thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-06--'We won Georgia': Trump declares election victory as he stumps for runoff candidates

President Trump on Saturday took to the stage for the first time since losing to Joe Biden to declare emphatically that he won the election , in particular the state of Georgia , and demanded the Peach State 's governor get tougher .
But he also allayed the fears of some Republicans and took time to praise Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler , who are in crucial runoff races that will determine which party takes control of the U.S. Senate in January .
Trump , alongside his wife Melania , spoke in Valdosta , Georgia .
He told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who chanted `` stop the steal , '' `` four more years , '' and `` we love you '' after waiting hours to hear him , to go out and vote for the Republican candidates in the `` most important congressional runoff , probably in American history . ''
Republicans need just one victory to maintain their Senate majority .
Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and have Vice President-elect Kamala Harris be the tiebreaker .
Though Trump was in Georgia to stump for Loeffler and Perdue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on stage airing his own grievances with the election .
“ You know we won Georgia , just so you understand , ” Trump told the large crowd gathered for his first post-election rally .
He used the spotlight to claim defiantly that Democrats cheated and `` rigged '' the 2020 election , that he had won all of the swing states , and that he had `` won them all by a lot . ''
Trump won Florida and Ohio , but Biden secured the swing states of Pennsylvania , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At one point , Trump said if he had lost , he 'd be `` a very gracious loser '' and go on vacation .
At the beginning of the speech , Trump read a list of his electoral achievements but returned to the central theme that he had bested Biden and unfairly been declared the loser .
Trump said he refused to concede , though his own attorney general said earlier this week that the 2020 presidential election had been conducted without any instances of widespread voter fraud .
On a rumored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopefully , I wo n't have to be a candidate . ''
Ahead of Saturday 's event , Trump called Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp to press him to overturn Biden 's win and to order an audit of absentee ballot signatures .
He also wanted Kemp to call a special session of the state legislature to get lawmakers to override the results and appoint electors that would back him instead of Biden , the Washington Post reported , a brazen move that has made some Republicans nervous .
Biden won Georgia by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast , the slimmest margin of victory out of the battleground states .
State GOP leaders initially turned to Trump right after the election to rally his Georgia base into coming out to vote for Loeffler and Perdue in the runoff election .
However , Trump has instead slammed the state and its Republican leadership for `` allowing '' a rigged election to go unchallenged .
His hostile tweets in which he called Kemp `` hapless '' and criticized the lieutenant governor and secretary of state had some wondering whether the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republicans worried that if Trump continues to push his baseless theory that the system is rigged , his supporters will decide to sit out the two Jan. 5 races .
`` I think the voters very much support the president , '' McDaniel said on Fox News .
`` I think they 're concerned with the state and how they administered the election , '' she said , adding , `` However , they want to make sure we keep David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in as well , and they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary Kayleigh McEnany also rejected the idea that Trump 's comments would depress turnout and predicted the president 's visit to Valdosta would be `` the start of these two senators crossing the finish line . ''
She added on Fox Business Network that Trump 's base is `` behind him all the way . ''
`` He is the head of the movement , make no mistake , and that will not be changing , '' she said .
Despite her reassurances , the rift between Trump and those he believed wronged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be getting better any time soon .
Just hours before Trump 's visit on Saturday , he once again tweeted his disapproval of Kemp .
`` I will easily & quickly win Georgia if Governor @ BrianKempGA or the Secretary of State permit a simple signature verification , '' he said .
`` Has not been done and will show large scale discrepancies .
Why are these two 'Republicans ' saying no ?
If we win Georgia , everything else falls in place ! ''
Kemp has become Trump 's favorite punching bag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his relationship with the governor in 2018 , when he helped Kemp win the governorship in a tight race against Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams .
Earlier this week , two pro-Trump lawyers questioned whether voting again in the runoff election would be worth it , given claims of widespread voter fraud .
During his visit to Savannah , Georgia , on Friday , Vice President Mike Pence betrayed concerns that the GOP coalition would crack under the force of Trump 's complaints .
`` I know we 've all got our doubts about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of you said , 'Just do n't vote , ' '' Pence said .
`` If you do n't vote , they win . ''

President Trump on Saturday took to the stage for the first time since losing to Joe Biden to declare emphatically that he won the election, in particular the state of Georgia, and demanded the Peach State's governor get tougher.
But he also allayed the fears of some Republicans and took time to praise Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are in crucial runoff races that will determine which party takes control of the U.S. Senate in January.
Trump, alongside his wife Melania, spoke in Valdosta, Georgia. He told a crowd of mostly maskless supporters, who chanted "stop the steal," "four more years," and "we love you" after waiting hours to hear him, to go out and vote for the Republican candidates in the "most important congressional runoff, probably in American history."
Republicans need just one victory to maintain their Senate majority. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and have Vice President-elect Kamala Harris be the tiebreaker.
Trump called Perdue's Democratic rival Jon Ossoff, a "radical left-wing zealot," and Loeffler's opponent Raphael Warnock "a dangerous extremist."
Though Trump was in Georgia to stump for Loeffler and Perdue, he spent the majority of his time on stage airing his own grievances with the election.
“You know we won Georgia, just so you understand,” Trump told the large crowd gathered for his first post-election rally.
.@realDonaldTrump: “You Must go vote, and vote early starting December 14. You have to go do it. They cheated and they rigged our presidential election, but we will still win it. We will still win it.” pic.twitter.com/9Y18AHmihb — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 6, 2020
He used the spotlight to claim defiantly that Democrats cheated and "rigged" the 2020 election, that he had won all of the swing states, and that he had "won them all by a lot." Trump won Florida and Ohio, but Biden secured the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
At one point, Trump said if he had lost, he'd be "a very gracious loser" and go on vacation.
At the beginning of the speech, Trump read a list of his electoral achievements but returned to the central theme that he had bested Biden and unfairly been declared the loser.
Trump said he refused to concede, though his own attorney general said earlier this week that the 2020 presidential election had been conducted without any instances of widespread voter fraud.
On a rumored 2024 run, Trump said, "Hopefully, I won't have to be a candidate."
Ahead of Saturday's event, Trump called Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to press him to overturn Biden's win and to order an audit of absentee ballot signatures.
He also wanted Kemp to call a special session of the state legislature to get lawmakers to override the results and appoint electors that would back him instead of Biden, the Washington Post reported, a brazen move that has made some Republicans nervous. Biden won Georgia by about 12,500 votes out of 5 million cast, the slimmest margin of victory out of the battleground states.
State GOP leaders initially turned to Trump right after the election to rally his Georgia base into coming out to vote for Loeffler and Perdue in the runoff election.
However, Trump has instead slammed the state and its Republican leadership for "allowing" a rigged election to go unchallenged.
His hostile tweets in which he called Kemp "hapless" and criticized the lieutenant governor and secretary of state had some wondering whether the president's visit would help or hurt the cause. Republicans worried that if Trump continues to push his baseless theory that the system is rigged, his supporters will decide to sit out the two Jan. 5 races.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Saturday dismissed those concerns.
"I think the voters very much support the president," McDaniel said on Fox News. "I think they're concerned with the state and how they administered the election," she said, adding, "However, they want to make sure we keep David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in as well, and they can balance both."
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also rejected the idea that Trump's comments would depress turnout and predicted the president's visit to Valdosta would be "the start of these two senators crossing the finish line."
She added on Fox Business Network that Trump's base is "behind him all the way."
"He is the head of the movement, make no mistake, and that will not be changing," she said. Despite her reassurances, the rift between Trump and those he believed wronged him in Georgia doesn't seem to be getting better any time soon.
Just hours before Trump's visit on Saturday, he once again tweeted his disapproval of Kemp.
.@realDonaldTrump: “We continue to fight. We’ve had some great moments. We just need somebody with courage to do what they have to do... And we’ll be going up to the Supreme Court very shortly. pic.twitter.com/A4W0lETVBg — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 6, 2020
"I will easily & quickly win Georgia if Governor @BrianKempGA or the Secretary of State permit a simple signature verification," he said. "Has not been done and will show large scale discrepancies. Why are these two 'Republicans' saying no? If we win Georgia, everything else falls in place!"
Kemp has become Trump's favorite punching bag of late, a 180-degree turn from his relationship with the governor in 2018, when he helped Kemp win the governorship in a tight race against Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams.
Earlier this week, two pro-Trump lawyers questioned whether voting again in the runoff election would be worth it, given claims of widespread voter fraud.
During his visit to Savannah, Georgia, on Friday, Vice President Mike Pence betrayed concerns that the GOP coalition would crack under the force of Trump's complaints.
"I know we've all got our doubts about the last election, and I hear some of you said, 'Just don't vote,'" Pence said. "If you don't vote, they win."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--WATCH LIVE: Trump holds post-election rally in Georgia

President Trump , who has not yet conceded to President-elect Joe Biden , will be holding a rally on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ The rally is set to start at 7 p.m. and is being held in the @ @ @ @ @ Georgia Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in their bid to win a @ @ @ @ @ .

President Trump, who has not yet conceded to President-elect Joe Biden, will be holding a rally on Saturday in Valdosta, Georgia. The rally is set to start at 7 p.m. and is being held in the hopes of rallying support for Georgia Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in their bid to win a tight Jan. 5 runoff election.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--Defense chief slams Washington Post's anonymous sources saying Biden team is barred from spy agency

Defense chief slams Washington Post's anonymous sources saying Biden team is barred from spy agency visits

A top member of the Trump administration lashed out at what he said were baseless accusations published by the Washington Post on Friday alleging that the Trump administration has refused Biden 's transition team the ability to visit certain military spy agencies .
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller refuted accusations made by `` current and former U.S. officials '' who told the Washington Post that Pentagon officials were refusing to coordinate with members of President-elect Joe Biden 's transition team .
Miller said the department has been `` fully cooperating . ''
“ The accusation by anonymous sources that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to professionally assist any of the Agency Review Teams is demonstrably false and patently insulting , '' the Defense Department said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner .
`` Stories run in the last day fail to reflect the dozens of interviews and meetings that have taken place and the many dozens more that are planned in the coming weeks — including interviews on Monday and Tuesday with the Defense Intelligence Agency , the National Reconnaissance Office , National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency . ''
The article referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Biden 's team had yet to meet officials with the Defense Intelligence Agency , the National Security Agency , and other military-run spy agencies .
President Trump has refused to concede to Biden , whom the Associated Press named the victor of the 2020 election days after the completion of an election that has been marred by accusations of election fraud from Trump and his allies .
The anonymous officials referenced in the Washington Post story said Defense Department officials rejected approval requests from the Biden transition team to meet with federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that `` the DOD and its transition leadership are fully cooperating with the Biden transition team , placing national security and the protection of the American people at the forefront of any and all discussions.
” The Washington Examiner reached out to the Washington Post for comment on Miller 's response .

A top member of the Trump administration lashed out at what he said were baseless accusations published by the Washington Post on Friday alleging that the Trump administration has refused Biden's transition team the ability to visit certain military spy agencies.
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller refuted accusations made by "current and former U.S. officials" who told the Washington Post that Pentagon officials were refusing to coordinate with members of President-elect Joe Biden's transition team. Miller said the department has been "fully cooperating."
“The accusation by anonymous sources that DoD has not been fulfilling its commitment to professionally assist any of the Agency Review Teams is demonstrably false and patently insulting," the Defense Department said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner. "Stories run in the last day fail to reflect the dozens of interviews and meetings that have taken place and the many dozens more that are planned in the coming weeks — including interviews on Monday and Tuesday with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency."
The article referred to anonymous sources who said that members of Biden's team had yet to meet officials with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and other military-run spy agencies.
President Trump has refused to concede to Biden, whom the Associated Press named the victor of the 2020 election days after the completion of an election that has been marred by accusations of election fraud from Trump and his allies.
The anonymous officials referenced in the Washington Post story said Defense Department officials rejected approval requests from the Biden transition team to meet with federal agencies.
Miller said this was untrue, adding that "the DOD and its transition leadership are fully cooperating with the Biden transition team, placing national security and the protection of the American people at the forefront of any and all discussions.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Washington Post for comment on Miller's response.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--Trump latest Republican to claim voter fraud in Democratic cities, with courts hesitant to intervene

President Trump isn ’ t the first Republican to allege voter fraud in big Democratic-controlled cities or to face charges that he is seeking to disenfranchise minority voters in those communities .
On election night in 1994 , Ellen Sauerbrey looked poised to become the first Republican governor of Maryland since Spiro Agnew .
But a late batch of votes , mainly from Baltimore , came through to put the Democrat over the top .
Sauerbrey alleged fraud and challenged some 11,000 votes .
Her opponent ’ s winning margin was less than 6,000 .
In 1982 , Democrat Adlai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toppling Illinois Republican Gov .
Jim Thompson , who had led by double digits in pre-election polls .
While it was Stevenson who sought a recount because he was behind by a slim margin statewide , subsequent investigations suggested at least were cast in Chicago , where the Democrat won 3 to 1 .
Detroit is the focal point of the Trump campaign ’ s election challenges in Michigan , where there have long been allegations of irregularities and generalized corruption .
In 2013 , Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted on 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and racketeering .
Republicans have complained about urban Democratic political machines adversely affecting election integrity for decades .
Democrats have increasingly argued that the real fraud is Republican attempts at voter suppression , especially in minority communities .
In Georgia , where Trump is contesting the presidential election results , Democratic leader Stacey Abrams has accused GOP Gov .
Brian Kemp of effectively stealing the 2018 gubernatorial election from her by the means .
The courts are historically hesitant to overturn election results .
In the Maryland case , a judge acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Democratic-run Baltimore “ must be immediately addressed if the citizens of this state are to have confidence in the electoral process.
” But the judge refused to invalidate the results , saying there was “ simply no evidence of any systematic omissions or a pattern of misconduct throughout the state.
” In Illinois , despite the U.S. attorney at the time saying the number of illegitimate votes cast in Chicago could have exceeded 100,000 , only 65 people were indicted and 63 convicted for election-related crimes .
In this particular case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state by a big enough margin to overcome any big-city voter fraud .
Allegations of voting skullduggery are a large part of Chicago ’ s city lore , including claims about the 1960 presidential election .
“ Urban blue centers have an incentive to cheat and/or skirt the rules set down by the various state legislatures because of machine politics and the need to deliver for the Democrat Party nationally , but also because the chances of being prosecuted are so rare since the courts at all levels have shown themselves so hesitant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Republican strategist Ford O ’ Connell .
Courts have tended to set a very high bar for the judicial invalidation of elections .
`` This is a dangerous path we are being asked to tread , '' wrote Brian Hagedorn , a conservative justice who sided with the liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in rejecting a lawsuit by a pro-Trump group not affiliated with the campaign .
`` The loss of public trust in our constitutional order resulting from the exercise of this kind of judicial power would be incalculable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush v. Gore in 2000 and the Illinois Supreme Court in the contested 1982 gubernatorial election rejected the losing party ’ s request for additional recounts and let the existing vote lead stand .
There is also the civil rights concern of throwing out votes in heavily black and Hispanic precincts .
N. Charles Anderson , the executive director of the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan , told the Washington Post that the Trump campaign ’ s efforts to challenge votes in Detroit constituted an “ all-out assault ” on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s legal battle is the fact that he made gains in some of the big cities that are central to his claims compared to 2016 while losing ground in the suburbs .
Henry Olsen of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center Trump ’ s narrow losses in Michigan , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania to “ suburban vote slippage.
” Trump also made inroads with black and Hispanic voters nationally .
The Trump team does have the of persuading Republican state legislators in some of the contested battlegrounds that their elections were fundamentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors instead ahead of the Electoral College vote .
Democrat Joe Biden has declared victory and is recognized as the president-elect , with even Trump ultimately acceding to the beginning of a transition process even as he refuses to concede .
Attorney General William Barr , a Trump appointee , last week that the Justice Department has “ not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election ” to date .
Yet , Republicans were rattled by a Georgia surveillance video concealed boxes of ballots being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections official in the state the claim .
“ Trump has shed light on a broken and failed 50-state hodgepodge of voting standards and procedures , ” said Republican strategist Bradley Blakeman .
“ This should be a wake-up call for the need for National Uniform Voting Practices Law .
”

President Trump isn’t the first Republican to allege voter fraud in big Democratic-controlled cities or to face charges that he is seeking to disenfranchise minority voters in those communities.
On election night in 1994, Ellen Sauerbrey looked poised to become the first Republican governor of Maryland since Spiro Agnew. But a late batch of votes, mainly from Baltimore, came through to put the Democrat over the top. Sauerbrey alleged fraud and challenged some 11,000 votes. Her opponent’s winning margin was less than 6,000.
In 1982, Democrat Adlai Stevenson III came within 5,000 votes of toppling Illinois Republican Gov. Jim Thompson, who had led by double digits in pre-election polls. While it was Stevenson who sought a recount because he was behind by a slim margin statewide, subsequent investigations suggested at least 100,000 illegitimate votes were cast in Chicago, where the Democrat won 3 to 1.
Detroit is the focal point of the Trump campaign’s election challenges in Michigan, where there have long been allegations of irregularities and generalized corruption. In 2013, Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted on 24 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and racketeering.
Republicans have complained about urban Democratic political machines adversely affecting election integrity for decades. Democrats have increasingly argued that the real fraud is Republican attempts at voter suppression, especially in minority communities. In Georgia, where Trump is contesting the presidential election results, Democratic leader Stacey Abrams has accused GOP Gov. Brian Kemp of effectively stealing the 2018 gubernatorial election from her by the means.
The courts are historically hesitant to overturn election results. In the Maryland case, a judge acknowledged there were some irregularities and said problems in Democratic-run Baltimore “must be immediately addressed if the citizens of this state are to have confidence in the electoral process.” But the judge refused to invalidate the results, saying there was “simply no evidence of any systematic omissions or a pattern of misconduct throughout the state.”
In Illinois, despite the U.S. attorney at the time saying the number of illegitimate votes cast in Chicago could have exceeded 100,000, only 65 people were indicted and 63 convicted for election-related crimes. In this particular case, the Republican won the rest of the state by a big enough margin to overcome any big-city voter fraud. Allegations of voting skullduggery are a large part of Chicago’s city lore, including claims about the 1960 presidential election.
“Urban blue centers have an incentive to cheat and/or skirt the rules set down by the various state legislatures because of machine politics and the need to deliver for the Democrat Party nationally, but also because the chances of being prosecuted are so rare since the courts at all levels have shown themselves so hesitant to weigh in on election matters,” said Republican strategist Ford O’Connell.
Courts have tended to set a very high bar for the judicial invalidation of elections. "This is a dangerous path we are being asked to tread," wrote Brian Hagedorn, a conservative justice who sided with the liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in rejecting a lawsuit by a pro-Trump group not affiliated with the campaign. "The loss of public trust in our constitutional order resulting from the exercise of this kind of judicial power would be incalculable."
The U.S. Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore in 2000 and the Illinois Supreme Court in the contested 1982 gubernatorial election rejected the losing party’s request for additional recounts and let the existing vote lead stand.
There is also the civil rights concern of throwing out votes in heavily black and Hispanic precincts. N. Charles Anderson, the executive director of the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan, told the Washington Post that the Trump campaign’s efforts to challenge votes in Detroit constituted an “all-out assault” on the black vote.
Further complicating Trump’s legal battle is the fact that he made gains in some of the big cities that are central to his claims compared to 2016 while losing ground in the suburbs. Henry Olsen of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center attributed Trump’s narrow losses in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania to “suburban vote slippage.” Trump also made inroads with black and Hispanic voters nationally. The Trump team does have the option of persuading Republican state legislators in some of the contested battlegrounds that their elections were fundamentally flawed and that they should seat GOP electors instead ahead of the Electoral College vote.
Democrat Joe Biden has declared victory and is recognized as the president-elect, with even Trump ultimately acceding to the beginning of a transition process even as he refuses to concede. Attorney General William Barr, a Trump appointee, said last week that the Justice Department has “not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election” to date. Yet, Republicans were rattled by a Georgia surveillance video purporting to show concealed boxes of ballots being added to the count. A top elections official in the state disputed the claim.
“Trump has shed light on a broken and failed 50-state hodgepodge of voting standards and procedures,” said Republican strategist Bradley Blakeman. “This should be a wake-up call for the need for National Uniform Voting Practices Law.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--Georgia reach: Latest Trump suit seeks Peach State do-over

As President Trump ’ s post-election lawsuits continue to fizzle out , the campaign filed one in Georgia that alleges illegal votes and calls for a new election .
The 64-page civil action was filed Friday afternoon in Fulton County Superior Court and listed more than 20 election-related officials , including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , as respondents .
The vote “ was not conducted in accordance with the Election Code and ... the named Respondents deviated significantly and substantially from the Election Code , '' it claimed .
The lawyers requested that certification of the election `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and either a new presidential election be immediately ordered that complies with Georgia law or , in the alternative , that such other just and equitable relief is obtained so as to comport with the '' state ’ s constitution .
The lawyers said there was “ systemic misconduct , fraud , and other irregularities ” during Georgia ’ s election and that thousands of illegal votes were included in the certified results of the matchup .
The results have President-elect Joe Biden besting Trump by a thin margin of 11,769 votes — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A statewide hand recount of the more than 5 million ballots cast reaffirmed Biden ’ s lead , with Raffensperger saying that the recount made “ not a thimble full of difference.
” Among other complaints , the lawsuit criticized election workers in Fulton County , where Democratic stronghold Atlanta is located .
Trump ’ s lawyers said that “ deliberate misinformation ” was used to instruct Republican poll watchers and the media to leave an area where ballots were being tabulated .
“ After Fulton County Elections Officials lied and defrauded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press , whereby in reasonable reliance the Republican poll watchers and members of the press left the State Farm Arena ( where they had been observing the ballots being processed ) , without public transparency Fulton County Elections Officials continued to process , handle , and transfer many thousands of ballots , ” the litigation alleged .
Attorneys working with Trump ’ s legal team revealed surveillance video that they said shows illicit ballot-stuffing at the State Farm Arena , although Republican Gabriel Sterling , Georgia ’ s voting system implementation manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't ‘ suitcases.
’ Those are regular absentee carriers used in dozens of counties across this state , ” Sterling said .
“ That ’ s how they bring those in .
Nothing was brought in without the monitors there .
So , everything was there .
There was nothing new brought in .
We didn ’ t see somebody wheeling stuff into the room.
” Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp , a Republican , called for a signature audit of the election following the release of the video , although Raffensperger ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so .
Trump ’ s legal team and Trump-adjacent groups have filed dozens of largely unsuccessful lawsuits in battleground states that Biden appears to have won , including Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Georgia , and Arizona .

As President Trump’s post-election lawsuits continue to fizzle out, the campaign filed one in Georgia that alleges illegal votes and calls for a new election.
The 64-page civil action was filed Friday afternoon in Fulton County Superior Court and listed more than 20 election-related officials, including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, as respondents. The vote “was not conducted in accordance with the Election Code and ... the named Respondents deviated significantly and substantially from the Election Code," it claimed.
The lawyers requested that certification of the election "be enjoined, vacated, and nullified and either a new presidential election be immediately ordered that complies with Georgia law or, in the alternative, that such other just and equitable relief is obtained so as to comport with the" state’s constitution.
The lawyers said there was “systemic misconduct, fraud, and other irregularities” during Georgia’s election and that thousands of illegal votes were included in the certified results of the matchup. The results have President-elect Joe Biden besting Trump by a thin margin of 11,769 votes — or by just about 0.2%. A statewide hand recount of the more than 5 million ballots cast reaffirmed Biden’s lead, with Raffensperger saying that the recount made “not a thimble full of difference.”
Among other complaints, the lawsuit criticized election workers in Fulton County, where Democratic stronghold Atlanta is located. Trump’s lawyers said that “deliberate misinformation” was used to instruct Republican poll watchers and the media to leave an area where ballots were being tabulated.
“After Fulton County Elections Officials lied and defrauded the Republican poll watchers and members of the press, whereby in reasonable reliance the Republican poll watchers and members of the press left the State Farm Arena (where they had been observing the ballots being processed), without public transparency Fulton County Elections Officials continued to process, handle, and transfer many thousands of ballots,” the litigation alleged.
Attorneys working with Trump’s legal team revealed surveillance video that they said shows illicit ballot-stuffing at the State Farm Arena, although Republican Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting system implementation manager, refuted those claims.
“Those aren't ‘suitcases.’ Those are regular absentee carriers used in dozens of counties across this state,” Sterling said. “That’s how they bring those in. Nothing was brought in without the monitors there. So, everything was there. There was nothing new brought in. We didn’t see somebody wheeling stuff into the room.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, called for a signature audit of the election following the release of the video, although Raffensperger’s office would have to agree to do so.
Trump’s legal team and Trump-adjacent groups have filed dozens of largely unsuccessful lawsuits in battleground states that Biden appears to have won, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--Only two dozen Republican lawmakers acknowledge Biden win: Survey

Congressional Republicans have been overwhelmingly mum about their thoughts on the November election results .
Only 25 Republicans in Congress have publicly acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden won the November election , according to a survey by the Washington Post .
The vast majority , 222 of the 249 Republicans in the House and Senate , did not respond or were unclear about their thoughts on the election when contacted .
Only eight Republicans said they supported the president ’ s continued efforts to claim victory in the Nov. 3 contest , and nine members of the GOP said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would accept Biden as the winner if he cinches an Electoral College victory later in December , two said they wouldn ’ t , and 217 did not provide a clear answer .
Two of the Republicans , Reps. Mo Brooks of Alabama and Paul Gosar of Arizona , said that President Trump actually won the election when contacted by the newspaper — despite projections that Biden has won 306 Electoral College votes to Trump ’ s 232 and received a 51.4 % share of the popular vote to Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognize Biden as the victor , 11 are in the Senate , and 14 are in the House .
Of the House GOP members , six are retiring in January , and two are based in districts where Biden won by a sound margin .
The Trump campaign has filed lawsuits alleging electoral malfeasance in several states , including Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Georgia , and Arizona .
Other Trump-adjacent groups have also filed litigation alleging election and voter fraud , although the lawsuits have almost entirely failed to gain any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicated in late November that if the Electoral College picks Biden to be the winner when it votes on Dec. 14 , he would leave the White House .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has largely avoided weighing in on the matter and appears to be waiting for future developments .
“ The future will take care of itself , ” he said to reporters on Tuesday .

Congressional Republicans have been overwhelmingly mum about their thoughts on the November election results.
Only 25 Republicans in Congress have publicly acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden won the November election, according to a survey by the Washington Post. The vast majority, 222 of the 249 Republicans in the House and Senate, did not respond or were unclear about their thoughts on the election when contacted.
Only eight Republicans said they supported the president’s continued efforts to claim victory in the Nov. 3 contest, and nine members of the GOP said they oppose the efforts. Thirty Republicans said they would accept Biden as the winner if he cinches an Electoral College victory later in December, two said they wouldn’t, and 217 did not provide a clear answer.
Two of the Republicans, Reps. Mo Brooks of Alabama and Paul Gosar of Arizona, said that President Trump actually won the election when contacted by the newspaper — despite projections that Biden has won 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232 and received a 51.4% share of the popular vote to Trump’s 46.9%.
Of the Republicans who recognize Biden as the victor, 11 are in the Senate, and 14 are in the House. Of the House GOP members, six are retiring in January, and two are based in districts where Biden won by a sound margin.
The Trump campaign has filed lawsuits alleging electoral malfeasance in several states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona. Other Trump-adjacent groups have also filed litigation alleging election and voter fraud, although the lawsuits have almost entirely failed to gain any traction in the court system.
Trump indicated in late November that if the Electoral College picks Biden to be the winner when it votes on Dec. 14, he would leave the White House.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has largely avoided weighing in on the matter and appears to be waiting for future developments.
“The future will take care of itself,” he said to reporters on Tuesday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--64 GOP Pennsylvania lawmakers send letter urging Congress to block electoral votes from going to Bid

64 GOP Pennsylvania lawmakers send letter urging Congress to block electoral votes from going to Biden

More than 60 Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers have signed a letter asking their representatives in Congress to block the commonwealth ’ s electoral votes from going to President-elect Joe Biden .
The letter , and sent to Pennsylvanian members of Congress on Friday , outlined several ways in which they believe Gov .
Tom Wolf and others “ undermined ” election safeguards that give the public confidence in the results .
“ The Pennsylvania Election Code requires that all mail-in ballots be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day ; Governor Wolf ordered that this statutory deadline be waived in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought its waiver statewide for the General Election , ” read the letter as it mentioned other grievances , such as issues with inspecting ballots , counting defective ballots , and poll watching .
“ For these reasons , we the undersigned members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly urge you to object , and vote to sustain such objection , to the Electoral College votes received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6 , 2021 , ” it concluded .
Multiple Pennsylvania politicians have already announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way of certifying the state ’ s 20 electoral votes , including Sen. Pat Toomey , who that he “ will not be objecting to Pennsylvania ’ s slate of electors.
” After the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 , the election process shifts to Congress as it will then have to certify the election results in early January — at which point , some Trump allies have suggested an opening exists to challenge the results .
Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks on Wednesday to force a deliberation in Congress on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appreciate in a tweet the next day .
Trump continues to pursue legal avenues to contest the Nov. 3 election results , in multiple battleground states .
Major news networks and even some government officials , have disputed the notion that voter fraud changed the outcome of the election .

More than 60 Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers have signed a letter asking their representatives in Congress to block the commonwealth’s electoral votes from going to President-elect Joe Biden.
The letter, signed by 64 Republican legislators and sent to Pennsylvanian members of Congress on Friday, outlined several ways in which they believe Gov. Tom Wolf and others “undermined” election safeguards that give the public confidence in the results.
“The Pennsylvania Election Code requires that all mail-in ballots be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day; Governor Wolf ordered that this statutory deadline be waived in some counties during the Primary Election, then sought its waiver statewide for the General Election,” read the letter as it mentioned other grievances, such as issues with inspecting ballots, counting defective ballots, and poll watching.
“For these reasons, we the undersigned members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly urge you to object, and vote to sustain such objection, to the Electoral College votes received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,” it concluded.
Multiple Pennsylvania politicians have already announced that they will not stand in the way of certifying the state’s 20 electoral votes, including Sen. Pat Toomey, who said in a statement that he “will not be objecting to Pennsylvania’s slate of electors.”
After the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14, the election process shifts to Congress as it will then have to certify the election results in early January — at which point, some Trump allies have suggested an opening exists to challenge the results .
Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks floated a long-shot plan on Wednesday to force a deliberation in Congress on the matter, which President Trump appeared to appreciate in a tweet the next day.
“Thank you to Representative Mo Brooks!” Trump tweeted .


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--Majority of likely Georgia runoff voters believe November election was 'compromised enough to change

Majority of likely Georgia runoff voters believe November election was 'compromised enough to change the outcome': Poll

New polling out of Georgia shows that the majority of voters believe the 2020 elections were “ compromised ” to the point where it could change the outcome .
“ Our @ trafalgar_group # GASen # Runoff # Polls also shed some light on Georgia voters opinions of whether the # Presidential elections were compromised enough to change the outcome , ” Trafalgar Group Chief Pollster Robert C. Cahaly tweeted Friday .
“ All voters 53.2 % yes , 37.9 % no , 8.9 % unsure .
GOP voters 74.6 % yes , 15.9 % no , 9.5 % unsure.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoff poll surveyed just over 1,000 Georgia likely voters between Tuesday and Thursday and showed that both Senate races were essentially dead heats within the margin of error .
Challenger Jon Ossoff leads Sen. David Perdue 48 % to 47.3 % with just under 5 % undecided , and Sen. Kelly Loeffler leads challenger Rev .
Raphael Warnock by a margin of 50.2 % to 45.3 % with 4.5 % undecided .
The margin of error for the polling is listed as 2.89 % .
The Trafalgar Group was one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in key swing states where the actual results lined up closely with what the group predicted .
The Georgia runoff set to take place in January will determine which political party controls the Senate for the next two years , and President Trump , who is still pursuing legal challenges to the election citing widespread voter fraud , is set to hold a rally in the Peach State on Saturday night .

New polling out of Georgia shows that the majority of voters believe the 2020 elections were “compromised” to the point where it could change the outcome.
“Our @trafalgar_group #GASen #Runoff #Polls also shed some light on Georgia voters opinions of whether the #Presidential elections were compromised enough to change the outcome,” Trafalgar Group Chief Pollster Robert C. Cahaly tweeted Friday. “All voters 53.2% yes, 37.9% no, 8.9% unsure. GOP voters 74.6% yes, 15.9% no, 9.5% unsure.”
Our @trafalgar_group #GASen #Runoff #Polls also shed some light on Georgia voters opinions of whether the #Presidential elections were compromised enough to change the outcome. All voters 53.2% yes, 37.9% no, 8.9% unsure. GOP voters 74.6% yes, 15.9% no, 9.5% unsure. — Robert C. Cahaly (@RobertCahaly) December 4, 2020
The Trafalgar Group’s Georgia runoff poll surveyed just over 1,000 Georgia likely voters between Tuesday and Thursday and showed that both Senate races were essentially dead heats within the margin of error.
Challenger Jon Ossoff leads Sen. David Perdue 48% to 47.3% with just under 5% undecided, and Sen. Kelly Loeffler leads challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock by a margin of 50.2% to 45.3% with 4.5% undecided.
The margin of error for the polling is listed as 2.89%.
The Trafalgar Group was one of the most accurate pollsters in the 2020 election, especially in key swing states where the actual results lined up closely with what the group predicted .


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-05--New claim: Constitution does not require hasty Electoral College vote, check fraud first

States rushing to brush aside President Trump ’ s legal challenges to begin picking electors by Monday are being advised to slow down in a new advisory that says the only date the Constitution mentions is Jan. 20 , Inauguration Day .
Citing language in the famous Bush vs. Gore Supreme Court decision , the advisory said that while federal law sets two days in December for moving forward with the Electoral College voting , the Constitution doesn ’ t .
“ The Supreme Court has ruled that the law does not actually require states to appoint Electors by that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be counted by Congress when determining the winner of the presidential election , ” said a new white paper from the Amistad Project of the nonpartisan Thomas More Society , which is challenging the votes in several states .
What ’ s more , the document claims that in the five states it has filed challenges to the election results , enough violations took place to force the legislatures to take over for the electoral system .
“ Through rigorous investigations supporting our litigation , we demonstrate that state and local officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states in order to advance a partisan political agenda , ” said Phill Kline , the director of the Amistad Project , in releasing the white paper .
“ As a result , it is impossible for those states to determine their presidential Electors in line with the arbitrary deadline set forth via federal statute in 1948 , and thus , the only deadline that matters is January 20 , 2021 , ” he said .
The Trump campaign and others , including the Amistad Project , are scrambling to find evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process that can take years .
In Nevada and Georgia , they believe they ’ ve produced enough to potentially change the results .
The project ’ s challenge to the Electoral College vote dates is just one angle of attack by Trump ’ s allies .
There are also a growing number of House conservatives who are eyeing challenging specific state Electoral College vote counts .
That effort is being led by Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks , who believes that Joe Biden ’ s likely election can be reversed in the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Electoral College dates of Dec. 8 and Dec. 14 , said that they are outdated and obsolete .
Democrats have said that the president and his supporters are stalling the inevitable despite earlier calling for all votes to be counted .
Amistad compared the fight to a football game when one side tries to begin another play before a flag can be thrown .
“ Election officials in urban Democrat strongholds are behaving similar to a football team which gained an advantage from a questionable play and are now running up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play before America can throw the red flag on the field to demand a closer look , ” said the group .
Instead , it is urging states to take their time and that if irregularities are confirmed , they should send the vote to state legislatures , as suggested by the Constitution .
Several states where voting has been challenged have majority-Republican state legislatures .
Said the Amistad Project : “ Because the laws governing the conduct of elections were flagrantly violated in numerous states during the 2020 presidential election , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pursuant to state law .
As such , the Constitution makes clear that the responsibility rests with state legislatures to appoint Electors .
This should be done as expeditiously as possible , but the only deadline state lawmakers have an obligation to meet is the one deadline set forth in the Constitution — noon on January 20 , 2021 .
”

States rushing to brush aside President Trump’s legal challenges to begin picking electors by Monday are being advised to slow down in a new advisory that says the only date the Constitution mentions is Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.
Citing language in the famous Bush vs. Gore Supreme Court decision, the advisory said that while federal law sets two days in December for moving forward with the Electoral College voting, the Constitution doesn’t.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that the law does not actually require states to appoint Electors by that date in order for those Electoral Votes to be counted by Congress when determining the winner of the presidential election,” said a new white paper from the Amistad Project of the nonpartisan Thomas More Society, which is challenging the votes in several states.
What’s more, the document claims that in the five states it has filed challenges to the election results, enough violations took place to force the legislatures to take over for the electoral system.
“Through rigorous investigations supporting our litigation, we demonstrate that state and local officials brazenly violated election laws in several swing states in order to advance a partisan political agenda,” said Phill Kline, the director of the Amistad Project, in releasing the white paper.
“As a result, it is impossible for those states to determine their presidential Electors in line with the arbitrary deadline set forth via federal statute in 1948, and thus, the only deadline that matters is January 20, 2021,” he said.
The Trump campaign and others, including the Amistad Project, are scrambling to find evidence of voter and voting registration fraud, a process that can take years. In Nevada and Georgia, they believe they’ve produced enough to potentially change the results.
The project’s challenge to the Electoral College vote dates is just one angle of attack by Trump’s allies.
There are also a growing number of House conservatives who are eyeing challenging specific state Electoral College vote counts. That effort is being led by Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, who believes that Joe Biden’s likely election can be reversed in the House.
Amistad, in challenging the key Electoral College dates of Dec. 8 and Dec. 14, said that they are outdated and obsolete.
Democrats have said that the president and his supporters are stalling the inevitable despite earlier calling for all votes to be counted.
Amistad compared the fight to a football game when one side tries to begin another play before a flag can be thrown. “Election officials in urban Democrat strongholds are behaving similar to a football team which gained an advantage from a questionable play and are now running up to the line of scrimmage to begin the next play before America can throw the red flag on the field to demand a closer look,” said the group.
Instead, it is urging states to take their time and that if irregularities are confirmed, they should send the vote to state legislatures, as suggested by the Constitution. Several states where voting has been challenged have majority-Republican state legislatures.
Said the Amistad Project: “Because the laws governing the conduct of elections were flagrantly violated in numerous states during the 2020 presidential election, there can be no determination of presidential Electors pursuant to state law. As such, the Constitution makes clear that the responsibility rests with state legislatures to appoint Electors. This should be done as expeditiously as possible, but the only deadline state lawmakers have an obligation to meet is the one deadline set forth in the Constitution — noon on January 20, 2021.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-07--Larry Hogan swipes at Trump in 2024-themed video

Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan took a veiled shot at President Trump in a new political video that signals aspirations to lead the Republican Party in a different direction and seek the White House in 2024 .
Issued Monday , the video harkens back to Ronald Reagan as an example of a broadly popular Republican president who influenced American politics for a generation .
Using snippets of a speech he delivered at the Ronald Reagan Institute think tank in Washington just after the Nov. 3 election , Hogan points to his popularity and pragmatic leadership in deep-blue Maryland as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaves the White House in January .
“ In 1980 , just four years after the predicted demise of the GOP , Reagan led our party to one the largest landslides in American history , and then went on to truly make America great again , ” Hogan says the video opens .
“ As Reagan said , ” the 64-year-old governor added , “ we are once again at a time for choosing .
Are we going to be a party that can ’ t win national elections , or are we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building a durable coalition that can shape our nation ’ s destiny ?
” Many Republicans credit Trump with growing the GOP , adding long-elusive working-class and nonwhite voters to the party ’ s ranks on his way to a record 74 million-vote , second-place showing this year .
Hogan and other Trump critics emphasize that he twice lost the national popular vote .
The Republican presidential nominee has won the most votes nationally just once in the last eight elections — that is just once since 1988 .
Some GOP insiders believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long term if its own path to the White House runs through the Electoral College .
“ Most Americans want the same thing : They want humble , tolerant , respectful , and effective leaders .
We need Washington to get its act together , ” Hogan said .
Hogan won twice in overwhelmingly Democratic Maryland , running as a pragmatic Reagan Republican who eschewed the GOP ’ s turn toward combative populism .
After the governor won reelection in 2018 , bucking the blue wave that swept Democrats to power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged him to challenge the president in the 2020 primary .
Hogan declined , concluding there was little demand for his style of cooperative conservatism among Republican voters .
He wrote in “ Ronald Reagan ” on his Nov. 3 ballot and claims there is an opening to steer the GOP away from Trump after President-elect Joe Biden made him a rare , one-term president in an election in which Republicans otherwise excelled .
The GOP gained House seats and is poised to hold the Senate , depending on the outcome of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many Republicans credit that success to Trump .
Hogan argues the outcome actually proves voters repudiated the president and his pugilistic populism .
He has not ruled out running for president four years from now .
“ I still believe that the party of Lincoln and Reagan is the last best hope for our nation , ” he said as the video closes .

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took a veiled shot at President Trump in a new political video that signals aspirations to lead the Republican Party in a different direction and seek the White House in 2024.
Issued Monday, the video harkens back to Ronald Reagan as an example of a broadly popular Republican president who influenced American politics for a generation. Using snippets of a speech he delivered at the Ronald Reagan Institute think tank in Washington just after the Nov. 3 election, Hogan points to his popularity and pragmatic leadership in deep-blue Maryland as a model for Republicans to follow after Trump leaves the White House in January.
“In 1980, just four years after the predicted demise of the GOP, Reagan led our party to one the largest landslides in American history, and then went on to truly make America great again,” Hogan says the video opens.
“As Reagan said,” the 64-year-old governor added, “we are once again at a time for choosing. Are we going to be a party that can’t win national elections, or are we willing to do the hard work of building a durable coalition that can shape our nation’s destiny?”
Many Republicans credit Trump with growing the GOP, adding long-elusive working-class and nonwhite voters to the party’s ranks on his way to a record 74 million-vote, second-place showing this year. Hogan and other Trump critics emphasize that he twice lost the national popular vote.
The Republican presidential nominee has won the most votes nationally just once in the last eight elections — that is just once since 1988. Some GOP insiders believe the party will not remain viable over the long term if its own path to the White House runs through the Electoral College.
“Most Americans want the same thing: They want humble, tolerant, respectful, and effective leaders. We need Washington to get its act together,” Hogan said.
Hogan won twice in overwhelmingly Democratic Maryland, running as a pragmatic Reagan Republican who eschewed the GOP’s turn toward combative populism. After the governor won reelection in 2018, bucking the blue wave that swept Democrats to power in the House, Republicans opposed to Trump encouraged him to challenge the president in the 2020 primary. Hogan declined, concluding there was little demand for his style of cooperative conservatism among Republican voters.
But Hogan never embraced Trump.
He wrote in “Ronald Reagan” on his Nov. 3 ballot and claims there is an opening to steer the GOP away from Trump after President-elect Joe Biden made him a rare, one-term president in an election in which Republicans otherwise excelled. The GOP gained House seats and is poised to hold the Senate, depending on the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5. Many Republicans credit that success to Trump.
Hogan argues the outcome actually proves voters repudiated the president and his pugilistic populism. He has not ruled out running for president four years from now. “I still believe that the party of Lincoln and Reagan is the last best hope for our nation,” he said as the video closes.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-07--Democrats flee from 'defund the police' movement, exposing deep rifts

`` Defund the police , '' which became a political rallying cry that brought the Democratic base out on the streets this summer , has turned into a major liability , with some party members now calling for an end to the movement altogether .
The radical proposal , with proponents arguing for a spectrum of policies ranging from fewer dollars allocated to law enforcement to the abolition of police departments altogether , gained steam in the wake of George Floyd 's death in May .
Once relegated to extremist left-wing magazines or college campuses , the policy debate quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about its merits in outlets like the New York Times and the Atlantic .
Support for the `` defunding the police '' saw an increase in support among those with college degrees living in cities , a critical Democratic constituency , with nearly 20 % supporting the measure at one point this summer .
Elite support transitioned into material policy changes , with city governments in places like Minneapolis voting to abolish its police department altogether .
That effort slowly died off after city council members neglected to follow up on an actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an undertaking that would have been one of the most complicated and politically risky in recent city history .
A vote on the city budget will take place this month , however , with several city council members still pushing for a slash to the police department 's funding by millions of dollars .
“ I think the initial announcement created a certain level of confusion from residents at a time when the city really needed that stability , ” said Mayor Jacob Frey in September , who himself never backed disbanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I also think that the declaration itself meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people — and that included a healthy share of activists that were anticipating abolition.
” But the damage of the nearly constant demonization of the police from lawmakers in the city , as well as directives to pull back from issuing arrests , has led to a massive spike in crime in the city .
Carjackings have skyrocketed 537 % this year , and homicides and shootings increased by 64 % in November in comparison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staggering , ” said police spokesman John Elder .
“ It defies all civility and any shred of common human decency.
” The Los Angeles city government followed Minneapolis 's model , passing a measure on Nov. 3 prohibiting 10 % of any unused money in the budget to be allocated towards the police or prisons .
In July , the city council slashed the Los Angeles Police Department 's budget by $ 150 million and promised to reduce the police force by 200 officers by 2021 .
In the eyes of critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected .
Los Angeles reached 300 homicides this year , the highest in a decade .
Aggravated assaults are reaching yearslong highs as shootings saw an increase of 32 % .
Where cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles faced rising crime , the GOP saw an opportunity .
For months leading up to Election Day , Republican candidates and super PACs hammered airwaves accusing Democratic lawmakers of supporting extremist anti-policing measures touted by those such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez or Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar .
Suburban voters were inundated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in damage .
The results were a nearly unequivocal success : Dozens of down-ballot Republicans outperformed virtually every poll and shrunk the Democratic majority in the House to their lowest levels since the 19th century .
Many Democrats who lost their races , or found themselves in an unexpectedly close one , lashed out against party leadership in the days following the election .
`` The number one concern that people brought to me in my race , that I barely won , was defunding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abigail Spanberger on a House member call with Speaker Nancy Pelosi .
`` And I 've heard from colleagues who say , 'Oh , it 's the language of the streets , we should respect that . '
We 're in Congress .
We are professionals .
We are supposed to talk about things in the way where we mean what we are talking about .
If we do n't mean we should defund the police , we should n't say that . ''
Former President Barack Obama took notice and criticized activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstream politics .
`` I guess you can use a snappy slogan like 'defund the police , ' but , you know , you lost a big audience the minute you say it , which makes it a lot less likely that you 're actually going to get the changes you want done , '' he said in a recent interview .
But the pleadings from Democrats have only exposed deeper rifts within the party .
After Sen. Joe Manchin expressed his opposition to the `` defund the police '' movement in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earned a snarky retort from AOC on Twitter , where she posted a picture of herself glaring at the West Virginia Democrat .
That tweet has since been deleted .
Omar took on Obama 's comments directly , asserting that `` [ defunding the police ] is not a slogan but a police demand .
And centering the demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country gets us progress and safety . ''
Despite many Democrats trying to distance themselves from the movement as much as possible , left-wing lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — many of which look awfully similar to the kind of defunding measures that scared voters away from the Democratic Party , to begin with .
In an interview with the Intercept released Monday , Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley said she plans to move ahead with bills to `` demilitarize police , redirect funding , and end the federal death penalty . ''
“ We should not be taking the bait about this being something that is third-rail or polarizing , '' she said .
`` These are really just contrived narratives that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and scare tactic .
”

"Defund the police," which became a political rallying cry that brought the Democratic base out on the streets this summer, has turned into a major liability, with some party members now calling for an end to the movement altogether.
The radical proposal, with proponents arguing for a spectrum of policies ranging from fewer dollars allocated to law enforcement to the abolition of police departments altogether, gained steam in the wake of George Floyd's death in May. Once relegated to extremist left-wing magazines or college campuses, the policy debate quickly entered the mainstream, earning favorable coverage about its merits in outlets like the New York Times and the Atlantic.
Support for the "defunding the police" saw an increase in support among those with college degrees living in cities, a critical Democratic constituency, with nearly 20% supporting the measure at one point this summer. Elite support transitioned into material policy changes, with city governments in places like Minneapolis voting to abolish its police department altogether.
That effort slowly died off after city council members neglected to follow up on an actual plan to disband the Minneapolis Police Department, an undertaking that would have been one of the most complicated and politically risky in recent city history. A vote on the city budget will take place this month, however, with several city council members still pushing for a slash to the police department's funding by millions of dollars.
“I think the initial announcement created a certain level of confusion from residents at a time when the city really needed that stability,” said Mayor Jacob Frey in September, who himself never backed disbanding the city's police force. “I also think that the declaration itself meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people — and that included a healthy share of activists that were anticipating abolition.”
But the damage of the nearly constant demonization of the police from lawmakers in the city, as well as directives to pull back from issuing arrests, has led to a massive spike in crime in the city. Carjackings have skyrocketed 537% this year, and homicides and shootings increased by 64% in November in comparison to 2019.
“The numbers are staggering,” said police spokesman John Elder. “It defies all civility and any shred of common human decency.”
The Los Angeles city government followed Minneapolis's model, passing a measure on Nov. 3 prohibiting 10% of any unused money in the budget to be allocated towards the police or prisons. In July, the city council slashed the Los Angeles Police Department's budget by $150 million and promised to reduce the police force by 200 officers by 2021.
In the eyes of critics, the results were nothing less than expected. Los Angeles reached 300 homicides this year, the highest in a decade. Aggravated assaults are reaching yearslong highs as shootings saw an increase of 32%.
Where cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles faced rising crime, the GOP saw an opportunity. For months leading up to Election Day, Republican candidates and super PACs hammered airwaves accusing Democratic lawmakers of supporting extremist anti-policing measures touted by those such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez or Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar. Suburban voters were inundated with video footage of the summer riots when businesses suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
The results were a nearly unequivocal success: Dozens of down-ballot Republicans outperformed virtually every poll and shrunk the Democratic majority in the House to their lowest levels since the 19th century. Many Democrats who lost their races, or found themselves in an unexpectedly close one, lashed out against party leadership in the days following the election.
"The number one concern that people brought to me in my race, that I barely won, was defunding the police," said Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger on a House member call with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "And I've heard from colleagues who say, 'Oh, it's the language of the streets, we should respect that.' We're in Congress. We are professionals. We are supposed to talk about things in the way where we mean what we are talking about. If we don't mean we should defund the police, we shouldn't say that."
Former President Barack Obama took notice and criticized activists within his party for straying far outside mainstream politics.
"I guess you can use a snappy slogan like 'defund the police,' but, you know, you lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you're actually going to get the changes you want done," he said in a recent interview.
But the pleadings from Democrats have only exposed deeper rifts within the party. After Sen. Joe Manchin expressed his opposition to the "defund the police" movement in an interview with the Washington Examiner, he earned a snarky retort from AOC on Twitter, where she posted a picture of herself glaring at the West Virginia Democrat. That tweet has since been deleted.
Omar took on Obama's comments directly, asserting that "[defunding the police] is not a slogan but a police demand. And centering the demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country gets us progress and safety."
Despite many Democrats trying to distance themselves from the movement as much as possible, left-wing lawmakers are pushing ahead with significant reform efforts — many of which look awfully similar to the kind of defunding measures that scared voters away from the Democratic Party, to begin with.
In an interview with the Intercept released Monday, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley said she plans to move ahead with bills to "demilitarize police, redirect funding, and end the federal death penalty."
“We should not be taking the bait about this being something that is third-rail or polarizing," she said. "These are really just contrived narratives that are pushed as some sort of intimidation and scare tactic.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-07--McDaniel pledges neutral GOP primary if Trump runs in 2024

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is vowing the national party will operate independently of President Trump after he leaves office in January .
McDaniel is running for a third , two-year term and was quickly endorsed by Trump .
The move prompted apprehension inside the RNC that Trump was angling to maintain his grip on the committee post-presidency as a prelude to stack the deck in his favor should he seek the White House again in 2024 .
To quell anxiety , McDaniel is now saying publicly what she has been telling RNC members privately — that the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary .
“ President Trump received nearly 75 million votes , more than any sitting president in history .
He ’ s the one our party wants to hear from right now , '' McDaniel said Monday in a statement .
`` But , I will continue to ensure the RNC remains completely neutral in competitive Republican primaries as long as I am chair .
This is a policy President Trump wants to continue as well.
” Trump 's desire to stay active politically and influence the national party after President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regard , McDaniel , the former Michigan GOP chairwoman appointed RNC chairwoman by Trump , surprised members with her decision to seek a third term .
But with Trump 's endorsement discouraging challengers , the typically under-the-radar contest for RNC co-chairman is unfolding as a high-profile proxy fight being waged by committee members who want to ensure the national party operates independently heading into 2024 .
McDaniel , aware of those anxieties , is inviting a handful of prominent Republicans known to be interested in running for president in 2024 to address the @ @ @ @ @ @

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is vowing the national party will operate independently of President Trump after he leaves office in January.
McDaniel is running for a third, two-year term and was quickly endorsed by Trump. The move prompted apprehension inside the RNC that Trump was angling to maintain his grip on the committee post-presidency as a prelude to stack the deck in his favor should he seek the White House again in 2024. To quell anxiety, McDaniel is now saying publicly what she has been telling RNC members privately — that the party would not advantage Trump in the 2024 primary.
“President Trump received nearly 75 million votes, more than any sitting president in history. He’s the one our party wants to hear from right now," McDaniel said Monday in a statement. "But, I will continue to ensure the RNC remains completely neutral in competitive Republican primaries as long as I am chair. This is a policy President Trump wants to continue as well.”
Trump's desire to stay active politically and influence the national party after President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated is unusual. In that regard, McDaniel, the former Michigan GOP chairwoman appointed RNC chairwoman by Trump, surprised members with her decision to seek a third term.
But with Trump's endorsement discouraging challengers, the typically under-the-radar contest for RNC co-chairman is unfolding as a high-profile proxy fight being waged by committee members who want to ensure the national party operates independently heading into 2024. McDaniel, aware of those anxieties, is inviting a handful of prominent Republicans known to be interested in running for president in 2024 to address the RNC’s winter meeting.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-07--RNC co-chairman race emerges as test of 2024 independence from Trump

The typically under-the-radar contest for Republican National Committee co-chairman is unfolding as a high-profile proxy fight between forces loyal to President Trump and those who want to ensure the national party operates independently heading into 2024 .
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is a shoo-in to win a third term after receiving Trump ’ s endorsement .
It is unusual for an outgoing Republican president to weigh in on RNC leadership decisions , prompting some committee members to worry Trump is angling to maintain his grip on the national party apparatus in advance of a third White House bid four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race for RNC co-chairman .
The current co-chairman , Trump appointee Tommy Hicks Jr. , is running for another two-year term and furiously making calls to RNC members to lock up support .
Three of the RNC ’ s 168 voting members are running to oust him .
Bruce Hough , the RNC committeeman from Utah , said his candidacy was motivated by a desire to preserve the national party ’ s neutrality in the 2024 primary and to prevent the rules from being rigged for Trump .
“ Tommy ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was placed there by the White House , ” Hough told the Washington Examiner on Saturday during a telephone interview .
Hicks Jr. has close ties to Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s eldest son who at one point was mentioned as a potential successor to McDaniel .
“ We only have one defined statutory requirement , ” Hough added , “ and that is to organize and hold a nominating convention every four years .
It ’ s incumbent on the committee to make sure it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hicks Jr. declined to comment .
McDaniel , who informed the four contenders she would not pick a favorite in the race , also declined an interview request .
In addition to Hicks Jr. and Hough , the field includes Doyle Webb , Arkansas GOP chairman and RNC general counsel , and Jay Shepard , RNC committeeman from Vermont .
Webb could have an inside track to support from RNC members from states across the southeast and southwest , committee sources said , a potentially significant advantage .
Trump enjoys broad support among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past four years through an aggressive effort to place Trump loyalists on the committee overseen by Bill Stepien and Justin Clark , the president ’ s campaign manager and deputy campaign manager , respectively .
Despite losing reelection to Joe Biden , there is lingering gratitude for Trump because of his political accomplishments and what he achieved as a policymaker .
The outgoing president lost the popular vote — again .
Trump also became the first Republican since 1992 to lose Arizona and Georgia .
But his more than 74 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s 81 million-plus and helped Republicans boost their numbers in the House and limit losses in the Senate .
That showing was bolstered by a strengthening of the GOP ’ s relationship with blue-collar voters and an increase in support from ethnic minorities .
“ Grassroots support for Trump is important , ” said Morton Blackwell , a veteran RNC member and committeeman from Virginia who is backing Hicks for co-chairman .
“ If he does seek to run , he ’ s going to have a significant advantage.
” Blackwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump lost reelection to Biden , citing the president ’ s several legal challenges to the results in various states .
But if that is the case , Blackwell said , he expects that the RNC would host a 2024 presidential primary that is fair to all candidates .
“ I believe that Ronna , if she is the chairman , is going to keep her word and act in an even-handed way , ” Blackwell said .
The four contenders for RNC co-chairman will have an opportunity to make their case to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Zoom hosted jointly by the RNC ’ s conservative steering committee and conservative caucus .
When the committee chooses a co-chairman during an annual winter business meeting in January , multiple rounds of voting will be held until one contender emerges with majority support .
As with most aspects of the Trump era , the 45th president ’ s desire to stay active politically and influence the inner workings of the national party is unusual .
George W. Bush essentially retired from politics after serving two terms , and George H.W .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ being defeated by Bill Clinton after one term .
In that regard , McDaniel , originally a Trump appointee , surprised members with her decision to seek a third term .
Trump ’ s quick backing of McDaniel also was unexpected and was interpreted by many party insiders as an attempt to control the RNC post-presidency .
That suggestion has left some members otherwise supportive of the president apprehensive about the future of the committee .
McDaniel , cognizant of those anxieties , is inviting a handful of prominent Republicans known to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address the RNC ’ s winter meeting .
“ The injection of Ronna to go another two years was a little jolting , ” an RNC member said .

The typically under-the-radar contest for Republican National Committee co-chairman is unfolding as a high-profile proxy fight between forces loyal to President Trump and those who want to ensure the national party operates independently heading into 2024.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is a shoo-in to win a third term after receiving Trump’s endorsement. It is unusual for an outgoing Republican president to weigh in on RNC leadership decisions, prompting some committee members to worry Trump is angling to maintain his grip on the national party apparatus in advance of a third White House bid four years hence. Those concerns sparked a four-way race for RNC co-chairman.
The current co-chairman, Trump appointee Tommy Hicks Jr., is running for another two-year term and furiously making calls to RNC members to lock up support. Three of the RNC’s 168 voting members are running to oust him. Some RNC insiders are concerned the rules governing the 2024 primary could be rigged for Trump. Bruce Hough, the RNC committeeman from Utah, said his candidacy was motivated in part by a desire to preserve the national party’s neutrality in that contest.
“Tommy’s been a good co-chair but comes with perception that he was placed there by the White House,” Hough told the Washington Examiner on Saturday during a telephone interview. Hicks Jr. has close ties to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, who at one point was mentioned as a potential successor to McDaniel.
“We only have one defined statutory requirement,” Hough added, “and that is to organize and hold a nominating convention every four years. It’s incumbent on the committee to make sure it’s fair and open to all comers.”
Hicks Jr. declined to comment. McDaniel, who informed the four contenders she would not pick a favorite in the race, also declined an interview request. In addition to Hicks Jr. and Hough, the field includes Doyle Webb, Arkansas GOP chairman and RNC general counsel, and Jay Shepard, RNC committeeman from Vermont. Webb could have an inside track to support from RNC members from states across the southeast and southwest, committee sources said, a potentially significant advantage.
Trump enjoys broad support among voting RNC members. Many were installed over the past four years through an aggressive effort to place Trump loyalists on the committee overseen by Bill Stepien and Justin Clark, the president’s campaign manager and deputy campaign manager, respectively. Despite losing reelection to Joe Biden, there is lingering gratitude for Trump because of his political accomplishments and what he achieved as a policymaker.
The outgoing president lost the popular vote — again. Trump also became the first Republican since 1992 to lose Arizona and Georgia. But his more than 74 million votes were the second-most in history behind Biden’s 81 million-plus and helped Republicans boost their numbers in the House and limit losses in the Senate. That showing was bolstered by a strengthening of the GOP’s relationship with blue-collar voters and an increase in support from ethnic minorities.
“Grassroots support for Trump is important,” said Morton Blackwell, a veteran RNC member and committeeman from Virginia who is backing Hicks for co-chairman. “If he does seek to run, he’s going to have a significant advantage.”
Blackwell is not operating under the assumption that Trump lost reelection to Biden, citing the president’s several legal challenges to the results in various states. But if that is the case, Blackwell said, he expects that the RNC would host a 2024 presidential primary that is fair to all candidates. “I believe that Ronna, if she is the chairman, is going to keep her word and act in an even-handed way,” Blackwell said.
The four contenders for RNC co-chairman will have an opportunity to make their case to party members Wednesday during a virtual forum on Zoom hosted jointly by the RNC’s conservative steering committee and conservative caucus. When the committee chooses a co-chairman during an annual winter business meeting in January, multiple rounds of voting will be held until one contender emerges with majority support.
As with most aspects of the Trump era, the 45th president’s desire to stay active politically and influence the inner workings of the national party is unusual. George W. Bush essentially retired from politics after serving two terms, and George H.W. Bush before him did the same after being defeated by Bill Clinton after one term. In that regard, McDaniel, originally a Trump appointee, surprised members with her decision to seek a third term.
Trump’s quick backing of McDaniel also was unexpected and was interpreted by many party insiders as an attempt to control the RNC post-presidency. That suggestion has left some members otherwise supportive of the president apprehensive about the future of the committee. McDaniel, cognizant of those anxieties, is inviting a handful of prominent Republicans known to be interested in running for president in 2024 to address the RNC’s winter meeting.
“The injection of Ronna to go another two years was a little jolting,” an RNC member said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-08--Tom Cotton puts political muscle behind Kelly Loeffler in Georgia runoff

Sen. Tom Cotton is working closely with Sen. Kelly Loeffler to boost her prospects in a critical Georgia runoff election set for Jan. 5 , with the Arkansas Republican and potential 2024 presidential contender raising money and advertising for her campaign .
Cotton and his political team are in regular contact with Loeffler and her campaign and have been traveling to Georgia regularly since October .
Cotton typically offers his colleague advice on messaging and delivers attacks on Raphael Warnock , Loeffler 's Democratic challenger , that some Republicans have hesitated to carry out .
His top political aides have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loeffler campaign .
“ Radical liberals want to defund the police .
Radical Raphael Warnock even called police officers thugs and gangsters , ” said the voice-over of a digital advertisement paid for by Cotton ’ s Senate campaign .
“ Raphael Warnock hates our police , and he ’ ll put your family at risk .
Stop him now.
” Loeffler was appointed to the Senate in January by Gov .
Brian Kemp after Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned for health reasons .
She finished second in the special election held Nov. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential contest , but she advanced to a runoff after Warnock fell short of 50 % of the vote .
A second runoff between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff for Georgia ’ s other Senate seat is also scheduled for Jan. 5 .
If Democrats are victorious in both , they will claim 50 seats and win control of the Senate based on Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ s tiebreaking vote .
With Democrats retaining the House in the Nov. 3 elections and President-elect Joe Biden ousting President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep Georgia ’ s Senate seats in the GOP column .
That includes Republicans , like Cotton , who have an eye on 2024 .
But Cotton ’ s partnership with Loeffler runs deeper than politics .
The two bonded in the Senate earlier this year after Loeffler supported Cotton ’ s controversial proposal to use federal troops to stop rioters and prevent protesters from tearing down statues honoring military veterans .
Cotton returned the favor when Loeffler came under fire for denouncing the Black Lives Matter movement .
Over the course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more with Loeffler on legislation than he has with any other senator .
Since Cotton began lending Loeffler a hand in her runoff campaign , he has volunteered to launch and amplify the most searing attacks on Warnock , a reverend who has made provocative remarks about law enforcement and the United States military .
In particular , Cotton volunteered to hit Warnock over his arrest on allegations that he obstructed a police investigation into suspected child abuse at a youth church camp he supervised , tweeting out the broadside in mid-November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he was commended by the prosecutor for his cooperation in the case .

Sen. Tom Cotton is working closely with Sen. Kelly Loeffler to boost her prospects in a critical Georgia runoff election set for Jan. 5, with the Arkansas Republican and potential 2024 presidential contender raising money and advertising for her campaign.
Cotton and his political team are in regular contact with Loeffler and her campaign and have been traveling to Georgia regularly since October. Cotton typically offers his colleague advice on messaging and delivers attacks on Raphael Warnock, Loeffler's Democratic challenger, that some Republicans have hesitated to carry out. His top political aides have interacted similarly with their counterparts on the Loeffler campaign.
“Radical liberals want to defund the police. Radical Raphael Warnock even called police officers thugs and gangsters,” said the voice-over of a digital advertisement paid for by Cotton’s Senate campaign. “Raphael Warnock hates our police, and he’ll put your family at risk. Stop him now.”
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate in January by Gov. Brian Kemp after Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned for health reasons. She finished second in the special election held Nov. 3, the same day as the presidential contest, but she advanced to a runoff after Warnock fell short of 50% of the vote. A second runoff between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff for Georgia’s other Senate seat is also scheduled for Jan. 5.
If Democrats are victorious in both, they will claim 50 seats and win control of the Senate based on Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote. With Democrats retaining the House in the Nov. 3 elections and President-elect Joe Biden ousting President Trump, Republicans are contributing to an all-hands-on-deck effort to keep Georgia’s Senate seats in the GOP column. That includes Republicans, like Cotton, who have an eye on 2024.
But Cotton’s partnership with Loeffler runs deeper than politics.
The two bonded in the Senate earlier this year after Loeffler supported Cotton’s controversial proposal to use federal troops to stop rioters and prevent protesters from tearing down statues honoring military veterans. Cotton returned the favor when Loeffler came under fire for denouncing the Black Lives Matter movement. Over the course of the year, Cotton has collaborated more with Loeffler on legislation than he has with any other senator.
Since Cotton began lending Loeffler a hand in her runoff campaign, he has volunteered to launch and amplify the most searing attacks on Warnock, a reverend who has made provocative remarks about law enforcement and the United States military. In particular, Cotton volunteered to hit Warnock over his arrest on allegations that he obstructed a police investigation into suspected child abuse at a youth church camp he supervised, tweeting out the broadside in mid-November.
The charges against Warnock were later dropped, and he was commended by the prosecutor for his cooperation in the case.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-12-08--Conservative Catch-22: They want to fight Biden, but then they'd admit Trump lost

That is the position many conservative activists find themselves in as Biden puts together his incoming administration and gets ready to take office , while Trump refuses to concede and continues to contest the election results in multiple close battleground states .
But the preparation for Biden is hampered by the fact that these activists can ’ t say Biden won .
Some believe , or hope , Trump will prevail in his election challenges and remain in the White House .
Others are skeptical but don ’ t want to alienate grassroots supporters who remain convinced Trump won a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud .
And others still don ’ t want to anger Trump , who may remain a force in the Republican Party well into 2024 no matter what happens this year .
“ We will not be making any statements about a new administration until the election has been certified , ” said an official in a conservative organization .
“ We just have to be patient and let this whole process play out , ” said another .
In the meantime , Biden is announcing appointments to key administration posts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these groups oppose .
Some sidestep whatever electoral uncertainty remains by saying that Trump ’ s fate is in the hands of his lawyers and the courts , which now feature many Trump-appointed judges , yet their activism and policy work must go on .
Immigration hawks have already railed against Biden ’ s proposal to offer a pathway to citizenship to most illegal immigrants within his first 100 days in office .
Social conservatives have Biden ’ s choice of Xavier Becerra to head the Department of Health and Human Services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to rally supporters against a new administration as they remain hopeful of retaining the existing one .
For conservative activists involved in electoral politics , few things are of greater importance than the pair of Georgia Senate runoff elections next month that will determine which party controls the Senate .
The most liberal elements of a Biden administration would be substantially reined in if the GOP holds the majority , but Georgia is one of the states where Trump is alleging fraud , and some of his outside supporters are even attempting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Sooner or later , we 're going to need him to inspire a lot of people , ” said a conservative operative in the state ahead of Trump ’ s Saturday night appearance on behalf of Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler .
“ We really need him.
” Trump did urge Georgians to allies such as Lin Wood and Sidney Powell urging a boycott of the runoffs .
Acknowledging that some say they are “ not going to vote because we 're angry about the presidential election , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If you don ’ t vote , the socialists and the communists win , ” he said .
“ They win.
” Conservative activists also don ’ t want to be identified with establishment Republicans who are eager to see Trump go .
“ Some Republican senators are going to be happy to get back to 'normal , ' ” said the Georgia operative .
Republican insiders nevertheless worry about what this will mean for Trump ’ s long-term influence on the party and the conservative movement .
“ More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to be in charge of the party for a long time , ” said Brendan Buck , who advised House Speaker Paul Ryan .
“ Georgia is the prime example , but there will always be another Georgia , another situation where the political cost of alienating him is greater than the cost of going along with his crazy ideas .
If there was ever a time to turn the page on him , it ’ s now , but on the contrary , the party is as dependent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depend on how long the perception of Trump as a winner , unlike such intraparty rivals as Mitt Romney , endures .
“ Arizonans have seen this act before in Joe Arpaio , ” said Charles Coughlin , a Republican strategist in the state .
“ If you can ’ t win Maricopa County , you can not win a statewide contest.
” Dec. 14 also looms large as a date .
On that day , the Electoral College will vote for president and early voting in Georgia begins .
The current “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for states to submit their slates of electors is six days before that , after which Trump ’ s options dwindle unless he can persuade Republican state legislators in the key states to choose electors who will vote for him .
In the meantime , many conservatives find themselves stuck in a political netherworld where Biden is moving toward taking office — planning for the transition of power has already commenced — and their ally Trump isn ’ t backing down .

Pray for President Trump, prepare for President-elect Joe Biden.
That is the position many conservative activists find themselves in as Biden puts together his incoming administration and gets ready to take office, while Trump refuses to concede and continues to contest the election results in multiple close battleground states. But the preparation for Biden is hampered by the fact that these activists can’t say Biden won.
Some believe, or hope, Trump will prevail in his election challenges and remain in the White House. Others are skeptical but don’t want to alienate grassroots supporters who remain convinced Trump won a second term and is a victim of voter fraud. And others still don’t want to anger Trump, who may remain a force in the Republican Party well into 2024 no matter what happens this year.
“We will not be making any statements about a new administration until the election has been certified,” said an official in a conservative organization. “We just have to be patient and let this whole process play out,” said another.
In the meantime, Biden is announcing appointments to key administration posts and starting work on liberal policy initiatives many of these groups oppose. Some sidestep whatever electoral uncertainty remains by saying that Trump’s fate is in the hands of his lawyers and the courts, which now feature many Trump-appointed judges, yet their activism and policy work must go on.
Immigration hawks have already railed against Biden’s proposal to offer a pathway to citizenship to most illegal immigrants within his first 100 days in office. Social conservatives have protested Biden’s choice of Xavier Becerra to head the Department of Health and Human Services. But some activists concede it is difficult to rally supporters against a new administration as they remain hopeful of retaining the existing one.
For conservative activists involved in electoral politics, few things are of greater importance than the pair of Georgia Senate runoff elections next month that will determine which party controls the Senate. The most liberal elements of a Biden administration would be substantially reined in if the GOP holds the majority, but Georgia is one of the states where Trump is alleging fraud, and some of his outside supporters are even attempting to implicate state GOP elected officials.
“Sooner or later, we're going to need him to inspire a lot of people,” said a conservative operative in the state ahead of Trump’s Saturday night appearance on behalf of Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. “We really need him.” Trump did urge Georgians to tune out allies such as Lin Wood and Sidney Powell urging a boycott of the runoffs.
Acknowledging that some say they are “not going to vote because we're angry about the presidential election,” Trump told supporters to do the opposite. “If you don’t vote, the socialists and the communists win,” he said. “They win.”
Conservative activists also don’t want to be identified with establishment Republicans who are eager to see Trump go. “Some Republican senators are going to be happy to get back to 'normal,'” said the Georgia operative.
Republican insiders nevertheless worry about what this will mean for Trump’s long-term influence on the party and the conservative movement.
“More than anything, it all reinforces that he’s going to be in charge of the party for a long time,” said Brendan Buck, who advised House Speaker Paul Ryan. “Georgia is the prime example, but there will always be another Georgia, another situation where the political cost of alienating him is greater than the cost of going along with his crazy ideas. If there was ever a time to turn the page on him, it’s now, but on the contrary, the party is as dependent on his voters as ever.”
It may depend on how long the perception of Trump as a winner, unlike such intraparty rivals as Mitt Romney, endures. “Arizonans have seen this act before in Joe Arpaio,” said Charles Coughlin, a Republican strategist in the state. “If you can’t win Maricopa County, you cannot win a statewide contest.”
Dec. 14 also looms large as a date. On that day, the Electoral College will vote for president and early voting in Georgia begins. The current “safe harbor” date under federal law for states to submit their slates of electors is six days before that, after which Trump’s options dwindle unless he can persuade Republican state legislators in the key states to choose electors who will vote for him.
In the meantime, many conservatives find themselves stuck in a political netherworld where Biden is moving toward taking office — planning for the transition of power has already commenced — and their ally Trump isn’t backing down.