theguardian--2020-11-11--A toxic UK-US deal is just as likely under President Biden | Nick Dearden

“ I think there ’ s a good chance we ’ ll do something , ” Boris Johnson said on Monday , notably less bullish than usual on the subject of a US trade deal with the president-elect , Joe Biden .
Johnson grinned awkwardly , like a schoolboy who knows he ’ s done something incredibly foolish , as he talked down the prospects of an agreement that was once considered the jewel in his Brexit crown .
But while Johnson ’ s embarrassment might be enjoyable , let ’ s not pretend this is the last we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even if Britain has slipped back in the queue , we could still be lining up for the chlorine chicken slaughterhouse under the likely terms of a deal with the US .
It ’ s true that Johnson may struggle to form a good relationship with Biden .
This goes beyond the fact that Biden sees Johnson as a mini Trump , with backbenches replete with hardliners who sounded like Trumpists last week .
But far more important is that Trump had a clear rationale for negotiating a US trade deal .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He believed the US gained only when its “ opponents ” – China and the EU – lost .
For Trump , a US trade deal was a means of weakening EU standards and protections , and of pulling a major economy into the US orbit .
Biden sees things differently .
He has no truck with Brexit , and wants to mend fences with Brussels .
And he quite rightly thinks his priority should be dealing with the worst pandemic in a century and the serious economic fallout heading his way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ marginal interest is unlikely to reach the top of Biden ’ s to-do list .
What ’ s more , his economic strategy for recovery – boosting “ buy American ” in government procurement , for instance – runs directly counter to Britain ’ s interests in this deal .
The pitifully small gains for Britain ’ s economy are likely to fall still further .
But all is not lost for Johnson ’ s attempt at a deregulatory trade deal .
Last week the trade secretary , Liz Truss , said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the advanced stages of talks ” .
Truss will now race to complete the deal , building as much Democrat support as possible before April , when there is a deadline on the president ’ s power to hurry a trade deal through Congress .
After that point , ratification gets much more difficult .
In fact , if Biden ’ s victory dampens the criticism towards a trade deal here , including on Labour ’ s frontbench , it could potentially make a toxic US trade deal easier to finalise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prefer to do a deal with Biden than Trump ?
But sadly we can ’ t assume that a Biden deal would be much different .
Trade deals are driven by big business interests .
The demand that we import chlorinated chicken comes from US agribusiness .
The demand that the NHS pay higher charges for medicines comes from the pharmaceutical industry .
The demand to drop our digital services tax comes from Silicon Valley ’ s big tech corporations .
That ’ s why it was the Obama-Biden administration that pushed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US-EU trade deal that caused controversy across Europe , and that looked very similar to the US deal currently under discussion .
If that deal is really so close to being completed , and should Johnson find a way of preserving the Good Friday agreement , it will be enticing for Biden to just push it over the finish line and satisfy the corporate demands .
The arguments against a US trade deal are not about our overall relationship with the US , or how many goods we trade per se .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more market-driven regulatory model into Britain , replacing the standards and protections we ’ ve developed over many years and entrenching corporate power .
That ’ s what Johnson , Truss and the rest always wanted .
In that sense , the main negotiation over a US deal is still between Johnson and the British public .
It is us , not Biden , who need to stop him .
Johnson ’ s failure to put our food standards into law in the agriculture bill means keeping chlorinated chicken out of future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not law .
And with Johnson still willing to break international law over a trade deal with the EU , there is no reason to trust mere manifesto pledges .
But there is a big challenge for Biden here , too .
Whatever the reality of Trump ’ s trade policy , he attracted support in the “ rust belt ” by promising to unwind the free market trade deals negotiated by his Democratic predecessors .
It was a popular message .
That ’ s because people have seen the damage done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive new powers to big business while constraining the power of governments to deal with the fallout has created anger , frustration and desperation across former industrial heartlands , in rural areas , and for low-paid workers .
While it doesn ’ t explain all of Trump ’ s appeal , it ’ s a factor the left needs to reflect on to keep a future Trump out of office .
Trade is neither good nor bad in and of itself .
What matters is the rules under which we trade .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a set of trade rules under which the market makes major decisions that govern how our society is run , is largely responsible for the political crisis we find ourselves in .
Both Biden in the US and Keir Starmer here need to fundamentally rethink what trade is for and how we should do it .
Both will come under significant pressure from big business , so we can not put our placards away yet .
We need to keep fighting against the threat of a toxic US deal , but as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transformation of a trade system that currently treats the whole world as a gigantic marketplace , and in which everything we care about – be it food , healthcare , our rights online – are seen as irritating impediments to be stripped away in the interests of global capital .
• Nick Dearden is director of Global Justice Now ( formerly World Development Movement )

“I think there’s a good chance we’ll do something,” Boris Johnson said on Monday, notably less bullish than usual on the subject of a US trade deal with the president-elect, Joe Biden. Johnson grinned awkwardly, like a schoolboy who knows he’s done something incredibly foolish, as he talked down the prospects of an agreement that was once considered the jewel in his Brexit crown.
But while Johnson’s embarrassment might be enjoyable, let’s not pretend this is the last we will hear of the US trade deal. Even if Britain has slipped back in the queue, we could still be lining up for the chlorine chicken slaughterhouse under the likely terms of a deal with the US.
It’s true that Johnson may struggle to form a good relationship with Biden. This goes beyond the fact that Biden sees Johnson as a mini Trump, with backbenches replete with hardliners who sounded like Trumpists last week. But far more important is that Trump had a clear rationale for negotiating a US trade deal. Trump sees everything as a zero-sum game. He believed the US gained only when its “opponents” – China and the EU – lost. For Trump, a US trade deal was a means of weakening EU standards and protections, and of pulling a major economy into the US orbit.
Biden sees things differently. He has no truck with Brexit, and wants to mend fences with Brussels. And he quite rightly thinks his priority should be dealing with the worst pandemic in a century and the serious economic fallout heading his way. Chatting to Johnson about matters of more marginal interest is unlikely to reach the top of Biden’s to-do list. What’s more, his economic strategy for recovery – boosting “buy American” in government procurement, for instance – runs directly counter to Britain’s interests in this deal. The pitifully small gains for Britain’s economy are likely to fall still further.
But all is not lost for Johnson’s attempt at a deregulatory trade deal. Last week the trade secretary, Liz Truss, said that “almost all chapter areas are now in the advanced stages of talks”. Truss will now race to complete the deal, building as much Democrat support as possible before April, when there is a deadline on the president’s power to hurry a trade deal through Congress. After that point, ratification gets much more difficult.
In fact, if Biden’s victory dampens the criticism towards a trade deal here, including on Labour’s frontbench, it could potentially make a toxic US trade deal easier to finalise. After all, who wouldn’t prefer to do a deal with Biden than Trump? But sadly we can’t assume that a Biden deal would be much different. Trade deals are driven by big business interests. The demand that we import chlorinated chicken comes from US agribusiness. The demand that the NHS pay higher charges for medicines comes from the pharmaceutical industry. The demand to drop our digital services tax comes from Silicon Valley’s big tech corporations.
That’s why it was the Obama-Biden administration that pushed the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the US-EU trade deal that caused controversy across Europe, and that looked very similar to the US deal currently under discussion. If that deal is really so close to being completed, and should Johnson find a way of preserving the Good Friday agreement, it will be enticing for Biden to just push it over the finish line and satisfy the corporate demands.
The arguments against a US trade deal are not about our overall relationship with the US, or how many goods we trade per se. They’re about exporting a fundamentally different, more market-driven regulatory model into Britain, replacing the standards and protections we’ve developed over many years and entrenching corporate power. That’s what Johnson, Truss and the rest always wanted.
In that sense, the main negotiation over a US deal is still between Johnson and the British public. It is us, not Biden, who need to stop him. Johnson’s failure to put our food standards into law in the agriculture bill means keeping chlorinated chicken out of future trade deals remains a matter of trust, not law. And with Johnson still willing to break international law over a trade deal with the EU, there is no reason to trust mere manifesto pledges.
But there is a big challenge for Biden here, too. Whatever the reality of Trump’s trade policy, he attracted support in the “rust belt” by promising to unwind the free market trade deals negotiated by his Democratic predecessors. It was a popular message. That’s because people have seen the damage done by modern trade deals. Handing over massive new powers to big business while constraining the power of governments to deal with the fallout has created anger, frustration and desperation across former industrial heartlands, in rural areas, and for low-paid workers. While it doesn’t explain all of Trump’s appeal, it’s a factor the left needs to reflect on to keep a future Trump out of office.
Trade is neither good nor bad in and of itself. What matters is the rules under which we trade. The capitulation of the centre-left in the 1990s to a set of trade rules under which the market makes major decisions that govern how our society is run, is largely responsible for the political crisis we find ourselves in. Both Biden in the US and Keir Starmer here need to fundamentally rethink what trade is for and how we should do it. Both will come under significant pressure from big business, so we cannot put our placards away yet.
We need to keep fighting against the threat of a toxic US deal, but as part of a bigger push that demands the transformation of a trade system that currently treats the whole world as a gigantic marketplace, and in which everything we care about – be it food, healthcare, our rights online – are seen as irritating impediments to be stripped away in the interests of global capital.


theguardian--2020-11-11--One week on: how Trump handled losing the US election – video report

From making baseless claims of voter fraud to false declarations of victory , Donald Trump has been criticised for undermining @ @ @ @ @ concede the US election .
Joe Biden became the president-elect after several days of vote @ @ @ @ @ race was called for the former vice-president , Trump sent out several angry tweets – @ @ @ @ @ vote count irregularities and is still yet to speak out publicly or call Biden to @ @ @ @ @ says ‘ This is the time to heal ’ in victory speech • The path @ @ @ @ @ victory : five days in five minutes - video highlights

Nicholas Williams, Becca Leaver and Nikhita Chulani

From making baseless claims of voter fraud to false declarations of victory, Donald Trump has been criticised for undermining democracy through his refusal to concede the US election. Joe Biden became the president-elect after several days of vote counting, and when the race was called for the former vice-president, Trump sent out several angry tweets – without any evidence – alleging vote count irregularities and is still yet to speak out publicly or call Biden to acknowledge the result


theguardian--2020-11-10--Can Joe Biden and Kamala Harris unite America after Trump? – video explainer

When Joe Biden formally takes over the presidency in January he will face some of the greatest crises to hit @ @ @ @ @ : a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans , a devastated economy , @ @ @ @ @ a deeply fractured nation .
The Guardian 's Lauren Gambino looks at how Biden and @ @ @ @ @ , plan to 'heal ' the country after four years of Trumpism – and the @ @ @ @ @ the prospect of having to navigate these times without a majority in the Senate • @ @ @ @ @ Trump in the fight for America ’ s soul – video

Lauren Gambino, Monika Cvorak and Nikhita Chulani

When Joe Biden formally takes over the presidency in January he will face some of the greatest crises to hit the US in recent history: a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans, a devastated economy, a rapidly overheating climate and a deeply fractured nation.
The Guardian's Lauren Gambino looks at how Biden and the vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris, plan to 'heal' the country after four years of Trumpism – and the challenges they will face with the prospect of having to navigate these times without a majority in the Senate


theguardian--2020-11-12--Joe Biden names Ron Klain, Obama's Ebola tsar, as his chief of staff

Joe Biden has named Ron Klain , who served as the “ Ebola tsar ” during the Obama administration , as his chief of staff .
Klain , 59 , has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump ’ s pandemic response .
He first worked with Biden in the 1980s .
In a statement sharing the news , the president-elect praised Klain ’ s “ deep , varied experience ” .
“ Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together , including as we rescued the American economy from one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014 , ” said Biden .
“ His deep , varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again.
” Klain said : “ It ’ s the honor of a lifetime to serve President-elect Biden in this role , and I am humbled by his confidence.
” Klain has had a long career in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of staff to the former vice-president Al Gore , and the staff director of the Senate Democratic leadership committee .
He has worked with several Democratic presidential campaigns , including Biden ’ s 1988 and 2008 presidential campaigns .
He was also the lead Democratic lawyer for Gore during the 2000 presidential election recount .
From 2008 to 2011 , he served as then-vice-president Biden ’ s chief of staff and helped oversee the $ 787bn stimulus package that Barack Obama signed in response to the Great Recession .
Klain ’ s experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession have been cited as among his top qualifications to help Biden in this moment .
The president-elect made the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recession it has triggered central to his presidential campaign , promising to help lead Americans out of the crisis .
When Klain was named the Ebola response coordinator in 2014 , his appointment was initially criticized because he lacked public health experience .
The Obama administration at the time noted he was chosen for his “ extensive management experience ” .
Among those to congratulate Klain was Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran against Biden in the 2020 primaries .
Warren said Klain is a “ superb choice for chief of staff .
He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it.
” Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , members of the so-called “ squad ” of progressive congresswoman , also offered congratulations .
Waleed Shahid , the communications director for the progressive political action committee Justice Democrats , said Klain “ understands the Democratic party has moved in a more progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together to help elect Joe Biden .
But post-election , the two camps have already begun to spar over the party ’ s future , with progressives saying that Biden should embrace more ambitious policy on the climate crisis , policing and healthcare .

Joe Biden has named Ron Klain, who served as the “Ebola tsar” during the Obama administration, as his chief of staff.
Klain, 59, has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s pandemic response. He first worked with Biden in the 1980s.
In a statement sharing the news, the president-elect praised Klain’s “deep, varied experience”.
“Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” said Biden. “His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again.”
Klain said: “It’s the honor of a lifetime to serve President-elect Biden in this role, and I am humbled by his confidence.”
Klain has had a long career in government. He served as the chief of staff to the former vice-president Al Gore, and the staff director of the Senate Democratic leadership committee. He has worked with several Democratic presidential campaigns, including Biden’s 1988 and 2008 presidential campaigns. He was also the lead Democratic lawyer for Gore during the 2000 presidential election recount.
From 2008 to 2011, he served as then vice-president Biden’s chief of staff and helped oversee the $787bn stimulus package that Barack Obama signed in response to the Great Recession.
Klain’s experience in a global health pandemic and a recession have been cited as among his top qualifications to help Biden in this moment. The president-elect made the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recession it has triggered central to his presidential campaign, promising to help lead Americans out of the crisis.
When Klain was named the Ebola response coordinator in 2014, his appointment was initially criticized because he lacked public health experience. The Obama administration at the time noted he was chosen for his “extensive management experience”.
Among those to congratulate Klain was Elizabeth Warren, the progressive Massachusetts senator who ran against Biden in the 2020 primaries. Warren said Klain was a “superb choice for chief of staff. He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it.” Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, members of the so-called “Squad” of progressive congresswoman, also offered congratulations.
Waleed Shahid, the communications director for the progressive political action committee Justice Democrats, said Klain “understands the Democratic party has moved in a more progressive direction”.
Progressives and moderates came together to help elect Joe Biden. But post-election, the two camps have already begun to spar over the party’s future, with progressives saying that Biden should embrace more ambitious policy on the climate crisis, policing and healthcare.


theguardian--2020-11-12--Joe Biden names former Ebola tsar Ron Klain as chief of staff – as it happened

The US has recorded more than 1m new coronavirus cases in just the past 10 days as the national total soared past 10m cases amid a widespread surge – while Texas on Wednesday became the first to record a million cases as a state .
The soaring figures came as experts warned that even though successful vaccines are coming into view the White House appears to be doing little to contain a pandemic increasingly out of control .
“ In the last couple of months you have seen the federal government basically throw in the towel , ” Ashish Jha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Public Health told NBC on Wednesday morning .
He added : “ There ’ s been no new guidance , very little effort coming from the federal government and I think that is definitely contributing to a nationwide surge.
” Daily cases for the country have steadily climbed throughout November to record a total of 1,129,463 cases in the last 10 days alone , figures from Johns Hopkins University show .
Meanwhile , Texas , America ’ s second-most populous state , has recorded 1,010,364 cases since the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other state has alone reached the 1m figure .
And New York , which was the worst Covid-19 hotspot in the world during the initial cascade of US cases in the spring , then used restrictions to squash infections , is now seeing rates creeping up again .
Jha said “ people are getting tired ” of taking precautions , even as warnings abound about family gatherings in the fast-approaching holiday season becoming spreader events .
He added that with what appears to be the good news that the world is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans could expect to be inoculated relatively soon .
“ We are about three to six months away from widespread availability of a vaccine , people need to hold on … we ’ re so close to actually turning the corner on the virus , ” he said .
But he warned that in the meantime Americans need to restrict their Thanksgiving plans at the end of November .
“ This is a bit heartbreaking , because it just can ’ t be a normal Thanksgiving , ” he said .

Maanvi Singh (now), and Joan E Greve and Martin Belam (earlier)

12 Nov 2020 01.38 GMT Summary Joe Biden picked Ron Klain as his chief of staff. Klain served as “Ebola czar” during the Obama administration and has been sharply critical of Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Klain served as “Ebola czar” during the Obama administration and has been sharply critical of Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Pressure mounted for Donald Trump to accept the results of the presidential race. A number of world leaders have called president-elect Joe Biden to congratulate him on his victory, and it’s unclear how the Trump campaign’s lawsuits will help the president pull ahead in states like Pennsylvania, where he now trails by more than 50,000 votes.
A number of world leaders have called president-elect to congratulate him on his victory, and it’s unclear how the Trump campaign’s lawsuits will help the president pull ahead in states like Pennsylvania, where he now trails by more than 50,000 votes. Trump reportedly met with his senior advisers today to map out his next steps. According to reports, the president’s advisers do not expect him to concede that he has lost, but Trump may announce he is no longer challenging the results of the election.
According to reports, the president’s advisers do not expect him to concede that he has lost, but Trump may announce he is no longer challenging the results of the election. Control of the Senate will officially come down to the two runoff races in Georgia, after the AP declared Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan to be the winner of Alaska’s Senate race. Democrats would have to win both Georgia runoffs to flip control of the Senate.
after the AP declared Republican incumbent to be the winner of Alaska’s Senate race. would have to win both Georgia runoffs to flip control of the Senate. Georgia’s secretary of state announced a hand recount. The state’s Republican secretary of state has faced calls from Republicans, including the two senators facing a runoff, to resign.
The state’s Republican secretary of state has faced calls from Republicans, including the two senators facing a runoff, to resign. The US recorded more than 1m new coronavirus cases in the past 10 days. States across the country are seeing surges ahead of Thanksgiving.
States across the country are seeing surges ahead of Thanksgiving. Andrew Cuomo announced new restrictions in New York in response to a national surge in coronavirus infections. The Democratic governor said that, starting Friday, the state’s bars and restaurants with liquor licenses will be required to close by 10pm, and gatherings in private homes will be capped at 10 people.
The Democratic governor said that, starting Friday, the state’s bars and restaurants with liquor licenses will be required to close by 10pm, and gatherings in private homes will be capped at 10 people. Biden and Trump participated in ceremonies to commemorate Veterans Day. While the president-elect laid a wreath at the Korean war memorial in Philadelphia, the current president paid his respects at Arlington national cemetery.
Updated at 01.45 GMT
12 Nov 2020 01.23 GMT Waleed Shahid, the communications director for the progressive political action committee Justice Democrats, said Klain “understands the Democratic party has moved in a more progressive direction”. Progressives and moderates came together to help elect Joe Biden. But post-election, the two camps have already begun to spar over the party’s future, with progressives saying that Biden should embrace more ambitious policy on climate change, policing and healthcare. Ron Klain understands the Democratic Party has moved in a more progressive direction and that voters expect bold action.
Best of luck to @RonaldKlain as he manages a team to act on the biggest crises of our time.
Progressives will keep pushing. pic.twitter.com/rxytnuAIy4 — Waleed Shahid (@_waleedshahid) November 12, 2020
Updated at 01.45 GMT
12 Nov 2020 01.17 GMT Klain thanked people for “kind wishes” after news broke that he will be the next chief of staff. I’ve seen so many kind wishes tonight on this website. Thank you - and I’m sorry I can’t reply to each of you.
I’m honored by the President-elect’s confidence and will give my all to lead a talented and diverse team in a Biden-Harris WH. — Ronald Klain (@RonaldKlain) November 12, 2020
12 Nov 2020 01.03 GMT In a statement sharing the news, Joe Biden praised Klain’s “deep, varied experience”. “Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” said Biden. “His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again.”
Klain said: “It’s the honor of a lifetime to serve President-elect Biden in this role, and I am humbled by his confidence.:
Updated at 01.16 GMT
12 Nov 2020 00.55 GMT Biden picks Ron Klain as chief of staff The president-elect has named Klain, who served as the “Ebola tsar” during the Obama administration, as chief of staff. Klain, 59, has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s pandemic response. He first worked with Biden in the 1980s. In a statement congratulating Klain, Elizabeth Warren said, he is a “superb choice for Chief of Staff. He understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it.”
Updated at 01.33 GMT
12 Nov 2020 00.39 GMT Joe Biden is expected to name Ron Klain as his chief of staff, the New York Times reports: President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will name Ron Klain, a veteran Democratic operative and a decades-long confidant, to be his White House chief of staff as early as Thursday morning, according to several people familiar with Mr. Biden’s decision. Mr. Klain, a lawyer with deep experience on Capitol Hill, advising President Barack Obama and in corporate board rooms, has been seen for months as the likeliest choice to manage Mr. Biden’s team in the White House. Known for steady nerves, he also has a fierce wit, which he has frequently unleashed on President Trump on Twitter. He was particularly critical of Mr. Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, having served as the “Ebola czar” under Mr. Obama during an outbreak of the deadly disease in his second term. A video of Mr. Klain lecturing Mr. Trump about the pandemic was widely seen during the campaign. The choice of Mr. Klain, who first went to work for Mr. Biden in 1989 when Mr. Biden was a senator from Delaware and Mr. Klain was a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, signals that Mr. Biden intends to rely on a tight circle of Washington insiders who have been by his side for years. Read more here.
12 Nov 2020 00.35 GMT Trump tweeted that he has given his “full support and endorsement to Ronna McDaniel to continue heading the Republican National Committee.” He also said, With 72 MILLION votes, we received more votes than any sitting President in U.S. history - and we will win!” But Trump has lost the US presidential election. McDaniel earlier today deleted a tweet that implicitly admitted that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election. In a tweet encouraging Georgia voters to back Republican senators in runoff elections in January, she said that Harris would be the deciding vote if Democrats win the Georgia races, resulting in a tied Senate. But McDaniel has also enthusiastically backed the Trump campaign’s efforts to loob long-shot lawsuits and echoed the president’s false claims of voter fraud, despite a lack of evidence. Trump named McDaniel, a steadfast loyalist, the head of the GOP in December 2016.
12 Nov 2020 00.16 GMT While Trump has continued to express hope that he will win an election he has lost, and transition to a Biden administration has stalled, the AP reports that the president’s involvement in day-to-day governing has “nearly stopped”: Though he has been in the Oval Office late two nights this week, the president has done little in the way of governing and has instead been working the phones. He has called friendly governors — in red states like Arizona, Texas and Florida — and influential confidants in the conservative media, like Sean Hannity. But he has not been as responsive to Republican lawmakers as before the election. Always an obsessive cable news viewer, he has been watching even more TV than usual in recent weeks, often from his private dining room just off the Oval Office. Trump’s approach to two crucial Senate run-off elections in Georgia remains an open question: He has not yet signaled if he will campaign there, and aides have started to worry that the extended legal battle could sap support for the GOP candidates. Trump has also begun talking about his own future upon leaving office. He has mused about declaring he will run again in 2024,and aides believe that he will at least openly flirt with the idea to enhance his relevance and raise interest in whatever money-making efforts he pursues. While he ponders his options, his involvement in the day-to-day governing of the nation has nearly stopped: According to his schedule, he has not attended an intelligence briefing in weeks, and the White House has done little of late to manage the pandemic that has surged to record highs in many states. Read more here.
Updated at 00.17 GMT
11 Nov 2020 23.48 GMT Twitter flags conspiracy theory video shared by Trump after delay The Guardian’s Kari Paul reports:
Twitter took more than an hour to flag a conspiracy theory shared by Donald Trump on the platform Wednesday afternoon, which baselessly suggested ballot fraud. The president, who lost to Joe Biden last week, shared a video of election workers in Los Angeles collecting valid, mail-in ballots that were posted on or before election day from a ballot drop box. The video, which has been shared thousands of times in recent days, falsely suggested something unusual was under way and has been repeatedly debunked. The Los Angeles county registrar confirmed that the ballots were collected on 4 November, and were later processed and counted. The narrator of the video also questioned why the election results were “called” prior to the ballots being collected. Media organizations project the winner of election races based on a number of factors including exit polling, early votes and, in California’s case, the fact that it has a longstanding record of electing Democratic presidential candidates. The state, however, still processes and counts all valid ballots. All Drop Boxes were closed and locked at 8PM on Election Night and ballots were collected the following day. These are valid ballots that will be processed and counted during the post-election canvass -- like all outstanding vote by mail ballots. — Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (@LACountyRRCC) November 5, 2020 “It’s going to be really nice to have a President who isn’t an internet troll trafficking already debunked conspiracy theories,” the spokesman for California’s secretary of state tweeted in response to Trump’s sharing of the video. An hour after it was posted, the tweet still had not been removed or flagged by Twitter, despite the company’s policies on misinformation. The social media platform has flagged at least six Trump tweets for misinformation in the days since the election. When a tweet is flagged, it cannot be retweeted, limiting the ability for the misinformation to spread. But as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s tweet containing misinformation had been retweeted 71,000 times and favorited more than 183,000 times. When contacted for comment, Twitter said it had placed a label on the tweet “to add more context for anyone who might see the Tweet”.
Updated at 23.57 GMT
11 Nov 2020 23.26 GMT Covid and Thanksgiving: CDC issues warning and bolsters mask-wearing guidance Miranda Bryant reports: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has abruptly beefed up its advice to Americans on wearing masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus and warned against traditionally large gatherings over the holidays. Thanksgiving celebrations are safest kept within households – and face masks protect the wearer as well as those around them, the federal public health agency said this week, in new, more robust coronavirus guidelines. With just over two weeks to go before Thanksgiving, the CDC issued guidance on Tuesday on how to celebrate safely during the pandemic. Despite cases surging across the US, the CDC did not go as far as to rule out gatherings on Thursday 26 November. But it did suggest alternatives to hosting events with people from other households in person, such as communing online for virtual meals. “Traditional Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends are fun but can increase the chances of getting or spreading Covid-19 or the flu … The safest way to celebrate this year is to celebrate with people in your household,” its latest online guidance says. However, it also included tips for those who are still planning to celebrate with other households. Other than mask-wearing, social distancing and hand washing, it also advised eating outdoors, limiting numbers, bringing your own food, drinks and utensils and opting for single-use condiments and disposable plates and utensils. Read more: Covid and Thanksgiving: CDC issues warning and bolsters mask-wearing guidance Read more
11 Nov 2020 23.09 GMT Ohio’s governor has announced that the state will issue a new order restricting large social gatherings including wedding receptions and banquets, as coronavirus cases surge. Governor Mike DeWine said that an existing order that limits gatherings of more than 10 people is not being observed by all residents. During a press conference today, DeWine said the state is in a “third wave” of the pandemic and announced that the state will be reissuing a mask mandate. He noted that officials will make a decision next week on whether to keep bars, restaurants and other businesses open and will monitor closely how well residents are observing mask requirements inside shops. The state tallied a record 6,500 Covid-19 cases on Tuesday. To address this, we will be issuing a new order soon to place significant new restrictions on these social activities. — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) November 11, 2020
11 Nov 2020 22.44 GMT Martha McSally, the Republican senator of Arizona who lost the election to keep her seat, has yet to formally concede. McSally is followed in the footsteps of Donald Trump, resisting concession despite the fact that she trails her Democratic opponent Mark Kelly by about 80,000 votes. With only about 45,000 votes left to count in Arizona, it is mathematically impossible for McSally to win. Arizona, which has long been a conservative bastion, has been undergoing a political transformation – thanks largely to progressive Latino-led activism in the state. With Kelly headed to Capitol Hill, Arizona will have Democratic senators. Although the presidential race remains close, Joe Biden has maintained a lead over Donald Trump in the state. This is not the first time McSally has lost a senate race in Arizona. She lost her 2018 Senate bid against senator Kyrsten Sinema before appointed to the Senate by the state’s Republican governor Doug Ducey after the death of John McCain.
11 Nov 2020 22.27 GMT US records more than 1m new Covid cases in past 10 days Miranda Bryant reports: The US has recorded more than 1m new coronavirus cases in just the past 10 days as the national total soared past 10m cases amid a widespread surge – while Texas on Wednesday became the first to record a million cases as a state. The soaring figures came as experts warned that even though successful vaccines are coming into view the White House appears to be doing little to contain a pandemic increasingly out of control. “In the last couple of months you have seen the federal government basically throw in the towel,” Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health told NBC on Wednesday morning. He added: “There’s been no new guidance, very little effort coming from the federal government and I think that is definitely contributing to a nationwide surge.” Daily cases for the country have steadily climbed throughout November to record a total of 1,129,463 cases in the last 10 days alone, figures from Johns Hopkins University show. Meanwhile, Texas, America’s second-most populous state, has recorded 1,010,364 cases since the start of the pandemic in March and 19,337 deaths. No other state has alone reached the 1m figure. And New York, which was the worst Covid-19 hotspot in the world during the initial cascade of US cases in the spring, then used restrictions to squash infections, is now seeing rates creeping up again. Jha said “people are getting tired” of taking precautions, even as warnings abound about family gatherings in the fast-approaching holiday season becoming spreader events. He added that with what appears to be the good news that the world is on the cusp of approving successful vaccines, all Americans could expect to be inoculated relatively soon. “We are about three to six months away from widespread availability of a vaccine, people need to hold on … we’re so close to actually turning the corner on the virus,” he said. But he warned that in the meantime Americans need to restrict their Thanksgiving plans at the end of November. “This is a bit heartbreaking, because it just can’t be a normal Thanksgiving,” he said. Read more: US records more than 1m new Covid cases in past 10 days as infections surge Read more
Updated at 00.42 GMT
11 Nov 2020 22.12 GMT The popular video-sharing app TikTok says its future has been in limbo since Donald Trump tried to shut it down earlier this fall and is asking a federal court to intervene, the Guardian’s Kari Paul reports:
Trump in August signed an executive order to ban TikTok if it did not sell its US operations in 45 days. The move forced TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to consider deals with several American companies before ultimately settling on a proposal to place TikTok under the oversight of the American companies Oracle and Walmart, each of which would also have a financial stake in the company. But TikTok said this week it’s received “no clarity” from the US government about whether that proposal has been accepted. The deal has been under a national-security review by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by the treasury department. The department didn’t return emailed requests for comment this week. “With the November 12 CFIUS deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US,” TikTok said in a written statement Tuesday. Trump has cited concerns that the Chinese government could spy on TikTok users if the app remains under Chinese ownership. TikTok has denied it is a security threat but said it is still trying to work with the administration to resolve its concerns. The legal challenge is “a protection to ensure these discussions can take place”, the company said. The Trump administration had earlier sought to ban the app from smartphone app stores and deprive it of vital technical services. To do this, the US could have internet service providers block TikTok usage from US IP addresses, as India did when it banned TikTok, effectively making TikTok unusable.
Such actions were set to take place on 20 September but federal judges have so far granted TikTok extensions. Read more: TikTok asks US court to intervene after Trump administration leaves app in limbo Read more
11 Nov 2020 22.00 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Pressure mounted for Donald Trump to accept the results of the presidential race. A number of world leaders have called president-elect Joe Biden to congratulate him on his victory, and it’s unclear how the Trump campaign’s lawsuits will help the president pull ahead in states like Pennsylvania, where he now trails by more than 50,000 votes.
A number of world leaders have called president-elect to congratulate him on his victory, and it’s unclear how the Trump campaign’s lawsuits will help the president pull ahead in states like Pennsylvania, where he now trails by more than 50,000 votes. Trump reportedly met with his senior advisers today to map out his next steps. According to reports, the president’s advisers do not expect him to concede that he has lost, but Trump may announce he is no longer challenging the results of the election.
According to reports, the president’s advisers do not expect him to concede that he has lost, but Trump may announce he is no longer challenging the results of the election. Control of the Senate will officially come down to the two runoff races in Georgia, after the AP declared Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan to be the winner of Alaska’s Senate race. Democrats would have to win both Georgia runoffs to flip control of the Senate.
after the AP declared Republican incumbent to be the winner of Alaska’s Senate race. would have to win both Georgia runoffs to flip control of the Senate. Andrew Cuomo announced new restrictions in New York in response to a national surge in coronavirus infections. The Democratic governor said that, starting Friday, the state’s bars and restaurants with liquor licenses will be required to close by 10 pm, and gatherings in private homes will be capped at 10 people.
The Democratic governor said that, starting Friday, the state’s bars and restaurants with liquor licenses will be required to close by 10 pm, and gatherings in private homes will be capped at 10 people. Biden and Trump participated in ceremonies to commemorate Veterans Day. While the president-elect laid a wreath at the Korean war memorial in Philadelphia, the current president paid his respects at Arlington national cemetery. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
11 Nov 2020 21.42 GMT Donald Trump met with senior advisers today to discuss his next steps after Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election, according to NBC News. Trump met today with top advisers to discuss the post-election path forward, a White House official and a separate person familiar with the meeting tell me & @albamonica. — Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) November 11, 2020 It has been four days since every major news outlet declared Biden to be the winner of the presidential race, but Trump has refused to concede that he has lost. Trump’s campaign is moving forward with lawsuits in multiple battleground states, but it’s unclear how those lawsuits could help the president erase Biden’s leads in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the Democrat leads by tens of thousands of votes. According to reports, Trump’s advisers do not expect him to concede, but the president may announce he is no longer challenging the election results.
11 Nov 2020 21.21 GMT Tom McCarthy Donald Trump stepped out of the White House for the first time in six days on Wednesday as Americans strained to interpret a flurry of sudden personnel changes inside the administration, including at the Pentagon, while top Republicans refused to admit that Joe Biden had won the presidency. Instead of ushering in a becalmed moment of transition, the US election eight days ago has given way to escalating concerns over the president’s shocking visible effort to cling to power – and over top Republicans’ failure to dispute the president’s wild claims of election fraud. The proportion of Biden’s victory in the popular vote crept up to 50.8% on Wednesday, the highest percentage for a challenger since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932. Judges in six states had thrown out at least 13 lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign to challenge the vote while agreeing to hear zero. There is every indication that Biden will be inaugurated on 20 January. But continued leaks about the Trump team’s long-shot strategies for overturning the election result, and references such as one by the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday to a “smooth transition to a second Trump administration”, fed a sense of alarm that America was witnessing more than just hardball politics, cynical fundraising or Trumpian sour grapes. “What Donald Trump is attempting to do has a name: coup d’état,” said Timothy Snyder, a history professor at Yale University specializing in authoritarianism, on Twitter. “Poorly organized though it might seem, it is not bound to fail. It must be made to fail. “Coups are defeated quickly or not at all. While they take place we are meant to look away, as many of us are doing. When they are complete we are powerless.” ‘It must be made to fail’: Trump's desperate bid to cling to power Read more


theguardian--2020-11-12--Twitter flags ballot conspiracy theory shared by Trump – after it is shared widely

Twitter took more than an hour to flag a highly misleading video shared by Donald Trump , which baselessly pushed claims of ballot fraud and was retweeted more than 70,000 times before the platform took action .
The president , who lost the US election to Joe Biden last week , shared a video of election workers in Los Angeles collecting valid , mail-in ballots that were posted on or before election day from a ballot drop box .
The video , which has been shared thousands of times in recent days , falsely suggested something unusual was under way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles county registrar confirmed that the ballots were collected on 4 November from a box that was locked at 8pm on election day and were later processed and counted .
The narrator of the video is heard questioning why the election results were “ called ” before the ballots were collected .
Media organizations project the winners of election races based on a number of factors including exit polling , early votes and , in California ’ s case , the fact that it has a longstanding record of electing Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still processes and counts all valid ballots .
The tweet from Trump – and Twitter ’ s failure to flag it – led to outrage and concern .
It also prompted renewed calls to have the president ’ s Twitter account suspended or permanently banned .
Twitter has said the president will no longer receive the same treatment under its policies for newsworthy individuals when he is out of office .
“ It ’ s going to be really nice to have a President who isn ’ t an internet troll trafficking already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for California ’ s secretary of state tweeted in response to Trump ’ s sharing of the video .
An hour after it was posted , the tweet still had not been removed or flagged by Twitter , despite the company ’ s policies on misinformation .
The platform has flagged more than 40 tweets and retweets on Trump ’ s profile for misinformation in the days since the election .
When a tweet is flagged , it can not be retweeted , limiting the ability of the misinformation to spread .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tweet containing misinformation had been retweeted 71,000 times and favorited more than 183,000 times before it was flagged by Twitter .
When contacted for comment , Twitter said it had placed a label on the tweet “ to add more context for anyone who might see the Tweet ” .
It has flagged one other tweet by Trump since flagging the ballot tweet .

Twitter took more than an hour to flag a highly misleading video shared by Donald Trump, which baselessly pushed claims of ballot fraud and was retweeted more than 70,000 times before the platform took action.
The president, who lost the US election to Joe Biden last week, shared a video of election workers in Los Angeles collecting valid, mail-in ballots that were posted on or before election day from a ballot drop box. The video, which has been shared thousands of times in recent days, falsely suggested something unusual was under way and has been repeatedly debunked. The Los Angeles county registrar confirmed that the ballots were collected on 4 November from a box that was locked at 8pm on election day and were later processed and counted.
All Drop Boxes were closed and locked at 8PM on Election Night and ballots were collected the following day. These are valid ballots that will be processed and counted during the post-election canvass -- like all outstanding vote by mail ballots. — Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (@LACountyRRCC) November 5, 2020
The narrator of the video is heard questioning why the election results were “called” before the ballots were collected. Media organizations project the winners of election races based on a number of factors including exit polling, early votes and, in California’s case, the fact that it has a longstanding record of electing Democratic presidential candidates. The state, however, still processes and counts all valid ballots.
The tweet from Trump – and Twitter’s failure to flag it – led to outrage and concern. It also prompted renewed calls to have the president’s Twitter account suspended or permanently banned. Twitter has said the president will no longer receive the same treatment under its policies for newsworthy individuals when he is out of office.
“It’s going to be really nice to have a president who isn’t an internet troll trafficking already debunked conspiracy theories,” the spokesman for California’s secretary of state tweeted in response to Trump’s sharing of the video.
An hour after it was posted, the tweet still had not been removed or flagged by Twitter, despite the company’s policies on misinformation. The platform has flagged more than 40 tweets and retweets on Trump’s profile for misinformation in the days since the election. When a tweet is flagged, it cannot be retweeted, limiting the ability of the misinformation to spread.
But as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s tweet containing misinformation had been retweeted 71,000 times and favorited more than 183,000 times before it was flagged by Twitter. When contacted for comment, Twitter said it had placed a label on the tweet “to add more context for anyone who might see the Tweet”. It has flagged one other tweet by Trump since flagging the ballot tweet.


theguardian--2020-11-11--Texas politician offers $1m for proof of voter fraud and pushes baseless claims

An ultra-conservative Texas politician who believes seniors would rather die from Covid-19 than allow the pandemic to harm the economy is pushing another baseless theory , and dangling a million-dollar bounty for proof that Donald Trump is being cheated of victory in the presidential election .
Dan Patrick , the lieutenant governor of the lone star state , says he is offering the money to “ incentivize , encourage and reward ” citizens who can provide evidence of voter fraud , even though the president beat Joe Biden in Texas by almost 650,000 votes .
“ I support President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the presidential election and his commitment to making sure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is disqualified , ” Patrick said in a statement , reported by ABC13 in Austin .
“ The delays in counting mail-in ballots in other states raises more questions about voter fraud and potential mistakes.
” To that end , Patrick is offering the payout in chunks of at least $ 25,000 to every person who provides information that leads to a conviction .
The money will come from Patrick ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud or malfeasance in Texas or any other state , despite the repeated efforts of Trump and his supporters to cast doubt over the integrity of the 3 November election .
Patrick ’ s press release also contained no evidence of mass voter fraud , and instead cited a single episode in which a care home social worker was arrested for allegedly attempting to register 67 of its residents to vote , apparently without their knowledge .
By comparison , Trump ’ s lead in Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , with more than 99 % of the state ’ s ballots counted .
Patrick created controversy in March for his comments on keeping the economy open during the coronavirus pandemic , which on Wednesday saw Texas become the first US state to surpass 1m infections .
“ No one reached out to me and said , ‘ As a senior citizen , are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren ?
’ ” Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the exchange , I ’ m all in .
That doesn ’ t make me noble or brave or anything like that .
I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me .
”

An ultra-conservative Texas politician who believes seniors would rather die from Covid-19 than allow the pandemic to harm the economy is pushing another baseless theory, and dangling a million-dollar bounty for proof that Donald Trump is being cheated of victory in the presidential election.
Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of the lone star state, says he is offering the money to “incentivize, encourage and reward” citizens who can provide evidence of voter fraud, even though the president beat Joe Biden in Texas by almost 650,000 votes.
“I support President Trump’s efforts to identify voter fraud in the presidential election and his commitment to making sure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is disqualified,” Patrick said in a statement, reported by ABC13 in Austin.
“The delays in counting mail-in ballots in other states raises more questions about voter fraud and potential mistakes.”
To that end, Patrick is offering the payout in chunks of at least $25,000 to every person who provides information that leads to a conviction. The money will come from Patrick’s campaign funds, according to a spokesperson.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud or malfeasance in Texas or any other state, despite the repeated efforts of Trump and his supporters to cast doubt over the integrity of the 3 November election.
Patrick’s press release also contained no evidence of mass voter fraud, and instead cited a single episode in which a care home social worker was arrested for allegedly attempting to register 67 of its residents to vote, apparently without their knowledge.
By comparison, Trump’s lead in Texas over Biden was 647,076 votes on Wednesday afternoon, with more than 99% of the state’s ballots counted.
Patrick created controversy in March for his comments on keeping the economy open during the coronavirus pandemic, which on Wednesday saw Texas become the first US state to surpass 1m infections.
“No one reached out to me and said, ‘As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?’” Patrick said.
“And if that’s the exchange, I’m all in. That doesn’t make me noble or brave or anything like that. I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me.”


theguardian--2020-11-11--‘It must be made to fail’: Trump's desperate bid to cling to power

Donald Trump stepped out of the White House for a public event for the first time in six days on Wednesday as Americans strained to interpret a flurry of sudden personnel changes inside the administration , including at the Pentagon , while top Republicans refused to admit that Joe Biden had won the presidency .
Instead of ushering in a becalmed moment of transition , the US election eight days ago has given way to escalating concerns over the president ’ s shocking visible effort to cling to power – and over top Republicans ’ failure to dispute the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The proportion of Biden ’ s victory in the popular vote crept up to 50.8 % on Wednesday , the highest percentage for a challenger since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 .
Judges in six states had thrown out at least 13 lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign to challenge the vote while agreeing to hear zero .
There is every indication that Biden will be inaugurated on 20 January .
But continued leaks about the Trump team ’ s long-shot strategies for overturning the election result , and references such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pompeo , on Tuesday to a “ smooth transition to a second Trump administration ” , fed a sense of alarm that America was witnessing more than just hardball politics , cynical fundraising or Trumpian sour grapes .
“ What Donald Trump is attempting to do has a name : coup d ’ état , ” said Timothy Snyder , a history professor at Yale University specializing in authoritarianism , on Twitter .
“ Poorly organized though it might seem , it is not bound to fail .
It must be made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly or not at all .
While they take place we are meant to look away , as many of us are doing .
When they are complete we are powerless.
” Trump did not deliver remarks to reporters en route to a Veteran ’ s Day ceremony at Arlington national cemetery on Wednesday , where he stood with the vice-president , Mike Pence in the rain .
Biden and his wife , Dr Jill Biden , attended a Veteran ’ s Day ceremony in Delaware .
Simultaneous to the Trump campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key states , Trump was installing loyalists in the defense department and in other key security-related government posts .
That was activity that might have prompted a warning from the United States about an authoritarian takeover if it happened in Turkey or the Democratic Republic of Congo .
Trump fired the defense secretary , Mark Esper , by tweet on Monday and appointed as chief of staff Kashyap Patel , a key Republican operative during the Russia investigation .
Trump also replaced the heads of intelligence and policy inside the Pentagon with political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operative , Michael Ellis , was installed as general counsel of the national security agency .
A further move by Trump to fire the FBI director was also reportedly under consideration .
“ That is dangerous , ” said Corey Brettschneider , a professor at Brown University specializing in constitutional law and politics , of the 11th-hour personnel changes .
“ We have other checks , and I don ’ t believe that the military would go along with a coup , but we need to have people at the top of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Multiple prominent analysts thought the moves inside the Pentagon smacked more of a hasty cover-up of conduct that could make trouble for Trump in the future than of a play to ensure control of the military for potential domestic deployment .
But moves by the administration in other theaters fueled concerns of an extraordinarily damaging plot afoot .
Earlier this week Trump ’ s attorney general , William Barr , issued a memo authorizing federal prosecutors to investigate election fraud , of which no evidence has yet to emerge .
The director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transitions has refused to sign off on Biden ’ s win , blocking millions of dollars and essential information transfer including on national security issues .
The budget office has ordered employees to prepare Trump ’ s 2021 budget proposal for Congress – as if he will still be in office .
Trump ’ s attacks on the election result have been equally determined .
Baseless fraud conspiracies spread by his Twitter account and by his sons are the subject of top-viewed posts Facebook , and polling indicates that the campaign to destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a majority of Republicans believing there was significant election fraud – on zero evidence .
Republicans are spending aggressively in an effort to find such evidence .
A postmaster in Pennsylvania has claimed he was offered $ 130,000 by Republicans to stand up accusations of mail fraud , and the Republican lieutenant governor of Texas has offered $ 1m from his campaign coffers to anyone providing evidence of voter fraud .
As many times as it has already lost in court , the Trump campaign continues to bring lawsuits challenging the validity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of interrupting states ’ efforts to certify their results , analysts say .
If states can not certify election results , the Trump campaign could pressure Republican-led state legislators to flip electoral votes – although that scenario , again , would be historically unprecedented and is seen as highly unlikely .
Most analysts saw the Trump campaign strategies to flip the election result outright as fatally weak .
Trump lawyers admitted in court in Pennsylvania on Tuesday that there was no fraud they know about at present .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not getting anywhere with these claims , ” said Brettschneider .
“ What ’ s really irresponsible about this is that they came forward with a claim of fraud with no evidence.
” Trump also plans to flex his populist muscle , with organizers planning huge pro-Trump rallies in Washington DC on Saturday that they are calling the “ Million Maga March ” .
Activists are calling for counter-protests if Trump ’ s plot on power advances further –especially if states start missing deadlines to certify their election results at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of Trump ’ s lies about election fraud have instead treated the lies as creditable .
“ At some point here , we ’ ll find out finally who was certified [ the winner ] in each of these states , and the electoral college will determine the winner and that person will be sworn in on January 20 , ” McConnell said on the Senate floor .
“ No reason for alarm.
” Senator Lindsey Graham was more direct , telling Trump in a television appearance : “ Do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election result is not clear-cut pointed to motivations more immediate and less historic than a coup plot , many analysts thought .
The party needs to pay down debt and keep voters activated for two difficult runoff US Senate races in Georgia on 5 January that will determine which party controls the Senate .
Trump also faces personal debts , in the hundreds of millions , once he leaves office .
The Trump campaign has been drenching supporters with requests for money to “ defend the election ” – but a majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political action committee Trump has just established .
In a public appearance on Tuesday , Biden was asked how he could “ expect to work with Republicans if they won ’ t even acknowledge you as president-elect ?
” “ They will , ” Biden said , expressing a faith not everyone shared .
“ They will .
”

Donald Trump stepped out of the White House for a public event for the first time in six days on Wednesday as Americans strained to interpret a flurry of sudden personnel changes inside the administration, including at the Pentagon, while top Republicans refused to admit that Joe Biden had won the presidency.
Instead of ushering in a becalmed moment of transition, the US election eight days ago has given way to escalating concerns over the president’s shocking visible effort to cling to power – and over top Republicans’ failure to dispute the president’s wild claims of election fraud.
The proportion of Biden’s victory in the popular vote crept up to 50.8% on Wednesday, the highest percentage for a challenger since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932. Judges in six states had thrown out at least 13 lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign to challenge the vote while agreeing to hear zero. There is every indication that Biden will be inaugurated on 20 January.
But continued leaks about the Trump team’s long-shot strategies for overturning the election result, and references such as one by the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday to a “smooth transition to a second Trump administration”, fed a sense of alarm that America was witnessing more than just hardball politics, cynical fundraising or Trumpian sour grapes.
“What Donald Trump is attempting to do has a name: coup d’état,” said Timothy Snyder, a history professor at Yale University specializing in authoritarianism, on Twitter. “Poorly organized though it might seem, it is not bound to fail. It must be made to fail.
“Coups are defeated quickly or not at all. While they take place we are meant to look away, as many of us are doing. When they are complete we are powerless.”
Trump did not deliver remarks to reporters en route to a Veteran’s Day ceremony at Arlington national cemetery on Wednesday, where he stood with the vice-president, Mike Pence in the rain. Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden, attended a Veteran’s Day ceremony in Delaware.
Joe Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden, at the Korean war memorial park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 11 November. Photograph: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Simultaneous to the Trump campaign’s move against election results in six key states, Trump was installing loyalists in the defense department and in other key security-related government posts. That was activity that might have prompted a warning from the United States about an authoritarian takeover if it happened in Turkey or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Trump fired the defense secretary, Mark Esper, by tweet on Monday and appointed as chief of staff Kashyap Patel, a key Republican operative during the Russia investigation. Trump also replaced the heads of intelligence and policy inside the Pentagon with political apparatchiks, while a fourth Republican political operative, Michael Ellis, was installed as general counsel of the national security agency. A further move by Trump to fire the FBI director was also reportedly under consideration.
“That is dangerous,” said Corey Brettschneider, a professor at Brown University specializing in constitutional law and politics, of the 11th-hour personnel changes. “We have other checks, and I don’t believe that the military would go along with a coup, but we need to have people at the top of those departments willing to say what democracy demands.”
Multiple prominent analysts thought the moves inside the Pentagon smacked more of a hasty cover-up of conduct that could make trouble for Trump in the future than of a play to ensure control of the military for potential domestic deployment.
But moves by the administration in other theaters fueled concerns of an extraordinarily damaging plot afoot.
Earlier this week Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, issued a memo authorizing federal prosecutors to investigate election fraud, of which no evidence has yet to emerge. The director of the agency charged with funding presidential transitions has refused to sign off on Biden’s win, blocking millions of dollars and essential information transfer including on national security issues. The budget office has ordered employees to prepare Trump’s 2021 budget proposal for Congress – as if he will still be in office.
Trump’s attacks on the election result have been equally determined. Baseless fraud conspiracies spread by his Twitter account and by his sons are the subject of top-viewed posts Facebook, and polling indicates that the campaign to destroy faith in the election is working, with a majority of Republicans believing there was significant election fraud – on zero evidence.
A view of the White House during rain on 11 November. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Republicans are spending aggressively in an effort to find such evidence. A postmaster in Pennsylvania has claimed he was offered $130,000 by Republicans to stand up accusations of mail fraud, and the Republican lieutenant governor of Texas has offered $1m from his campaign coffers to anyone providing evidence of voter fraud.
As many times as it has already lost in court, the Trump campaign continues to bring lawsuits challenging the validity of ballots, with the ultimate aim of interrupting states’ efforts to certify their results, analysts say. If states cannot certify election results, the Trump campaign could pressure Republican-led state legislators to flip electoral votes – although that scenario, again, would be historically unprecedented and is seen as highly unlikely.
Most analysts saw the Trump campaign strategies to flip the election result outright as fatally weak. Trump lawyers admitted in court in Pennsylvania on Tuesday that there was no fraud they know about at present.
What’s really irresponsible about this is that they came forward with a claim of fraud with no evidence Corey Brettschneider
“It’s not going to work. He’s not getting anywhere with these claims,” said Brettschneider. “What’s really irresponsible about this is that they came forward with a claim of fraud with no evidence.”
Trump also plans to flex his populist muscle, with organizers planning huge pro-Trump rallies in Washington DC on Saturday that they are calling the “Million Maga March”. Activists are calling for counter-protests if Trump’s plot on power advances further –especially if states start missing deadlines to certify their election results at the end of the month.
Republicans who might stop the spread of Trump’s lies about election fraud have instead treated the lies as creditable.
“At some point here, we’ll find out finally who was certified [the winner] in each of these states, and the electoral college will determine the winner and that person will be sworn in on January 20,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “No reason for alarm.”
Senator Lindsey Graham was more direct, telling Trump in a television appearance: “Do not concede.”
The Republican pretense that the election result is not clear-cut pointed to motivations more immediate and less historic than a coup plot, many analysts thought. The party needs to pay down debt and keep voters activated for two difficult runoff US Senate races in Georgia on 5 January that will determine which party controls the Senate.
Trump also faces personal debts, in the hundreds of millions, once he leaves office. The Trump campaign has been drenching supporters with requests for money to “defend the election” – but a majority of the donations are being funneled to a political action committee Trump has just established.
In a public appearance on Tuesday, Biden was asked how he could “expect to work with Republicans if they won’t even acknowledge you as president-elect?”
“They will,” Biden said, expressing a faith not everyone shared. “They will.”


theguardian--2020-11-11--'Downright dangerous': Democrats' alarm as Trump stacks Pentagon with loyalists

Extreme Republican partisans have been installed in important roles in the Pentagon , following the summary dismissal of the defense secretary , Mark Esper , at a time Donald Trump is refusing to accept his election defeat .
Democrats immediately demanded explanations for the eleventh-hour personnel changes and warned that the US was entering dangerous “ uncharted territory ” with the reshuffling of key national security roles during a presidential transition .
However defence experts argued there was little the new Trump appointees could do to use their positions to the president ’ s advantage , given the firm refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in domestic politics .
Anthony Tata – a retired army brigadier general , novelist and Fox News commentator who called Barack Obama a “ terrorist leader ” – has taken control of the Pentagon ’ s policy department , following the resignation of the acting undersecretary of defence for policy , James Anderson .
Tata had been unable to win Senate confirmation after old tweets surfaced in which he expressed virulent Islamophobic views .
Meanwhile , Kash Patel – a former Republican congressional aide who played a lead role in a campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meddling – has been made chief of staff to the new defence secretary , Chris Miller .
According to Axios , another new Miller adviser is Douglas Macgregor , a retired army colonel who was nominated over the summer , but not confirmed , as ambassador to Germany .
Macgregor has referred to immigrants to Europe as “ Muslim invaders ” , advocated shooting illegal immigrants on the US border , and promoted a range of white nationalists conspiracy theories .
He advocated a fast withdrawal from Afghanistan and has said the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of troops to the Polish border to deal with the Russians ” .
The undersecretary of defence for intelligence , Vice Admiral Joseph Kernan , a retired navy Seal , was also reported to have resigned on Tuesday , and was replaced by Ezra Cohen-Watnick , a former aide to Michael Flynn , Trump ’ s first national security adviser who pleaded guilty to perjury .
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty , head of the National Nuclear Security Administration , which oversees the nation ’ s stockpile of nuclear warheads , was forced to quit on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gina Haspel , was also in question .
In a show of support , Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell invited Haspel to his office on Tuesday and Republican Senator John Cornyn tweeted : “ Intelligence should not be partisan ” .
But he was attacked on Twitter by the president ’ s son , Donald Trump Jr , who asked if he or other Republicans backing Haspel had “ actually discussed this with anyone in the Admin [ istration ] who actually works with her … or are you just taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it on everything ?
” The reasons for the post-election personnel changes 10 weeks before the end of Donald Trump ’ s tenure were unclear , but they came at a time when the president is refusing to accept election defeat .
The former defence secretary , Mark Esper , fired by tweet on Monday , had refused to allow active duty troops to be deployed on US streets during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer .
In his resignation letter , Anderson , the outgoing Pentagon policy chief , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump White House was taking in the aftermath of the election .
“ Now , as ever , our long-term success depends on adhering to the US constitution all public servants swear to support and defend , ” he wrote .
Democrats raised the alarm over the wave of staff changes at the Pentagon .
“ It is hard to overstate just how dangerous high-level turnover at the department of defence is during a period of presidential transition , ” wrote Adam Smith , the chairman of the House armed services committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Americans ” .
“ If this is the beginning of a trend – the president either firing or forcing out national security professionals in order to replace them with people perceived as more loyal to him – then the next 70 days will be precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst.
” The top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee , Mark Warner , said the US had entered “ uncharted territory ” with Esper ’ s firing .
“ There ’ s never been a time when a senior official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition period between one administration to another , ” Warner told MSNBC .
Former officials and military analysts argued that the post-election changes , while highly unusual , were not a reason to fear that the Pentagon would be weaponised in Trump ’ s desperate efforts to hold on to power .
“ Remember all the senior military officers are still there , ” said Mark Cancian , a retired US marine colonel and former senior defence official .
“ Their attitudes remain the same .
They ’ ve been quite emphatic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited in civilian civil disturbances.
” Eugene Gholz , a former senior adviser in the Pentagon and the author of US Defense Politics : The Origins of Security Policy , agreed : “ Among military officers at all ranks it is deeply , deeply ingrained that the military is not used for settling politics.
” Gholz , now associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame , suggested one possible , more prosaic , reason for the reshuffle , could be to pad the résumés of partisan officials to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in office .
“ There ’ s an opportunity to give someone a credential of a leadership position , ” he said .
“ Now they could at least claim : ‘ Hey look , I had this title , even if only briefly , in the Trump administration .
’ ”

Extreme Republican partisans have been installed in important roles in the Pentagon, following the summary dismissal of the defense secretary, Mark Esper, at a time Donald Trump is refusing to accept his election defeat.
Democrats immediately demanded explanations for the eleventh-hour personnel changes and warned that the US was entering dangerous “uncharted territory” with the reshuffling of key national security roles during a presidential transition.
However, defence experts argued there was little the new Trump appointees could do to use their positions to the president’s advantage, given the firm refusal of the uniformed armed services to get involved in domestic politics.
Anthony Tata – a retired army brigadier general, novelist and Fox News commentator who called Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” – has taken control of the Pentagon’s policy department, following the resignation of the acting undersecretary of defence for policy, James Anderson.
Tata had been unable to win Senate confirmation after old tweets surfaced in which he expressed virulent Islamophobic views.
Meanwhile, Kash Patel – a former Republican congressional aide who played a lead role in a campaign to discredit the investigation into Russian election meddling – has been made chief of staff to the new defence secretary, Chris Miller.
According to Axios, another new Miller adviser is Douglas Macgregor, a retired army colonel who was nominated over the summer, but not confirmed, as ambassador to Germany. Macgregor has referred to immigrants to Europe as “Muslim invaders”, advocated shooting illegal immigrants on the US border, and promoted a range of white nationalists conspiracy theories. He advocated a fast withdrawal from Afghanistan and has said the US should not “rush hundreds of thousands of troops to the Polish border to deal with the Russians”.
The undersecretary of defence for intelligence, Vice-Admiral Joseph Kernan, a retired Navy Seal, was also reported to have resigned on Tuesday, and was replaced by Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a former aide to Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser who pleaded guilty to perjury.
The next 70 days will be precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst Adam Smith
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the nation’s stockpile of nuclear warheads, was forced to quit on Friday.
The fate of the CIA director, Gina Haspel, was also in question. In a show of support, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, invited Haspel to his office on Tuesday and the Republican senator John Cornyn tweeted: “Intelligence should not be partisan.” But he was attacked on Twitter by the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, who asked if he or other Republicans backing Haspel had “actually discussed this with anyone in the Admin[istration] who actually works with her … or are you just taking a trained liar’s word for it on everything?”
The reasons for the post-election personnel changes 10 weeks before the end of Donald Trump’s tenure were unclear, but they came at a time when the president is refusing to accept election defeat.
The former defence secretary, Mark Esper, fired by tweet on Monday, had refused to allow active duty troops to be deployed on US streets during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer.
Mark Esper was fired by Donald Trump in a tweet. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
In his resignation letter, Anderson, the outgoing Pentagon policy chief, also signalled his unease with the direction the Trump White House was taking in the aftermath of the election.
“Now, as ever, our long-term success depends on adhering to the US constitution all public servants swear to support and defend,” he wrote.
Democrats raised the alarm over the wave of staff changes at the Pentagon.
“It is hard to overstate just how dangerous high-level turnover at the Department of Defence is during a period of presidential transition,” wrote Adam Smith, the chairman of the House armed services committee, adding that the development “should alarm all Americans”.
“If this is the beginning of a trend – the president either firing or forcing out national security professionals in order to replace them with people perceived as more loyal to him – then the next 70 days will be precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst.”
The top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, Mark Warner, said the US had entered “uncharted territory” with Esper’s firing.
“There’s never been a time when a senior official like this has been fired during a transition period between one administration to another,” Warner told MSNBC.
Former officials and military analysts argued that the post-election changes, while highly unusual, were not a reason to fear that the Pentagon would be weaponised in Trump’s desperate efforts to hold on to power.
“Remember all the senior military officers are still there,” said Mark Cancian, a retired US marine colonel and former senior defence official. “Their attitudes remain the same. They’ve been quite emphatic that the role of the military is very limited in civilian civil disturbances.”
Eugene Gholz, a former senior adviser in the Pentagon and the author of US Defense Politics: The Origins of Security Policy, agreed: “Among military officers at all ranks it is deeply, deeply ingrained that the military is not used for settling politics.”
Gholz, now associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, suggested one possible, more prosaic, reason for the reshuffle, could be to pad the résumés of partisan officials to help smooth confirmation hearings next time Republicans are in office.
“There’s an opportunity to give someone a credential of a leadership position,” he said. “Now they could at least claim: ‘Hey look, I had this title, even if only briefly, in the Trump administration.’”


theguardian--2020-11-11--Trump's temper tantrum shows why we must stop praising those who don't accept defeat | Adrian Chiles

We all know a bad loser when we see one and we all know what a tantrum looks like .
So there has been something wearily familiar about Trump the grump ’ s carry-on in the White House .
If you have watched a football match or dealt with kids , or indeed adults , you ’ ll have come across his type before .
Except I am not sure we have .
When you think about it , his kind of behaviour is actually rather rare .
Then again , normalising the abnormal and hitherto unacceptable would appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have seen many a tantrum in my time ; I ’ m afraid I have had a few myself .
But this is of a different order .
It ’ s one thing to spit the dummy , throw the toys out and make a noise ; it ’ s quite another to keep up the performance without calming down , sulking for a bit and then muttering a few apologies before moving on .
I must admit I have upended a Monopoly board and , in the field of sporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bat home .
Not that it mattered ; the others had bats of their own so they carried on without me .
What a loser .
Sportspeople , especially footballers , are generally thought to be poor role models .
Setting aside how they spend their private lives , on the pitch they contest every refereeing decision , feign injuries , cause injuries and generally cheat .
But they know how to accept defeat .
A match can be as hotly contested and ill-tempered as you like , yet , once the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything but handshakes , hugs and the odd smile .
When I was a kid watching West Brom play fierce local derbies against Aston Villa and Wolves on boggy 70s pitches , I remember being gobsmacked in grudging admiration at the sight of all the bonhomie as they trudged off at the end .
I assumed this is what it meant to be an adult .
For my part , I fantasised about harming every member of the opposition .
Usually these homicidal urges passed within hours or sometimes days .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feelings only occasionally .
We have all seen football managers moaning about this decision or that , and it ’ s never a good look .
But they accept defeat , albeit grudgingly and with bad grace .
Boxers knock seven bells out of each other in the ring after insulting each other royally in the buildup to a fight .
But when the contest ’ s over , awash in blood , snot , sweat and tears , they hug like they mean it .
The result is accepted .
To do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play , demeans nobody more than it demeans the loser .
“ Show me a good loser , ” said Vince Lombardi , “ and I ’ ll show you a loser.
” The renowned American football coach may have had a point but , in the wrong hands , read the wrong way , these kinds of words may be problematic .
How many times have we heard it said in great admiration of anyone successful , especially athletes , that a key to their success is that they “ never know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a similar spirit , they will often be lauded for doing “ whatever it takes ” to win and even “ refusing to accept defeat ” .
It ’ s not the biggest jump in a kid ’ s mind from hearing all that to getting echoes of it in the behaviour of that funny man in the White House .
The other night , Matthew Taylor , chief executive of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts , Manufactures and Commerce , tweeted : “ I can ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s most powerful nation is being widely treated like an amusing temper tantrum.
” Good point , that : why aren ’ t we taking it more seriously ?
Perhaps it is partly because we can ’ t bear to show our kids we ’ re concerned ; if we take him seriously then perhaps they will , too .
I would much rather our young were laughing at him than worrying about him or , worse still , emulating him in some way .
To laugh at him feels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s crueller ; that stuff works in the playground .
Whether it stops this comical tantrum turning into something darker is another matter .

We all know a bad loser when we see one and we all know what a tantrum looks like. So there has been something wearily familiar about Trump the grump’s carry-on in the White House. If you have watched a football match or dealt with kids, or indeed adults, you’ll have come across his type before.
Except I am not sure we have. When you think about it, his kind of behaviour is actually rather rare. Then again, normalising the abnormal and hitherto unacceptable would appear to be the president’s special gift.
I have seen many a tantrum in my time; I’m afraid I have had a few myself. But this is of a different order. It’s one thing to spit the dummy, throw the toys out and make a noise; it’s quite another to keep up the performance without calming down, sulking for a bit and then muttering a few apologies before moving on. I must admit I have upended a Monopoly board and, in the field of sporting endeavour, I once literally took my bat home. Not that it mattered; the others had bats of their own so they carried on without me. What a loser.
Sportspeople, especially footballers, are generally thought to be poor role models. Setting aside how they spend their private lives, on the pitch they contest every refereeing decision, feign injuries, cause injuries and generally cheat. But they know how to accept defeat. A match can be as hotly contested and ill-tempered as you like, yet, once the final whistle is blown, you rarely see anything but handshakes, hugs and the odd smile. When I was a kid watching West Brom play fierce local derbies against Aston Villa and Wolves on boggy 70s pitches, I remember being gobsmacked in grudging admiration at the sight of all the bonhomie as they trudged off at the end. I assumed this is what it meant to be an adult. For my part, I fantasised about harming every member of the opposition. Usually these homicidal urges passed within hours or sometimes days. I’ve grown up now and get these feelings only occasionally.
We have all seen football managers moaning about this decision or that, and it’s never a good look. But they accept defeat, albeit grudgingly and with bad grace. Boxers knock seven bells out of each other in the ring after insulting each other royally in the buildup to a fight. But when the contest’s over, awash in blood, snot, sweat and tears, they hug like they mean it. The result is accepted. To do otherwise, trumping up charges of foul play, demeans nobody more than it demeans the loser.
“Show me a good loser,” said Vince Lombardi, “and I’ll show you a loser.” The renowned American football coach may have had a point but, in the wrong hands, read the wrong way, these kinds of words may be problematic. How many times have we heard it said in great admiration of anyone successful, especially athletes, that a key to their success is that they “never know when they’re beaten”? In a similar spirit, they will often be lauded for doing “whatever it takes” to win and even “refusing to accept defeat”. It’s not the biggest jump in a kid’s mind from hearing all that to getting echoes of it in the behaviour of that funny man in the White House.
The other night, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, tweeted: “I can’t really understand why a full-scale coup attempt in the world’s most powerful nation is being widely treated like an amusing temper tantrum.” Good point, that: why aren’t we taking it more seriously? Perhaps it is partly because we can’t bear to show our kids we’re concerned; if we take him seriously then perhaps they will, too. I would much rather our young were laughing at him than worrying about him or, worse still, emulating him in some way. To laugh at him feels more useful, in that it’s crueller; that stuff works in the playground. Whether it stops this comical tantrum turning into something darker is another matter.