csmonitor--2020-11-09--Monday Sunrise Briefing: How the world greets a Biden-Harris win

Global congratulations mostly greeted a victory speech Saturday by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden .
Notably , vocal President Trump supporters , U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson , India ’ s P.M. Narendra Modi , and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were among American allies reaching out to Mr. Biden .
Most world leaders signaled a desire to rebuild ties , work together on the pandemic , and renew multilateral cooperation .
But some leaders supportive of Mr. Trump were still silent on Mr. Biden ’ s win as of Sunday , including those of Brazil , Mexico , and Turkey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris 's maternal grandfather in India , celebrated with firecrackers , placards , and prayers Sunday .
“ While I may be the first woman in this office , I will not be the last , ” Sen. Harris said in her Saturday evening speech to U.S. voters .
And Mr. Biden ’ s speech was about healing , unifying the country .
“ We have to stop treating our opponents as enemies .
They are not our enemies .
They are Americans , ” he said .
Mr. Trump has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim voter fraud , so far without proof .
Trump aides admit they have concerns about undermining the integrity of the democratic process .
The legal challenges are n't about reversing the results , they told the Associated Press , but aimed at keeping Mr. Trump ’ s loyal base of supporters with Republicans , even in defeat .
2 .
Progress on racist symbols .
In a year when protests for racial justice have roiled U.S. society , five states voted this past week to cleanse the public sphere of words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reminders of a history of systematic oppression .
In Alabama , Rhode Island , Utah , Nebraska , and Mississippi , the voter-driven shift “ shows a willingness on the part of Americans to provide for a more inclusive community .
These changes , by themselves , are not enough — but they are encouraging signs of progress in the right direction , ” political science professor Brendan Skip Mark told the Associated Press .
3 .
A graceful icon of trivia masters .
Game show king Alex Trebek was an avuncular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s efficiency , who left a multi-generational legacy for nerds and trivia aficionados everywhere .
He won five Emmys as the “ Jeopardy !
” master of ceremonies for more than 35 years .
“ Alex wasn ’ t just the best ever at what he did .
He was also a lovely and deeply decent man , and I ’ m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him , ” tweeted “ Jeopardy !
” champion Ken Jennings Sunday .
“ Thinking today about his family and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way , included millions of us.
” President-elect advisors .
Joe Biden says he ’ ll announce today a team of scientists and experts to create a new pandemic response plan for when he takes office in January .
Jacob Blake trial .
The sexual assault trial of Jacob Blake , the Black man shot by Kenosha , Wisconsin , police , is scheduled to begin today .
The charges were filed before Blake was shot by police on Aug. 23 , 2020 .
High Court and health care .
The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the third major Republican legal challenge to the 10-year-old Affordable Care Act .
Democratic process continues .
The certification of ballot counts begins the week after the Nov. 3 , 2020 U.S. election in some states , and continues for 2-4 weeks .
Honoring sacrifice and service .
Veterans Day 2020 , a U.S. federal holiday , marks the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII , the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War , and the 30th anniversary of both the end of the Panama Invasion and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer discounts and/or free meals .
Best of Country .
Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are scheduled to host the 2020 Country Music Association Awards at 8 p.m. E.T .
on ABC-TV .
Portrait of a teen activist .
“ I Am Greta , ” a documentary on Greta Thunberg , the Swedish teen leading a global school strikes for action on climate change , is due out today on Hulu .
SpaceX again .
A four-person crew is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral , Florida , today , riding a Falcon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Space Station .
This is expected to mark the start of regular flights of astronauts from U.S. soil to the station .
If you ’ ve ever prayed the “ Lord ’ s Prayer , ” you ’ ve uttered the words “ Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
” Some Christian churches are putting that prayer of forgiveness into practice , literally .
Last month , a group of United Church of Christ congregations in New England worked to fundraise , purchase , and forgive the medical debts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York .
The churches raised more than $ 200,000 to pay off $ 26.2 million in medical debts .
How does that work ?
In recent years , churches have been working with RIP Medical Debt , a non-profit that buys delinquent debts from collection agencies for pennies on the dollar .
The non-profit seeks to identify and relieve the debt of the neediest families .
`` Sometimes it seems there is very little grace in the world , '' said the Rev .
Matt Fitzgerald , senior pastor of St. Paul 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What joy to open a letter saying , 'Your debt has been forgiven , ' instead of a letter saying , 'We 're coming after you .
Pay up . '
… It 's like Jesus feeding thousands of people from a few loaves of bread and two fish .
We just watched $ 38,000 become more than $ 5 million . ''
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers : Can friendship be bipartisan ?
Ask the Janets .
In tonight ’ s Daily Edition , watch for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solutions to tire pollution .
Finally , check out the Monitor ’ s selected stories from Friday 's subscription-only Daily Edition : • Where we go from here • As lone wolf attacks go up , can Europe keep Islamophobia down ?
• In Nigerian protests , a generation poised to seize the moment • Racial equity and the pandemic : How a football player is tackling both You have unlimited access to all our pandemic coverage .
If you value our credibly hopeful and nonpartisan approach , please consider subscribing .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news update .
Please give us your feedback via the link below .
Thank you !

Here are three news events from this past weekend (while you may have been exploring Machu Picchu, juggling, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
Global congratulations mostly greeted a victory speech Saturday by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. Notably, vocal President Trump supporters, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, India’s P.M. Narendra Modi, and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were among American allies reaching out to Mr. Biden. Most world leaders signaled a desire to rebuild ties, work together on the pandemic, and renew multilateral cooperation. But some leaders supportive of Mr. Trump were still silent on Mr. Biden’s win as of Sunday, including those of Brazil, Mexico, and Turkey.
Villagers in the hometown of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris's maternal grandfather in India, celebrated with firecrackers, placards, and prayers Sunday. “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” Sen. Harris said in her Saturday evening speech to U.S. voters. And Mr. Biden’s speech was about healing, unifying the country. “We have to stop treating our opponents as enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans,” he said.
Mr. Trump has not conceded the election as his campaign staff claim voter fraud, so far without proof. Trump aides admit they have concerns about undermining the integrity of the democratic process. The legal challenges aren't about reversing the results, they told the Associated Press, but aimed at keeping Mr. Trump’s loyal base of supporters with Republicans, even in defeat.
Why We Wrote This Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, sunrise briefing. Here are three news events from this past weekend (while you may have been exploring Machu Picchu, juggling, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
2. Progress on racist symbols. In a year when protests for racial justice have roiled U.S. society, five states voted this past week to cleanse the public sphere of words, phrases, and symbols that to many were reminders of a history of systematic oppression. In Alabama, Rhode Island, Utah, Nebraska, and Mississippi, the voter-driven shift “shows a willingness on the part of Americans to provide for a more inclusive community. These changes, by themselves, are not enough — but they are encouraging signs of progress in the right direction,” political science professor Brendan Skip Mark told the Associated Press.
3. A graceful icon of trivia masters. Game show king Alex Trebek was an avuncular, dapper host with a school teacher’s efficiency, who left a multi-generational legacy for nerds and trivia aficionados everywhere. He won five Emmys as the “Jeopardy!” master of ceremonies for more than 35 years. “Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him,” tweeted “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings Sunday. “Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family — which, in a way, included millions of us.”
Yohei Osada/AFLO SPORT/Reuters View caption Hide caption Two teams made up of artistic gymnasts from the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia participated in the 2020 Friendship and Solidarity Competition in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. Here, Angelina Melnikova of Russia.
Look Ahead
Monday, Nov. 9
President-elect advisors. Joe Biden says he’ll announce today a team of scientists and experts to create a new pandemic response plan for when he takes office in January.
Editor's note: A previous version gave incorrect information about a scheduled Jacob Blake trial. Charges have been dropped.
Tuesday, Nov. 10
High Court and health care. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the third major Republican legal challenge to the 10-year-old Affordable Care Act.
Democratic process continues. The certification of ballot counts begins the week after the Nov. 3, 2020 U.S. election in some states, and continues for 2-4 weeks.
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Honoring sacrifice and service. Veterans Day 2020, a U.S. federal holiday, marks the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, and the 30th anniversary of both the end of the Panama Invasion and the beginning of Desert Shield. Many restaurants offer discounts and/or free meals.
Best of Country. Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are scheduled to host the 2020 Country Music Association Awards at 8 p.m. E.T. on ABC-TV.
Friday, Nov. 13
Portrait of a teen activist. “I Am Greta,” a documentary on Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teen leading a global school strikes for action on climate change, is due out today on Hulu.
Saturday, Nov. 14
SpaceX again. A four-person crew is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, today, riding a Falcon 9 rocket to rendezvous with the International Space Station. This is expected to mark the start of regular flights of astronauts from U.S. soil to the station.
Generosity Watch
If you’ve ever prayed the “Lord’s Prayer,” you’ve uttered the words “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Some Christian churches are putting that prayer of forgiveness into practice, literally.
Last month, a group of United Church of Christ congregations in New England worked to fundraise, purchase, and forgive the medical debts of 7,175 families in New England and New York. The churches raised more than $200,000 to pay off $26.2 million in medical debts.
How does that work? In recent years, churches have been working with RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that buys delinquent debts from collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. The non-profit seeks to identify and relieve the debt of the neediest families.
"Sometimes it seems there is very little grace in the world," said the Rev. Matt Fitzgerald, senior pastor of St. Paul's UUC in Chicago last year. "What joy to open a letter saying, 'Your debt has been forgiven,' instead of a letter saying, 'We're coming after you. Pay up.' … It's like Jesus feeding thousands of people from a few loaves of bread and two fish. We just watched $38,000 become more than $5 million."
Hidden gem
Courtesy of Janet Nelson View caption Hide caption Janet Breslin (back row, left) and Janet Nelson (next to her) pose with sisters from their sorority who put on a skit from “South Pacific” during pledge week at the University of Southern California in the 1960s.
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
Can friendship be bipartisan? Ask the Janets.
Sneak preview
In tonight’s Daily Edition, watch for our story about the young inventors finding solutions to tire pollution.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Finally, check out the Monitor’s selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
You have unlimited access to all our pandemic coverage. If you value our credibly hopeful and nonpartisan approach, please consider subscribing.
This is an experiment with a Monday morning news update. Please give us your feedback via the link below. Thank you!


csmonitor--2020-11-08--Fraud claims: A political move, not a legal one, say Trump aides

The Trump campaign ’ s strategy to file a barrage of lawsuits challenging President-elect Joe Biden ’ s win is more about providing President Donald Trump with an off-ramp for a loss he won ’ t accept and less about changing the election ’ s outcome , according to senior officials , campaign aides and allies who spoke to The Associated Press .
Trump has promised legal action in the coming days as he refused to concede his loss to Biden , making an aggressive pitch for donors to help finance any court fight .
Trump and his campaign have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania and other states that broke for Biden , so far without proof .
But proof isn ’ t really the point , said the people .
The AP spoke with 10 Trump senior officials , campaign aides and allies who were not authorized to discuss the subject publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Trump aides and allies also acknowledged privately the legal fights would — at best — forestall the inevitable , and some had deep reservations about the president 's attempts to undermine faith in the vote .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of allies were aiming to keep his loyal base of supporters on his side even in defeat .
There has been no election in decades in which such widespread fraud was alleged .
The closest was the 1960 election in which Democrat John F. Kennedy beat Republican Richard Nixon , and there were allegations that fraud helped Kennedy win .
Moments after the AP called the race for Biden on Saturday , Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani stood in front of campaign banner taped over the garage door of a landscaping company in Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an adult book store called “ Fantasy Island , ” with a handful of poll watchers and declared they 'd been kept too far away to check for any inaccuracies .
Something fishy was going on , he said .
“ We have no way of knowing , because we ’ ve been deprived of the right to inspect ballots , ” he said .
Partisan poll watchers are designated by a political party or campaign to report any concerns they may have .
They are not poll workers who actually tally ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is allowed in most states , but rules vary and there are certain limits to avoid any harassment or intimidation .
They are not allowed to interfere with the conduct of the election and are typically required to register in advance with the local election office .
This year , because of the coronavirus that has killed more than 230,000 people across the country , there was litigation in a few states , including Pennsylvania , over where poll watchers could stand to ensure social distancing .
Lawyers could potentially argue the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observed by poll watchers , but in order to win that argument they ’ d need strong evidence , not just allegations the monitors were n't allowed to see clearly enough .
Judges are loathe to disenfranchise any voters and there would need to be substantial proof that fraud had so damaged the count it must be set aside .
And it would have to happen across multiple states .
Democratic poll watchers , who were also given the same access , have not raised concerns .
Giuliani called evidence of fraud circumstantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 'd be filing suit in federal court , but the issue has already been before judges .
A federal judge in Philadelphia Thursday night ordered the two sides to work out an agreement on the number of poll watchers and how close they could be to the counting .
The judge also voiced concerns about the safety of poll workers during the pandemic if poll watchers were allowed to peer over their shoulders .
On Fox News Channel ’ s “ Sunday Morning Futures ” Sunday , Giuliani said two additional lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in addition to existing litigation in Pennsylvania .
By the end of this week , Giuliani predicted the campaign would have filed “ four or five ” lawsuits , with a total of 10 possible .
Republican lawyers planned a Monday news conference to announce additional litigation .
Voter fraud is extremely rare , and when it does happen , people are generally caught and prosecuted and it does not change the outcome of the election .
Typically , it involves someone wanting to honor the wishes of a loved one who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commits a crime by filling out that ballot .
Trump campaign officials have also alleged that more than 21,000 had been cast in the name of the dead in Pennsylvania .
The claims stem from a conservative legal group 's lawsuit against the Secretary of State , accusing her of wrongly including some 21,000 supposedly dead residents on voter rolls .
The federal judge who has the case , John Jones , has said he was doubtful of the claims .
He said the Public Interest Legal Foundation that brought the claims was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were dead people on voter rolls , and he asked for proof and questioned why they had waited until the “ eleventh hour ” to file suit .
`` We can not and will not take plaintiff ’ s word for it —in an election where every vote matters , we will not disenfranchise potentially eligible voters based solely upon the allegations of a private foundation , '' he wrote in an Oct. 20 ruling .
But even if those 21,000 votes were to be cast aside , Biden would still lead the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to AP data .
Trump ’ s own administration has pushed back at the claims of widespread voter fraud and illegal voting though it didn ’ t mention Trump was the one making the allegations .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , the federal agency that oversees U.S. election security , also noted local election offices have detection measures that “ make it highly difficult to commit fraud through counterfeit ballots.
” Top election officials in the battleground states of Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Nevada - both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they see no widespread voting irregularities , no major instances of fraud or illegal activity .
Meanwhile , on a call with supporters Saturday , Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien encouraged them to be ready to continue the fight for Trump , including standing by for rallies and demonstrations .
Other aides outlined what they argued were irregularities in the count .
And Republicans were sticking to the idea that all “ legal ” votes must be counted — the language freighted with a clear implication that Democrats want illegal votes counted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence .
It ’ s a precarious balance for Trump ’ s allies as they try to be supportive of the president -- and avoid risking further fallout -- but face the reality of the vote count .
According to one Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation , Republicans on Capitol Hill were giving Trump the space to consider all legal options , and allowing the process to play out .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet made any public statements -- neither congratulating Biden nor joining Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not sure his position would have changed from yesterday -- count all the votes , adjudicate all the claims , ” said Scott Jennings , a Republican strategist in Kentucky allied with McConnell .
“ My sense is there ’ s won ’ t be any tolerance for beyond what the law allows .
There will be tolerance for what the law allows.
” It was a view being echoed by several other Republicans neither supporting or rejecting the outcome .
“ Nothing that I ’ ve seen regarding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succeed .
There is just is nothing there , ” said Barry Richard , who represented George W. Bush in the 2000 recount in Florida that ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court .
“ When these kind of lawsuits are filed it just breeds contempt for the whole legal system , ” he said .
Associated Press Writers Lisa Mascaro and Meg Kinnard in Columbia , S.C. , contributed to this report .

The Trump campaign’s strategy to file a barrage of lawsuits challenging President-elect Joe Biden’s win is more about providing President Donald Trump with an off-ramp for a loss he won’t accept and less about changing the election’s outcome, according to senior officials, campaign aides, and allies who spoke to The Associated Press.
Mr. Trump has promised legal action in the coming days as he refused to concede his loss to Mr. Biden, making an aggressive pitch for donors to help finance any court fight. Mr. Trump and his campaign have leveled accusations of large-scale voter fraud in Pennsylvania and other states that broke for Mr. Biden, so far without proof.
But proof isn’t really the point, said the people. The AP spoke with 10 Trump senior officials, campaign aides, and allies who were not authorized to discuss the subject publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump aides and allies also acknowledged privately the legal fights would – at best – forestall the inevitable, and some had deep reservations about the president's attempts to undermine faith in the vote. But they said Mr. Trump and a core group of allies were aiming to keep his loyal base of supporters on his side even in defeat.
There has been no election in decades in which such widespread fraud was alleged. The closest was the 1960 election in which Democrat John F. Kennedy beat Republican Richard Nixon, and there were allegations that fraud helped Mr. Kennedy win.
Moments after the AP called the race for Mr. Biden on Saturday, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani stood in front of campaign banner taped over the garage door of a landscaping company in Philadelphia, wedged near a cremation center and an adult book store called “Fantasy Island,” with a handful of poll watchers and declared they'd been kept too far away to check for any inaccuracies. Something fishy was going on, he said.
“We have no way of knowing, because we’ve been deprived of the right to inspect ballots,” he said.
Partisan poll watchers are designated by a political party or campaign to report any concerns they may have. They are not poll workers who actually tally ballots. Monitoring polling places and election offices is allowed in most states, but rules vary and there are certain limits to avoid any harassment or intimidation. They are not allowed to interfere with the conduct of the election and are typically required to register in advance with the local election office.
This year, because of the coronavirus that has killed more than 230,000 people across the country, there was litigation in a few states, including Pennsylvania, over where poll watchers could stand to ensure social distancing.
Lawyers could potentially argue the vote tally should be cast aside over fraud observed by poll watchers, but in order to win that argument they’d need strong evidence, not just allegations the monitors weren't allowed to see clearly enough. Judges are loathe to disenfranchise any voters and there would need to be substantial proof that fraud had so damaged the count it must be set aside. And it would have to happen across multiple states.
Democratic poll watchers, who were also given the same access, have not raised concerns. Mr. Giuliani called evidence of fraud circumstantial at the news conference. He said he'd be filing suit in federal court, but the issue has already been before judges.
A federal judge in Philadelphia Thursday night ordered the two sides to work out an agreement on the number of poll watchers and how close they could be to the counting. The judge also voiced concerns about the safety of poll workers during the pandemic if poll watchers were allowed to peer over their shoulders.
On Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” Sunday, Mr. Giuliani said two additional lawsuits were in the process of being drafted, in addition to existing litigation in Pennsylvania.
By the end of this week, Mr. Giuliani predicted the campaign would have filed “four or five” lawsuits, with a total of 10 possible. Republican lawyers planned a Monday news conference to announce additional litigation.
Voter fraud is extremely rare, and when it does happen, people are generally caught and prosecuted and it does not change the outcome of the election. Typically, it involves someone wanting to honor the wishes of a loved one who recently died and either knowingly or not commits a crime by filling out that ballot.
Trump campaign officials have also alleged that more than 21,000 had been cast in the name of the dead in Pennsylvania. The claims stem from a conservative legal group's lawsuit against the Secretary of State, accusing her of wrongly including some 21,000 supposedly dead residents on voter rolls.
The federal judge who has the case, John Jones, has said he was doubtful of the claims. He said the Public Interest Legal Foundation that brought the claims was asking the court to accept that there were dead people on voter rolls, and he asked for proof and questioned why they had waited until the “eleventh hour” to file suit.
"We cannot and will not take plaintiff’s word for it – in an election where every vote matters, we will not disenfranchise potentially eligible voters based solely upon the allegations of a private foundation," he wrote in an Oct. 20 ruling.
But even if those 21,000 votes were to be cast aside, Mr. Biden would still lead the state by more than 20,000 votes, according to AP data.
Mr. Trump’s own administration has pushed back at the claims of widespread voter fraud and illegal voting though it didn’t mention Mr. Trump was the one making the allegations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the federal agency that oversees U.S. election security, also noted local election offices have detection measures that “make it highly difficult to commit fraud through counterfeit ballots.”
Top election officials in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Nevada – both Republican and Democrat – have all said they see no widespread voting irregularities, no major instances of fraud, or illegal activity.
Meanwhile, on a call with supporters Saturday, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien encouraged them to be ready to continue the fight for Mr. Trump, including standing by for rallies and demonstrations. Other aides outlined what they argued were irregularities in the count.
And Republicans were sticking to the idea that all “legal” votes must be counted – the language freighted with a clear implication that Democrats want illegal votes counted, a claim for which there is no evidence.
It’s a precarious balance for Mr. Trump’s allies as they try to be supportive of the president – and avoid risking further fallout – but face the reality of the vote count.
According to one Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation, Republicans on Capitol Hill were giving Mr. Trump the space to consider all legal options, and allowing the process to play out.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet made any public statements – neither congratulating Mr. Biden nor joining Mr. Trump’s complaints about the results.
“I’m not sure his position would have changed from yesterday – count all the votes, adjudicate all the claims,” said Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist in Kentucky allied with Mr. McConnell. “My sense is there’s won’t be any tolerance for beyond what the law allows. There will be tolerance for what the law allows.”
It was a view being echoed by several other Republicans neither supporting or rejecting the outcome.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Nothing that I’ve seen regarding the election raises a legal issue that could succeed. There is just is nothing there,” said Barry Richard, who represented George W. Bush in the 2000 recount in Florida that ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court. “When these kind of lawsuits are filed it just breeds contempt for the whole legal system,” he said.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Lisa Mascaro and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-11-08--The beloved host of 'Jeopardy!'? Who is Alex Trebek.

Alex Trebek , who presided over the beloved quiz show “ Jeopardy !
” for more than 35 years with dapper charm and a touch of schoolmaster strictness , died Sunday .
He was 80 .
Messages of condolences and respect from former contestants , celebrities , and the wider public quickly followed news of his passing .
“ Alex wasn ’ t just the best ever at what he did .
He was also a lovely and deeply decent man , and I ’ m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him , ” tweeted “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy !
family — which , in a way , included millions of us.
” “ It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life .
You will never be replaced in our hearts , Alex , ” James Holzhauer , another “ Jeopardy !
” star , posted on Twitter .
John Legend tweeted that he was “ obsessed with Jeopardy as a nerdy kid growing up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revered Alex Trebek since I can remember .
What an iconic career.
” “ We have lost an icon .
Almost every night for more than three decades , Alex Trebek entertained and educated millions around the world , instilling in so many of us a love for trivia .
My deepest condolences to his family , friends , and all who are mourning this tremendous loss , ” wrote Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter .
“ Jeopardy ! ''
bills itself as “ America ’ s favorite quiz show '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ format in which contestants were told the answers and had to provide the questions on a variety of subjects , including movies , politics , history and popular culture .
They would answer by saying “ What is ... ?
” or “ Who is ... .
?
” The Canadian-born Trebek , who became its host in 1984 , was a master of the format , engaging in friendly banter with contestants , appearing genuinely pleased when they answered correctly and , at the same time , moving the game along in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for answers .
He never pretended to know the answers himself if he really didn ’ t , deferring to the show ’ s experts to decide whether a somewhat vague answer had come close enough to be counted as correct .
“ I try not to take myself too seriously , ” he told an interviewer in 2004 .
“ I don ’ t want to come off as a pompous ass and indicate that I know everything when I don ’ t. ” The New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courtly formalities that are increasingly scarce in TV today .
The “ Shall we ?
” at the outset of a match .
The little wince when someone would fumble a Double Jeopardy question .
His Picard-like cool was his appeal , in an environment of emotive syndicated Kirks .
When he delivered one of his trademark careful pronunciations — “ Comintern , ” “ Argentina ” — it seemed not showy but respectful .
It was the spirit of “ Jeopardy !
” to care about getting things right . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wife of the late talk show host-entrepreneur Merv Griffin , who said she suggested to him one day that he create a game show where people were given the answers .
“ Jeopardy !
” debuted on NBC in 1964 with Art Fleming as emcee and was an immediate hit .
It lasted until 1975 , then was revived in syndication with Trebek .
Long identified by a full head of hair and trim mustache ( though in 2001 he startled viewers by shaving his mustache , “ completely on a whim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified for the job , having started his game show career on “ Reach for the Top ” in his native country .
Moving to the U.S. in 1973 , he appeared on “ The Wizard of Odds , ” “ High Rollers , ” “ The $ 128,000 Question ” and “ Double Dare.
” Even during his run on “ Jeopardy !
” , Trebek worked on other shows .
In the early 1990s , he was the host of three — “ Jeopardy !
” , “ To Tell the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Jeopardy !
” made him famous .
He won five Emmys as its host , including one last June , and received stars on both the Hollywood and Canadian walks of fame .
In 2012 , the show won a prestigious Peabody Award .
He taped his daily “ Jeopardy !
” shows at a frenetic pace , recording as many as 10 episodes ( two weeks ’ worth ) in just two days .
By 2008 , the show had yet to bring in a substitute host for Trebek — save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fortune ” host Pat Sajak swapped their TV jobs as an April ’ s Fool prank .
In 2012 , Trebek acknowledged that he was considering retirement , but had been urged by friends to stay on so he could reach 30 years on the show .
He still loved the job , he declared : “ What ’ s not to love ?
You have the security of a familiar environment , a familiar format , but you have the excitement of new clues and new contestants on every program .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Although many viewers considered him one of the key reasons for the show ’ s success , Trebek himself insisted he was only there to keep things moving .
“ I ’ m introduced as the host of 'Jeopardy ! '
, not the star , ” he said in a 2012 interview .
“ My job is to provide the atmosphere and assistance to the contestants to get them to perform at their very best , ” he explained .
“ And if I ’ m successful doing that , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the audience will think of me as being a bit of a star . ''
“ But not if I try to steal the limelight !
The stars of ` Jeopardy !
′ are the material and the contestants , ” he said .
In a January 2019 interview with The Associated Press , Trebek discussed his decision to keep going with “ Jeopardy !
” “ It ’ s not as if I ’ m overworked — we tape 46 days a year , ” he said .
But he acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost his edge or the job was no longer fun , adding : “ And it ’ s still fun.
” Trebek , who made a point of informing fans about his health directly , spoke in a calm , even tone as he revealed his illness and hope for a cure in a video posted March 6 , 2019 .
But Trebek said he intended to fight it and keep working , even joking that he needed to beat the disease because his “ Jeopardy !
” contract ran for three more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he opened the show with a message acknowledging the outpouring of kind words and prayers he ’ d received .
“ Thanks to the — believe it or not — hundreds of thousands of people who have sent in tweets , texts , emails , cards and letters wishing me well , ” Trebek said .
“ I ’ m a lucky guy.
” Born July 22 , 1940 , in Sudbury , Ontario , Canada , Trebek was sent off to boarding school by his Ukrainian father and French-Canadian mother when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After graduating high school , he spent a summer in Cincinnati to be close to a girlfriend , then returned to Canada to attend college .
After earning a philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa , he went to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Co. , starting as a staff announcer and eventually becoming a radio and TV reporter .
He became a U.S. citizen in 1997 .
Trebek ’ s first marriage , to Elaine Callei , ended in divorce .
In 1990 , he married Jean Currivan , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trebek lived with his family in Los Angeles ’ Studio City section , not far from Hollywood .
Trebek is survived by his wife , their two children and his stepdaughter , Nicky .
The late AP entertainment correspondent Bob Thomas contributed to this report

Alex Trebek, who presided over the beloved quiz show “Jeopardy!” for more than 35 years with dapper charm and a touch of schoolmaster strictness, died Sunday. He was 80.
Messages of condolences and respect from former contestants, celebrities, and the wider public quickly followed news of his passing.
“Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him,” tweeted “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings. “Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family – which, in a way, included millions of us.”
“It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life. You will never be replaced in our hearts, Alex,” James Holzhauer, another “Jeopardy!” star, posted on Twitter.
John Legend tweeted that he was “obsessed with Jeopardy as a nerdy kid growing up in Ohio. I’ve loved and revered Alex Trebek since I can remember. What an iconic career.”
“We have lost an icon. Almost every night for more than three decades, Alex Trebek entertained and educated millions around the world, instilling in so many of us a love for trivia. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who are mourning this tremendous loss,” wrote Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter.
“Jeopardy!” bills itself as “America’s favorite quiz show” and captivated the public with a unique format in which contestants were told the answers and had to provide the questions on a variety of subjects, including movies, politics, history, and popular culture.
They would answer by saying “What is ... ?” or “Who is .... ?”
The Canadian-born Mr. Trebek, who became its host in 1984, was a master of the format, engaging in friendly banter with contestants, appearing genuinely pleased when they answered correctly and, at the same time, moving the game along in a brisk no-nonsense fashion whenever people struggled for answers.
He never pretended to know the answers himself if he really didn’t, deferring to the show’s experts to decide whether a somewhat vague answer had come close enough to be counted as correct.
“I try not to take myself too seriously,” he told an interviewer in 2004. “I don’t want to come off as a pompous ass and indicate that I know everything when I don’t.”
The New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik wrote of Mr. Trebek:
“He had courtly formalities that are increasingly scarce in TV today. The “Shall we?” at the outset of a match. The little wince when someone would fumble a Double Jeopardy question. His Picard-like cool was his appeal, in an environment of emotive syndicated Kirks. When he delivered one of his trademark careful pronunciations – “Comintern,” “Argentina” – it seemed not showy but respectful. It was the spirit of “Jeopardy!” to care about getting things right.”
The show was the brainstorm of Julann Griffin, wife of the late talk show host-entrepreneur Merv Griffin, who said she suggested to him one day that he create a game show where people were given the answers.
“Jeopardy!” debuted on NBC in 1964 with Art Fleming as emcee and was an immediate hit. It lasted until 1975, then was revived in syndication with Mr. Trebek.
Long identified by a full head of hair and trim mustache (though in 2001 he startled viewers by shaving his mustache, “completely on a whim”), Mr. Trebek was more than qualified for the job, having started his game show career on “Reach for the Top” in his native country.
Moving to the United States in 1973, he appeared on “The Wizard of Odds,” “High Rollers,” “The $128,000 Question,” and “Double Dare.” Even during his run on “Jeopardy!”, Mr. Trebek worked on other shows. In the early 1990s, he was the host of three – “Jeopardy!”, “To Tell the Truth,” and “Classic Concentration.”
“Jeopardy!” made him famous. He won five Emmys as its host, including one last June, and received stars on both the Hollywood and Canadian walks of fame. In 2012, the show won a prestigious Peabody Award.
He taped his daily “Jeopardy!” shows at a frenetic pace, recording as many as 10 episodes (two weeks’ worth) in just two days.
By 2008, the show had yet to bring in a substitute host for Mr. Trebek – save once, when he and “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak swapped their TV jobs as an April’s Fool prank.
In 2012, Mr. Trebek acknowledged that he was considering retirement, but had been urged by friends to stay on so he could reach 30 years on the show. He still loved the job, he declared: “What’s not to love? You have the security of a familiar environment, a familiar format, but you have the excitement of new clues and new contestants on every program. You can’t beat that!”
Although many viewers considered him one of the key reasons for the show’s success, Mr. Trebek himself insisted he was only there to keep things moving.
“I’m introduced as the host of ‘Jeopardy!’, not the star,” he said in a 2012 interview. “My job is to provide the atmosphere and assistance to the contestants to get them to perform at their very best,” he explained. “And if I’m successful doing that, I will be perceived as a nice guy and the audience will think of me as being a bit of a star.”
“But not if I try to steal the limelight! The stars of `Jeopardy!′ are the material and the contestants,” he said.
In a January 2019 interview with The Associated Press, Mr. Trebek discussed his decision to keep going with “Jeopardy!”
“It’s not as if I’m overworked – we tape 46 days a year,” he said. But he acknowledged he would retire someday, if he lost his edge or the job was no longer fun, adding: “And it’s still fun.”
Mr. Trebek, who made a point of informing fans about his health directly, spoke in a calm, even tone as he revealed his illness and hope for a cure in a video posted March 6, 2019. But Mr. Trebek said he intended to fight it and keep working, even joking that he needed to beat the disease because his “Jeopardy!” contract ran for three more years. Less than a week later, he opened the show with a message acknowledging the outpouring of kind words and prayers he’d received.
“Thanks to the – believe it or not – hundreds of thousands of people who have sent in tweets, texts, emails, cards, and letters wishing me well,” Mr. Trebek said. “I’m a lucky guy.”
Born July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, Mr. Trebek was sent off to boarding school by his Ukrainian father and French-Canadian mother when he was barely in his teens.
After graduating high school, he spent a summer in Cincinnati to be close to a girlfriend, then returned to Canada to attend college. After earning a philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa, he went to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Co., starting as a staff announcer and eventually becoming a radio and TV reporter.
He became a U.S. citizen in 1997. Mr. Trebek’s first marriage, to Elaine Callei, ended in divorce. In 1990, he married Jean Currivan, and they had two children, Emily and Matthew. Mr. Trebek lived with his family in Los Angeles’ Studio City section, not far from Hollywood.
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Mr. Trebek is survived by his wife, their two children, and his stepdaughter, Nicky.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. The late AP entertainment correspondent Bob Thomas contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--Election’s over, but battle over its meaning is just beginning

This tension is reflective of another trend revealed in the returns , says Professor Bruce Cain of Stanford University .
“ Both of the political parties are struggling with their core activist , heavily ideological bases.
” In down-ballot races , Republicans did better than expected .
On a post-election call with Democratic colleagues , moderate Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia , who narrowly held on to her seat , said the No .
1 concern voters in her district mentioned was “ defund the police ” rhetoric .
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York pushed back , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It may be hard to distill the 2020 election into a few lessons .
But a key one is that much of it revolved around incumbent President Donald Trump .
Voters , tired of the chaos that has gripped Washington for the past four years , made choices that reflected what they believed needed to be done .
President Trump continues to insist , without evidence , that the election was stolen .
A week after voters went to the polls , the political class is engaged in fierce debate about what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerges about vote breakdowns , partisans on the left , right , and center are struggling to frame the results in ways that reflect their beliefs and policy preferences .
It was a rebuke of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party , given that President-elect Joe Biden , a moderate , ran ahead of many down-ballot Democratic candidates .
It was bad news for the whole Republican Party , whose loss of the White House portends a difficult future as the nation becomes more diverse in years ahead .
The takes above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t , and democracy showed its flaws , moderate Democrats stumbled , and the GOP can take hope , given the makeup of its down-ballot electorate .
A week after voters went to the polls , the nation ’ s political class writ large is already engaged in fierce debate about what the election means .
As more data emerges about vote breakdowns and voter demographics , those on the left , right , and center are struggling to frame the results in ways that reflect their beliefs and policy preferences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 experience into a few key lessons – the electorate and politics in general is much more fractured than it was 50 or 60 years ago , says Bruce Cain , a professor of political science at Stanford University .
But a few themes are emerging .
One central one is that much of the vote revolved around incumbent President Donald Trump – the man , and his values .
“ A lot of us who have been around can say that not since Nixon has an election shook a lot of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to democratic values and fair play has eroded to the point where we are flirting with authoritarianism and undermining the integrity of our electoral system , ” says Professor Cain .
For its part , the Trump campaign is still contesting the most basic story about the 2020 vote : who won .
Without evidence that stands up to scrutiny , President Trump continues to insist that the election was stolen and he is the real victor .
Many GOP elected officials have declined to acknowledge Mr. Biden ’ s status as president-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wishes .
Trump allies have primarily questioned vote counts in Arizona , Georgia , and Pennsylvania .
To date , most Republican legal efforts have been small-scale and many have been thrown out by judges .
If there is one narrative about the election that all sides agree on , it ’ s that the turnout , driven by an explosion of interest in the presidential battle , was phenomenal .
Final figures will likely show that the percentage of eligible voters who cast ballots will be the highest in 120 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see it as a triumph for democracy .
Voters , tired of the chaos that has gripped Washington for the past four years , stepped up to their job and made choices that reflected what they believed needed to be done about the situation .
“ People truly recognized that this was a crossroads election , ” says Allan Lichtman , a distinguished professor of history at American University .
But what was the force pushing voters to the polls ?
It wasn ’ t both candidates , but only one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one emotion , fear .
His supporters feared he would not win reelection .
His opponents feared he would .
The powerful polarization driving this is not itself positive for U.S. politics .
“ It wasn ’ t Biden driving the turnout .
...
It was Trump driving the turnout , ” says Professor Lichtman .
President Trump motivated Bill Huggins to vote , for instance .
The retired former manager for Black & Decker says he voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 , and was enthusiastically voting for him again .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Constitution , and run the government like a business , ” says Mr. Huggins , standing outside his polling place at the Shrewsbury Municipal Building on Election Day .
At the Cornerstone Baptist Church in York , Pennsylvania , Benita Howard also said the vote felt important and different to her this year .
Ms. Howard , who works as a nurse and voted for Mr. Biden , says the sentiment in the country has felt very bad for the past 1 1/2 years or so .
She thinks the U.S. needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
“ I ’ m voting for equality for everybody .
It used to be that the U.S. was looked at as the land of opportunity , ” she says .
“ Where you could make changes for yourself and improve yourself and your family .
And it doesn ’ t feel like that anymore.
” Perhaps the hottest down-ballot argument right now about the meaning of the 2020 vote is between moderate Democratic members of Congress and progressives .
With the party reeling from an unexpected loss of seats in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more liberal members of the party for pushing big government policies such as the Green New Deal , and especially for the “ defund the police ” push to reorient urban spending priorities .
On a postelection call with colleagues last week , Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia , who narrowly held on to her seat , said the number one concern voters in her district mentioned was “ defund the police ” rhetoric .
“ If we are classifying Tuesday as a success from a congressional standpoint , we will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Representative Spanberger .
Progressives have pushed back .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said this week that some of the members who lost had made themselves “ sitting ducks ” by ignoring social media ads and other modern methods of campaigning .
Professor Cain of Stanford University says this tension is reflective of another trend revealed in the election returns .
“ Both of the political parties are struggling with their core activist , heavily ideological bases , ” he says .
This also reflects the polarization of American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with conservative Democrats turning Republican and moderate Republicans turning Democratic , has in recent decades removed factions that used to keep both parties from becoming more extreme .
“ The question now is ... how do we govern with that kind of polarization within the electorate ?
” he says .
Juliet Hooker , a professor of political science at Brown University , says she does not see the election results as a repudiation of progressives .
Mr. Biden won with the enthusiastic support of a lot of people on the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their personal beliefs to unite behind their party ’ s candidate .
“ The reality is that Democrats can ’ t win without progressives , ” she says .
For some years , top Republicans have worried about the demographic destiny of their party .
It has become whiter and older , as the Democratic Party has become more diverse and younger .
And white voters are shrinking as a percentage of the U.S. electorate , while Black and Hispanic voters and other people of color are increasing .
The GOP may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at some point in the future it simply becomes uncompetitive on a national level .
On one level , the 2020 vote may already reflect this .
President Trump received over 71 million votes , the most ever cast for an incumbent – but President-elect Biden got about 76 million votes , the most a presidential candidate has ever received , period .
There are millions more votes still to be counted in heavily blue states such as New York and California .
Mr. Biden ’ s overall lead is certain to grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news for the GOP as it confronts its demographic limits .
President Trump increased his share of the Hispanic vote , from about 28 % four years ago to about 32 % now .
Meanwhile , his share of the Black vote also increased , albeit from very low levels to begin with .
President Trump won 20 % of Black men , for instance .
( His support among Black women was about 9 % . )
That ’ s led Dave Wasserman , House editor of the Cook Political Report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder to argue that the GOP coalition is demographically “ dying out.
” “ As with past waves of immigrants throughout U.S. history , Hispanic voters are beginning to vote a little closer to the rest of the country – and it ’ s one possible path forward , ” Mr. Wasserman tweeted on Nov. 9 .
The Hispanic community itself is diverse , with origins rooted in different nations , and opinions varied and dependent on factors such as income , where they live , and religious affiliation .
Democrats should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that cares primarily about immigration , say experts .
“ You have to cover Latinos depending on where they are , ” says Chris Zepeda-Millán , an associate professor in UCLA ’ s public policy department .
This year , the Trump campaign did a better job of turning out conservative-leaning Cuban Americans in Florida , through ad “ micro-targeting ” and other means , says Professor Zepeda-Millán .
That helped push President Trump to victory in the key state .
Meanwhile , Mr. Biden ’ s outreach was targeted more to Mexican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which helped him in some of his key state wins .
“ [ Latino voters ] could potentially be making the difference in Pennsylvania , Wisconsin – places that we don ’ t think about the Latino vote , ” says Professor Zepeda-Millán .

This tension is reflective of another trend revealed in the returns, says Professor Bruce Cain of Stanford University. “Both of the political parties are struggling with their core activist, heavily ideological bases.”
In down-ballot races, Republicans did better than expected. On a post-election call with Democratic colleagues, moderate Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who narrowly held on to her seat, said the No. 1 concern voters in her district mentioned was “defund the police” rhetoric. Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York pushed back, saying some members who lost neglected social media.
Knowing which candidates drew the most votes in last week’s election was Step 1. Now begins the work of interpreting the messages those votes sent, and shaping the U.S. political narrative.
It may be hard to distill the 2020 election into a few lessons. But a key one is that much of it revolved around incumbent President Donald Trump. Voters, tired of the chaos that has gripped Washington for the past four years, made choices that reflected what they believed needed to be done. President Trump continues to insist, without evidence, that the election was stolen.
A week after voters went to the polls, the political class is engaged in fierce debate about what it all means. As more data emerges about vote breakdowns, partisans on the left, right, and center are struggling to frame the results in ways that reflect their beliefs and policy preferences.
The just-concluded 2020 elections showed that America’s democracy remains resilient.
It was a rebuke of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, given that President-elect Joe Biden, a moderate, ran ahead of many down-ballot Democratic candidates.
It was bad news for the whole Republican Party, whose loss of the White House portends a difficult future as the nation becomes more diverse in years ahead.
Why We Wrote This Knowing which candidates drew the most votes in last week’s election was Step 1. Now begins the work of interpreting the messages those votes sent, and shaping the U.S. political narrative.
The takes above are all true – unless they aren’t, and democracy showed its flaws, moderate Democrats stumbled, and the GOP can take hope, given the makeup of its down-ballot electorate.
A week after voters went to the polls, the nation’s political class writ large is already engaged in fierce debate about what the election means. As more data emerges about vote breakdowns and voter demographics, those on the left, right, and center are struggling to frame the results in ways that reflect their beliefs and policy preferences.
It may be hard to distill the 2020 experience into a few key lessons – the electorate and politics in general is much more fractured than it was 50 or 60 years ago, says Bruce Cain, a professor of political science at Stanford University.
But a few themes are emerging. One central one is that much of the vote revolved around incumbent President Donald Trump – the man, and his values.
“A lot of us who have been around can say that not since Nixon has an election shook a lot of us to the core over whether our commitment to democratic values and fair play has eroded to the point where we are flirting with authoritarianism and undermining the integrity of our electoral system,” says Professor Cain.
A crossroads election
For its part, the Trump campaign is still contesting the most basic story about the 2020 vote: who won. Without evidence that stands up to scrutiny, President Trump continues to insist that the election was stolen and he is the real victor. Many GOP elected officials have declined to acknowledge Mr. Biden’s status as president-elect in deference to the incumbent’s wishes.
Trump allies have primarily questioned vote counts in Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. To date, most Republican legal efforts have been small-scale and many have been thrown out by judges.
If there is one narrative about the election that all sides agree on, it’s that the turnout, driven by an explosion of interest in the presidential battle, was phenomenal. Final figures will likely show that the percentage of eligible voters who cast ballots will be the highest in 120 years.
One way to look at this is to see it as a triumph for democracy. Voters, tired of the chaos that has gripped Washington for the past four years, stepped up to their job and made choices that reflected what they believed needed to be done about the situation.
“People truly recognized that this was a crossroads election,” says Allan Lichtman, a distinguished professor of history at American University.
But what was the force pushing voters to the polls? It wasn’t both candidates, but only one of them, the incumbent president, and one emotion, fear. His supporters feared he would not win reelection. His opponents feared he would. The powerful polarization driving this is not itself positive for U.S. politics.
“It wasn’t Biden driving the turnout. ... It was Trump driving the turnout,” says Professor Lichtman.
President Trump motivated Bill Huggins to vote, for instance. The retired former manager for Black & Decker says he voted for Mr. Trump in 2016, and was enthusiastically voting for him again. “I’m for small government, the Constitution, and run the government like a business,” says Mr. Huggins, standing outside his polling place at the Shrewsbury Municipal Building on Election Day.
At the Cornerstone Baptist Church in York, Pennsylvania, Benita Howard also said the vote felt important and different to her this year.
Ms. Howard, who works as a nurse and voted for Mr. Biden, says the sentiment in the country has felt very bad for the past 1 1/2 years or so. She thinks the U.S. needs a change for the good of the people.
“I’m voting for equality for everybody. It used to be that the U.S. was looked at as the land of opportunity,” she says. “Where you could make changes for yourself and improve yourself and your family. And it doesn’t feel like that anymore.”
Democrats, divided
Perhaps the hottest down-ballot argument right now about the meaning of the 2020 vote is between moderate Democratic members of Congress and progressives.
With the party reeling from an unexpected loss of seats in the House, Democratic moderates are blaming the more liberal members of the party for pushing big government policies such as the Green New Deal, and especially for the “defund the police” push to reorient urban spending priorities.
Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch/AP View caption Hide caption Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger helps her daughter Catherine feed the congresswoman's ballot into the machine at the general registrar's office in Henrico County, Virginia, Sept. 18, 2020, on the first day of the state's 45-day early voting period. Representative Spanberger was narrowly reelected.
On a postelection call with colleagues last week, Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who narrowly held on to her seat, said the number one concern voters in her district mentioned was “defund the police” rhetoric.
“If we are classifying Tuesday as a success from a congressional standpoint, we will get [expletive] torn apart in 2022,” said Representative Spanberger.
Progressives have pushed back. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said this week that some of the members who lost had made themselves “sitting ducks” by ignoring social media ads and other modern methods of campaigning.
Professor Cain of Stanford University says this tension is reflective of another trend revealed in the election returns.
“Both of the political parties are struggling with their core activist, heavily ideological bases,” he says.
This also reflects the polarization of American politics, he says. Party sorting, with conservative Democrats turning Republican and moderate Republicans turning Democratic, has in recent decades removed factions that used to keep both parties from becoming more extreme.
“The question now is ... how do we govern with that kind of polarization within the electorate?” he says.
Juliet Hooker, a professor of political science at Brown University, says she does not see the election results as a repudiation of progressives. Mr. Biden won with the enthusiastic support of a lot of people on the left, she says, who set aside their personal beliefs to unite behind their party’s candidate.
“The reality is that Democrats can’t win without progressives,” she says.
GOP’s demographic destiny
For some years, top Republicans have worried about the demographic destiny of their party. It has become whiter and older, as the Democratic Party has become more diverse and younger. And white voters are shrinking as a percentage of the U.S. electorate, while Black and Hispanic voters and other people of color are increasing. The GOP may be on track to shrink so much that at some point in the future it simply becomes uncompetitive on a national level.
On one level, the 2020 vote may already reflect this. President Trump received over 71 million votes, the most ever cast for an incumbent – but President-elect Biden got about 76 million votes, the most a presidential candidate has ever received, period.
There are millions more votes still to be counted in heavily blue states such as New York and California. Mr. Biden’s overall lead is certain to grow.
But one surprise result may be good news for the GOP as it confronts its demographic limits. President Trump increased his share of the Hispanic vote, from about 28% four years ago to about 32% now. Meanwhile, his share of the Black vote also increased, albeit from very low levels to begin with. President Trump won 20% of Black men, for instance. (His support among Black women was about 9%.)
That’s led Dave Wasserman, House editor of the Cook Political Report, to conclude that it is now harder to argue that the GOP coalition is demographically “dying out.”
“As with past waves of immigrants throughout U.S. history, Hispanic voters are beginning to vote a little closer to the rest of the country – and it’s one possible path forward,” Mr. Wasserman tweeted on Nov. 9.
The Hispanic community itself is diverse, with origins rooted in different nations, and opinions varied and dependent on factors such as income, where they live, and religious affiliation. Democrats should not look at them as a monolithic bloc that cares primarily about immigration, say experts.
“You have to cover Latinos depending on where they are,” says Chris Zepeda-Millán, an associate professor in UCLA’s public policy department.
This year, the Trump campaign did a better job of turning out conservative-leaning Cuban Americans in Florida, through ad “micro-targeting” and other means, says Professor Zepeda-Millán. That helped push President Trump to victory in the key state.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden’s outreach was targeted more to Mexican Americans and Hispanics of Central American origin, which helped him in some of his key state wins.
“[Latino voters] could potentially be making the difference in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin – places that we don’t think about the Latino vote,” says Professor Zepeda-Millán.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--How Republican women won a record number of seats in Congress

“ What happened this year , they were inspired … and they were more strategic , ” says Dianne Bystrom , co-president of the League of Women Voters in Nebraska .
Getting more Republican women elected challenges monolithic conceptions about what women believe , some expert say , and brings diversity of style , perspective , and experience to governing .
Part of the reason was the high turnout stirred by this year ’ s presidential race .
But it was also efforts by people like Ms. Stefanik .
Now , in a year in which Kamala Harris made history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be elected vice president , Republican women have their own successes to tout .
A record number of them are heading to Congress .
Of the eight House seats flipped by Republicans so far , six have been by women .
Two years ago , Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York had just witnessed 2018 ’ s blue wave reduce the ranks of GOP congresswomen from 23 to 13 .
She took it as a challenge , focusing on endorsing and financially supporting women in primary elections – something the national party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wasn ’ t asking for permission , ” she tweeted , with siren emojis , when one male colleague questioned her shift .
In a year in which Kamala Harris made history as America ’ s first woman to be elected vice president , Republican women have their own successes to tout .
A record number of them are heading to Congress – with more races still to be called .
Of the eight House seats flipped by Republicans , six have been by women .
“ I ’ ve been saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and 2020 is the year of the Republican woman , ” says Olivia Perez-Cubas , spokeswoman for Winning for Women Action Fund , the first super political action committee dedicated to electing Republican women .
Part of the reason for their strong performance is the good political environment for women candidates , with Republican women inspired by the Democratic women ’ s wave , as well as by women in Republican leadership positions , such as atop the Republican National Party .
Experts on women in politics say there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that crosses party lines .
“ If you can see it , you can be it , ” as Ms. Perez-Cubas puts it .
These women – so far 24 in the House and eight in the Senate – were also poised to benefit from what turned out to be unprecedented turnout for President Donald Trump .
They could not have been elected had they not been on the ballot in the first place .
This year , a record 227 GOP women jumped into the pipeline to run for the House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the general election , nearly double from the prior cycle .
Primaries are a big hurdle for GOP women , due to fundraising and the stereotype that women are less conservative than men , but this time Republican women focused on helping female candidates win those early contests .
“ What happened this year , they were inspired … and they were more strategic , ” says Dianne Bystrom , co-president of the League of Women Voters in Nebraska .
The newcomers come from mixed backgrounds .
Georgia ’ s Marjorie Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the QAnon conspiracy theory , while Colorado ’ s Lauren Boebert owns a gun-themed restaurant that defied pandemic shutdown orders and where servers openly carry firearms .
In Florida , Maria Elvira Salazar is a longtime journalist who worked for the Spanish-language network Telemundo .
She flipped her district , as did Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma , Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota , and Nancy Mace of South Carolina , all of whom had served before in their statehouses , with Ms. Fischbach a former lieutenant governor .
Meanwhile , Cynthia Lummis will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Senate .
She is an attorney and former state lawmaker .
“ The lesson here is that if you want more Republican women to serve and win , there have to be more Republican women on the ballot , ” says Kelly Dittmar , research director at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey .
That ’ s obvious , she says , but not easy to achieve for a party that eschews identity politics and lags far behind Democrats in targeted financial support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and a cast of other Republican women took this challenge into their own hands .
They had just witnessed 2018 ’ s blue wave reduce their numbers from 23 congresswomen to 13 .
The contrast on swearing-in day was striking : the Republican side a mass of dark suits with red ties , the Democrats a cornucopia of lively colors worn by a record-setting 89 female members .
Representative Stefanik , the youngest GOP woman in the House , called the lack of Republican women a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to head up recruiting for House Republicans that cycle , she convinced more than 100 women to run , but only one was elected .
So she changed her strategy – quitting her official recruitment role and relaunching her political action committee , known as E-PAC , so she could focus on endorsing and financially supporting women in primaries .
That ’ s something the national party steers clear of , even while primaries are the toughest hurdle for GOP women .
Her move was at first called a “ mistake ” by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican campaign arm , Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota .
But Ms. Stefanik was not cowed .
“ NEWSFLASH : I wasn ’ t asking for permission , ” she tweeted , with siren emojis .
Other women stepped up , including this cycle ’ s House GOP recruitment head , retiring Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana .
They put in hours on the phone recruiting and mentoring female candidates , guiding them through everything from budgeting to the media to managing family life in Congress .
“ If Elise had not stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would have had the success that we had , ” says former Rep. Mimi Walters of California , who lost to Democrat Katie Porter in 2018 .
“ It was something Elise did on her own .
It was not the party saying , ‘ Go do this.
’ It was Elise saying , ‘ I am going to do this.
’ ” Ms. Walters praises Ms. Stefanik for her PAC , explaining that it ’ s typically harder for women to raise money , which discourages them from running .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says , mentioning other funding sources for GOP women , such as VIEW PAC , a political action committee that ’ s more than 20 years old , and the newly formed Winning for Women Action Fund , which was formed after the 2018 congressional losses .
“ We asked ourselves , why is this happening , why aren ’ t women getting over the finish line ?
” recalls Ms. Perez-Cubas , of the Winning for Women Action Fund .
One conclusion : “ There ’ s a big hole in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s starting to be filled with the first super PAC – with no limit on fundraising – directed solely at GOP women candidates .
This cycle , the PAC spent nearly $ 3 million .
But Democrats dwarf the efforts of their Republican counterparts .
For instance , EMILY ’ s List , which recruits and supports pro-choice female candidates at all levels of government from start to finish , raised $ 72 million this cycle .
So far this year , Democrats have elected 103 women to the House and Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They also shattered the glass ceiling in the vice president ’ s office , electing the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent .
“ The left does a really good job of elevating women , ” says Ms. Perez-Cubas , a former aide to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida .
“ We have to make sure [ we ] go toe to toe.
” Getting more Republican women elected challenges monolithic conceptions about what women believe , says Ms. Dittmar , and brings diversity of style , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to mention a more equal representation of constituents .
But it ’ s also important for the future of the party , for its image and its ongoing battle for suburban women voters .
In California ’ s Orange County , once a bedrock of Republicanism , GOP women are leading in two very tight races to win back House seats that Democrats flipped in 2018 .
Young Kim was the first Korean American Republican woman elected to the state legislature ; Michelle Steel , also a Korean American , is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party has changed .
We understand now , you have to be politically aligned with the party but your identity is important , ” says Randall Avilla , the executive director of the Orange County Republicans .
“ We have to communicate that we are not the party of old white men .
”

“What happened this year, they were inspired … and they were more strategic,” says Dianne Bystrom, co-president of the League of Women Voters in Nebraska.
Getting more Republican women elected challenges monolithic conceptions about what women believe, some expert say, and brings diversity of style, perspective, and experience to governing.
Part of the reason was the high turnout stirred by this year’s presidential race. But it was also efforts by people like Ms. Stefanik.
Two years ago, gains by Democrats in Congress were paired with the label “the year of the woman.” Now 2020 brings its own new gains for gender diversity – this time on the other side of the political aisle.
Now, in a year in which Kamala Harris made history as America’s first woman to be elected vice president, Republican women have their own successes to tout. A record number of them are heading to Congress. Of the eight House seats flipped by Republicans so far, six have been by women.
Two years ago, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York had just witnessed 2018’s blue wave reduce the ranks of GOP congresswomen from 23 to 13. She took it as a challenge, focusing on endorsing and financially supporting women in primary elections – something the national party steers clear of. “NEWSFLASH: I wasn’t asking for permission,” she tweeted, with siren emojis, when one male colleague questioned her shift.
In a year in which Kamala Harris made history as America’s first woman to be elected vice president, Republican women have their own successes to tout. A record number of them are heading to Congress – with more races still to be called. Of the eight House seats flipped by Republicans, six have been by women.
“I’ve been saying 2018 is the year of the woman, and 2020 is the year of the Republican woman,” says Olivia Perez-Cubas, spokeswoman for Winning for Women Action Fund, the first super political action committee dedicated to electing Republican women.
Part of the reason for their strong performance is the good political environment for women candidates, with Republican women inspired by the Democratic women’s wave, as well as by women in Republican leadership positions, such as atop the Republican National Committee. Experts on women in politics say there’s a motivational effect of women running for office that crosses party lines. “If you can see it, you can be it,” as Ms. Perez-Cubas puts it.
Why We Wrote This Two years ago, gains by Democrats in Congress were paired with the label “the year of the woman.” Now 2020 brings its own new gains for gender diversity – this time on the other side of the political aisle.
These women – so far 24 in the House and eight in the Senate – were also poised to benefit from what turned out to be unprecedented turnout for President Donald Trump.
They could not have been elected had they not been on the ballot in the first place. This year, a record 227 GOP women jumped into the pipeline to run for the House, with 94 making it past the primaries to the general election, nearly double from the prior cycle. Primaries are a big hurdle for GOP women, due to fundraising and the stereotype that women are less conservative than men, but this time Republican women focused on helping female candidates win those early contests.
“What happened this year, they were inspired … and they were more strategic,” says Dianne Bystrom, co-president of the League of Women Voters in Nebraska.
The newcomers come from mixed backgrounds. Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines for her support of the QAnon conspiracy theory, while Colorado’s Lauren Boebert owns a gun-themed restaurant that defied pandemic shutdown orders and where servers openly carry firearms. In Florida, Maria Elvira Salazar is a longtime journalist who worked for the Spanish-language network Telemundo. She flipped her district, as did Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, all of whom had served before in their statehouses, with Ms. Fischbach a former lieutenant governor. Meanwhile, Cynthia Lummis will be the first woman to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate. She is an attorney and former state lawmaker.
“The lesson here is that if you want more Republican women to serve and win, there have to be more Republican women on the ballot,” says Kelly Dittmar, research director at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey. That’s obvious, she says, but not easy to achieve for a party that eschews identity politics and lags far behind Democrats in targeted financial support for female candidates.
But two years ago, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and a cast of other Republican women took this challenge into their own hands. They had just witnessed 2018’s blue wave reduce their numbers from 23 congresswomen to 13. The contrast on swearing-in day was striking: the Republican side a mass of dark suits with red ties, the Democrats a cornucopia of lively colors worn by a record-setting 89 female members.
Representative Stefanik, the youngest GOP woman in the House, called the lack of Republican women a “crisis.” As the first woman to head up recruiting for House Republicans that cycle, she convinced more than 100 women to run, but only one was elected. So she changed her strategy – quitting her official recruitment role and relaunching her political action committee, known as E-PAC, so she could focus on endorsing and financially supporting women in primaries. That’s something the national party steers clear of, even while primaries are the toughest hurdle for GOP women.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/File View caption Hide caption Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York (with fellow Republicans Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, left, and then-Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Jan. 25, 2020. Ms. Stefanik helped lead a comeback for GOP women candidates in 2020.
Her move was at first called a “mistake” by the head of the House’s Republican campaign arm, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota. But Ms. Stefanik was not cowed. “NEWSFLASH: I wasn’t asking for permission,” she tweeted, with siren emojis. Other women stepped up, including this cycle’s House GOP recruitment head, retiring Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana. They put in hours on the phone recruiting and mentoring female candidates, guiding them through everything from budgeting to the media to managing family life in Congress.
“If Elise had not stepped forward … I don’t think we would have had the success that we had,” says former Rep. Mimi Walters of California, who lost to Democrat Katie Porter in 2018. “It was something Elise did on her own. It was not the party saying, ‘Go do this.’ It was Elise saying, ‘I am going to do this.’”
Ms. Walters praises Ms. Stefanik for her PAC, explaining that it’s typically harder for women to raise money, which discourages them from running. But “that dynamic is changing,” she says, mentioning other funding sources for GOP women, such as VIEW PAC, a political action committee that’s more than 20 years old, and the newly formed Winning for Women Action Fund, which was formed after the 2018 congressional losses.
“We asked ourselves, why is this happening, why aren’t women getting over the finish line?” recalls Ms. Perez-Cubas, of the Winning for Women Action Fund. One conclusion: “There’s a big hole in the Republican Party ecosystem.” Now it’s starting to be filled with the first super PAC – with no limit on fundraising – directed solely at GOP women candidates. This cycle, the PAC spent nearly $3 million.
But Democrats dwarf the efforts of their Republican counterparts. For instance, EMILY’s List, which recruits and supports pro-choice female candidates at all levels of government from start to finish, raised $72 million this cycle. So far this year, Democrats have elected 103 women to the House and Senate (slightly behind their 2018 record). They also shattered the glass ceiling in the vice president’s office, electing the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent.
“The left does a really good job of elevating women,” says Ms. Perez-Cubas, a former aide to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. “We have to make sure [we] go toe to toe.”
Getting more Republican women elected challenges monolithic conceptions about what women believe, says Ms. Dittmar, and brings diversity of style, perspective, and experience to governing – not to mention a more equal representation of constituents. But it’s also important for the future of the party, for its image and its ongoing battle for suburban women voters.
In California’s Orange County, once a bedrock of Republicanism, GOP women are leading in two very tight races to win back House seats that Democrats flipped in 2018. Young Kim was the first Korean American Republican woman elected to the state legislature; Michelle Steel, also a Korean American, is a county supervisor.
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“The focus of the Republican Party has changed. We understand now, you have to be politically aligned with the party but your identity is important,” says Randall Avila, the executive director of the Orange County Republicans. “We have to communicate that we are not the party of old white men.”
Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the spelling of Mr. Avila's name.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--Mark Esper 'terminated' as secretary of defense in Trump tweet

President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday , an unprecedented move by a president struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes wasn ’ t loyal enough .
The decision was widely expected as Mr. Trump had grown increasingly unhappy with Mr. Esper over the summer , including over sharp differences between them on the use of the military during the civil unrest in June .
But the move could unsettle international allies and Pentagon leadership , and injects another element of uncertainty to a rocky transition period as Joe Biden prepares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win reelection often replace Cabinet members , including the secretary of defense , but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of national security .
Mr. Trump announced the news in a tweet , saying that “ effective immediately ” Christopher Miller , the director of the National Counterterrorism Center , will serve as acting secretary , sidestepping the department ’ s No.2-ranking official , Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist .
“ Chris will do a GREAT job !
” Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terminated .
I would like to thank him for his service.
” United States defense officials said Mr. Miller arrived at the Pentagon in the early afternoon to take over the job , and that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows informed Mr. Esper of the firing before Mr. Trump announced the move on Twitter .
Other top defense and Pentagon officials , however , were caught by surprise and learned of the decision through the media .
The defense officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Esper triggers questions about what the president may try to do in the next few months before he leaves office , including adjustments in the presence of troops overseas or other national security changes .
The decision was quickly condemned by Democratic members of Congress .
“ Dismissing politically appointed national security leaders during a transition is a destabilizing move that will only embolden our adversaries and put our country at greater risk , ” said Rep. Adam Smith , D-Wash. , chairman of the House Armed Services Committee .
“ President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esper out of spite is not just childish , it ’ s also reckless.
” Sen. Tim Kaine , D-Va. , a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees , said firing Mr. Esper “ in the last weeks of a lame duck Presidency serves no purpose and only demonstrates an instability harmful to American national defense.
” Former military leaders also weighed in .
Jim Stavridis , a retired Navy admiral who served as a senior aide to Republican Donald Rumsfeld when Mr. Rumsfeld was defense secretary , wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing made no sense .
“ Things are already unstable internationally , and this does not help , ” he wrote .
“ We need to try and create stability in transition time – hopefully opponents will not try and take advantage.
” Mr. Biden has not said who he would appoint as defense chief , but is widely rumored to be considering naming the first woman to the post – Michele Flournoy .
Ms. Flournoy has served multiple times in the Pentagon , starting in the 1990s and most recently as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 2012 .
She is well known on Capitol Hill as a moderate Democrat and is regarded among U.S. allies and partners as a steady hand who favors strong U.S. military cooperation abroad .
Mr. Miller has most recently served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and before that was a deputy assistant defense secretary and top adviser to Mr. Trump on counterterrorism issues .
He has a long background with the military , having served as an enlisted infantryman in the Army Reserves and after that as a special forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars in Afghanistan and Iraq .
After his retirement from the military , Mr. Miller worked as a defense contractor .
Mr. Esper ’ s strained relationship with Mr. Trump came close to collapse last summer during civil unrest that triggered a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combating domestic unrest .
Mr. Esper ’ s opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington , D.C. , infuriated Mr. Trump , and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
During his roughly 16-month tenure , Mr. Esper generally supported Mr. Trump ’ s policies but more recently he was widely expected to quit or be ousted if Trump won reelection .
Presidents historically have put a high priority on stability at the Pentagon during political transitions .
Since the creation of the Defense Department and the position of defense secretary in 1947 , the only three presidents to lose election for a second term – Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , and George H.W .
Bush – all kept their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
Mr. Esper , who was the official successor to former Marine Gen. James Mattis , routinely emphasized the importance of keeping the military and the Defense Department out of politics .
But it proved to be an uphill struggle as Mr. Trump alternately praised what he called “ his generals ” and denigrated top Pentagon leaders as war-mongers devoted to drumming up business for the defense industry .
Mr. Trump soured on his first defense secretary , Mr. Mattis , who resigned in December 2018 over Mr. Trump ’ s abrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all U.S. troops out of Syria , and then on Mr. Esper .
The splits reflected Mr. Trump ’ s fundamentally different views on America ’ s place in the world , the value of international defense alliances , and the importance of shielding the military from domestic partisan politics .
During Mr. Trump ’ s tenure , the Pentagon has often been at the center of the tumult , caught in a persistent and erratic debate over the use of American forces at war in Iraq , Syria , and Afghanistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico border and in cities roiled by civil unrest and rocked by the coronavirus .
Mr. Esper ’ s departure has appeared inevitable ever since he publicly broke with Mr. Trump in June over the president ’ s push to deploy military troops in the streets of the nation ’ s capital in response to civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd .
Mr. Esper publicly opposed Mr. Trump ’ s threats to invoke the two-centuries-old Insurrection Act , which would allow the president to use active-duty troops in a law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furious when Mr. Esper told reporters the Insurrection Act should be invoked “ only in the most urgent and dire of situations , ” and , “ We are not in one of those situations now.
” The June civil unrest initially drew Mr. Esper into controversy when he joined a Trump entourage that strolled from the White House to nearby St. John ’ s Episcopal Church for a photo op featuring Mr. Trump hoisting a Bible .
Critics condemned Mr. Esper , saying he had allowed himself to be used as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t know he was heading into a photo op , but thought he was going to view damage at the church and see National Guard troops in the area .
He was accompanied by Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , who later expressed public regret at having been present in uniform .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, an unprecedented move by a president struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes wasn’t loyal enough.
The decision was widely expected as Mr. Trump had grown increasingly unhappy with Mr. Esper over the summer, including over sharp differences between them on the use of the military during the civil unrest in June. But the move could unsettle international allies and Pentagon leadership, and injects another element of uncertainty to a rocky transition period as Joe Biden prepares to assume the presidency.
Presidents who win reelection often replace Cabinet members, including the secretary of defense, but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of national security.
Mr. Trump announced the news in a tweet, saying that “effective immediately” Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will serve as acting secretary, sidestepping the department’s No.2-ranking official, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist.
“Chris will do a GREAT job!” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.”
United States defense officials said Mr. Miller arrived at the Pentagon in the early afternoon to take over the job, and that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows informed Mr. Esper of the firing before Mr. Trump announced the move on Twitter. Other top defense and Pentagon officials, however, were caught by surprise and learned of the decision through the media. The defense officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.
Mr. Trump’s abrupt move to dump Mr. Esper triggers questions about what the president may try to do in the next few months before he leaves office, including adjustments in the presence of troops overseas or other national security changes.
The decision was quickly condemned by Democratic members of Congress.
“Dismissing politically appointed national security leaders during a transition is a destabilizing move that will only embolden our adversaries and put our country at greater risk,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “President Trump’s decision to fire Secretary Esper out of spite is not just childish, it’s also reckless.”
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, said firing Mr. Esper “in the last weeks of a lame duck Presidency serves no purpose and only demonstrates an instability harmful to American national defense.”
Former military leaders also weighed in. Jim Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral who served as a senior aide to Republican Donald Rumsfeld when Mr. Rumsfeld was defense secretary, wrote on Twitter that Mr. Esper’s firing made no sense.
“Things are already unstable internationally, and this does not help,” he wrote. “We need to try and create stability in transition time – hopefully opponents will not try and take advantage.”
Mr. Biden has not said who he would appoint as defense chief, but is widely rumored to be considering naming the first woman to the post – Michele Flournoy. Ms. Flournoy has served multiple times in the Pentagon, starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She is well known on Capitol Hill as a moderate Democrat and is regarded among U.S. allies and partners as a steady hand who favors strong U.S. military cooperation abroad.
Mr. Miller has most recently served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and before that was a deputy assistant defense secretary and top adviser to Mr. Trump on counterterrorism issues. He has a long background with the military, having served as an enlisted infantryman in the Army Reserves and after that as a special forces officer. He also served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. After his retirement from the military, Mr. Miller worked as a defense contractor.
Mr. Esper’s strained relationship with Mr. Trump came close to collapse last summer during civil unrest that triggered a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combating domestic unrest. Mr. Esper’s opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington, D.C., infuriated Mr. Trump, and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to quit if faced with such an issue again.
During his roughly 16-month tenure, Mr. Esper generally supported Mr. Trump’s policies but more recently he was widely expected to quit or be ousted if Trump won reelection.
Presidents historically have put a high priority on stability at the Pentagon during political transitions. Since the creation of the Defense Department and the position of defense secretary in 1947, the only three presidents to lose election for a second term – Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush – all kept their secretary of defense in place until Inauguration Day.
Mr. Esper, who was the official successor to former Marine Gen. James Mattis, routinely emphasized the importance of keeping the military and the Defense Department out of politics. But it proved to be an uphill struggle as Mr. Trump alternately praised what he called “his generals” and denigrated top Pentagon leaders as war-mongers devoted to drumming up business for the defense industry.
Mr. Trump soured on his first defense secretary, Mr. Mattis, who resigned in December 2018 over Mr. Trump’s abrupt decision – later rescinded – to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria, and then on Mr. Esper. The splits reflected Mr. Trump’s fundamentally different views on America’s place in the world, the value of international defense alliances, and the importance of shielding the military from domestic partisan politics.
During Mr. Trump’s tenure, the Pentagon has often been at the center of the tumult, caught in a persistent and erratic debate over the use of American forces at war in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, and on U.S. soil, at the Mexico border and in cities roiled by civil unrest and rocked by the coronavirus.
Mr. Esper’s departure has appeared inevitable ever since he publicly broke with Mr. Trump in June over the president’s push to deploy military troops in the streets of the nation’s capital in response to civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Mr. Esper publicly opposed Mr. Trump’s threats to invoke the two-centuries-old Insurrection Act, which would allow the president to use active-duty troops in a law enforcement role. And Mr. Trump was furious when Mr. Esper told reporters the Insurrection Act should be invoked “only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” and, “We are not in one of those situations now.”
The June civil unrest initially drew Mr. Esper into controversy when he joined a Trump entourage that strolled from the White House to nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo op featuring Mr. Trump hoisting a Bible. Critics condemned Mr. Esper, saying he had allowed himself to be used as a political prop.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Mr. Esper said he didn’t know he was heading into a photo op, but thought he was going to view damage at the church and see National Guard troops in the area. He was accompanied by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who later expressed public regret at having been present in uniform.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.