theguardian--2020-11-05--Protesters gather outside election centre in Phoenix as Biden's Arizona 'win' challenged – video

Supporters of Donald Trump gathered outside the Maricopa County Elections Department , chanting 'count the votes ' after Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ state by a number of news organisations .
Media , including Fox News and the @ @ @ @ @ state in Biden 's favour , but Trump has been narrowing the gap .
Maricopa @ @ @ @ @ populous and a conservative stronghold , has been the focus of attention as the overall @ @ @ @ @ balance • US election 2020 live : Biden wins Michigan in vital step towards presidency @ @ @ @ @ results • US election 2020 live results : Donald Trump takes on Joe Biden in @ @ @

Supporters of Donald Trump gathered outside the Maricopa County Elections Department, chanting 'count the votes' after Joe Biden was named victor in the state by a number of news organisations. Media, including Fox News and the Associated Press, called the state in Biden's favour, but Trump has been narrowing the gap. Maricopa county, Arizona's most populous and a conservative stronghold, has been the focus of attention as the overall election results remains in the balance


theguardian--2020-11-05--'Simply wrong': Pennsylvania governor reacts to Trump campaign court bid to stop count – video

Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf has condemned a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump 's campaign to stop the counting of @ @ @ @ @ .
Democrat governor Wolf had previously tweeted that more than 1 million ballots were still @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit to stop the counting of ballots in @ @ @ @ @ .
'That is simply wrong .
It goes against the most basic principles of our @ @ @ @ @ live : Biden wins Michigan in vital step towards presidency as Trump tries to challenge @ @ @ @ @ live results : Donald Trump takes on Joe Biden in tight presidential race

Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf has condemned a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump's campaign to stop the counting of ballots in the crucial state. Democrat governor Wolf had previously tweeted that more than 1 million ballots were still to be counted. 'This afternoon, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit to stop the counting of ballots in Pennsylvania,' he said. 'That is simply wrong. It goes against the most basic principles of our democracy'


theguardian--2020-11-04--Joe Biden: 'When the count is finished, we believe we will be the winner' – video

Joe Biden expressed confidence in his victory in the presidential election , he stressed he was not 'declaring ' victory @ @ @ @ @ ' he would hit the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency .
On @ @ @ @ @ emphasised all votes should be counted and he characterised his potential win as non-partisan , @ @ @ @ @ in the US • Biden wins key state of Wisconsin as Trump sues to stop @ @ @ @ @ live

Joe Biden expressed confidence in his victory in the presidential election, he stressed he was not 'declaring' victory but said it was 'clear' he would hit the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
On the election results, Biden emphasised all votes should be counted and he characterised his potential win as non-partisan, calling once again for unity in the US


theguardian--2020-11-04--'The American way': Mitch McConnell defends Trump threat to challenge election results – video

'We don ’ t know who won the presidential race yet , ' said Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell as @ @ @ @ @ to challenge election results in the supreme court , a statement that drew wide criticism @ @ @ @ @ Trump should not be criticised for threatening to bring in his lawyers , adding the @ @ @ @ @ same .
'In a close election you can anticipate in some of these states you @ @ @ @ @ in court , ( it 's ) the American way , ' McConnell said during @ @ @ @ @ , Kentucky • US election 2020 Trump v Biden : Democrats say 'results indicate we @ @ @ @ @ victory today ' – live

'We don’t know who won the presidential race yet,' said Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell as he defended Trump's threat to challenge election results in the supreme court, a statement that drew wide criticism.
McConnell on Wednesday said Trump should not be criticised for threatening to bring in his lawyers, adding the Biden campaign would do the same.
'In a close election you can anticipate in some of these states you are going to end up in court, (it's) the American way,' McConnell said during a news conference in Louisville, Kentucky


theguardian--2020-11-04--'Pennsylvania will have a fair election': governor announces possible result delay – video

The governor of Pennsylvania , Tom Wolf , said the electoral system in the state is working , but due @ @ @ @ @ the results could be delayed until after Wednesday .
During a press conference Wolf assured @ @ @ @ @ counted before results are announced in the key state • US election 2020 Trump v @ @ @ @ @ indicate we 're on clear path to victory today ' – live

The governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, said the electoral system in the state is working, but due to millions of mail-in ballots the results could be delayed until after Wednesday.
During a press conference Wolf assured voters every ballot would be counted before results are announced in the key state


theguardian--2020-11-04--'A disgrace': former aide John Bolton slams Donald Trump's early win claim – video

The former Trump US national security adviser John Bolton has said the president 's premature claim of victory in the @ @ @ @ @ ' .
Early on Wednesday , Trump said he would take the election to the @ @ @ @ @ being counted .
He falsely claimed victory , as the election remained too close to @ @ @ @ @ yet to be counted • US election 2020 : Joe Biden has narrow lead over @ @ @ @ @ awaited – live updates • US braces for long wait for election results as Trump @ @ @

The former Trump US national security adviser John Bolton has said the president's premature claim of victory in the election is 'a disgrace'.
Early on Wednesday, Trump said he would take the election to the supreme court to stop votes being counted. He falsely claimed victory, as the election remained too close to call with millions of votes yet to be counted


theguardian--2020-11-04--Johnson says he will not comment on Trump's call to stop counting US election votes – video

The prime minister sidestepped Keir Starmer 's attempt at PMQs to get him to comment on Donald Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ of votes in the US election .
Challenged by the Labour leader to agree that @ @ @ @ @ of either candidate to decide which votes should count , Johnson said : 'We don @ @ @ @ @ UK government on the democratic processes of our friends and allies' • Boris Johnson refuses @ @ @ @ @ call to stop vote-counting

The prime minister sidestepped Keir Starmer's attempt at PMQs to get him to comment on Donald Trump’s call to stop the counting of votes in the US election. Challenged by the Labour leader to agree that it was not the place of either candidate to decide which votes should count, Johnson said: 'We don’t comment as the UK government on the democratic processes of our friends and allies'


theguardian--2020-11-04--Faith v fraud: Biden and Trump react during the US election count – video

With the US presidential election count still too close to call , Joe Biden said he was optimistic about the @ @ @ @ @ race was not over until every vote had been counted .
Meanwhile , Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ won and spoke of a fraud against the American public • Biden addresses supporters in @ @ @ @ @ re on track to win this election ’

With the US presidential election count still too close to call, Joe Biden said he was optimistic about the outcome and that it the race was not over until every vote had been counted. Meanwhile, Donald Trump falsely claimed he had already won and spoke of a fraud against the American public


theguardian--2020-11-04--Mark Kelly on Senate win in Arizona: 'Tonight is about getting to work' – video

Mark Kelly , the Democrat and former astronaut , focused on bipartisanship in a speech shortly before he was declared @ @ @ @ @ race in Arizona . '
I ’ m confident that when all the votes are @ @ @ @ @ going to be successful in this mission , ’ Kelly told supporters .
‘ The @ @ @ @ @ retired US navy captain , who ran his campaign by playing up his outsider status @ @ @ @ @ 'Our state does n't need a Democrat senator or a Republican senator .
We need @ @ @ @ @ is nothing we ca n't achieve if we work together' • Results come in after @ @ @ @ @ happened

Mark Kelly, the Democrat and former astronaut, focused on bipartisanship in a speech shortly before he was declared the winner of the Senate race in Arizona. 'I’m confident that when all the votes are counted, we’re going to be successful in this mission,’ Kelly told supporters. ‘The work starts now.’
The retired US navy captain, who ran his campaign by playing up his outsider status in politics, said: 'Our state doesn't need a Democrat senator or a Republican senator. We need an Arizona senator. There is nothing we can't achieve if we work together'


theguardian--2020-11-04--Trump throws baseless doubt on vote and falsely claims victory – video

Donald Trump has made baseless claims of voter 'fraud ' in the presidential election and declared victory , even as @ @ @ @ @ close to call .
Speaking at the White House the president said : 'This is @ @ @ @ @ public .
This is an embarrassment to our country . '
He also threatened to @ @ @ @ @ the supreme court .
Trump has won the battleground state of Florida , but others @ @ @ @ @ and Pennsylvania remain too close to call .
Election officials are counting ballots in many @ @ @ @ @ could continue for days • Donald Trump : could the president refuse to accept defeat @

Donald Trump has made baseless claims of voter 'fraud' in the presidential election and declared victory, even as important battleground states remain too close to call. Speaking at the White House the president said: 'This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country.' He also threatened to challenge the election results in the supreme court.
Trump has won the battleground state of Florida, but others including North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania remain too close to call. Election officials are counting ballots in many key states and the process could continue for days


theguardian--2020-11-06--US election live: TV networks cut away as Trump lies again about result

What usually happens ?
US presidential elections are not won by the national popular vote .
The winner in each state collects its electoral college votes – and needs a total of 270 to take the White House .
In most elections the result is clear – although not officially confirmed – by the end of the night .
Major American media outlets “ call ” each state for one of the candidates .
While not based on the final vote count , that projection is almost invariably accurate .
This means an accurate tally of electoral college votes can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2016 , that happened at 2.30am in Washington when Trump reached the required 270 .
Why is that not happening this time ?
Mainly because of the Covid-19 pandemic , large numbers of voters – about 68 % of the total , compared with 34 % in 2016 – cast their ballots early , including by post .
Counting postal votes is slower because voter and witness signatures and addresses must be checked , and ballots smoothed out before being fed into counting machines .
Some states start that verification process long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself can get under way as soon as polls close .
Others , however , do not allow that .
Which states are we talking about ?
Five states have yet to be called : Nevada , Georgia , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Alaska .
Several news organizations , including the Associated Press and Fox News ’ decision desk , have called Arizona for Joe Biden .
The Trump campaign is arguing , however , that call was made too early .
Its next update is not due until 9pm ET on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican column with near certainty .
Pennsylvania officials say they expect most votes will be counted by Friday .
The Democratic challenger is narrowly ahead in Nevada , with only Democratic-leaning late postal ballots left to tally .
Officials have said no more results will be released in Nevada until midday ET on Thursday .
In North Carolina , while Trump is the clear favourite , the state accepts postal ballots until 12 November – although that is expected to make little difference .
What else is complicating matters ?
Roughly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that arrive after election day as long as they carry a postmark of no later than 3 November , so postal delays may mean some ballots are not processed until days later : Pennsylvania has said results will not be considered complete until the deadline of Friday .
There has also reportedly been an increase in the number of provisional ballots cast by people who asked for a postal vote but then decided to go to the polling station in person instead .
These need careful checking to make sure no one has @ @ @

6 Nov 2020 19.01 GMT Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has released another statement from the president, in which he calls for “full transparency” in the vote count.
“We believe the American people deserve to have full transparency into all vote counting and election certification, and that this is no longer about any single election. This is about the integrity of our entire election process,” Trump said. “From the beginning we have said that all legal ballots must be counted and all illegal ballots should not be counted, yet we have met resistance to this basic principle by Democrats at every turn. We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government. I will never give up fighting for you and our nation.” Okay, so there are a few fact-checks we need to make here. It is not true that Trump has consistently called for all legal ballots to be counted. He sent a tweet yesterday that said, “Stop the count!” The tweet made no distinction between legal and illegal ballots; it simply called on election officials to stop counting votes. And every ballot that is being counted right now represents a valid vote. There has been absolutely no evidence election officials are trying to count invalid ballots. In the lawsuits it has filed in several battleground states, the Trump campaign has failed to produce any evidence that invalid ballots are being counted. Election officials in multiple battleground states have also consistently defended the integrity of their counts.
6 Nov 2020 18.34 GMT Today so far Here’s where the day stands so far: Joe Biden appears poised to win the White House, after taking the lead in Pennsylvania. Biden now leads Donald Trump by 12,497 votes in Pennsylvania, but the AP has not yet declared a winner in the state. Biden is clearly intending to declare victory, with plans to deliver a primetime address tonight.
Biden now leads by 12,497 votes in Pennsylvania, but the AP has not yet declared a winner in the state. Biden is clearly intending to declare victory, with plans to deliver a primetime address tonight. Georgia will hold a recount to settle the virtual tie between Biden and Trump in the state. As of now, Biden leads Trump by just 1,558 votes in the state, where about 5 million ballots were cast in the presidential race.
As of now, Biden leads Trump by just 1,558 votes in the state, where about 5 million ballots were cast in the presidential race. Biden’s lead in Nevada grew to 20,137 votes, following an update from Clark county, where Las Vegas is located. But the AP has not yet called that state either. The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
6 Nov 2020 18.23 GMT Joe Gloria, the Clark County Registrar of Voters in Nevada, said the county would provide another ballot update this afternoon. Clark county posted the results of about 30,000 ballots this morning, and Joe Biden’s lead in the state has grown to 20,137 votes. Gloria had said yesterday that the county would report the results of 51,000 ballots today, but he clarified that a staffer made an error because they incorrectly equated the number of ballots and the number of pages for the machine to process. (Some ballots had two pages.) According to Gloria, there about 63,000 mail-in ballots and 60,000 provisional ballots left to be processed. The counting is expected to continue through the weekend, Gloria said.
Updated at 18.36 GMT
6 Nov 2020 18.15 GMT Biden to deliver primetime address Lauren Gambino Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are expected to address the nation in a primetime speech this evening, a campaign official confirmed to The Guardian. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are expected to deliver primetime remarks this evening, according to a campaign official — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) November 6, 2020 Biden is on the verge of victory after taking the lead in Pennsylvania, whose 20 electoral college votes would lift him above the 270-vote threshold to become the next president. Both candidates are expected to speak.
6 Nov 2020 18.07 GMT It appears Donald Trump is now in the Oval Office, as a Marine is stationed outside the door. The Marine has taken his post. The president is therefore expected to be in working areas of the West Wing like the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/KpxqvmJfPB — Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) November 6, 2020 The president has nothing on his public schedule today, but he has continued to tweet out baseless allegations of voter fraud, as Joe Biden looks poised to declare victory in the presidential race. Trump has not been seen on camera since last night, when he held a White House press conference that was just a stream of lies about the election.
Updated at 18.09 GMT
6 Nov 2020 17.59 GMT The Guardian’s Nina Lakhani reports from Pennsylvania: The arduous wait continues in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden currently leads by 12,497 votes. At a press conference a few minutes ago, Lisa Deely, chairwoman of the city commissioners overseeing the count in Philadelphia, said 40,000 votes are still to be counted there, including military and provisional ballots. It could take several days to complete this reporting, as some of these ballots will need to be adjudicated. Biden has so far won 81% of votes in Philadelphia. Another big batch of outstanding votes are in Alleghany county, home to PA’s second biggest city Pittsburgh, where counting was suspended yesterday due to a legal challenge over 29,000 ballots. We’re still waiting on 37,000 or so ballots to be counted there. In short, Biden will almost certainly pull off a comfortable win in Pennsylvania with 40,000 to 100,000 votes depending on who’s back of the envelope math you want to believe. But, the state may not be called for a few hours yet. Speaking at a press conference, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney was asked for his response to Trump’s baseless accusations of voter fraud in the city. Kenney replied, “I think what the president needs to do is, frankly, put his big boy pants on. He needs to acknowledge the fact that he has lost, and he needs to congratulate the winner.” 01:45 Philadelphia mayor tells Trump to accept he lost – video
Updated at 18.53 GMT
6 Nov 2020 17.49 GMT Philadelphia officials hold press conference on vote count Philadelphia officials are holding a press conference, as the vote count continues in the city. US election: Philadelphia officials provide update as Biden holds Pennsylvania lead – watch live Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney said, “While some including the president continue to spew baseless claims of fraud — claims for which his team has not produced one iota of evidence — what we see in Philadelphia is democracy, pure and simple.” The Philadelphia vote has already helped Joe Biden build a lead in Pennsylvania, and the remaining ballots are expected to bolster that lead. Asked if he believed Biden would be elected president when all the ballots were counted, Kenney said, “Yes.”
6 Nov 2020 17.44 GMT Johnson expresses confidence in 'checks and balances' of US government Simon Murphy UK prime minister Boris Johnson has refused to be drawn on the outcome of the US election, insisting “we should wait and see” while the votes are being counted. Amid unfounded voter fraud claims by Donald Trump, Johnson also stressed he had every confidence in the checks and balances of the US constitution, as well as making clear he would work with whoever emerges as the winner in the contest. Speaking on Friday as Joe Biden edged towards victory by taking the lead in the remaining key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia, Johnson said: “If I were a voter in America I don’t think I’d want anybody in another government commenting on my election, our election in our country, and I think while the votes are being counted … we should wait and see. “And I have every confidence in the checks and balances of the American constitution.” Questioned on whether he would miss Trump – who has been supportive of Johnson – if he did exit the White House, Johnson said: “Let’s be clear, the prime minister of the United Kingdom is always going to work very, very closely with whoever is … the president of the United States and that’s going to be the case whatever the outcome of this election.”
6 Nov 2020 17.36 GMT Mitt Romney criticized Donald Trump for peddling baseless accusations of voter fraud in the presidential election, as Joe Biden appears poised for victory. pic.twitter.com/oXLhsGxWma — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 6, 2020 The Republican senator said the president is “within his rights” to request recounts in close states and call for investigations of specific alleged irregularities. But Romney noted Trump was “wrong” to push baseless claims of a rigged election because “doing so damages the cause of freedom here and around the world.” Some of Romney’s Republican colleagues have said Trump should produce evidence if he believes the election was tainted by fraud. The president’s reelection campaign has produced no evidence to back up these claims.
6 Nov 2020 17.25 GMT To briefly turn away from the presidential race, the AP just announced Republican Jeff Van Drew won reelection to his House seat BREAKING: Republican Jeff Van Drew wins reelection to U.S. House in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District. #APracecall at 12:10 p.m. EST. #Election2020 #NJelection https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4 — AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 6, 2020 Van Drew was originally elected as a Democrat in 2018, but he switched parties out of alleged outrage over the impeachment of Donald Trump. The New Jersey congressman was viewed as very vulnerable because of his party-switching, and Democrats had high hopes of flipping his seat, but it didn’t happen. Freshman House Democrats in several vulnerable seats also lost reelection, so Republicans gained seats in the chamber, even though Democrats were expected to build upon their majority.
6 Nov 2020 17.15 GMT Julian Borger Senator Roy Blunt, who is close to Mitch McConnell, signaled that many in the Republican leadership are reluctant to follow Donald Trump along the path to constitutional chaos if the president attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. “You can’t stop the count in one state and decide you want the count to continue in another state. That might be how you’d like to see the system work but that’s not how the system works,” Blunt said. Blunt added, “Part of the obligation of leadership is you should always have in your mind how do I leave.” Reports have indicated Trump does not intend to concede if the presidential race is called for Joe Biden. Asked about that possibility today, Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said, “As we said on July 19th, the American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
6 Nov 2020 17.02 GMT Lauren Gambino Mitch McConnell refused to answer reporters’ questions about what he would do as the highest-ranking Republican in Congress if the president of the United States refused to concede the election.
“I’m not going to answer any hypotheticals about where we go from here,” the Senate majority leader told reporters when asked what he would do. He declined several more times to answer the question and, referring to an earlier tweet, said that was the extent of his comments on the matter. Here’s how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted. Any illegally-submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes.
That's how Americans' votes decide the result. — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) November 6, 2020 Donald Trump has made a series of startling and baseless claims about voter fraud and a rigged election, falsely asserting that he would have won the election already had it not been for a conspiracy involving “illegal” votes. Senate Republicans have largely been cautious of endorsing – and some have even rebuked – Trump over his baseless claims of a rigged election. But on Thursday night, Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz appeared on Fox to support a number of the president’s evidence-free claims about voter fraud. Asked by the host, Sean Hannity, if the Pennsylvania state legislature should nullify the delegates that voters select, Graham said, “Everything should be on the table.”
Updated at 17.09 GMT
6 Nov 2020 16.53 GMT With the latest batch of ballots from Pennsylvania, Joe Biden’s lead decreased a bit -- from 9,027 votes to 8,867 votes. The overall trendline has been very favorable for Biden because the outstanding mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania are going to the Democratic nominee by a ratio of about 4:1. But the AP has not yet made a call in Pennsylvania.
6 Nov 2020 16.47 GMT The AP has sent a tweet basically instructing everyone to chill out, as the nation awaits a call in the presidential race. The Associated Press continues to count votes in the presidential election and has not declared a winner.
When the AP does declare a winner, it will be tweeted from @AP and @AP_Politics#Election2020https://t.co/65yySH06TJ — The Associated Press (@AP) November 6, 2020 “The Associated Press continues to count votes in the presidential election and has not declared a winner,” the AP said.
“When the AP does declare a winner, it will be tweeted from @AP and @AP_Politics.” As a reminder (which I don’t think anyone needs), Joe Biden only needs to win one more state, and he will clinch the presidency.


theguardian--2020-11-06--Television news outlets cut away as Trump restates election lies

Donald Trump addressed Americans from the White House on Thursday , illegitimately declaring victory in the presidential election for the second time this week .
Several US news networks cut their feeds of the 16 minute speech , and numerous Republicans condemned the many falsehoods proclaimed in it .
MSNBC halted its live stream of the speech just a few minutes in , with host Brian Williams saying : “ Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States but correcting the president of the United States .
“ It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point , where our country is , it ’ s dangerous.
” Over on CNBC , Trump ’ s remarks cut to Shep Smith who said : “ What the president of the United States is saying , in large part , is absolutely untrue.
” And the Associated Press – which the Guardian relies on to project election results – swiftly clarified that it “ has not declared a winner in the presidential race , with several states still too early to call ” .
The speech came as former Vice-president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college and ballots in key states continues to be counted .
While many Republicans have avoided commenting on the president ’ s false claims of victory and undemocratic assertion that votes should not be counted , several did speak out on Thursday night , urging patience as the ballots are counted .
Paul Mitchell , a Republican congressman of Michigan , said : “ Every legal vote should and will be counted – as they always are.
” “ Anything less harms the integrity of our elections and is dangerous for our democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every vote is at the heart of democracy , ” tweeted Mitt Romney , the senator of Utah and former Republican presidential candidate .
“ That process is often long and , for those running , frustrating .
The votes will be counted.
” Larry Hogan , the Republican governor of Maryland , tweeted there was “ no defense for the president ’ s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process ” , while Tom Ridge , the former secretary of homeland security under George W Bush , said the speech “ disrespected every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to safely vote amid a pandemic ” .
Will Hurd , the Republican congressman of Texas , said : “ A sitting president undermining our political process and questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous and wrong , it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon .
Every American should have his or her vote counted.
” Joe Biden also responded shortly after the speech , saying , “ No one is going to take our democracy from us ” , while his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to invalidate these ballots ” .
Meanwhile , CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper had perhaps the most bruising words of the night : “ That is the most powerful person in the world and we see him like an obese turtle on his back , flailing in the hot sun , realizing his time is over .
”

Donald Trump addressed Americans from the White House on Thursday evening, illegitimately declaring victory in the presidential election for the second time this week. Several US news networks cut their feeds of the 16-minute speech, and numerous Republicans condemned the many falsehoods proclaimed in it.
MSNBC halted its live stream of the speech just a few minutes in, with host Brian Williams saying: “Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States but correcting the president of the United States.
“It was not rooted in reality – and at this point, where our country is, it’s dangerous.”
WATCH: "OK. Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States, but correcting the president of the United States," Brian Williams says on @MSNBC moments into the president's statement tonight. pic.twitter.com/2AliTQuSsr — MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 6, 2020
On Friday morning, the Pennsylvania Republican senator Pat Toomey told NBC: “The president’s allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are just not substantiated. I’m not aware of any significant wrongdoing here.”
Watch @SavannahGuthrie’s full interview with @SenToomey, who says he sees no evidence of fraud in the election and that President Trump still has a very narrow path to victory in Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/YVJ5Bq7tyC — TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 6, 2020
As the president spoke the evening before, CNBCalso cut away from Trump’s remarks, to anchor Shep Smith who said: “What the president of the United States is saying, in large part, is absolutely untrue.”
President Trump just spoke at the White House, as key states continue to count votes.
Shep has the facts: “What the President of the United States is saying, in large part, is absolutely untrue.” #Election2020 https://t.co/E6DBt6OodD pic.twitter.com/HVa87qUCzB — The News with Shepard Smith (@thenewsoncnbc) November 6, 2020
And the Associated Press – which the Guardian relies on to project election results – swiftly clarified that it “has not declared a winner in the presidential race, with several states still too early to call”.
The speech came as former Vice-President Joe Biden was ahead in the electoral college and ballots in key states continues to be counted.
While many Republicans have avoided commenting on the president’s false claims of victory and undemocratic assertion that votes should not be counted, several did speak out on Thursday night, urging patience as the ballots are counted.
Chris Christie became the first major Trump ally to chastise the president for falsely claiming that the election is being stolen from him.
“Show us the evidence,” he said on ABC News. “We heard nothing today about evidence.”
Chris Christie says it’s Trump’s “right to pursue legal action, but show us the evidence. We heard nothing today about any evidence.”
“This kind of thing, all it does is inflame without informing, and we cannot permit inflammation without information.” https://t.co/GwwRl4EUb3 pic.twitter.com/d8EZc9rDIy — ABC News (@ABC) November 6, 2020
Paul Mitchell, a Republican congressman of Michigan, said: “Every legal vote should and will be counted – as they always are.”
“Anything less harms the integrity of our elections and is dangerous for our democracy,” he said.
“Counting every vote is at the heart of democracy,” tweeted Mitt Romney, the senator of Utah and former Republican presidential candidate. “That process is often long and, for those running, frustrating. The votes will be counted.”
Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, tweeted there was “no defense for the president’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process”, while Tom Ridge, the former secretary of homeland security under George W Bush, said the speech “disrespected every single American who figured out a way to safely vote amid a pandemic”.
Will Hurd, the Republican congressman of Texas, said: “A sitting president undermining our political process and questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous and wrong, it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon. Every American should have his or her vote counted.”
A sitting president undermining our political process & questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous & wrong, it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon. Every American should have his or her vote counted. — Rep. Will Hurd (@HurdOnTheHill) November 6, 2020
With his remarks from the White House tonight, the President disrespected every single American who figured out a way to safely vote amid a pandemic that has taken 235,000 lives. Not to mention those who are dutifully counting that vote. Absolutely shameful. Yet so predictable. — Gov. Tom Ridge (@GovRidge) November 6, 2020
There is no defense for the President’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process. America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before. No election or person is more important than our Democracy. https://t.co/BOO2iaTsEf — Larry Hogan (@LarryHogan) November 6, 2020
Joe Biden also responded shortly after the speech, saying, “No one is going to take our democracy from us”, while his running mate, Kamala Harris, said Trump “is trying to invalidate these ballots”.
Meanwhile, CNN’s Anderson Cooper had perhaps the most bruising words of the night: “That is the most powerful person in the world and we see him like an obese turtle on his back, flailing in the hot sun, realizing his time is over.”


theguardian--2020-11-06--Trump repeats false claim of election win as Biden calls for 'patience'

Joe Biden urged calm across the US on Thursday night as he held on to a lead against Donald Trump that brought the Democratic challenger tantalisingly close to the presidency – even as votes were still being counted in a handful of critical states .
Facing possible defeat after one term , Trump from the White House appeared to dig in for a long fight , falsely claiming : “ If you count the legal votes , I easily win .
If you count the illegal votes , they can try to steal the election from us .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late , we ’ re looking at them very strongly , a lot of votes came in late , ” he said , in a tone that seemed calculated to inflame divisions .
There was no evidence that illegal or late votes were being counted , nor that the election was being stolen .
Trump went on to rail against “ historic election interference from big media , big money and big tech … The pollsters got it knowingly wrong.
” Biden and his running mate , the California senator Kamala Harris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s home state of Delaware , telling the country that “ each ballot must be counted .
“ In America , the vote is sacred , ” Biden said .
“ Democracy is sometimes messy .
It sometimes requires a little patience , as well .
But that patience has been rewarded now for 240 years with a system of governance that ’ s been the envy of the world.
” Biden noted he and Harris “ continue to feel very good ” about the ultimate result of the race .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the count is finished , Senator Harris and I will be declared the winners , ” Biden said .
As the country remained on edge , awaiting the declaration of a victory almost 48 hours after the polls had closed and as sporadic protests have broken out in places such as Arizona , Michigan , Portland and New York , Biden said : “ I ask everyone to stay calm.
” While many high-profile Republicans have not commented on Trump ’ s latest falsehoods , several GOP lawmakers denounced his baseless allegations about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan congressman , saying that every vote would be counted , adding that “ anything less harms the integrity of our elections and is dangerous for our democracy ” .
Adam Kinzinger , an Illinois GOP congressman , tweeted : “ STOP Spreading debunked misinformation ...
This is getting insane.
” Three major TV networks also cut away from the president ’ s live remarks due to the avalanche of lies , with news anchors saying it was “ dangerous ” to air his “ absolutely untrue ” statements .
The White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margins in five battleground states .
Trump was still holding on to leads in Pennsylvania and Georgia but Biden was rapidly narrowing the gap in the two states as a backlog of postal ballots was counted .
A win in Pennsylvania alone , with its 20 votes in the electoral college , would be enough to make Biden president .
In Arizona , a Biden lead was being gradually eroded by late-counted Trump votes .
The Associated Press ( AP ) and Fox News called the Democrat the winner in the state on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no other major TV network had followed suit .
The Guardian , which uses election data from AP , has called the race for Biden .
With Arizona included in his tally , Biden would only need six more electoral college votes to reach the 270 required for victory , so a win in any other state would be enough .
In Nevada on Thursday morning , Biden bolstered a very slim lead to about 12,000 ( about 1 % of the vote ) but there are about 200,000 votes still to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the outcome depended on mail-in ballots .
Jon Ralston , a leading political analyst in Nevada , tweeted : “ I see no path left for Trump here.
” In the nationwide popular vote , Biden so far has a record 73.3 m and about 3.7 m more than Trump .
Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , the Biden campaign manager , said during a press call : “ Joe Biden now has won more votes than any presidential candidate in history , and we ’ re still counting .
Over 140m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 72m of those votes going to Vice-President Biden.
” Dillon added : “ Because he sees the same data we do and knows he ’ s losing , Donald Trump continues to push a flailing strategy designed to prevent people ’ s votes from being counted.
” Millions of Americans got on with their lives on Thursday even as the election , described as the most important in generations , hung in the balance and moved at an excruciating pace .
The candidates themselves maintained a low public profile .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posting : “ Stop the count !
” It was a confusing plea because in Arizona and Nevada the Trump camp would be relying on late-counted votes to win .
In these south-western states , the campaign strategy has been to focus on alleged irregularities in the count so far , seeking to undermine faith in its integrity .
Raucous crowds of Trump supporters staged protests outside vote-counting centres in Phoenix in Arizona , Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and Detroit in Michigan , riled by unfounded claims from Trump and some of his loyalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reversal of the president ’ s early leads in the counts meant the election was being “ stolen ” .
The demonstration in Phoenix on Wednesday night saw about 150 Trump supporters gather outside the Maricopa county elections department chanting “ Count the votes !
” and “ Where are the votes ?
” as officials inside the building worked to tabulate ballots .
Many of the protesters wore “ Make America great again ” hats and waved Trump flags .
Some were carrying guns .
Sheriff ’ s deputies wearing tactical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd continued to grow , according to CBS News .
Facebook said it had taken down a group where Trump supporters posted misinformation , violent rhetoric and organised protests .
The group had grown to more than 365,000 members in one day .
The social media network said : “ In line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension , we have removed the Group ‘ Stop the Steal ’ , which was creating real-world events.
” The Trump campaign said it called for a recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the state ’ s top election official said no such request had been received .
Biden led by more than 20,000 ballots out of nearly 3.3m counted .
The Trump campaign also launched a flurry of lawsuits in four states with an array of technical challenges .
In Michigan , which has already been called by the Associated Press for Biden , the president ’ s lawyers lost a legal demand for the count to be suspended until a campaign representative could be at each postal ballot counting table .
The Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I have no basis to find that there is a substantial likelihood of success on the merits.
” In Nevada , the campaign filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming about 10,000 voters who cast ballots there were no longer residents .
It has another lawsuit pending in Nevada challenging the efficacy of signature-matching software , a case the Trump camp has already lost twice .
In Pennsylvania , the president ’ s camp is seeking to ask the supreme court to reverse its decision allowing the state to extend until Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots that were postmarked by Tuesday .
Josh Shapiro , Pennsylvania ’ s attorney general , said in a CNN interview the lawsuit was “ more a political document than a legal document ” .
On Thursday , counting was paused in Allegheny county , the greater Pittsburgh area , until Friday , pending a legal challenge .
The Trump campaign was distributing email to supporters seeking donations for an “ official election defense fund ” .
There was no proof of voter fraud .
Ben Ginsberg , a Republican election lawyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just smacks of a little bit of desperation.
” The Biden camp has assembled its own legal teams and launched a “ fight fund ” to finance the effort .
Bob Bauer , a Biden campaign lawyer , said : “ These lawsuits don ’ t have to have merit , that ’ s not the purpose .
It is to create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what ’ s taking place in the electoral process.
” If Trump wants to go to the supreme court , Bauer added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most embarrassing defeats a president ever suffered before the highest court of the land ” .
In the Senate race , Democrats clung on to a slender hope that they might wrest control of the chamber from Republicans .
One contest for one Georgia seat has gone to a runoff , and the second seat was close to the threshold for a runoff on Thursday with the Republican incumbent barely holding the 50 % share in the vote , but votes are still being counted .
A tight Senate race in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Thursday morning .
The count was unfolding against the backdrop of the worsening coronavirus pandemic .
The US recorded 102,831 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday , the first time it had reported a six-digit number .
Even if Trump loses , he will remain in charge of the pandemic response until inauguration day on 20 January 2021 .
The pandemic has killed more than 233,000 people in the US , more than any other country .

Julian Borger, David Smith and Joan E Greve in Washington

Joe Biden urged calm across the US on Thursday night as he held on to a lead against Donald Trump that brought the Democratic challenger tantalisingly close to the presidency – even as votes were still being counted in a handful of critical states.
Facing possible defeat after one term, Trump from the White House appeared to dig in for a long fight, falsely claiming: “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.
“If you count the votes that came in late, we’re looking at them very strongly, a lot of votes came in late,” he said, in a tone that seemed calculated to inflame divisions. There was no evidence that illegal or late votes were being counted, nor that the election was being stolen.
Trump went on to rail against “historic election interference from big media, big money and big tech … The pollsters got it knowingly wrong.”
Biden and his running mate, the California senator Kamala Harris, on the other hand had emerged in Biden’s home state of Delaware, telling the country that “each ballot must be counted.
“In America, the vote is sacred,” Biden said. “Democracy is sometimes messy. It sometimes requires a little patience, as well. But that patience has been rewarded now for 240 years with a system of governance that’s been the envy of the world.”
02:24 Trump repeats baseless election fraud claims as Biden calls for calm – video report
Biden noted he and Harris “continue to feel very good” about the ultimate result of the race. “We have no doubt that when the count is finished, Senator Harris and I will be declared the winners,” Biden said.
The White House was set to be decided by razor-thin margins in five battleground states. Trump on Friday morning lost his lead in Georgia to Biden as more votes were counted and while he was still holding on to a lead in Pennsylvania but Biden was rapidly narrowing the gap. A win in Pennsylvania alone, with its 20 votes in the electoral college, would be enough to make Biden president.
As the country remained on edge, awaiting the declaration of a victory 48 hours after the polls had closed sporadic protests have broken out in places such as Arizona, Michigan, Portland and New York, Biden said: “I ask everyone to stay calm.”
While many high-profile Republicans have not commented on Trump’s latest falsehoods, several GOP lawmakers denounced his baseless allegations about fraud, with Paul Mitchell, a Michigan congressman, saying that every vote would be counted, adding that “anything less harms the integrity of our elections and is dangerous for our democracy”. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois GOP congressman, tweeted: “STOP Spreading debunked misinformation... This is getting insane.”
Three major TV networks also cut away from the president’s live remarks due to the avalanche of lies, with news anchors saying it was “dangerous” to air his “absolutely untrue” statements.
The US Capitol is seen in the morning hours of Wednesday in Washington DC. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
In Arizona, a Biden lead was being gradually eroded by late-counted Trump votes. The Associated Press (AP) and Fox News called the Democrat the winner in the state on election night, but by Thursday morning no other major TV network had followed suit. The Guardian, which uses election data from AP, has called the race for Biden.
With Arizona included in his tally, Biden would only need six more electoral college votes to reach the 270 required for victory, so a win in any other state would be enough.
In Nevada on Thursday morning, Biden bolstered a very slim lead to about 12,000 (about 1% of the vote) but there are about 200,000 votes still to be counted. Trump was leading North Carolina but the outcome depended on mail-in ballots. Jon Ralston, a leading political analyst in Nevada, tweeted: “I see no path left for Trump here.”
In the nationwide popular vote, Biden so far has a record 73.3 m and about 3.7 m more than Trump.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, the Biden campaign manager, said during a press call: “Joe Biden now has won more votes than any presidential candidate in history, and we’re still counting. Over 140m votes have been counted so far with more than 72m of those votes going to Vice-President Biden.”
Dillon added: “Because he sees the same data we do and knows he’s losing, Donald Trump continues to push a flailing strategy designed to prevent people’s votes from being counted.”
Millions of Americans got on with their lives on Thursday even as the election, described as the most important in generations, hung in the balance and moved at an excruciating pace. The candidates themselves maintained a low public profile.
The president was also active on Twitter, posting: “Stop the count!”
It was a confusing plea because in Arizona and Nevada the Trump camp would be relying on late-counted votes to win. In these south-western states, the campaign strategy has been to focus on alleged irregularities in the count so far, seeking to undermine faith in its integrity.
Dozens of Trump supporters calling for the vote count to be stopped in Pennsylvania gather at the state capitol in Harrisburg on Thursday. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Raucous crowds of Trump supporters staged protests outside vote-counting centres in Phoenix in Arizona, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and Detroit in Michigan, riled by unfounded claims from Trump and some of his loyalists of widespread irregularities and the insistence that the reversal of the president’s early leads in the counts meant the election was being “stolen”.
The demonstration in Phoenix on Wednesday night saw about 150 Trump supporters gather outside the Maricopa county elections department chanting “Count the votes!” and “Where are the votes?” as officials inside the building worked to tabulate ballots.
Many of the protesters wore “Make America great again” hats and waved Trump flags. Some were carrying guns. Sheriff’s deputies wearing tactical gear moved inside the office as the crowd continued to grow, according to CBS News.
Some pro-Trump protests continued and escalated Thursday night, with armed demonstrators rallying in Nevada and Arizona, repeating Trump’s fabrications about fraud. Downtown Atlanta, Georgia businesses boarded up in anticipation of potential further unrest after the race is called.
Facebook said it had taken down a group where Trump supporters posted misinformation, violent rhetoric and organised protests. The group had grown to more than 365,000 members in one day.
The social media network said: “In line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension, we have removed the Group ‘Stop the Steal’, which was creating real-world events.”
The Trump campaign said it called for a recount in Wisconsin, although CBS News reported that the state’s top election official said no such request had been received. Biden led by more than 20,000 ballots out of nearly 3.3m counted.
Ballots are stored in the Racine county courthouse in Racine, Wisconsin, awaiting certification of the results next Tuesday. Photograph: Mark Hertzberg/Zuma Wire via Shutterstock
The Trump campaign also launched a flurry of lawsuits in four states with an array of technical challenges. In Michigan, which has already been called by the Associated Press for Biden, the president’s lawyers lost a legal demand for the count to be suspended until a campaign representative could be at each postal ballot counting table.
The Michigan court of claims judge Cynthia Stephens said: “I have no basis to find that there is a substantial likelihood of success on the merits.”
In Nevada, the campaign filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming about 10,000 voters who cast ballots there were no longer residents. It has another lawsuit pending in Nevada challenging the efficacy of signature-matching software, a case the Trump camp has already lost twice.
In Pennsylvania, the president’s camp is seeking to ask the supreme court to reverse its decision allowing the state to extend until Friday the period in which it accepts late-arriving ballots that were postmarked by Tuesday. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania’s attorney general, said in a CNN interview the lawsuit was “more a political document than a legal document”.
On Thursday, counting was paused in Allegheny county, the greater Pittsburgh area, until Friday, pending a legal challenge.
The Trump campaign was distributing email to supporters seeking donations for an “official election defense fund”.
There was no proof of voter fraud. Ben Ginsberg, a Republican election lawyer, told the Axios website: “This just smacks of a little bit of desperation.”
The Biden camp has assembled its own legal teams and launched a “fight fund” to finance the effort.
Bob Bauer, a Biden campaign lawyer, said: “These lawsuits don’t have to have merit, that’s not the purpose. It is to create an opportunity for them to message falsely about what’s taking place in the electoral process.”
If Trump wants to go to the supreme court, Bauer added, “he will be in for one of the most embarrassing defeats a president ever suffered before the highest court of the land”.
In the Senate race, Democrats clung on to a slender hope that they might wrest control of the chamber from Republicans.
One contest for one Georgia seat has gone to a runoff, and the second seat was close to the threshold for a runoff on Thursday with the Republican incumbent barely holding the 50% share in the vote, but votes are still being counted. A tight Senate race in North Carolina had also not been called by Thursday morning.
The count was unfolding against the backdrop of the worsening coronavirus pandemic. The US recorded 102,831 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, the first time it had reported a six-digit number. Even if Trump loses, he will remain in charge of the pandemic response until inauguration day on 20 January 2021. The pandemic has killed more than 233,000 people in the US, more than any other country.
Sam Levin contributed to this report.


theguardian--2020-11-06--US election 2020: will Donald Trump accept the result?

Joe Biden was still leading Donald Trump in the tense race to the critical 270 electoral votes as counting continued @ @ @ @ @ Freedland describes an election that has provided one clear message : the US remains divided @ @ @ @ @ to securing the presidency , as votes continue to be counted in key states after @ @ @ @ @ turnout and record numbers of postal votes .
Donald Trump , watching his grip on @ @ @ @ @ has threatened legal action , recounts , and even a halt to all ballot counting @ @ @ @ @ Jonathan Freedland tells Rachel Humphreys that the president set the tone for a disputed election @ @ @ @ @ in the White House on election night , and has continued to question the legitimacy @ @ @ @ @ , despite a strong showing from Democrats , the picture is of a deeply divided @ @ @ @ @ .
And one thing at least is clear : this election has not seen a @ @ @ @ @ Americans , even if Trump comes in as a close runner-up .

Presented by Rachel Humphreys with Jonathan Freedland; produced by Elizabeth Cassin and Axel Kacoutié; executive producers Phil Maynard and Nicole Jackson

Joe Biden was still leading Donald Trump in the tense race to the critical 270 electoral votes as counting continued in key states. Jonathan Freedland describes an election that has provided one clear message: the US remains divided
Joe Biden is tantalisingly close to securing the presidency, as votes continue to be counted in key states after an election with a record turnout and record numbers of postal votes. Donald Trump, watching his grip on the presidency being eroded, has threatened legal action, recounts, and even a halt to all ballot counting.
The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland tells Rachel Humphreys that the president set the tone for a disputed election result with an extraordinary statement in the White House on election night, and has continued to question the legitimacy of the process.
However, despite a strong showing from Democrats, the picture is of a deeply divided country whatever the final result. And one thing at least is clear: this election has not seen a wholesale rejection of Trumpism by Americans, even if Trump comes in as a close runner-up.
Archive: BBC; Channel 4


theguardian--2020-11-06--Philadelphia election officials continue vote count as Trump tries to create chaos

Philadelphia election officials continued to count mail-in votes on Thursday and Donald Trump ’ s campaign continued to try to create chaos .
Pro-Trump supporters , organized by the powerful conservative group FreedomWorks , gathered throughout the day outside the Pennsylvania convention center in the heart of the city where workers have been methodically counting the city ’ s 358,257 mail-in ballots .
They faced off with counter protesters who blasted music and loudly chanted that every vote should be counted .
The Trump campaign is so focused on Philadelphia because the city is a Democratic bastion and Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the votes being counted there .
Trump has seen his lead in Pennsylvania , a must-win state for his campaign , shrink significantly since election day .
“ Detroit and Philadelphia , known as two of the most corrupt political places anywhere in our country , easily , can not be responsible for engineering the outcome of a presidential race , ” the president said at a press conference filled with baseless conspiracies about the election Thursday evening .
The comment was seen as a thinly-veiled attack on cities with substantial Black populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no concrete evidence of fraud in Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the state .
Counting continued smoothly , as it has since election day .
As of Thursday evening , Philadelphia had counted nearly 286,000 mail-in ballots , almost 80 % of the total ballots cast .
Despite talk of a result on Thursday night , it ’ s more likely a winner could be projected as soon as Friday in the state , where 90 % of the mail-in votes have been counted so far .
The Trump campaign ’ s strategy on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its observers in the city were not being given adequate access to observe the count .
Even though observers from both parties have been given access to the convention center , the Trump campaign complained its observers had not been able to get close enough .
It secured a court order Thursday morning allowing observers to get up to six feet of workers counting .
Pam Bondi , the former Florida attorney general , and Corey Lewandowski , Trump ’ s former campaign manager , appeared in front of the convention center throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign was not being given adequate access .
But when the campaign went to federal court , a lawyer for the campaign admitted the campaign had observers in the hall .
Philadelphia officials briefly shut down counting to figure out how to comply with the order , according to the Philadelphia Inquirer , but it resumed Thursday afternoon .
The Trump campaign has zeroed in on attacking the electoral process in Philadelphia for months .
“ Bad things happen in Philadelphia , ” Trump said at the first presidential debate in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign also falsely claimed observers were illegally being denied access to satellite voting locations where voters could cast their ballots early .
On election day , Trump supporters amplified a video of an observer being denied access to a polling place , but the incident was based on a misunderstanding and the observer was later granted access to the site , the election judge involved told the Guardian .
Along with Georgia , Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the most important states to watch as ballots are counting .
But unlike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were prohibited from beginning to count ballots until election day , which has contributed to the delay in knowing the winner .

Sign up for the Guardian’s Fight to Vote newsletter
Philadelphia election officials continued to count mail-in votes on Thursday and Donald Trump’s campaign continued to try to create chaos.
Pro-Trump supporters, organized by the powerful conservative group FreedomWorks, gathered throughout the day outside the Pennsylvania convention center in the heart of the city where workers have been methodically counting the city’s 358,257 mail-in ballots. They faced off with counter protesters who blasted music and loudly chanted that every vote should be counted.
The Trump campaign is so focused on Philadelphia because the city is a Democratic bastion and Joe Biden continues to collect a high percentage of the votes being counted there. Trump has seen his lead in Pennsylvania, a must-win state for his campaign, shrink significantly since election day. “Detroit and Philadelphia, known as two of the most corrupt political places anywhere in our country, easily, cannot be responsible for engineering the outcome of a presidential race,” the president said at a press conference filled with baseless conspiracies about the election Thursday evening. The comment was seen as a thinly-veiled attack on cities with substantial Black populations.
But the Trump campaign has presented no concrete evidence of fraud in Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the state. Counting continued smoothly, as it has since election day. As of Thursday evening, Philadelphia had counted nearly 286,000 mail-in ballots, almost 80% of the total ballots cast. Despite talk of a result on Thursday night, it’s more likely a winner could be projected as soon as Friday in the state, where 90% of the mail-in votes have been counted so far.
The Trump campaign’s strategy on Thursday was built around a claim that its observers in the city were not being given adequate access to observe the count. Even though observers from both parties have been given access to the convention center, the Trump campaign complained its observers had not been able to get close enough. It secured a court order Thursday morning allowing observers to get up to six feet of workers counting.
Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, and Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, appeared in front of the convention center throughout the day, and continued to claim the campaign was not being given adequate access. But when the campaign went to federal court, a lawyer for the campaign admitted the campaign had observers in the hall.
Philadelphia officials briefly shut down counting to figure out how to comply with the order, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, but it resumed Thursday afternoon.
The Trump campaign has zeroed in on attacking the electoral process in Philadelphia for months. “Bad things happen in Philadelphia,” Trump said at the first presidential debate in late September. Ahead of election day, his campaign also falsely claimed observers were illegally being denied access to satellite voting locations where voters could cast their ballots early. On election day, Trump supporters amplified a video of an observer being denied access to a polling place, but the incident was based on a misunderstanding and the observer was later granted access to the site, the election judge involved told the Guardian.
Along with Georgia, Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the most important states to watch as ballots are counting. But unlike other states, election officials in Pennsylvania were prohibited from beginning to count ballots until election day, which has contributed to the delay in knowing the winner.


theguardian--2020-11-06--Trump may have broken his own record for most dangerous lies in one speech | David Smith

It seemed like a desperate last stand from a fearful strongman who can feel power slipping inexorably away .
The US president on Thursday returned to the White House briefing room , scene of past triumphs such as that time he proposed bleach as a cure for coronavirus and that other time he condemned QAnon with the words “ They like me ” .
Trump offered a downright dangerous and dishonest take on this week ’ s election that current vote counting trends suggest he will lose .
It was possibly an attempt to intimidate and deter TV networks from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
It also risked inciting protests and violence from supporters encouraged to view Joe Biden as an illegitimate president-elect .
Sombre and downbeat , Trump made false claims from a prepared statement ( is that better or worse than ad-libbing lies ? )
“ If you count the legal votes , I easily win , ” he said with a straight face .
“ If you count the illegal votes , they can try to steal the election from us .
If you count the votes that came in late – we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a lot of votes came in late.
” It was a bold , dramatic claim with massive implications and absolutely no foundation .
Having often dismissed the significance of Vladmir Putin ’ s hackers ’ meddling four years ago , Trump implied that opinion polls are a more sinister threat .
“ Media polling was election interference , in the truest sense of that word by powerful special interests , ” he said .
“ These really phony polls ... were designed to keep our voters at home , create the illusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans ’ ability to raise funds .
They were what ’ s called suppression polls.
” Chris Murphy , a Democratic senator from Connecticut , tweeted : “ This is just extraordinary .
It ’ s a lie every 5 second .
Not small lies either .
Just nuclear grade whoppers.
” The president went on throw in some racism for good measure , targeting Philadelphia and Detroit , both African American majority cities in the battlegrounds Pennsylvania and Michigan respectively .
“ They ’ re trying to rig an election , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ Detroit and Philadelphia – known as two of the most corrupt political places anywhere in our country.
” The man who , during his property developing career , perfected the dark art of “ truthful hyperbole ” sounded a wholly unrealistic note .
“ We think we will win the election very easily .
“ We think there ’ s going to a lot of litigation because we have so much evidence , so much proof , and it ’ s going to end up perhaps at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can ’ t have an election stolen like this.
” In a circular argument , he claimed he had predicted this debacle all along : in effect , his old lies were proof of his new ones .
Gesturing towards the press , he said : “ I have been talking about this for many months with all of you and I ’ ve said very strongly that mail-in ballots are going to be a disaster ... We ’ re hearing stories that are horror stories.
” He was done after 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring a loud barrage of questions .
To the simplest of all , “ where ’ s the evidence ?
” , he clearly had no answer .
No one can accuse Trump of failing to rise to the big occasion .
This was a record-breaking performance by the liar-in-chief .
Daniel Dale , a fact checker at CNN , wrote on Twitter : “ I ’ ve read or watched all of Trump ’ s speeches since 2016 .
This is the most dishonest speech he has ever given.
” Perhaps the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to quietly slip away while saving face , contending that he would have won reelection but for cheating establishment forces beyond his control .
He used to promise his supporters : We ’ re going to win so much , you ’ ll be sick and tired of winning .
Not half as much as he is unable to contemplate the reality of losing .

It seemed like a desperate last stand from a fearful strongman who can feel power slipping inexorably away.
The US president on Thursday returned to the White House briefing room, scene of past triumphs such as that time he proposed bleach as a cure for coronavirus and that other time he condemned QAnon with the words “They like me”.
Trump offered a downright dangerous and dishonest take on this week’s election that current vote counting trends suggest he will lose. It was possibly an attempt to intimidate and deter TV networks from declaring a winner in the next few hours.
It also risked inciting protests and violence from supporters encouraged to view Joe Biden as an illegitimate president-elect.
Sombre and downbeat, Trump made false claims from a prepared statement ( is that better or worse than ad-libbing lies?)
“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” he said with a straight face. “If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us. If you count the votes that came in late – we’re looking at them very strongly, a lot of votes came in late.”
It was a bold, dramatic claim with massive implications and absolutely no foundation.
Having often dismissed the significance of Vladmir Putin’s hackers’ meddling four years ago, Trump implied that opinion polls are a more sinister threat.
“Media polling was election interference, in the truest sense of that word by powerful special interests,” he said. “These really phony polls ... were designed to keep our voters at home, create the illusion of momentum for Mr Biden and diminish Republicans’ ability to raise funds. They were what’s called suppression polls.”
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, tweeted: “This is just extraordinary. It’s a lie every 5 second. Not small lies either. Just nuclear grade whoppers.”
The president went on to throw in some racism for good measure, targeting Philadelphia and Detroit, both African American majority cities in the battlegrounds Pennsylvania and Michigan respectively.
“They’re trying to rig an election, and we can’t let that happen,” he said. “Detroit and Philadelphia – known as two of the most corrupt political places anywhere in our country.”
The man who, during his property developing career, perfected the dark art of “truthful hyperbole” sounded a wholly unrealistic note. “We think we will win the election very easily.
“We think there’s going to be a lot of litigation because we have so much evidence, so much proof, and it’s going to end up perhaps at the highest court in the land … We can’t have an election stolen like this.”
In a circular argument, he claimed he had predicted this debacle all along: in effect, his old lies were proof of his new ones. Gesturing towards the press, he said: “I have been talking about this for many months with all of you and I’ve said very strongly that mail-in ballots are going to be a disaster ... We’re hearing stories that are horror stories.”
He was done after 16 minutes and walked from the podium, ignoring a loud barrage of questions. To the simplest of all, “where’s the evidence?”, he clearly had no answer.
No one can accuse Trump of failing to rise to the big occasion. This was a record-breaking performance by the liar-in-chief. Daniel Dale, a factchecker at CNN, wrote on Twitter: “I’ve read or watched all of Trump’s speeches since 2016. This is the most dishonest speech he has ever given.”
Perhaps the bogus claims of fraud will eventually allow Trump to quietly slip away while saving face, contending that he would have won re-election but for cheating establishment forces beyond his control.
He used to promise his supporters: we’re going to win so much, you’ll be sick and tired of winning. Not half as much as he is unable to contemplate the reality of losing.


theguardian--2020-11-05--A dysfunctional America helps China – but hurts Australia and our region | Natasha Kassam

As the US presidential election rolls into its fourth day of counting , Chinese leaders are not necessarily joining much of the world in frantically hitting refresh for updated vote tallies .
As America edges towards a Biden victory in painful slow motion , there is no sense of urgency in Beijing , which benefits from the prolonged uncertainty .
Chinese leaders – and many of its citizens – believe the United States is in terminal decline and that President Donald Trump has hastened the inevitable .
The troubling story of decay in America paints a different picture in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world : the authoritarian model of politics and economics is just as good , if not better , than the liberal democratic model of the “ west ” .
The coronavirus pandemic had already started the toppling dominos .
China recovered from its disastrous response , wielding state capacity like an authoritarian sword to contain Covid-19 .
By contrast , the US has surrendered to the pandemic , tragically with a death toll 60 times that of China .
The successes of democratic smaller nations , from Australia to Taiwan , barely register @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( so far ) and divided polity are seen as further evidence of the wounds in US democracy .
So too the increasingly erratic claims made by Trump that undermine US democratic institutions .
These are chalked up as wins in Beijing ’ s column .
More wins , from a Chinese perspective , are coming , and many in Australia ’ s immediate region .
Beijing has threatened over $ 5bn exports from Australia .
The issue has gained less traction than usual as eyes are glued to the circus that US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China has also been extending olive branches across south-east Asia , providing technical assistance and protective equipment in the pandemic and attempting to repair the reputational hit that Covid-19 caused .
Many have made deals with China guaranteeing preferential access if a Chinese vaccine candidate is approved .
This vacuum was left by the US .
When it comes to global public health , America has literally left the building .
Ensnared in its own pandemic crisis , the world ’ s largest economy abandoned the World Health Organization .
US allies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority access to vaccines , including the Philippines and Thailand .
With the US missing in action , Australia has had to go it alone .
Canberra has looked to counter China ’ s efforts , promising more than $ 500m in “ vaccine diplomacy ” across the region .
China may struggle to find these opportunities if Biden is inaugurated .
A globalist at heart , he has promised to reposition the US on the international stage and re-join the WHO .
Australia should embrace that prospect .
But for Beijing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes few of its policy settings .
The Trump administration ’ s tough stance towards China is a rare glimpse of unity in a divided country .
A potential Biden administration would continue to challenge China in most fields , including trade and technology .
And any instinct by a potential president Biden to nominate Obama-era officials would need to get past the inevitable China-hawk test if the Republican-majority Senate remains .
Tough China policy is also good politics in the US – as it is in Australia .
Both Australian and American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of China ’ s aggression and human rights abuses have come to light .
One difference may be that a Biden administration would be better coordinated with partners and allies on China policy .
Under Trump , US policy oscillated from praising Xi Jinping to attempting regime change .
A stable and consultative approach would be music to Australia ’ s proverbial ears , as it faces the brunt of China ’ s economic coercion with little backup or support .
Biden could also be convinced to revive the ailing World Trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , who wins the US election matters much more to Australia than China .
A weaker United States , led by a president elected in a messy and marginal victory , would only make China more confident .
And a new administration , distracted by domestic turmoil , may lack the bandwidth to wake up to the urgent support needed in Australia , and the broader region .
A divided America may translate into an isolated Australia .
And this , in turn , would embolden China .
• Natasha Kassam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute

As the US presidential election rolls into its fourth day of counting, Chinese leaders are not necessarily joining much of the world in frantically hitting refresh for updated vote tallies.
As America edges towards a Biden victory in painful slow motion, there is no sense of urgency in Beijing, which benefits from the prolonged uncertainty.
Chinese leaders – and many of its citizens – believe the United States is in terminal decline and that President Donald Trump has hastened the inevitable. The troubling story of decay in America paints a different picture in China from that in the rest of the world: the authoritarian model of politics and economics is just as good, if not better, than the liberal democratic model of the “west”.
The coronavirus pandemic had already started the toppling dominos. China recovered from its disastrous response, wielding state capacity like an authoritarian sword to contain Covid-19. By contrast, the US has surrendered to the pandemic, tragically with a death toll 60 times that of China. The successes of democratic smaller nations, from Australia to Taiwan, barely register in Beijing.
The four-day election count (so far) and divided polity are seen as further evidence of the wounds in US democracy. So too the increasingly erratic claims made by Trump that undermine US democratic institutions. These are chalked up as wins in Beijing’s column.
More wins, from a Chinese perspective, are coming, and many in Australia’s immediate region. Beijing has threatened over $5bn exports from Australia. The issue has gained less traction than usual as eyes are glued to the circus that US politics has paraded for four years.
China has also been extending olive branches across south-east Asia, providing technical assistance and protective equipment in the pandemic and attempting to repair the reputational hit that Covid-19 caused. Many have made deals with China guaranteeing preferential access if a Chinese vaccine candidate is approved.
This vacuum was left by the US. When it comes to global public health, America has literally left the building. Ensnared in its own pandemic crisis, the world’s largest economy abandoned the World Health Organization. US allies are among the countries that China has promised priority access to vaccines, including the Philippines and Thailand.
With the US missing in action, Australia has had to go it alone. Canberra has looked to counter China’s efforts, promising more than $500m in “vaccine diplomacy” across the region.
China may struggle to find these opportunities if Biden is inaugurated. A globalist at heart, he has promised to reposition the US on the international stage and re-join the WHO. Australia should embrace that prospect.
But for Beijing, the outcome of the US presidential election changes few of its policy settings. The Trump administration’s tough stance towards China is a rare glimpse of unity in a divided country.
A potential Biden administration would continue to challenge China in most fields, including trade and technology. And any instinct by a potential president Biden to nominate Obama-era officials would need to get past the inevitable China-hawk test if the Republican-majority Senate remains.
Tough China policy is also good politics in the US – as it is in Australia. Both Australian and American publics have soured on China as more evidence of China’s aggression and human rights abuses have come to light.
One difference may be that a Biden administration would be better coordinated with partners and allies on China policy. Under Trump, US policy oscillated from praising Xi Jinping to attempting regime change. A stable and consultative approach would be music to Australia’s proverbial ears, as it faces the brunt of China’s economic coercion with little backup or support. Biden could also be convinced to revive the ailing World Trade Organization, though US concerns pre-dated Trump.
Still, who wins the US election matters much more to Australia than China.
A weaker United States, led by a president elected in a messy and marginal victory, would only make China more confident. And a new administration, distracted by domestic turmoil, may lack the bandwidth to wake up to the urgent support needed in Australia, and the broader region. A divided America may translate into an isolated Australia. And this, in turn, would embolden China.


theguardian--2020-11-05--The Guardian view on Trump’s tactics: calculated brazenness | Editorial

Rarely have a few thousand votes in a handful of places mattered so much to so many .
America – and the world – spent much of Thursday hanging once again on every twist of the long vote-counting battle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the remaining battlegrounds .
When it finally comes , the verdict will nevertheless be decisive .
One of these two utterly different political leaders will become the United States president until 2025 .
History will be shaped by both the result and the aftermath .
This election has highlighted deep weaknesses in the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amplified by Mr Trump ’ s determination to test things to destruction in real time .
Fortunately , the armed intimidation of voters and election officials by militias supporting Mr Trump did not happen on any scale .
But other outrages did .
The most egregious of these remains the scandal of systemic voter suppression by Republicans against minority ethnic voters across most of the US .
This scandal has now been joined by Mr Trump ’ s brazen readiness to use his lawyers , often on the basis of lies , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Underlying this is the electoral college system itself , which may yet deny the presidency – for what would be the third time in 20 years – to the candidate for whom most Americans voted .
This anachronism may have been what America ’ s 18th-century white founders intended , when they tried to empower the states against the popular majority .
But in an era of equal rights , it is an extraordinary hangover .
The electoral college is not a check or a balance .
It is an abuse that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most respects , the 2020 US election has proved less of a watershed .
In the American system , voting at state level is often almost as important as the presidential contest .
State elections , which choose members of the US Congress as well as of state legislatures , shape much of what a president can do at home .
They provide a homeland context for the president ’ s actions on the world stage too .
They define how far the presidential writ will run .
Here the verdict this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In some ways it seems like a vote in favour of gridlock .
Tuesday confirmed America is a country divided down the middle .
These divides are at their most glaring in the Trump-Biden battle .
This week , though , voters clearly drew back from handing all the power to one side of the divide .
Republicans seem likely to keep control of the Senate , despite some losses .
Similarly , Democrats survived setbacks to keep their grip in the House of Representatives .
Many on both sides will interpret this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every inch of the way , with no concessions .
A minority may see it as an ultimatum from the voters for the two sides to compromise and cut deals .
This seems deeply unlikely .
The calculated shamelessness of Mr Trump ’ s disregard for facts and propriety in his response to the election suggests the coming days and weeks will also be vicious , bitter and explosive .
Even if Mr Biden eventually enters the White House as president in January , he will be immediately confronted with entrenched opposition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the supreme court .
Now there will also be a Senate that will claim a mandate to obstruct .
Meanwhile , after a strong performance at state level , this week ’ s results ensure that Republicans will have the upper hand in the always dirty business of redrawing the states ’ electoral maps for the coming decade .

Rarely have a few thousand votes in a handful of places mattered so much to so many. America – and the world – spent much of Thursday hanging once again on every twist of the long vote-counting battle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the remaining battlegrounds. When it finally comes, the verdict will nevertheless be decisive. One of these two utterly different political leaders will become the United States president until 2025. History will be shaped by both the result and the aftermath.
This election has highlighted deep weaknesses in the American democratic system, all of which are amplified by Mr Trump’s determination to test things to destruction in real time. Fortunately, the armed intimidation of voters and election officials by militias supporting Mr Trump did not happen on any scale. But other outrages did. The most egregious of these remains the scandal of systemic voter suppression by Republicans against minority ethnic voters across most of the US. This scandal has now been joined by Mr Trump’s brazen readiness to use his lawyers, often on the basis of lies, to try to stop the counting of votes.
Underlying this is the electoral college system itself, which may yet deny the presidency – for what would be the third time in 20 years – to the candidate for whom most Americans voted. This anachronism may have been what America’s 18th-century white founders intended, when they tried to empower the states against the popular majority. But in an era of equal rights, it is an extraordinary hangover. The electoral college is not a check or a balance. It is an abuse that is ripe for the scrapheap.
In most respects, the 2020 US election has proved less of a watershed. In the American system, voting at state level is often almost as important as the presidential contest. State elections, which choose members of the US Congress as well as of state legislatures, shape much of what a president can do at home. They provide a homeland context for the president’s actions on the world stage too. They define how far the presidential writ will run. Here the verdict this week was almost the opposite of decisive. In some ways it seems like a vote in favour of gridlock.
Tuesday confirmed America is a country divided down the middle. These divides are at their most glaring in the Trump-Biden battle. This week, though, voters clearly drew back from handing all the power to one side of the divide. Republicans seem likely to keep control of the Senate, despite some losses. Similarly, Democrats survived setbacks to keep their grip in the House of Representatives. Many on both sides will interpret this as a mandate to fight every issue every inch of the way, with no concessions. A minority may see it as an ultimatum from the voters for the two sides to compromise and cut deals. This seems deeply unlikely.
The calculated shamelessness of Mr Trump’s disregard for facts and propriety in his response to the election suggests the coming days and weeks will also be vicious, bitter and explosive. Even if Mr Biden eventually enters the White House as president in January, he will be immediately confronted with entrenched opposition. There is a newly strengthened conservative majority on the supreme court. Now there will also be a Senate that will claim a mandate to obstruct. Meanwhile, after a strong performance at state level, this week’s results ensure that Republicans will have the upper hand in the always dirty business of redrawing the states’ electoral maps for the coming decade.