ballots” that have problems by trying to contact voters who need to correct issues in order for their votes to count. “We are knocking on doors. We are making phone calls. We’re sending texts and using every method possible to make sure every legal vote is counted.”
Ward’s 25,000 figure, though, is misleading.
About 3,500 ballots, almost all of which are in populous Maricopa County, are ready for tabulation and are expected to be posted on Thursday evening. About 2,700 are mail-in ballots that have signatures that need to be verified.
Another 18,500 provisional ballots need to be processed, not all of which will be counted. Provisional ballots include ballots cast by individuals who are ineligible to vote, or who have already voted.
NBC News estimates that about 5,700 of the outstanding provisional ballots will be counted, 6,600 won’t be counted, and 6,000 have yet to be verified.
That means Trump would have to win more than 63% of the 18,400 ballots that may be posted, and if the actual number is lower, then the percentage he needs to win increases. Recently posted batches of votes have Trump well below that percentage. Around 10,000 of the remaining provisional ballots are from Pima County, a Democratic-leaning county.
Arizona provides no way for a candidate to request a recount, and state law only triggers a recount if the margin between the two candidates is less than 0.01% or fewer than 200 votes, whichever is less.
Unwillingness to concede the election despite the lack of a pathway to election extends to the state's Senate race. Republican Sen. Martha McSally has not conceded her race to Democrat Mark Kelly, despite there being no way for her to win the race, even if 100% of estimated remaining votes were cast for her.
Republicans and the Trump campaign, though, are pursuing other challenges in an attempt to increase the president’s vote share.
[Follow here for complete election lawsuits coverage]
A Trump campaign lawsuit accuses election workers at in-person polling places of improperly directing or causing some voters in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, to press a button that caused those votes to not be counted. The thinking behind the move is that if successful, the case could increase the number of votes for Trump. A court hearing for the case is taking place on Thursday.
Arizona State Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, asked Arizona's Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to authorize an independent review of the voting machines used in the case. Hobbs denied that request.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-12--Trump ready to plot way out of White House as he ponders defeat

Aides and advisers to President Trump believe he has accepted that he is unlikely to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s election victory and will begin to plot life after the White House , including a 2024 run , once his campaign had exhausted all its lawsuits .
Multiple sources said it was vital to highlight failures in the electoral system in order to ensure its integrity in the future but that the president and his team understood that the overall result was unlikely to change .
Meanwhile , speculation about a 2024 run has become something that the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Oval Office , said a source close to the White House .
“ The president has every legal right to bring whatever cases he has to the courts and follow the legal path , which is what you are supposed to do if you have an issue with an election , ” the person said .
“ I suspect that once those cases are heard and adjudicated , and once we get through the Georgia recount , that the president will begin the public off-ramp.
” Trump has broken with convention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to concede the election to Biden , who was projected to be the winner by multiple media organizations on Saturday .
Instead , he has kept up a steady stream of Twitter commentary , highlighting allegations of what he claims are examples of election malpractice .
`` You are looking at BALLOTS !
Is this what our Country has come to ? ''
asked Trump , posting a video that supporters claimed showed ballot workers collecting votes after the cut-off date — but which actually showed the transfer of papers from boxes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accordance with best practice .
Opponents have claimed his approach threatens an illegal grab , while his campaign says that he has always promised to accept the result of a free and fair campaign .
Some advisers continue to believe that challenges in battleground states and a recount in Georgia will shift results in the president ’ s favor .
But a more skeptical source close to the White House said that the end of the recount on Nov. 20 would be taken as the “ beginning of the end ” and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much a concession as a grudging acknowledgment of a President Biden , ” said the figure .
Instead , the legal and PR push is really about engaging Trump 's base , allowing the president to maintain that Biden ’ s win is illegitimate , keeping up pressure ahead of crucial runoffs in Georgia that could determine control of the Senate , and preparing for life after the White House in terms of another run in 2024 .
Sam Nunberg , whose experience at the heart of the 2016 campaign means he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s next move , said that the president would have won the election but for the impact of COVID-19 — including , among other things , the widespread use of mail-in ballots .
“ Was there outright fraud or incompetence ?
There were certainly errors .
This has long-term ramifications for the Republican Party that need to be fixed , ” he said .
“ What is the ultimate endgame ?
Donald Trump ’ s reelection in 2024 . ''
Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh declined to comment on a future run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted for President Trump , and they deserve to know that the election was fair and secure and so does everyone who voted for Joe Biden , ” he said .
“ The president has always said he would accept the results of a free and fair election .
The goal is to make sure legal votes are counted and illegal votes are discarded , not only for this election , but for every election in the future .
”

Aides and advisers to President Trump believe he has accepted that he is unlikely to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory and will begin to plot life after the White House, including a 2024 run, once his campaign had exhausted all its lawsuits.
Multiple sources said it was vital to highlight failures in the electoral system in order to ensure its integrity in the future but that the president and his team understood that the overall result was unlikely to change.
Meanwhile, speculation about a 2024 run has become something that the president now talks about openly with visitors to the Oval Office, said a source close to the White House.
“The president has every legal right to bring whatever cases he has to the courts and follow the legal path, which is what you are supposed to do if you have an issue with an election,” the person said.
“I suspect that once those cases are heard and adjudicated, and once we get through the Georgia recount, that the president will begin the public off-ramp.”
Trump has broken with convention, and so far, he has refused to concede the election to Biden, who was projected to be the winner by multiple media organizations on Saturday.
Instead, he has kept up a steady stream of Twitter commentary, highlighting allegations of what he claims are examples of election malpractice.
"You are looking at BALLOTS! Is this what our Country has come to?" asked Trump, posting a video that supporters claimed showed ballot workers collecting votes after the cutoff date — but that actually showed the transfer of papers from boxes to bags within the time limit and in accordance with best practices.
You are looking at BALLOTS! Is this what our Country has come to? pic.twitter.com/cI2ZTItqUi — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 11, 2020
Opponents have claimed his approach threatens an illegal grab, while his campaign says that he has always promised to accept the result of a free and fair campaign.
Some advisers continue to believe that challenges in battleground states and a recount in Georgia will shift results in the president’s favor.
But a more skeptical source close to the White House said that the end of the recount on Nov. 20 would be taken as the “beginning of the end” and the start of a transition.
“Not so much a concession as a grudging acknowledgment of a President Biden,” said the figure.
Instead, the legal and PR push is really about engaging Trump's base, allowing the president to maintain that Biden’s win is illegitimate, keeping up pressure ahead of crucial runoffs in Georgia that could determine control of the Senate, and preparing for life after the White House in terms of another run in 2024.
Sam Nunberg, whose experience at the heart of the 2016 campaign means he has frequently been able to predict Trump’s next move, said that the president would have won the election but for the impact of COVID-19 — including, among other things, the widespread use of mail-in ballots.
“Was there outright fraud or incompetence? There were certainly errors. This has long-term ramifications for the Republican Party that need to be fixed,” he said. “What is the ultimate endgame? Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024."
Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh declined to comment on a future run.
“More than 72 million Americans voted for President Trump, and they deserve to know that the election was fair and secure and so does everyone who voted for Joe Biden,” he said. “The president has always said he would accept the results of a free and fair election. The goal is to make sure legal votes are counted and illegal votes are discarded, not only for this election, but for every election in the future.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-12--No, the election was not a 'referendum' against the wall nor about Trump's immigration policies

It 's hard to believe , but once upon a time , immigration was a subject that President Trump dominated .
It even won him what was believed by everyone but Republican and independent voters to be a ridiculous run for the White House .
In 2020 , though , Trump rarely made a peep about his most potent issue , the one that inspired a slogan chanted by hundreds of thousands of his supporters at rallies across the country : `` Build .
The .
Wall ! ''
No , though Trump 's administration had spent his term building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the southern border , slowed down the thousands of bogus asylum claims coming up from Central America , and cut the immigration growth rate by two-thirds , Trump was n't so interested in talking up his success in that area .
He chose instead to spend the campaign defending his handling of the pandemic ( an argument that he could never win , even if he 's right ) and grieving over the `` WITCH HUNT '' impeachment and `` ILLEGAL '' spying on his campaign .
Immigration came up in neither of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's strange to see Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas say that the election , which Joe Biden appears to have won , `` was a referendum on the wall . ''
How would he figure ?
No one has talked about the wall since last year .
Some polls throughout Trump 's term went from showing strong support for his positions on immigration to opposing them .
But as we just saw in the election , polls always , always , always discount anything attached to Trump — by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or his positions simply do n't want to be associated with him .
It does n't matter now .
Even if the voters support getting a grip on our jungle of an immigration system , they chose Biden , who plans to halt the construction of more border wall and undo the executive actions Trump enacted to stop migrant caravans from invading the country .
A Biden victory was a referendum on Trump .
It was n't about the wall .

It's hard to believe, but once upon a time, immigration was a subject that President Trump dominated. It even won him what was believed by everyone but Republican and independent voters to be a ridiculous run for the White House.
In 2020, though, Trump rarely made a peep about his most potent issue, the one that inspired a slogan chanted by hundreds of thousands of his supporters at rallies across the country: "Build. The. Wall!"
No, though Trump's administration had spent his term building hundreds of miles of new walls on the southern border, slowed down the thousands of bogus asylum claims coming up from Central America, and cut the immigration growth rate by two-thirds, Trump wasn't so interested in talking up his success in that area. He chose instead to spend the campaign defending his handling of the pandemic (an argument that he could never win, even if he's right) and grieving over the "WITCH HUNT" impeachment and "ILLEGAL" spying on his campaign.
Immigration came up in neither of the presidential debates.
That being said, it's strange to see Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas say that the election, which Joe Biden appears to have won, "was a referendum on the wall."
How would he figure? No one has talked about the wall since last year.
Some polls throughout Trump's term went from showing strong support for his positions on immigration to opposing them. But as we just saw in the election, polls always, always, always discount anything attached to Trump — by a lot.
People who support the president or his positions simply don't want to be associated with him.
It doesn't matter now. Even if the voters support getting a grip on our jungle of an immigration system, they chose Biden, who plans to halt the construction of more border wall and undo the executive actions Trump enacted to stop migrant caravans from invading the country.
A Biden victory was a referendum on Trump. It wasn't about the wall.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-12--Trump backs Ronna McDaniel in power play for RNC control post-presidency

President Trump is moving to maintain command and control of the Republican National Committee after he leaves the White House by endorsing Ronna McDaniel for a third term as chairwoman .
The RNC traditionally operates independently without a Republican in the White House , in part to fulfill its role as a neutral organizer of the presidential primary .
But Republican insiders said Trump ’ s decision to back McDaniel for another term as RNC chairwoman is a clear play to retain an iron grip on the committee after his term gives way to President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2024 bid , and power over the RNC and influence with the national party ’ s state affiliates could give him a distinct advantage over opponents in the next primary .
Sources confirmed Thursday that McDaniel plans to seek another two years atop the RNC when the committee convenes for leadership elections early next year .
“ Donald Trump is going to be a force in the Republican Party , and the politics of the nation , as long as he wants to be , ” said Charlie Gerow , a Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former chairman of the California GOP , said McDaniel has earned another term , regardless of the motivations behind Trump 's endorsement .
`` Ronna is highly regarded by almost every member the RNC , '' he said .
`` She was a [ Michigan ] party chair , so she knows what state parties struggle with and what state parties need to do to help their candidates be successful . ''
Trump has not conceded to Biden , claiming massive voter fraud and ballot malfeasance , with the RNC fighting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s long-shot attempt to overturn the election results .
That effort is proceeding with the broad approval of the 168 voting members who will elect the next RNC chairman , effectively muting any concern some of them might have about the lengths Trump is going to keep the committee under his thumb post-presidency .
To the extent RNC members are looking ahead , they appear to be roughly divided into three camps .
The first group is worried about Trump ’ s plan to commandeer the RNC and turn it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written to grease his renomination — as it naturally functioned for him in 2020 and for previous Republican incumbents in their reelection campaigns .
They are committed to the RNC holding a traditional open primary that would welcome Trump but also facilitate the participation of a new batch of presidential contenders in 2024 .
“ This is totally [ messed ] up , ” a veteran Republican operative said .
“ Someone has to take [ McDaniel ] on and challenge his stranglehold on the party.
” Among the other two camps of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least for the moment .
The other is enthusiastically pro-Trump and would welcome his deep involvement .
They point to the coattails Trump ’ s candidacy provided down-ballot Republicans and the substantial gains the president made with non-white voters .
With votes still being tallied nationwide , Trump will have received the second-most in American presidential history behind Biden — and the highest ever for a GOP nominee .
This camp could wield significant influence .
Over the past four years , the Trump campaign worked hard to elect Republican activists loyal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 168 voting members of the RNC .
Some Republican insiders say too much significance is being placed on Trump ’ s swift endorsement of McDaniel , which came before she publicly announced her candidacy .
Trump could end up less interested in the day-to-day operations of the committee once he leaves the White House , even if his current plan is to exert control .
It also is possible that RNC members will take care to preserve the party ’ s independence from Trump , or any potential 2024 candidate , once the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door to reelection is closed , a development that might be sped along by the emergence of GOP White House hopefuls .
“ He will have significant influence depending on the role he will want to play , ” said Saul Anuzis , a former RNC member from Michigan .
“ As other presidential contenders emerge , his influence over the committee will decrease .
”

President Trump is moving to maintain command and control of the Republican National Committee after he leaves the White House by endorsing Ronna McDaniel for a third term as chairwoman.
The RNC traditionally operates independently without a Republican in the White House, in part to fulfill its role as a neutral organizer of the presidential primary. But Republican insiders said Trump’s decision to back McDaniel for another term as RNC chairwoman is a clear play to retain an iron grip on the committee after his term gives way to President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.
The president has not ruled out a 2024 bid, and power over the RNC and influence with the national party’s state affiliates could give him a distinct advantage over opponents in the next primary. Sources confirmed Thursday that McDaniel plans to seek another two years atop the RNC when the committee convenes for leadership elections early next year.
“Donald Trump is going to be a force in the Republican Party, and the politics of the nation, as long as he wants to be,” said Charlie Gerow, a Republican operative in Pennsylvania.
Jim Brulte, the former chairman of the California GOP, said McDaniel has earned another term, regardless of the motivations behind Trump's endorsement. "Ronna is highly regarded by almost every member the RNC," he said. "She was a [Michigan] party chair, so she knows what state parties struggle with and what state parties need to do to help their candidates be successful."
Trump has not conceded to Biden, claiming massive voter fraud and ballot malfeasance, with the RNC fighting in court in several states in support of the president’s long-shot attempt to overturn the election results. That effort is proceeding with the broad approval of the 168 voting members who will elect the next RNC chairman, effectively muting any concern some of them might have about the lengths Trump is going to keep the committee under his thumb post-presidency.
To the extent RNC members are looking ahead, they appear to be roughly divided into three camps.
The first group is worried about Trump’s plan to commandeer the RNC and turn it into his personal political committee with rules written to grease his renomination — as it naturally functioned for him in 2020 and for previous Republican incumbents in their reelection campaigns. They are committed to the RNC holding a traditional open primary that would welcome Trump but also facilitate the participation of a new batch of presidential contenders in 2024.
“This is totally [messed] up,” a veteran Republican operative said. “Someone has to take [McDaniel] on and challenge his stranglehold on the party.”
Among the other two camps of RNC members, one is ambivalent, at least for the moment.
The other is enthusiastically pro-Trump and would welcome his deep involvement. They point to the coattails Trump’s candidacy provided down-ballot Republicans and the substantial gains the president made with non-white voters. With votes still being tallied nationwide, Trump will have received the second-most in American presidential history behind Biden — and the highest ever for a GOP nominee.
This camp could wield significant influence. Over the past four years, the Trump campaign worked hard to elect Republican activists loyal to the president to the group of 168 voting members of the RNC.
Some Republican insiders say too much significance is being placed on Trump’s swift endorsement of McDaniel, which came before she publicly announced her candidacy.
Trump could end up less interested in the day-to-day operations of the committee once he leaves the White House, even if his current plan is to exert control. It also is possible that RNC members will take care to preserve the party’s independence from Trump, or any potential 2024 candidate, once the president signals that he has accepted that the door to reelection is closed, a development that might be sped along by the emergence of GOP White House hopefuls.
“He will have significant influence depending on the role he will want to play,” said Saul Anuzis, a former RNC member from Michigan. “As other presidential contenders emerge, his influence over the committee will decrease.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--'Dangerous path': Obama chides Republicans for 'humoring' Trump's election complaints

Former President Barack Obama scolded Republican leaders for entertaining President Trump 's legal challenges to last week 's election .
Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden as he awaits the outcomes of lawsuits filed in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , and Pennsylvania over the results .
`` They appear to be motivated , in part , because the president does n't like to lose and never admits loss , '' Obama told CBS News on Thursday .
`` I 'm more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials , who clearly know better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are humoring him in this fashion . ''
Obama described Republican kowtowing as delegitimatizing `` not just the incoming Biden administration , but democracy generally . ''
`` And that 's a dangerous path , '' he said .
Obama sat down with CBS to promote the first installment of his forthcoming two-part post-presidency memoir .
A Promised Land is due to be released on Tuesday .
In excerpts circulated Thursday , Obama bluntly links his historic 2008 election to a rise in racial hostility around the country , a sentiment he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if my very presence in the White House had triggered a deep-seated panic , a sense that the natural order had been disrupted , '' Obama writes .
Only a handful of Republican senators have publicly congratulated Biden for securing 270 electoral votes last weekend .
More GOP governors , including Ohio .
Gov .
Mike DeWine , have encouraged others to refer to the two-term vice president as the next commander in chief .
Trump 's legal complaints touch on issues such as extended voter deadlines and transparency while ballots were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the General Services Administration has declined to sign the paperwork required to start an official transition .
Republican senators have indicated Trump 's reticence to concede should n't stop Biden from receiving a presidential daily intelligence briefing .
Ignoring the political drama , Biden transition staffers have moved forward with preparations for a peaceful transfer of power .
The incoming 46th president-elect named a White House chief of staff , longtime adviser Ron Klain , late Wednesday .

Former President Barack Obama scolded Republican leaders for entertaining President Trump's legal challenges to last week's election.
Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden as he awaits the outcomes of lawsuits filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania over the results.
"They appear to be motivated, in part, because the president doesn't like to lose and never admits loss," Obama told CBS News on Thursday. "I'm more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials, who clearly know better, are going along with this, are humoring him in this fashion."
Obama described Republican kowtowing as delegitimatizing "not just the incoming Biden administration, but democracy generally."
"And that's a dangerous path," he said.
Obama sat down with CBS to promote the first installment of his forthcoming two-part post-presidency memoir. A Promised Land is due to be released on Tuesday.
In excerpts circulated Thursday, Obama bluntly links his historic 2008 election to a rise in racial hostility around the country, a sentiment he said Trump tapped into.
"It was as if my very presence in the White House had triggered a deep-seated panic, a sense that the natural order had been disrupted," Obama writes.
Only a handful of Republican senators have publicly congratulated Biden for securing 270 electoral votes last weekend. More GOP governors, including Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine, have encouraged others to refer to the two-term vice president as the next commander in chief.
Trump's legal complaints touch on issues such as extended voter deadlines and transparency while ballots were counted.
The Trump appointee who heads the General Services Administration has declined to sign the paperwork required to start an official transition. Republican senators have indicated Trump's reticence to concede shouldn't stop Biden from receiving a presidential daily intelligence briefing.
Ignoring the political drama, Biden transition staffers have moved forward with preparations for a peaceful transfer of power. The incoming 46th president-elect named a White House chief of staff, longtime adviser Ron Klain, late Wednesday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--Florida now a Republican state

Florida now a Republican state

Florida , Florida , Florida is a thing of the past .
Twenty years ago at this time , the Sunshine State was the center of the political universe as the 36-day tussle over ballots and hanging chads left Republican Texas Gov .
George W. Bush the winner over Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes out of nearly 6 million cast .
And since then , the state has seen a series of nail-biting statewide races .
But this year , President Trump defied poor polling to dispatch President-elect Joe Biden quickly in Florida , an electoral treasure trove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied Biden the opportunity to run-up his margin and cancel out the president 's popularity elsewhere in the state , earning Trump the state 's 29 votes in the Electoral College .
Trump 's repeat win in Florida perpetuates an emerging Republican trend in the state .
And it 's a trend that has prompted concerns that Florida is slipping away from Democrats , at least for the foreseeable future .
Though Trump won Florida by only 3 percentage points this cycle , he built on the momentum he created when he defeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage point four years ago .
This year , Florida was also about 3.5 points more Republican compared to the national popular vote as it stands on Thursday .
In 2016 , the state was roughly 3 points more Republican than the popular vote .
And while former President Barack Obama won Florida by 1 point in 2012 and 3 points in 2008 , the state was 1 point and 2 points more Republican than the popular vote , respectively .
Republicans have n't shied away from the shift .
University of Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's first Florida win was propelled by higher-than-expected turnout among white voters .
And between 2016 and last week , Florida Republicans hustled to register more than 100,000 people relative to the Democrats , who still lead the statewide registration race by 1 point .
But Jewett remembered , too , similar conversations after Obama 's consecutive wins .
Those victories stirred projections that Florida would become more diverse , bolstering Democrats .
That boon never materialized .
`` Florida has grown by 2-3 million people a decade since World War II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` We may see a bigger surge in people of color yet , and Democrats may be able to take advantage of that .
But maybe not as Republicans may continue to craft effective strategies and messages to attract more of those voters and outspend Democrats getting their message out . ''
Although hopeful Democrats point to Florida 's history of close races , it 's been a conservative stronghold for those seeking statewide office for more than a decade , according to Florida State University political science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida has had a Republican governor and a GOP-controlled statehouse since 1999 .
And the only sitting statewide Democrat is Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried after Republican Sen. Rick Scott ousted Democratic rival Bill Nelson in 2018 .
`` In 2020 , Democrats lost two congressional seats , five state House seats , and maybe a state Senate seat , '' she said .
National interest and outside money have made the presidential races more competitive than in the past , Weissert reasoned .
She agreed Republicans were particularly skilled at targeting different blocs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , charter school parents , and anti-abortion voters .
And they were organizing on the ground last spring and summer .
Democrats did n't because of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` By the time the Democrats got back in play in person , the Republicans had sold their message very effectively , so it was too little too late , '' she said .
Weissert contrasted Florida with Georgia , a state that tilted Democratic this cycle thanks , in part , to 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams 's group Fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting rights .
For Weissert , 2018 Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum 's registration push through Forward Florida Action was n't as successful before it got sidelined due to Gillum 's personal issues .
`` Florida really is a red state and will likely stay that way until we get a Stacey Abrams-type movement and better leadership in the party , '' she continued .
University of South Florida communications professor Joshua Scacco warned that the state 's Republican expansion may be linked to Trump 's rural and exurban voter appeal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ featured on the ticket , Florida was more Republican than the country as a whole .
`` Democratic presidential campaigns going forward will need to continue to weigh the cost of competing in the state with the slight Republican lean in the past few elections , '' he argued , especially given its 10 expensive media markets .
Part of that calculus will include trying to notch down-ballot victories , `` knowing that the state may be tough to win in the aggregate , '' Scacco said .
`` This does not mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disregard the state in the future , '' he contended .
`` With a growing population and influence both electorally and in Congress , no party or candidate can afford to leave Florida uncontested in an election . ''

Florida, Florida, Florida is a thing of the past.
Twenty years ago at this time, the Sunshine State was the center of the political universe as the 36-day tussle over ballots and hanging chads left Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush the winner over Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes out of nearly 6 million cast. And since then, the state has seen a series of nail-biting statewide races.
But this year, President Trump defied poor polling to dispatch President-elect Joe Biden quickly in Florida, an electoral treasure trove.
Trump's overperformance in South Florida denied Biden the opportunity to run-up his margin and cancel out the president's popularity elsewhere in the state, earning Trump the state's 29 votes in the Electoral College.
Trump's repeat win in Florida perpetuates an emerging Republican trend in the state. And it's a trend that has prompted concerns that Florida is slipping away from Democrats, at least for the foreseeable future.
Though Trump won Florida by only 3 percentage points this cycle, he built on the momentum he created when he defeated Hillary Clinton in the state by 1 percentage point four years ago. This year, Florida was also about 3.5 points more Republican compared to the national popular vote as it stands on Thursday. In 2016, the state was roughly 3 points more Republican than the popular vote.
And while former President Barack Obama won Florida by 1 point in 2012 and 3 points in 2008, the state was 1 point and 2 points more Republican than the popular vote, respectively.
Republicans haven't shied away from the shift.
University of Central Florida politics professor Aubrey Jewett recalled how Trump's first Florida win was propelled by higher-than-expected turnout among white voters. And between 2016 and last week, Florida Republicans hustled to register more than 100,000 people relative to the Democrats, who still lead the statewide registration race by 1 point.
But Jewett remembered, too, similar conversations after Obama's consecutive wins. Those victories stirred projections that Florida would become more diverse, bolstering Democrats. That boon never materialized.
"Florida has grown by 2-3 million people a decade since World War II and is expected to continue that growth," he said. "We may see a bigger surge in people of color yet, and Democrats may be able to take advantage of that. But maybe not as Republicans may continue to craft effective strategies and messages to attract more of those voters and outspend Democrats getting their message out."
Although hopeful Democrats point to Florida's history of close races, it's been a conservative stronghold for those seeking statewide office for more than a decade, according to Florida State University political science professor Carol Weissert.
Weissert explained that Florida has had a Republican governor and a GOP-controlled statehouse since 1999. And the only sitting statewide Democrat is Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried after Republican Sen. Rick Scott ousted Democratic rival Bill Nelson in 2018.
"In 2020, Democrats lost two congressional seats, five state House seats, and maybe a state Senate seat," she said.
National interest and outside money have made the presidential races more competitive than in the past, Weissert reasoned.
She agreed Republicans were particularly skilled at targeting different blocs, such as segments of the Hispanic community, charter school parents, and anti-abortion voters. And they were organizing on the ground last spring and summer. Democrats didn't because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"By the time the Democrats got back in play in person, the Republicans had sold their message very effectively, so it was too little too late," she said.
Weissert contrasted Florida with Georgia, a state that tilted Democratic this cycle thanks, in part, to 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams's group Fair Fight Action and its work investing in voting rights. For Weissert, 2018 Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum's registration push through Forward Florida Action wasn't as successful before it got sidelined due to Gillum's personal issues.
"Florida really is a red state and will likely stay that way until we get a Stacey Abrams-type movement and better leadership in the party," she continued.
University of South Florida communications professor Joshua Scacco warned that the state's Republican expansion may be linked to Trump's rural and exurban voter appeal. But he said that even when Obama featured on the ticket, Florida was more Republican than the country as a whole.
"Democratic presidential campaigns going forward will need to continue to weigh the cost of competing in the state with the slight Republican lean in the past few elections," he argued, especially given its 10 expensive media markets.
Part of that calculus will include trying to notch down-ballot victories, "knowing that the state may be tough to win in the aggregate," Scacco said.
"This does not mean that national party efforts and candidates will disregard the state in the future," he contended. "With a growing population and influence both electorally and in Congress, no party or candidate can afford to leave Florida uncontested in an election."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--Exclusive: Trump voter hotline bombarded by cyberattacks and crank calls

The voter fraud hotline and website set up by President Trump 's campaign is under siege from prank callers and denial of service attacks , individuals familiar with the project tell the Washington Examiner .
Shortly following Election Day , the Trump campaign opened up a sprawling anti-fraud initiative based out of offices in Virginia , including a 1-800 number and an online form for members of the public to report allegations of voter fraud .
But since the initiative 's inception , volunteers and employees have been the target of constant harassment , so much so that some who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on the project at all .
On Saturday , one volunteer said the website constantly crashed due to cyberattacks on the voter fraud allegation submission page .
When that same individual was on phone line duty , he said that most of the calls he fielded were from Biden supporters making `` demonic '' threats .
`` They were saying things like they hoped my family got raped and killed , '' one volunteer told the Washington Examiner .
`` It was hard to keep volunteers in that environment . ''
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the phone line and the website have resulted in follow-up investigations from Rudy Giuliani and his associates , although this source expressed concern that the campaign did not have enough resources to look into every claim that came forward to the campaign .
Trolling the Trump campaign 's fraud reporting service has become a running joke of sorts for teenagers on social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter .
Late-night comedian John Oliver instructed his viewers on Sunday to submit pictures of rats engaging in intercourse .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Trump campaign straight away , ” Oliver said on his show Last Week Tonight .
The constant disruptions have been a source of anxiety for some working on the GOP effort , with many volunteers opting not to return back after their first day .
`` Staffers did n't want any of this mentioned .
Seems like they 're trying to not project what a shitshow it is , '' said one individual .
`` Just bizarre . ''
Publicly , Trump officials say the effort to sniff out fraud has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Giuliani following up on the most serious allegations .
“ Our voter fraud reporting hotline is still receiving thousands of calls every day , and we are averaging just over 15,000 reports per day since the call center ’ s creation , '' said Trump campaign Deputy National Press Secretary Courtney Parella in a statement .
`` The majority of these calls are from concerned citizens reporting irregularities and voter intimidation within the electoral process .
Campaign staff and volunteers will continue to staff the call center as we keep fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
”

The voter fraud hotline and website set up by President Trump's campaign is under siege from prank callers and denial of service attacks, individuals familiar with the project tell the Washington Examiner.
Shortly following Election Day, the Trump campaign opened up a sprawling anti-fraud initiative based out of offices in Virginia, including a 1-800 number and an online form for members of the public to report allegations of voter fraud.
But since the initiative's inception, volunteers and employees have been the target of constant harassment, so much so that some who work there say it's impossible to work on the project at all.
On Saturday, one volunteer said the website constantly crashed due to cyberattacks on the voter fraud allegation submission page. When that same individual was on phone line duty, he said that most of the calls he fielded were from Biden supporters making "demonic" threats.
"They were saying things like they hoped my family got raped and killed," one volunteer told the Washington Examiner. "It was hard to keep volunteers in that environment."
One individual said a number of tips from both the phone line and the website have resulted in follow-up investigations from Rudy Giuliani and his associates, although this source expressed concern that the campaign did not have enough resources to look into every claim that came forward to the campaign.
Trolling the Trump campaign's fraud reporting service has become a running joke of sorts for teenagers on social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. Late-night comedian John Oliver instructed his viewers on Sunday to submit pictures of rats engaging in intercourse.
“It’s simply your patriotic duty to send them to the Trump campaign straight away,” Oliver said on his show Last Week Tonight.
The constant disruptions have been a source of anxiety for some working on the GOP effort, with many volunteers opting not to return back after their first day.
"Staffers didn't want any of this mentioned. Seems like they're trying to not project what a shitshow it is," said one individual. "Just bizarre."
Publicly, Trump officials say the effort to sniff out fraud has been a roaring success, with individuals such as Giuliani following up on the most serious allegations.
“Our voter fraud reporting hotline is still receiving thousands of calls every day, and we are averaging just over 15,000 reports per day since the call center’s creation," said Trump campaign Deputy National Press Secretary Courtney Parella in a statement. "The majority of these calls are from concerned citizens reporting irregularities and voter intimidation within the electoral process. Campaign staff and volunteers will continue to staff the call center as we keep fighting for a free and fair election for all.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-13--2020 results set Republicans up for success in 2022 and beyond

Despite the presidential race being called for Democrat Joe Biden , November ’ s elections set up Republicans well for 2022 and beyond .
President Trump remained competitive enough in the battleground states to help down-ballot Republicans across the finish line .
In other cases , Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine were able to run well ahead of Trump to defy pollsters and hold onto their seats .
`` Republicans might not be happy over the presidential election , but we are poised to take back the House and are likely going to do very well with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bonjean .
“ Additionally , the party was able to attract a sizable amount of Hispanic and Latino voters as well . ''
The party is within a January Georgia double runoff of retaining the Senate , keeping Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in charge for at least the first two years of an anticipated Biden administration .
But the GOP also gained seats in the House , reducing the Democratic majority to just 219 to 202 with over a dozen races still uncalled .
This puts Republicans in a potentially good position to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a typical midterm election year when the White House is in a first-term Democrat ’ s hands .
Republicans gained 54 seats in 1994 , Bill Clinton ’ s first midterm election , and 63 seats in the House in 2010 , Barack Obama ’ s first .
Both elections were more than enough to flip the House to GOP control — in Clinton ’ s case , for the first time since the 1950s under Dwight Eisenhower .
Clinton and Obama were both elected by larger margins than Biden and entered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it is the Republicans ’ state legislative gains that could pay the longest-term dividends for the party , especially when it comes to congressional redistricting .
Democrats failed to pick up a single state legislative chamber this year .
Next year , states will apply the new census data to redraw congressional districts across the country .
Republicans retained their majorities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , which emerged as swing states in the Trump era .
The third Rust Belt battleground , Michigan , voted in 2018 to turn over redistricting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still contesting this on state constitutional grounds .
In Florida , Georgia , Texas , Ohio , Iowa , North Carolina , and Kansas , Democrats are effectively going to be shut out of this process .
Not only did Democrats fail to turn Texas blue at the presidential level , but they did not win a single House seat that they were trying to add in the state .
Democrats hold only 11 of Florida ’ s 27 congressional seats even before the maps will be redrawn by the GOP-controlled legislature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All this makes Republicans optimistic about life after Trump , although not complacent .
“ The Republicans are well positioned to take back the majority in the House , but it will be a real fight to keep the Senate , given the map that they face in 2022 , ” said Republican strategist John Feehery .
“ But with that potential comes great risk.
” One risk is that there might not be life after Trump , which complicates the midterm election picture .
The president is still contesting the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way for one or more Bush v. Gore-style Supreme Court rulings , and hasn ’ t conceded the race .
Even if he leaves the White House , he may not depart the political scene .
Trump has a huge Twitter megaphone , could wind up being a regular voice on television , and he may even run again in 2024 .
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll earlier this month that nearly half of voters wanted Trump to leave politics entirely if he lost the election , although this sentiment was not as strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Donald Trump promises to be a larger-than-life presence and could cast a huge shadow on the election .
For Republicans in the House and the Senate , they have to offer the voters a coordinated agenda that resonates with both the Trump voter ( those who love Trump but do n't love the GOP ) and the establishment Republicans ( those who hate Trump but typically vote Republican ) , ” Feehery said .
“ Navigating the issue set of when to cooperate with the Biden administration and when to confront its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats may not have the votes to eliminate the legislative filibuster or pack the Supreme Court , as the expected blue wave failed to materialize .
But Biden is likely to rail against Republican attempts to stymie his agenda , as Obama did before him .
“ Republicans do n't want to be accused of being ‘ do-nothing ’ or unnecessarily obstructionist , but at the same token , they do n't want to alienate their base in pursuit of 'good governance , ' '' said Feehery .

Despite the presidential race being called for Democrat Joe Biden, November’s elections set up Republicans well for 2022 and beyond.
President Trump remained competitive enough in the battleground states to help down-ballot Republicans across the finish line. In other cases, Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine were able to run well ahead of Trump to defy pollsters and hold onto their seats.
"Republicans might not be happy over the presidential election, but we are poised to take back the House and are likely going to do very well with redistricting,” said GOP strategist Ron Bonjean. “Additionally, the party was able to attract a sizable amount of Hispanic and Latino voters as well."
The party is within a January Georgia double runoff of retaining the Senate, keeping Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in charge for at least the first two years of an anticipated Biden administration. But the GOP also gained seats in the House, reducing the Democratic majority to just 219 to 202 with over a dozen races still uncalled.
This puts Republicans in a potentially good position to regain the speaker’s gavel in a typical midterm election year when the White House is in a first-term Democrat’s hands. Republicans gained 54 seats in 1994, Bill Clinton’s first midterm election, and 63 seats in the House in 2010, Barack Obama’s first.
Both elections were more than enough to flip the House to GOP control — in Clinton’s case, for the first time since the 1950s under Dwight Eisenhower. Clinton and Obama were both elected by larger margins than Biden and entered the White House boasting bigger congressional majorities.
But it is the Republicans’ state legislative gains that could pay the longest-term dividends for the party, especially when it comes to congressional redistricting. Democrats failed to pick up a single state legislative chamber this year.
Next year, states will apply the new census data to redraw congressional districts across the country. Republicans retained their majorities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which emerged as swing states in the Trump era. The third Rust Belt battleground, Michigan, voted in 2018 to turn over redistricting to an independent commission, though Republicans are still contesting this on state constitutional grounds.
In Florida, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina, and Kansas, Democrats are effectively going to be shut out of this process. Not only did Democrats fail to turn Texas blue at the presidential level, but they did not win a single House seat that they were trying to add in the state. Democrats hold only 11 of Florida’s 27 congressional seats even before the maps will be redrawn by the GOP-controlled legislature. North Carolina strengthened its Republican legislative majorities.
All this makes Republicans optimistic about life after Trump, although not complacent.
“The Republicans are well positioned to take back the majority in the House, but it will be a real fight to keep the Senate, given the map that they face in 2022,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “But with that potential comes great risk.”
One risk is that there might not be life after Trump, which complicates the midterm election picture. The president is still contesting the results in multiple states, possibly paving the way for one or more Bush v. Gore-style Supreme Court rulings, and hasn’t conceded the race. Even if he leaves the White House, he may not depart the political scene. Trump has a huge Twitter megaphone, could wind up being a regular voice on television, and he may even run again in 2024.
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll earlier this month found that nearly half of voters wanted Trump to leave politics entirely if he lost the election, although this sentiment was not as strong among Republicans as Democrats and independents.
“Donald Trump promises to be a larger-than-life presence and could cast a huge shadow on the election. For Republicans in the House and the Senate, they have to offer the voters a coordinated agenda that resonates with both the Trump voter (those who love Trump but don't love the GOP) and the establishment Republicans (those who hate Trump but typically vote Republican),” Feehery said. “Navigating the issue set of when to cooperate with the Biden administration and when to confront its worse excesses will be a challenge.”
Democrats may not have the votes to eliminate the legislative filibuster or pack the Supreme Court, as the expected blue wave failed to materialize. But Biden is likely to rail against Republican attempts to stymie his agenda, as Obama did before him.
“Republicans don't want to be accused of being ‘do-nothing’ or unnecessarily obstructionist, but at the same token, they don't want to alienate their base in pursuit of 'good governance,'" said Feehery.