cnbc--2020-11-06--2020 election sees record high turnout with at least 159.8 million votes projected

Miami Shores voter Mary Kay Paterno ( Center ) waits in line along with a few dozen voters as doors open on Election Day morning , November 3 , 2020 at the C. Lawton McCall Community Center .
At least 159.8 million Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election , according to NBC News projections Wednesday morning .
The projected vote total marks a record high number of ballots cast in a presidential election and the highest voter turnout rate among eligible citizens since 1900 .
With 86 % of the expected vote tallied as of 9 a.m .
ET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden received more than 68.6 million votes , President Donald Trump received more than 65.9 million votes and other candidates received more than 2.1 million votes .
At least 23 million votes have yet to be tallied , NBC News estimates .
The projected 159.8 million cast ballots represent the highest number of voters in a U.S. presidential election in history .
In 2016 , the total stood just above 136.6 million votes .
Around 239.2 million Americans were eligible to vote in 2020 , according to the U.S .
Elections Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots cast in 2020 would constitute about a 66.8 % voter turnout rate among eligible citizens — the highest since 1900 .

Miami Shores voter Mary Kay Paterno (Center) waits in line along with a few dozen voters as doors open on Election Day morning, November 3, 2020 at the C. Lawton McCall Community Center.
At least 159.8 million Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election, according to NBC News projections Wednesday morning.
The projected vote total marks a record high number of ballots cast in a presidential election and the highest voter turnout rate among eligible citizens since 1900.
With 86% of the expected vote tallied as of 9 a.m. ET, NBC News projects that Democratic candidate Joe Biden received more than 68.6 million votes, President Donald Trump received more than 65.9 million votes and other candidates received more than 2.1 million votes. At least 23 million votes have yet to be tallied, NBC News estimates.
The projected 159.8 million cast ballots represent the highest number of voters in a U.S. presidential election in history. In 2016, the total stood just above 136.6 million votes.
Around 239.2 million Americans were eligible to vote in 2020, according to the U.S. Elections Project. NBC News' projected 159.8 million ballots cast in 2020 would constitute about a 66.8% voter turnout rate among eligible citizens — the highest since 1900.


cnbc--2020-11-06--GOP pollster says Trump must win Pennsylvania to have a chance at beating Biden

Longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that President Donald Trump needs to win Pennsylvania in order to have a chance at defeating Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
Luntz 's comments on `` Squawk Box '' come as the outcome of Tuesday 's election still hangs in the balance , with neither candidate having earned the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidential race , according to NBC News .
Biden currently has 224 electoral votes compared with Trump 's 213 , NBC News reports .
`` Donald Trump must win Pennsylvania if he 's to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes .
While Trump currently holds a lead in the Keystone State , NBC News considers the race too early to call as a significant number of mail-in votes remain uncounted .
Luntz said he believes those mail-in votes will favor Biden heavily .
`` I believe when all the votes are counted , this is going to be dead even , which is why it 's going to take at least the next six hours and as much as another 24 hours before we know who is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's going to be so close in Pennsylvania that it may require a state recount . ''
Underlying Luntz 's forecast is his assumption that Trump wins Georgia and its 16 electoral votes , as well as North Carolina 's 15 electoral votes .
The other side of Luntz 's assumptions are that Biden wins Arizona 's 11 electoral votes and Nevada 's 6 electoral votes .
NBC News has not made any projections in those races .
That then leaves a trio of key bricks in the so-called `` blue wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 : Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
`` The three critical states , and Donald Trump would have to win two of them , at this point , are Pennsylvania , where he has a clear lead , and Michigan and Wisconsin , where it will be much more difficult for him , '' Luntz said .
Luntz believes Biden is in more favorable positions in Wisconsin and Michigan , which have 10 and 16 electoral votes , respectively .
NBC News has not made a projection in either Michigan or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation I think the most likely outcome — is that whoever wins , wins with less than 280 electoral votes , which means they 're only one state away on either side , '' Luntz added .
Earlier Wednesday morning , Trump falsely claimed he had won the presidential election , despite the fact millions of legally cast ballots had yet to be counted at the time of his remarks .
Speaking to a room of supporters in the White House , Trump also threatened legal action , saying that `` we want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls in U.S. states had , in fact , been closed at the time .
The Biden campaign pushed back vigorously on Trump 's remarks , with campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon calling them `` outrageous , unprecedented , and incorrect . ''
`` If the president makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes , we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort .
And they will prevail , '' she added in a written statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying , `` it 's not over until every vote is counted . ''

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Longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that President Donald Trump needs to win Pennsylvania in order to have a chance at defeating Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Luntz's comments on "Squawk Box" come as the outcome of Tuesday's election still hangs in the balance, with neither candidate having earned the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidential race, according to NBC News. Biden currently has 224 electoral votes compared with Trump's 213, NBC News reports. "Donald Trump must win Pennsylvania if he's to get to 270," Luntz said. Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes. While Trump currently holds a lead in the Keystone State, NBC News considers the race too early to call as a significant number of mail-in votes remain uncounted. Luntz said he believes those mail-in votes will favor Biden heavily. "I believe when all the votes are counted, this is going to be dead even, which is why it's going to take at least the next six hours and as much as another 24 hours before we know who is the winner," Luntz added. "It's going to be so close in Pennsylvania that it may require a state recount."
Democratic President-elect Joe Biden delivering remarks on Covid-19 at The Queen theater on Oct. 23, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware and U.S. President Donald Trump addressing supporters during a Make America Great Again rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2020. Getty Images
Underlying Luntz's forecast is his assumption that Trump wins Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, as well as North Carolina's 15 electoral votes. The other side of Luntz's assumptions are that Biden wins Arizona's 11 electoral votes and Nevada's 6 electoral votes. NBC News has not made any projections in those races. That then leaves a trio of key bricks in the so-called "blue wall" that Trump won in upset fashion in 2016: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. "The three critical states, and Donald Trump would have to win two of them, at this point, are Pennsylvania, where he has a clear lead, and Michigan and Wisconsin, where it will be much more difficult for him," Luntz said. Luntz believes Biden is in more favorable positions in Wisconsin and Michigan, which have 10 and 16 electoral votes, respectively. NBC News has not made a projection in either Michigan or Wisconsin. "We could have a situation I think the most likely outcome — is that whoever wins, wins with less than 280 electoral votes, which means they're only one state away on either side," Luntz added.
watch now
Earlier Wednesday morning, Trump falsely claimed he had won the presidential election, despite the fact millions of legally cast ballots had yet to be counted at the time of his remarks. Speaking to a room of supporters in the White House, Trump also threatened legal action, saying that "we want all voting to stop." All polls in U.S. states had, in fact, been closed at the time. The Biden campaign pushed back vigorously on Trump's remarks, with campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon calling them "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect." "If the president makes good on his threat to go to court to try to prevent the proper tabulation of votes, we have legal teams standing by ready to deploy to resist that effort. And they will prevail," she added in a written statement. Before Trump spoke, Biden urged patience, saying, "it's not over until every vote is counted."


cnbc--2020-11-06--What's behind Trump's early leads in Michigan and Pennsylvania

US President Donald Trump gestures after speaking during election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington , DC , early on November 4 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON – For nearly a year , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has maintained steady polling leads over President Donald Trump in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan .
But that 's not what Americans will see when they wake up on the Wednesday morning after Election Day .
Instead , they will see data that indicates Trump has an early lead over Biden in both states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president is ahead in Michigan by 1.3 points with 83 % of the votes tallied .
In Pennsylvania , where Biden was raised , Trump 's lead is even bigger : more than 11 points after 75 % of the vote has been counted .
But after a night during which Trump overcame early vote deficits to win solid victories in battleground states like Florida and North Carolina , it would be reasonable to look at Pennsylvania and Michigan and see two more imminent Trump victories .
And lots of people did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both Republicans and Democrats were stunned to see Trump racking up such leads in two states that most political strategists believed Biden would win handily .
So what was actually going on ?
The answer has been dubbed the `` red mirage . ''
Starting early this year , the coronavirus pandemic prompted millions of voters across the country to request mail-in ballots in order to avoid exposure to the virus at the polls .
And while the party breakdown for mail-in ballots started off fairly even , it split off after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting .
By late summer , many of the president 's supporters had become convinced that Trump was right , and mail-in ballots were rife with `` fraud . ''
As Republicans pulled away from mail-in voting , Democrats embraced it .
Left-leaning states were also quicker in some cases to offer mail-in voting to anyone worried about the coronavirus .
The result of the partisan divide over mail-in ballots was that the vast majority of mail-in and absentee ballots cast this year came from Democrats , and most of those were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neared , some states , like Florida and North Carolina , tallied up the mail-in ballots they received ahead of time , and then released that total soon after the polls closed on Election Day , and before they finished counting up the in-person votes .
The effect of tallying up the absentee ballots first is that they tended to show early leads for Biden which disappeared once all the in-person votes ( which tended to favor Trump ) were counted .
This was dubbed the blue mirage .
But Michigan and Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in-person votes are counted first , and only once all the Election Day votes have been tallied do they begin to count the mail-in votes .
And in a year when in-person votes heavily favor the Republican , and mail-in votes favor the Democrat , the effect of Michigan 's and Pennsylvania 's system was to make it look like Trump and his fellow Republicans were in the lead for extended periods of time .
The red mirage is the temporary advantage that Republicans appear to have during the brief window between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its in-person votes , but not yet tallied absentee and mail-in ballots .
As more and more mail-in votes are tallied , Trump 's lead should become smaller and smaller .
In the case of Michigan , Biden already started closing in on Trump on Wednesday morning , after a big vote count dump from Wayne County , which includes Detroit .
In Pennsylvania , Trump led by 600,000 votes on Wednesday morning , a seemingly enormous margin .
But there were still 1.8 million absentee and mail-in votes to be counted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes by the same hypothetical 3-1 margin , he might pick up as many as 1.4 million additional votes .
Trump 's original advantage of 600,000 , even with an additional 400,000 vote boost , could still amount to only 1 million total votes , falling short of Biden 's 1.4 million .
But there 's an important caveat to all this .
Until the outstanding ballots are counted , it 's impossible to know exactly how many will go to Biden and how many will go to Trump .
Election officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts could take several days .
Until then , the presidential election hangs in the balance .
Correction : Election officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania warned late Tuesday that full counts could take several days .
An earlier version misstated the day .

US President Donald Trump gestures after speaking during election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, early on November 4, 2020.
WASHINGTON – For nearly a year, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has maintained steady polling leads over President Donald Trump in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
But that's not what Americans will see when they wake up on the Wednesday morning after Election Day.
Instead, they will see data that indicates Trump has an early lead over Biden in both states.
As of about 7 a.m. Wednesday, the president is ahead in Michigan by 1.3 points with 83% of the votes tallied. In Pennsylvania, where Biden was raised, Trump's lead is even bigger: more than 11 points after 75% of the vote has been counted.
But after a night during which Trump overcame early vote deficits to win solid victories in battleground states like Florida and North Carolina, it would be reasonable to look at Pennsylvania and Michigan and see two more imminent Trump victories. And lots of people did.
As Tuesday night dragged into Wednesday, both Republicans and Democrats were stunned to see Trump racking up such leads in two states that most political strategists believed Biden would win handily.
So what was actually going on? The answer has been dubbed the "red mirage."
Starting early this year, the coronavirus pandemic prompted millions of voters across the country to request mail-in ballots in order to avoid exposure to the virus at the polls. And while the party breakdown for mail-in ballots started off fairly even, it split off after Trump launched a monthslong crusade to discredit mail-in voting.
By late summer, many of the president's supporters had become convinced that Trump was right, and mail-in ballots were rife with "fraud." As Republicans pulled away from mail-in voting, Democrats embraced it. Left-leaning states were also quicker in some cases to offer mail-in voting to anyone worried about the coronavirus.
The result of the partisan divide over mail-in ballots was that the vast majority of mail-in and absentee ballots cast this year came from Democrats, and most of those were votes for Biden.
As Election Day neared, some states, like Florida and North Carolina, tallied up the mail-in ballots they received ahead of time, and then released that total soon after the polls closed on Election Day, and before they finished counting up the in-person votes.
The effect of tallying up the absentee ballots first is that they tended to show early leads for Biden which disappeared once all the in-person votes (which tended to favor Trump) were counted. This was dubbed the blue mirage.
But Michigan and Pennsylvania do it the opposite way. There, in-person votes are counted first, and only once all the Election Day votes have been tallied do they begin to count the mail-in votes.
And in a year when in-person votes heavily favor the Republican, and mail-in votes favor the Democrat, the effect of Michigan's and Pennsylvania's system was to make it look like Trump and his fellow Republicans were in the lead for extended periods of time.
The red mirage is the temporary advantage that Republicans appear to have during the brief window between when a state has counted all of its in-person votes, but not yet tallied absentee and mail-in ballots.
As more and more mail-in votes are tallied, Trump's lead should become smaller and smaller.
In the case of Michigan, Biden already started closing in on Trump on Wednesday morning, after a big vote count dump from Wayne County, which includes Detroit.
In Pennsylvania, Trump led by 600,000 votes on Wednesday morning, a seemingly enormous margin.
But there were still 1.8 million absentee and mail-in votes to be counted. So if Biden were to win these votes by the same hypothetical 3-1 margin, he might pick up as many as 1.4 million additional votes.
Trump's original advantage of 600,000, even with an additional 400,000 vote boost, could still amount to only 1 million total votes, falling short of Biden's 1.4 million.
But there's an important caveat to all this. Until the outstanding ballots are counted, it's impossible to know exactly how many will go to Biden and how many will go to Trump. Election officials in both states warned late Tuesday that full counts could take several days.
Until then, the presidential election hangs in the balance.
Correction: Election officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania warned late Tuesday that full counts could take several days. An earlier version misstated the day.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Florida votes to raise state's minimum wage to $15 an hour

Vote signs outside Palm Beach County Public Library polling station during the 2020 presidential election in Palm Beach , Florida @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
Florida voted Tuesday to gradually hike the state 's minimum wage to @ @ @ @ @ joining a growing list of states and municipalities in taking the step .
The 2020 @ @ @ @ @ 60 % support needed to pass , according to The Associated Press .
Florida becomes @ @ @ @ @ a $ 15-an-hour minimum wage , and the second-most populous to do so .
The @ @ @ @ @ 's current $ 8.56-an-hour pay floor to $ 10 next year .
For every year @ @ @ @ @ wage would rise by $ 1 an hour until it hits $ 15 in 2026 @

Vote signs outside Palm Beach County Public Library polling station during the 2020 presidential election in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 3, 2020.
Florida voted Tuesday to gradually hike the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour, joining a growing list of states and municipalities in taking the step.
The 2020 election ballot initiative garnered the 60% support needed to pass, according to The Associated Press. Florida becomes the eighth state to approve a $15-an-hour minimum wage, and the second-most populous to do so.
The measure would increase the state's current $8.56-an-hour pay floor to $10 next year. For every year after that, the minimum wage would rise by $1 an hour until it hits $15 in 2026.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Trump tries to claim victory even as ballots are being counted in several states — NBC has not made

Trump tries to claim victory even as ballots are being counted in several states — NBC has not made a call

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump falsely claimed early Wednesday that he had won the presidential election , even though millions of legitimate votes had yet to be counted and a half-dozen battleground states were still not called .
`` A very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise [ people who voted for me ] and we wo n't stand for this , '' Trump told supporters in the White House shortly before 2:30 a.m. More than an hour earlier , Democrat Joe Biden told supporters he 's confident about winning the presidential election and urged Americans to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump said : `` We were getting ready for a big celebration .
We were winning everything , and all of a sudden it was just called off . ''
`` We 'll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court , we want all voting to stop , '' Trump continued more than an hour after the final U.S. polls closed in Alaska .
`` We do n't want them to find any ballots at 4 o'clock in the morning and add them to the list . ''
It was unclear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court , '' given that the nation 's highest court is rarely the first judicial venue for a case , but rather , it reviews lower court rulings .
The White House referred CNBC to the Trump campaign when asked about Trump 's suggestion that he would involve the Supreme Court in the election .
The campaign did n't immediately respond to the query .
`` This is a fraud on the American public .
This is an embarrassment to our country .
We were getting ready to win this election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump falsely claimed .
`` It 's a very sad moment to me , a very sad moment , and we are going to win this , '' he said .
`` As far as I 'm concerned , we already have won this , so I want to thank all of our supporters and I want to thank everybody that worked with us . ''
Trump 's election night claim of victory was not a spontaneous response to favorable results in key states , however , as he would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been months in the making .
As Trump has trailed Biden in polls , he has sought to undermine faith in the multiday process of vote tallying , and to lay the groundwork for insisting that the only valid election results were those tallied on election night .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump falsely claimed early Wednesday that he had won the presidential election, even though millions of legitimate votes had yet to be counted and a half-dozen battleground states were still not called.
"A very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise [people who voted for me] and we won't stand for this," Trump told supporters in the White House shortly before 2:30 a.m.
More than an hour earlier, Democrat Joe Biden told supporters he's confident about winning the presidential election and urged Americans to be patient.
In his East Wing comments, Trump said: "We were getting ready for a big celebration. We were winning everything, and all of a sudden it was just called off."
"We'll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court, we want all voting to stop," Trump continued more than an hour after the final U.S. polls closed in Alaska. "We don't want them to find any ballots at 4 o'clock in the morning and add them to the list."
It was unclear what Trump meant by "going to the Supreme Court," given that the nation's highest court is rarely the first judicial venue for a case, but rather, it reviews lower court rulings.
The White House referred CNBC to the Trump campaign when asked about Trump's suggestion that he would involve the Supreme Court in the election. The campaign didn't immediately respond to the query.
"This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election," Trump falsely claimed.
"It's a very sad moment to me, a very sad moment, and we are going to win this," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, we already have won this, so I want to thank all of our supporters and I want to thank everybody that worked with us."
Trump's election night claim of victory was not a spontaneous response to favorable results in key states, however, as he would have people believe.
Instead, it has been months in the making. As Trump has trailed Biden in polls, he has sought to undermine faith in the multiday process of vote tallying, and to lay the groundwork for insisting that the only valid election results were those tallied on election night.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Joe Biden projected to flip electoral vote in Nebraska's 2nd District

In this photo illustration the US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the final presidential debate displayed on a screen of a smartphone .
Joe Biden will win the presidential race in Nebraska 's 2nd Congressional District , NBC News projects , flipping blue one electoral vote that President Donald Trump won in 2016 .
Nebraska and Maine are the only states that do n't play by winner-take-all rules under the Electoral College .
Instead , both have laws that distribute their electoral votes in part by the statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gets more votes in each of the state 's congressional districts .
Nebraska has five electoral votes — four of which were projected by NBC to go to Trump .
But polls of the 2nd District , which covers the city of Omaha and swaths of suburban voters who tend to lean more toward Biden , appeared to favor the Democratic nominee .
In 2016 , Trump won all five of Nebraska 's votes over Hillary Clinton .
In 2020 , however , the Omaha-area district appeared less secure , and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of the campaign to hold a rally .

In this photo illustration the US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the final presidential debate displayed on a screen of a smartphone.
Joe Biden will win the presidential race in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, NBC News projects, flipping blue one electoral vote that President Donald Trump won in 2016.
Nebraska and Maine are the only states that don't play by winner-take-all rules under the Electoral College. Instead, both have laws that distribute their electoral votes in part by the statewide popular vote winner and in part by who gets more votes in each of the state's congressional districts.
Nebraska has five electoral votes — four of which were projected by NBC to go to Trump. But polls of the 2nd District, which covers the city of Omaha and swaths of suburban voters who tend to lean more toward Biden, appeared to favor the Democratic nominee.
In 2016, Trump won all five of Nebraska's votes over Hillary Clinton. In 2020, however, the Omaha-area district appeared less secure, and Trump traveled to the city during the final week of the campaign to hold a rally.
— Kevin Breuninger


cnbc--2020-11-06--Republican Sen. Steve Daines projected to win Montana Senate race

Sen. Steve Daines , R- Mont.
, speaks to a crowd of supporters at a Republican campaign rally in Belgrade , Mont .
He is expected to defeat Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock .
The projected win ensures Republicans will hold at least 47 Senate seats in the next Congress , boosting the party 's hopes of holding its majority after the 2020 election .
States with still undecided Senate races include Arizona , North Carolina and Maine .
First-term Republican Daines faced an unexpectedly competitive challenge from two-term Democratic Gov .
Bullock .
The governor , who ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before dropping out and shifting to Montana 's Senate seat .
Montana 's competition became one of the most expensive Senate races of the election season .
Bullock 's campaign spent more than $ 38.6 million while Daine 's campaign spent about $ 26.1 million .
Polling averages suggested a neck-and-neck race between Daines and Bullock .
Daines won his 2014 Senate race with 58 % of the vote .
Bullock won his 2012 and 2016 gubernatorial races by 2 and 4 percentage points , respectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the state by 20 percentage points .
Montana has n't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 , but ticket splitting is not a rare occurrence in the state .

Sen. Steve Daines, R- Mont., speaks to a crowd of supporters at a Republican campaign rally in Belgrade, Mont.
Republican Sen. Steve Daines is projected to win Montana's Senate race, NBC News projected early Wednesday.
He is expected to defeat Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. The projected win ensures Republicans will hold at least 47 Senate seats in the next Congress, boosting the party's hopes of holding its majority after the 2020 election.
States with still undecided Senate races include Arizona, North Carolina and Maine.
First-term Republican Daines faced an unexpectedly competitive challenge from two-term Democratic Gov. Bullock. The governor, who can't run for reelection, first made a bid in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before dropping out and shifting to Montana's Senate seat.
Montana's competition became one of the most expensive Senate races of the election season. Bullock's campaign spent more than $38.6 million while Daine's campaign spent about $26.1 million.
Polling averages suggested a neck-and-neck race between Daines and Bullock. Daines won his 2014 Senate race with 58% of the vote. Bullock won his 2012 and 2016 gubernatorial races by 2 and 4 percentage points, respectively. In 2016, President Donald Trump won the state by 20 percentage points.
Montana hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, but ticket splitting is not a rare occurrence in the state.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Twitter and Facebook flag Trump message claiming opponents are trying to steal the election

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House after returning from hospitalization at the Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) treatment , in Washington , October 5 , 2020 , in this still image from video posted on Trump 's Twitter page .
Twitter has appended a warning over a tweet of President Donald Trump 's claiming that the opposition is trying to steal the election .
`` We are up BIG , but they are trying to STEAL the Election .
We will never let them do it .
Votes can not be cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's tweet reads .
Twitter attached a label over the tweet , reading `` Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process . ''
It offered a link to `` learn more '' about its civic integrity policy .
President Trump also posted a tweet saying `` I will be making a statement tonight .
A big WIN ! ''
which did not have a warning appended as of press time .
NBC News has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Twitter spokeswoman , asked whether this was within its policies around declaring premature victory , said `` It 's unclear what is being referenced by a big WIN ! ''
Facebook stopped short of blocking the messages , but added warning labels to both .
For Trump 's post claiming the opposition was trying to steal the election , Facebook added a message saying `` Final results may be different from initial vote counts , as ballot counting will continue for days or weeks . ''
For the other Trump post claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Votes are being counted .
The winner of the 2020 US Presidential Election has not been projected . ''
This is in line with what the company pledged to do in September .

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House after returning from hospitalization at the Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment, in Washington, October 5, 2020, in this still image from video posted on Trump's Twitter page.
Twitter has appended a warning over a tweet of President Donald Trump's claiming that the opposition is trying to steal the election.
"We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!" the president's tweet reads.
Twitter attached a label over the tweet, reading "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process." It offered a link to "learn more" about its civic integrity policy.
President Trump also posted a tweet saying "I will be making a statement tonight. A big WIN!" which did not have a warning appended as of press time.
NBC News has not yet projected the presidential election results. A Twitter spokeswoman, asked whether this was within its policies around declaring premature victory, said "It's unclear what is being referenced by a big WIN!"
Facebook stopped short of blocking the messages, but added warning labels to both.
For Trump's post claiming the opposition was trying to steal the election, Facebook added a message saying "Final results may be different from initial vote counts, as ballot counting will continue for days or weeks."
For the other Trump post claiming a big win, the label said "Votes are being counted. The winner of the 2020 US Presidential Election has not been projected."
This is in line with what the company pledged to do in September.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Joe Biden is projected to win Minnesota

Joe Biden is projected to win Minnesota

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with union carpenters in front of a Minnesota state @ @ @ @ @ the Jerry Alander Carpenter Training Center before a campaign event in Hermantown , a suburb @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , September 18 , 2020 .
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is projected to win @ @ @ @ @ votes , according to NBC News .
Polling averages had indicated Biden held a lead @ @ @ @ @ state has chosen Democratic presidential candidates for the last 11 elections .
However , Trump @ @ @ @ @ Clinton by 1.5 % in 2016 .
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is also projected to @ @ @ @ @ facing a challenge from Republican Jason Lewis .
WATCH : Here 's how the electoral @ @ @ @ @ EST

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with union carpenters in front of a Minnesota state flag during a tour of the Jerry Alander Carpenter Training Center before a campaign event in Hermantown, a suburb of Duluth, Minnesota, U.S., September 18, 2020.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is projected to win Minnesota's 10 Electoral College votes, according to NBC News.
Polling averages had indicated Biden held a lead in the state.
The state has chosen Democratic presidential candidates for the last 11 elections. However, Trump only trailed Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton by 1.5% in 2016.
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is also projected to hold onto her seat after facing a challenge from Republican Jason Lewis.
WATCH: Here's how the electoral college looks as of 2am EST


cnbc--2020-11-07--These states could go to a recount in the 2020 election, and here's how it will work

While election results from key swing states are still trickling in , Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Friday appeared to be inching closer to victory in the 2020 presidential race .
But President Donald Trump 's campaign has already vowed to seek a recount in at least one battleground state , and more states could launch recounts if the races are competitive enough .
The Trump campaign has called for a recount in Wisconsin , where NBC News has Biden projected to win , and election officials in Georgia , where Biden has a narrow lead , have said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could also be filed in other states , such as Arizona , where Biden currently holds a slim lead , and possibly even Pennsylvania , a must-win battleground for Trump .
With races still too close to call in a handful of states , the former vice president holds 253 electoral votes , NBC News ' projections show .
He needs just 17 more votes to win the election and has multiple paths available to reach that threshold .
Trump , on the other hand , trails Biden with 214 votes and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining states to win , according to NBC .
Recounts can only be initiated under certain circumstances , and the rules vary from state to state .
Regardless of how they 're conducted , recounts rarely change the outcome of a race : Only three statewide general elections have been reversed after a recount since 2000 , according to a report from FairVote that looked at 5,778 such races .
`` Statewide recounts almost never overturn more than a few hundred votes , '' said Ken Kollman , professor of political science at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do occur , `` I 'm very skeptical '' that they will change any results , Kollman said .
By their nature , recounts can also be fraught with controversy — especially when one campaign is launching allegations of voter fraud and filing lawsuits that could affect the counting process .
Trump and his campaign surrogates have claimed , without providing evidence , that various forms of electoral fraud have been committed in numerous states .
The campaign has filed lawsuits to temporarily halt vote-counting in multiple states , including Pennsylvania and Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissed .
`` I ca n't think of any situation where a major presidential candidate has behaved in this way , '' Kollman said .
`` It 's a dangerous strategy and a damaging strategy for our civic culture . ''
Here are the rules for recounts in the most competitive states of the presidential election : Biden overtook Trump 's lead in the Peach State early Friday morning and currently holds a slight edge of fewer than 1,600 ballots , with 99 % of the expected vote already counted , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raffensperger , a Republican , said Friday that `` with a margin that small , there will be a recount in Georgia . ''
While a razor-thin race in Georgia can not trigger an automatic recount , the losing candidate is allowed to request a recount if they lost an election by less than 0.5 % of the total votes .
That request can only be made to the secretary of state within two business days after the election results are certified , which must be done by Nov. 20 .
The secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ballots if he or she believes that errors have been made .
Biden was projected on Wednesday to win Wisconsin 's 10 electoral votes , according to NBC .
On Friday , with 99 % of Wisconsin 's expected vote in , Biden led Trump by more than 20,000 votes .
Nevertheless , Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said that the president plans to request a formal recount .
`` The President is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will immediately do so , '' Stepien said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made its call for Biden .
Under Wisconsin law , an `` aggrieved '' candidate can request a recount if they received within 1 % of the winner 's vote total .
The loser can file a petition for a recount no later than 5 p.m. on the first business day after the state election commission has received final results from all counties .
Those counties have until Nov. 17 to hand in their final tallies .
The Trump campaign would also have to pay the state for the cost of conducting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars .
Pennsylvania 's secretary of state , Democrat Kathy Boockvar , must order a recount if there 's a difference of 0.5 % or less between the winner and the loser .
A recount can also be triggered if at least three voters in each county allege errors or discrepancies in the count .
The Trump campaign , including the president , has zeroed in on the Keystone State , filing multiple lawsuits related to the ballot-counting process and issuing sweeping allegations of fraud without providing evidence .
Pennsylvania has 20 electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ahead of Trump by more than 14,000 votes , with additional batches expected to favor him as they come in .
If Biden wins Pennsylvania , he wins the presidency .

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Election workers count ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC), in Phoenix, Arizona, November 6, 2020. Jim Urquhart | Reuters
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Requests for recounts could also be filed in other states, such as Arizona, where Biden currently holds a slim lead, and possibly even Pennsylvania, a must-win battleground for Trump. With races still too close to call in a handful of states, the former vice president holds 253 electoral votes, NBC News' projections show. He needs just 17 more votes to win the election and has multiple paths available to reach that threshold. Trump, on the other hand, trails Biden with 214 votes and would need to pick up most of the remaining states to win, according to NBC.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
Recounts can only be initiated under certain circumstances, and the rules vary from state to state. Regardless of how they're conducted, recounts rarely change the outcome of a race: Only three statewide general elections have been reversed after a recount since 2000, according to a report from FairVote that looked at 5,778 such races. "Statewide recounts almost never overturn more than a few hundred votes," said Ken Kollman, professor of political science at the University of Michigan. If recounts do occur, "I'm very skeptical" that they will change any results, Kollman said. By their nature, recounts can also be fraught with controversy — especially when one campaign is launching allegations of voter fraud and filing lawsuits that could affect the counting process. Trump and his campaign surrogates have claimed, without providing evidence, that various forms of electoral fraud have been committed in numerous states. The campaign has filed lawsuits to temporarily halt vote-counting in multiple states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan. Some of them have already been dismissed. "I can't think of any situation where a major presidential candidate has behaved in this way," Kollman said. "It's a dangerous strategy and a damaging strategy for our civic culture." Here are the rules for recounts in the most competitive states of the presidential election:
Georgia
Biden overtook Trump's lead in the Peach State early Friday morning and currently holds a slight edge of fewer than 1,600 ballots, with 99% of the expected vote already counted, according to NBC. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said Friday that "with a margin that small, there will be a recount in Georgia." While a razor-thin race in Georgia cannot trigger an automatic recount, the losing candidate is allowed to request a recount if they lost an election by less than 0.5% of the total votes. That request can only be made to the secretary of state within two business days after the election results are certified, which must be done by Nov. 20. The secretary of state can also order a recount of ballots if he or she believes that errors have been made.
Wisconsin
Biden was projected on Wednesday to win Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes, according to NBC. On Friday, with 99% of Wisconsin's expected vote in, Biden led Trump by more than 20,000 votes. Nevertheless, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said that the president plans to request a formal recount. "The President is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will immediately do so," Stepien said in a statement Wednesday, before NBC had made its call for Biden. Under Wisconsin law, an "aggrieved" candidate can request a recount if they received within 1% of the winner's vote total. The loser can file a petition for a recount no later than 5 p.m. on the first business day after the state election commission has received final results from all counties. Those counties have until Nov. 17 to hand in their final tallies. The Trump campaign would also have to pay the state for the cost of conducting the recount. It could total millions of dollars.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's secretary of state, Democrat Kathy Boockvar, must order a recount if there's a difference of 0.5% or less between the winner and the loser. A recount can also be triggered if at least three voters in each county allege errors or discrepancies in the count. The Trump campaign, including the president, has zeroed in on the Keystone State, filing multiple lawsuits related to the ballot-counting process and issuing sweeping allegations of fraud without providing evidence. Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes. On Friday afternoon, Biden was ahead of Trump by more than 14,000 votes, with additional batches expected to favor him as they come in. If Biden wins Pennsylvania, he wins the presidency.
Arizona


cnbc--2020-11-07--Republicans solidify grip on state legislatures, which is likely to lead to redistricting and gerrym

Republicans solidify grip on state legislatures, which is likely to lead to redistricting and gerrymandering efforts in 2021

Republicans were able to fend off challenges from Democrats trying to flip control of state legislatures in key states .
That means that in 2021 , Republicans will control a majority of redistricting efforts across the country .
Democrats have been unable to flip even a single state legislative chamber as of Friday afternoon , but they remain hopeful that one or both of Arizona 's legislative chambers will flip .
Vote counts are still underway in the Grand Canyon state .
Meanwhile , Republicans gained two new state trifectas in New Hampshire and Montana , after the GOP ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Senate and flipped the Montana governorship .
A state trifecta is when a single party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governorship .
`` Democrats wasted more than a half of a billion dollars on a pathetic attempt to flip even a single state legislative chamber , '' said RSLC deputy executive director David Abrams to CNBC in an email .
`` We had better candidates , better messages , and better data – and saved the country from a decade of socialist majorities in Congress .
We feel pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 states and Republicans targeted 12 states , including Florida , Texas and North Carolina .
A lot of money was involved in those races .
State legislative candidates raised over $ 900 million dollars in 2020 alone .
The Republican State Leadership Committee ( RSLC ) said it raised $ 23 million in the third quarter of 2020 , while the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee ( DLCC ) announced it had raised over $ 50 million dollars for the cycle for their efforts .
Democrats did not concede defeat .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spend record amounts defending their own maps — and they merely maintained their status quo , '' said national press secretary for the DLCC , Christina Polizzi , in an email .
`` Our wins over the last five years have already changed redistricting outcomes .
We flipped chambers in Colorado , Connecticut , Maine , Minnesota , New York , Oregon , and Virginia .
We broke the supermajorities in Georgia , Michigan , North Carolina , and Pennsylvania .
We flipped governorships in Kansas , Louisiana , Maine , Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Wisconsin and protected legislative veto powers in Louisiana and Wisconsin . ''
The total population results of the decennial Census determines how many Congressional seats each state will have .
States lose and gain seats after every Census and there will be litigation on the Census before we see redistricting court battles like we saw in 2019 .
`` Redistricting always has litigation , period , '' said Wendy Underhill , director of elections and redistricting for the National Conference of State Legislatures .
`` There 's always something to argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it than others .
But there 's always something ...
I think that some stuff around the census will have to be sort of settled before we 'll see what kinds of cases are related to the redistricting that follows .
But right now , all eyes are on the Census . ''
After the 2010 Census and reapportionment process , 32 states kept the same number of U.S. House seats , while 8 states gained seats , 10 states lost seats .
In 2010 , Republicans made huge gains in state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One study showed that about 16-17 Republican congressional seats won in the 2016 election are attributed to the way the electoral maps were drawn .
State legislatures control redistricting for congressional districts in 31 states and state legislative districts in 30 , according to NYU 's Brennan Center for Justice .
Watch the video to see how redistricting and Gerrymandering works .

Republicans were able to fend off challenges from Democrats trying to flip control of state legislatures in key states. That means that in 2021, Republicans will control a majority of redistricting efforts across the country.
Democrats have been unable to flip even a single state legislative chamber as of Friday afternoon, but they remain hopeful that one or both of Arizona's legislative chambers will flip. Vote counts are still underway in the Grand Canyon state.
Meanwhile, Republicans gained two new state trifectas in New Hampshire and Montana, after the GOP ran up majorities in the New Hampshire House and Senate and flipped the Montana governorship. A state trifecta is when a single party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governorship.
"Democrats wasted more than a half of a billion dollars on a pathetic attempt to flip even a single state legislative chamber," said RSLC deputy executive director David Abrams to CNBC in an email. "We had better candidates, better messages, and better data – and saved the country from a decade of socialist majorities in Congress. We feel pretty good about that."
Democrats targeted 13 states and Republicans targeted 12 states, including Florida, Texas and North Carolina. A lot of money was involved in those races. State legislative candidates raised over $900 million dollars in 2020 alone.
The Republican State Leadership Committee(RSLC) said it raised $23 million in the third quarter of 2020, while the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee(DLCC) announced it had raised over $50 million dollars for the cycle for their efforts.
Democrats did not concede defeat. "We forced the Republicans to play defense and spend record amounts defending their own maps — and they merely maintained their status quo," said national press secretary for the DLCC, Christina Polizzi, in an email.
"Our wins over the last five years have already changed redistricting outcomes. We flipped chambers in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Virginia. We broke the supermajorities in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. We flipped governorships in Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wisconsin and protected legislative veto powers in Louisiana and Wisconsin."
The total population results of the decennial Census determines how many Congressional seats each state will have. States lose and gain seats after every Census and there will be litigation on the Census before we see redistricting court battles like we saw in 2019.
"Redistricting always has litigation, period," said Wendy Underhill, director of elections and redistricting for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "There's always something to argue about. And some states have more of it than others. But there's always something... I think that some stuff around the census will have to be sort of settled before we'll see what kinds of cases are related to the redistricting that follows. But right now, all eyes are on the Census."
After the 2010 Census and reapportionment process, 32 states kept the same number of U.S. House seats, while 8 states gained seats, 10 states lost seats.
In 2010, Republicans made huge gains in state legislatures and consequently redrew the maps. One study showed that about 16-17 Republican congressional seats won in the 2016 election are attributed to the way the electoral maps were drawn.
State legislatures control redistricting for congressional districts in 31 states and state legislative districts in 30, according to NYU's Brennan Center for Justice.
Watch the video to see how redistricting and Gerrymandering works.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Joe Biden's transition team is on track to raise more money than its $7 million goal

Joe Biden 's transition team will have several million dollars to work with as it puts together the foundation of a potential Biden administration , including Cabinet members .
NBC News has not made a call in the presidential race .
Biden 's transition team , according to people briefed on the matter , is on track to far exceed its original fundraising goal of at least $ 7 million .
These people declined to be named in order to speak freely .
News of the financial haul comes as President Donald Trump continues to fight to win the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory .
The transition team is responsible for helping choose and confirm the president-elect 's nominees to leadership positions within the government , such as the secretary of Treasury and the attorney general .
The money raised for the transition fund often goes to salaries and other needs .
Some of the Biden transition fundraising has been done by Penny Pritzker , a former Commerce secretary under President Barack Obama and a Biden supporter , according to these people .
She has a net worth of over $ 2 billion , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealthy Pritzker family that also includes Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
Penny Pritzker is also listed as one of Biden 's top bundlers who helped raise over $ 100,000 for the campaign .
The transition team has been raising money since late summer .
Others helping raise money include lobbyists , media and public relations executives , and Wall Street financiers , these people added .
The Biden campaign itself has not taken money from lobbyists since the former vice president jumped into the race last year .
However , those from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some of the campaign 's business advisors to prepare for a possible Biden presidency .
The successful fundraising has allowed the team to hire a legislative affairs group , which will help guide any Biden nominee through the Senate , one of the people explained .
They have separately been holding calls with their allies about how the nomination process might go , depending on who controls the Senate .
They also have picked up a string of legal consultants that could advise Biden 's nominees .
If Biden wins , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on the markets and the business community at large .
That 's especially true for his selections to lead Treasury and the National Economic Council .
A GOP-controlled Senate could be a possible hurdle for Biden 's nominees .
It could dissuade Biden 's team from vetting and selecting progressive leaders for key roles .
Republicans currently have a 53-47 edge in the Senate .
After Election Day , Democrats and the GOP are projected to hold at least 48 seats each in the next Congress .
Four races remain undecided , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina and one in Alaska .
Though it seems unlikely , progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren does n't appear to necessarily be totally out of contention to be chosen for Treasury .
Biden `` likes her , '' a person close to the former vice president said when asked whether Warren was still being considered to possibly lead Treasury .
This person , though , added that people around Biden are keeping an eye on the remaining Senate races , including at least one in Georgia projected to be heading to a runoff @

Joe Biden's transition team will have several million dollars to work with as it puts together the foundation of a potential Biden administration, including Cabinet members.
NBC News has not made a call in the presidential race.
Biden's transition team, according to people briefed on the matter, is on track to far exceed its original fundraising goal of at least $7 million. These people declined to be named in order to speak freely.
News of the financial haul comes as President Donald Trump continues to fight to win the election, although Biden has more paths to victory.
The transition team is responsible for helping choose and confirm the president-elect's nominees to leadership positions within the government, such as the secretary of Treasury and the attorney general. The money raised for the transition fund often goes to salaries and other needs.
Some of the Biden transition fundraising has been done by Penny Pritzker, a former Commerce secretary under President Barack Obama and a Biden supporter, according to these people. She has a net worth of over $2 billion, according to Forbes, and is part of the wealthy Pritzker family that also includes Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Penny Pritzker is also listed as one of Biden's top bundlers who helped raise over $100,000 for the campaign. The transition team has been raising money since late summer.
Others helping raise money include lobbyists, media and public relations executives, and Wall Street financiers, these people added.
The Biden campaign itself has not taken money from lobbyists since the former vice president jumped into the race last year. However, those from the influence industry have been in touch with some of the campaign's business advisors to prepare for a possible Biden presidency.
The successful fundraising has allowed the team to hire a legislative affairs group, which will help guide any Biden nominee through the Senate, one of the people explained. They have separately been holding calls with their allies about how the nomination process might go, depending on who controls the Senate.
They also have picked up a string of legal consultants that could advise Biden's nominees.
A Biden transition spokesman declined to comment.
If Biden wins, his picks for certain posts could have an impact on the markets and the business community at large. That's especially true for his selections to lead Treasury and the National Economic Council.
A GOP-controlled Senate could be a possible hurdle for Biden's nominees. It could dissuade Biden's team from vetting and selecting progressive leaders for key roles. Republicans currently have a 53-47 edge in the Senate. After Election Day, Democrats and the GOP are projected to hold at least 48 seats each in the next Congress. Four races remain undecided, including two in Georgia, one in North Carolina and one in Alaska.
Though it seems unlikely, progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren doesn't appear to necessarily be totally out of contention to be chosen for Treasury.
Biden "likes her," a person close to the former vice president said when asked whether Warren was still being considered to possibly lead Treasury.
This person, though, added that people around Biden are keeping an eye on the remaining Senate races, including at least one in Georgia projected to be heading to a runoff.


cnbc--2020-11-06--Trump efforts to challenge election results 'are a gift to America's adversaries,' foreign policy ex

Trump efforts to challenge election results 'are a gift to America's adversaries,' foreign policy experts say

WASHINGTON — Foreign policy experts say President Donald Trump 's attacks on the vote-counting process in the wake of Election Day give a boost to American adversaries .
On Friday , Democratic nominee Joe Biden inched closer to a White House victory after taking the lead over Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia .
As his reelection chances diminish , Trump spoke Thursday evening from the White House briefing room , falsely claiming the election was being `` stolen '' from him .
Trump said his campaign was in the midst of pursuing a series of lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to rig an election , and we ca n't let that happen , '' added Trump .
`` President Trump 's wild and baseless claims are a gift to America 's adversaries , who will argue the U.S. is n't a model for others to emulate or a reliable ally , '' Kori Schake , director of foreign and defense policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute , told CNBC .
`` It encourages our adversaries to challenge our security guarantees and makes the domestic politics of our friends fighting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schake , a career civil servant with a bipartisan background and stints at the departments of Defense and State and the National Security Council at the White House .
Benjamin Friedman , policy director at Defense Priorities , told CNBC that Trump 's calls via Twitter to `` quit counting votes to keep power damage the U.S. 's ability to serve as an exemplar of democracy to others globally . ''
`` Allies and adversaries paying attention already knew U.S. elections were messy and President Trump was capable of illiberal statements .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies some heartburn , effects should be small , '' Friedman added .
`` Our adversaries benefit from a weakening of American democracy , and surely cheer Donald Trump 's effort to undermine its central institution : free and fair elections , '' explained Stephen Biddle , professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University .
Biddle added that rivals such as Russia , China , Iran and North Korea have an interest in `` delegitimizing democracy and countering the notion that democracy is a higher form of government . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. election thus offers them an opportunity to diminish enthusiasm in their own populations for U.S.-style government and democracy and to diminish the threat that this system poses to them .
And this gives them an incentive to amplify Trump 's claims – the more chaos here , the better for them there , '' Biddle told CNBC .
`` Our allies want benign U.S. leadership , and surely see Trump 's willingness to create chaos at home where he thinks this will benefit him as a weakening of America 's ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biddle said .
Biddle added that allies , however , recognize the U.S. as largely a force for good on the global stage .
Biden on Thursday urged patience as outstanding votes in Nevada , Pennsylvania , Georgia , Alaska , Arizona and North Carolina were tallied .
The Democratic nominee wrote on Twitter : `` No one is going to take our democracy away from us .
Not now , not ever . ''

Storm clouds are seen above the White House as the edges of Hurricane Delta reach Washington, DC on October 10, 2020. Samuel Corum | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Foreign policy experts say President Donald Trump's attacks on the vote-counting process in the wake of Election Day give a boost to American adversaries. On Friday, Democratic nominee Joe Biden inched closer to a White House victory after taking the lead over Trump in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Georgia. As his reelection chances diminish, Trump spoke Thursday evening from the White House briefing room, falsely claiming the election was being "stolen" from him. Trump said his campaign was in the midst of pursuing a series of lawsuits across battleground states. "They're trying to rig an election, and we can't let that happen," added Trump.
Our adversaries benefit from a weakening of American democracy, and surely cheer Donald Trump's effort to undermine its central institution: free and fair elections. Stephen Biddle professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University
"President Trump's wild and baseless claims are a gift to America's adversaries, who will argue the U.S. isn't a model for others to emulate or a reliable ally," Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, told CNBC. "It encourages our adversaries to challenge our security guarantees and makes the domestic politics of our friends fighting by our side more difficult," added Schake, a career civil servant with a bipartisan background and stints at the departments of Defense and State and the National Security Council at the White House. Benjamin Friedman, policy director at Defense Priorities, told CNBC that Trump's calls via Twitter to "quit counting votes to keep power damage the U.S.'s ability to serve as an exemplar of democracy to others globally." "Allies and adversaries paying attention already knew U.S. elections were messy and President Trump was capable of illiberal statements. So beyond giving adversaries something to mock and allies some heartburn, effects should be small," Friedman added.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks following the ceremonial swearing-in of James Mattis as secretary of defense on January 27, 2017, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
"Our adversaries benefit from a weakening of American democracy, and surely cheer Donald Trump's effort to undermine its central institution: free and fair elections," explained Stephen Biddle, professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University. Biddle added that rivals such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have an interest in "delegitimizing democracy and countering the notion that democracy is a higher form of government." "Pointing to an allegedly chaotic, fraud-ridden U.S. election thus offers them an opportunity to diminish enthusiasm in their own populations for U.S.-style government and democracy and to diminish the threat that this system poses to them. And this gives them an incentive to amplify Trump's claims – the more chaos here, the better for them there," Biddle told CNBC.
The presidential election is the crown jewel of American democracy. This should be a moment for us to shine, and the president is taking us down a very dark path. Jeremy Bash Former chief of staff at the CIA and Department of Defense in the Obama administration
"Our allies want benign U.S. leadership, and surely see Trump's willingness to create chaos at home where he thinks this will benefit him as a weakening of America's ability to play a leadership role anywhere," Biddle said. Biddle added that allies, however, recognize the U.S. as largely a force for good on the global stage. Biden on Thursday urged patience as outstanding votes in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alaska, Arizona and North Carolina were tallied. The Democratic nominee wrote on Twitter: "No one is going to take our democracy away from us. Not now, not ever."
An US Flag sign reading "Vote" is seen at a poll on early Tuesday as voters arrive to cast their votes in the midterm elections in Fairfax, Virginia, United States on November 06, 2018. Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Jeremy Bash, former chief of staff at the CIA and Department of Defense in the Obama administration, told MSNBC's Craig Melvin that Trump's claims of a fraudulent election transmit "chaos and weakness" to allies and adversaries abroad. "I think unfortunately it emboldens our adversaries because they look here and they think, boy, the United States is in chaos, when in fact we're not. We had a very orderly voting process, and we're having a very orderly counting process," Bash said. "The presidential election is the crown jewel of American democracy. This should be a moment for us to shine, and the president is taking us down a very dark path," Bash added.


cnbc--2020-11-06--These maps show how Joe Biden won Michigan and Wisconsin

Young men point at an electoral college map at an event at Lulu Bar on November 04 , 2020 in Wellington , New Zealand hosted by the United States Embassy and the NZ U.S Council to watch the results of the 2020 U.S election come through .
on November 04 , 2020 in Wellington , New Zealand .
It looks like the Blue Wall held this time .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will carry Michigan and Wisconsin , two of the states that propelled President Donald Trump to the White House four years ago , according to NBC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 253 electoral votes , just shy of the 270 he needs to win the 2020 presidential election .
All eyes have turned to the 20 electoral votes in Pennsylvania , a state too close to call as it tallies its final ballots .
Democrats saw reclaiming the Midwest as their clearest path to denying Trump a second term .
Fueled by a strong performance in rural areas , Trump carried both Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016 in the first wins there for a Republican since 1988 .
Preliminary , unofficial results show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties across the two states that Trump won in 2016 .
His success in turning narrow Democratic losses four years ago into close wins this week came from running ahead of Hillary Clinton in key counties .

Young men point at an electoral college map at an event at Lulu Bar on November 04, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand hosted by the United States Embassy and the NZ U.S Council to watch the results of the 2020 U.S election come through. on November 04, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand.
It looks like the Blue Wall held this time.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will carry Michigan and Wisconsin, two of the states that propelled President Donald Trump to the White House four years ago, according to NBC News projections.
Those expected wins leave Biden with 253 electoral votes, just shy of the 270 he needs to win the 2020 presidential election. All eyes have turned to the 20 electoral votes in Pennsylvania, a state too close to call as it tallies its final ballots.
Democrats saw reclaiming the Midwest as their clearest path to denying Trump a second term. Fueled by a strong performance in rural areas, Trump carried both Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016 in the first wins there for a Republican since 1988.
Preliminary, unofficial results show Biden could flip as many as four counties across the two states that Trump won in 2016. His success in turning narrow Democratic losses four years ago into close wins this week came from running ahead of Hillary Clinton in key counties.


cnbc--2020-11-07--GOP asks Supreme Court to halt count of Pennsylvania ballots received after Election Day as Biden ta

GOP asks Supreme Court to halt count of Pennsylvania ballots received after Election Day as Biden takes lead

The GOP already was seeking to overturn an order by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that extended the normal 8 p.m .
ET Election Day deadline to 5 p.m. on Friday .
The party is asking the Supreme Court to order the Pennsylvania secretary of state to log and segregate those ballots , but to take no other action , including counting them , for now .
The Republican Party of Pennsylvania asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to halt an ongoing count of mail-in ballots received in that state after Election Day , a move that came hours after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in the vote tally there .
The party wants the ballots received after Election Day kept separate and not counted so that they can be invalidated as a group if its broader effort at the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the deadline extension is successful .
It is not clear how many mail-in ballots received after Election Day are among the tens of thousands of total mail-in ballots that have yet to be counted in the state .
But state Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar , who had already directed the ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Thursday told CNN that she did not believe that the ballots received during the deadline extension period would affect the outcome of the presidential race `` unless it 's super close . ''
Boockvar said that the largest counties in the state received only around 500 ballots each after Election Day , while some smaller counties did not receive any .
As of midafternoon Friday , Biden was leading Trump by more than 13,000 votes .
The former vice president had 3,311,820 votes to 3,298,142 for the incumbent president , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
About 4 % of the expected total vote remained to be counted .
There are 20 Electoral College votes at stake in Pennsylvania .
If Biden , who currently has won a projected 253 electoral votes from other states , wins the popular vote in Pennsylvania , he would be projected as the winner in the race for the White House , according to NBC News ' current analysis .
A candidate must win at least 270 votes in the Electoral College to be elected president .
Trump had been leading Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday morning , when Biden pulled ahead of the Republican president because of his strong performance in a count of mail-in ballots .
Biden was outpacing Trump in both Democratic- and Republican-leaning counties ' counts of mail-in ballots .
`` Given the results of the November 3 , 2020 general election , the vote in Pennsylvania may well determine the next President of the United States — and it is currently unclear whether all 67 county boards of elections are segregating late-arriving ballot , '' the state GOP said in its filing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without an immediate order from this Court , [ the party ] could lose its right to ' a targeted remedy ' `` if the State Supreme Court 's decision is ultimately overturned . ''

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to halt an ongoing count of mail-in ballots received in that state after Election Day, a move that came hours after Democratic nominee Joe Biden overtook President Donald Trump in the vote tally there.
The party also asked the Supreme Court to order the Pennsylvania secretary of state to log and segregate those ballots, but to take no other action, including counting them, for now.
The GOP already was seeking to overturn an order by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that extended the normal 8 p.m. ET Election Day deadline to 5 p.m. on Friday.
Hours later Friday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito ordered Pennsylvania's county elections boards to segregate all ballots received by mail after 8 p.m. Tuesday and to count them separately from other ballots.
Alito's order essentially mandates guidance issued in the past two weeks by state Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar to the counties calling for them to segregate the ballots received after Election Day.
But Alito did not grant, for now, the request to halt the ongoing counting of the later ballots.
Instead, he referred that question to a conference with his fellow court justices and directed that any response by the state be filed by 2 p.m. Saturday.


cnbc--2020-11-07--Bush 2000 recount lawyer says Trump election suits are 'entirely without merit'

Election law experts , including one of President George W. Bush 's top campaign attorneys , say the Trump campaign 's current lawsuits lack compelling evidence and are not likely to change the outcome of the 2020 contest .
Asked for comment on President Donald Trump 's claims of illegal absentee and mail-in ballots , former Bush attorney Barry Richard said none of the campaign 's current suits appear to be supported by evidence .
`` I think the lawsuits filed so far are entirely without merit and will not be successful , '' Richard , who served as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2000 recount in Florida , wrote in an email .
The remarks from Richard , who successfully advised the Bush campaign through one of the closest U.S. elections in modern history , came as the Trump campaign turned to the nation 's courts to challenge balloting procedures in several battleground states .
The Trump team has brought cases in Pennsylvania , Michigan , Nevada and Georgia .
NBC called Michigan for former Vice President Joe Biden .
Election results have been too close to call in the three other states .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Republicans have repeatedly questioned the integrity of absentee and mail-in voting procedures without evidence of the widespread voting fraud they allege .
The campaign has also brought cases over deadlines for accepting ballots and to grant GOP poll watchers greater access to official counting sites .
A suit in Nevada asserts that an increase of mail-in ballots caused an illegal counting of ballots from people who are dead or do not technically reside in the state .
But Trump 's lawsuits , if successful , could threaten Biden 's lead in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the two men is as thin as a few thousand votes .
Legal experts say if Trump has any hope in court , it 's in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court .
It involves a state Supreme Court decision from earlier this year that allowed the counting of mail-in ballots received three days after Election Day .
Even if the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to allow the Trump campaign to block Pennsylvania ballots received after Nov. 3 , Republicans would need the final count of mail-in ballots received during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's current margin between the two candidates .
Samuel Issacharoff , an election law professor at New York University School of Law , expressed doubt over the president 's odds of success with the high court as well as Trump 's likelihood of election success even if the U.S. Supreme Court sided with his campaign .
`` So far , there is no legal strategy emerging from the Trump camp .
They are claiming fraud in states where they are behind , but have no overall legal theory , '' Issacharoff wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have identified is the counting of absentee votes in Pennsylvania that come in after Election Day .
So far those have not been counted , even though the state Supreme Court said they could be . ''
`` But it looks like Pennsylvania will shift pretty decisively to Biden in the next few hours .
So , even this point , does not alter the outcomes , '' he added Friday .
Biden had taken the lead earlier in the day .
`` The litigation seems designed to keep up the rhetorical stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The cases themselves seem half-hearted , '' Issacharoff wrote .
Still , Trump 's appeal to the court system reached a fevered urgency on Friday , when the president took to Twitter to attack officials in Pennsylvania .
`` We have to go back to the state level and how this morass came to be in the first instance .
The Governor , Wolf , and the State Supreme Court , flagrantly violated the Constitution of the U.S. , '' Trump wrote on Twitter .
`` They just ignored that , ignored the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the counting houses , and outrageously , observers , who are the sentinels of integrity & transparency , were excluded , '' he added .
`` Pennsylvania has conducted itself in a horrible lawless way , and ... hopefully this will be corrected at the Supreme Court of the United States . ''
A judge ruled on Thursday that election observers of both parties could have greater access to counting sites in Pennsylvania after the Trump campaign said they were not granted sufficient access .
As of early Friday morning , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 17 short of the 270 needed to win , according to NBC News .
Pennsylvania is worth 20 electoral votes , which would put Biden over the top to win the election .
Despite Trump 's attacks , legal experts such as Richard and Issacharoff say that his campaign 's efforts are unlikely to have a material impact .
Rick Pildes , another NYU Law professor who worked with Issacharoff on Barack Obama 's campaign for president , echoed his colleague and reiterated Trump 's tough odds in court .
`` Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots at all , but in demanding greater transparency for the counting process , '' Pildes wrote in an email .
`` Even if some of those claims win , as one did in PA yesterday , that only means that legitimate ballot watchers will be able to get closer to where the ballot processors are .
It does not change the validity of any votes , '' he added .

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to attend a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, July 14, 2020. Drew Angerer | Getty Images
Election law experts, including one of President George W. Bush's top campaign attorneys, say the Trump campaign's current lawsuits lack compelling evidence and are not likely to change the outcome of the 2020 contest. Asked for comment on President Donald Trump's claims of illegal absentee and mail-in ballots, former Bush attorney Barry Richard said none of the campaign's current suits appear to be supported by evidence. "I think the lawsuits filed so far are entirely without merit and will not be successful," Richard, who served as a lead attorney for the Republican candidate during the 2000 recount in Florida, wrote in an email.
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The remarks from Richard, who successfully advised the Bush campaign through one of the closest U.S. elections in modern history, came as the Trump campaign turned to the nation's courts to challenge balloting procedures in several battleground states. The Trump team has brought cases in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. NBC called Michigan for former Vice President Joe Biden. Election results have been too close to call in the three other states. Though the suits vary slightly by state, some Republicans have repeatedly questioned the integrity of absentee and mail-in voting procedures without evidence of the widespread voting fraud they allege. The campaign has also brought cases over deadlines for accepting ballots and to grant GOP poll watchers greater access to official counting sites. A suit in Nevada asserts that an increase of mail-in ballots caused an illegal counting of ballots from people who are dead or do not technically reside in the state.
Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush (L) and Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore talk during their third debate at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, 17 October, 2000. Tannen Maury | AFP | Getty Images
But Trump's lawsuits, if successful, could threaten Biden's lead in a handful of battleground states where the margin between the two men is as thin as a few thousand votes. Legal experts say if Trump has any hope in court, it's in a Pennsylvania case at the Supreme Court. It involves a state Supreme Court decision from earlier this year that allowed the counting of mail-in ballots received three days after Election Day. Even if the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to allow the Trump campaign to block Pennsylvania ballots received after Nov. 3, Republicans would need the final count of mail-in ballots received during the three-day extended window to exceed the state's current margin between the two candidates.
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Samuel Issacharoff, an election law professor at New York University School of Law, expressed doubt over the president's odds of success with the high court as well as Trump's likelihood of election success even if the U.S. Supreme Court sided with his campaign. "So far, there is no legal strategy emerging from the Trump camp. They are claiming fraud in states where they are behind, but have no overall legal theory," Issacharoff wrote. "The only sustained legal issue they have identified is the counting of absentee votes in Pennsylvania that come in after Election Day. So far those have not been counted, even though the state Supreme Court said they could be." "But it looks like Pennsylvania will shift pretty decisively to Biden in the next few hours. So, even this point, does not alter the outcomes," he added Friday. Biden had taken the lead earlier in the day. "The litigation seems designed to keep up the rhetorical stance of the election having been fraudulent. The cases themselves seem half-hearted," Issacharoff wrote.
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cnbc--2020-11-07--Steve Bannon lawyers want off his criminal case after ex-Trump advisor discussed Fauci beheading

Former White House senior counselor to President Donald Trump Steve Bannon leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after he testified at the Roger Stone trial November 8 , 2019 in Washington , DC .
`` Mr. Bannon respectfully requests that the status conference in this matter be adjourned for three weeks so that he may formally retain new counsel , '' Burck wrote .
Burck asked Torres for a three-week continuance of a status conference in the case , which currently is scheduled for Monday .
`` Mr. Bannon is in the process of retaining new counsel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emanuel intends to move to withdraw , '' wrote his lead attorney , William Burck , in a letter Friday to Judge Analisa Torres in U.S. District Court in Manhattan , where Bannon is scheduled to go on trial next May .
The criminal defense lawyers for former top Trump advisor Steve Bannon will seek to withdraw from the case , just a day after Bannon discussed having FBI Director Christopher Wray and federal infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci beheaded .
A spokeswoman for Bannon had no immediate comment about Burck 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican lawyer who worked in the White House as an advisor to President George W. Bush , and who represented Bannon and other Trump White House officials during special counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
Burck declined to comment to CNBC when asked why he and his co-counsel , Daniel Koffmann , plan to stop representing Bannon .
He noted that prosecutors in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York , as well as lawyers for Bannon 's three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Torres later Friday signed off on the request , and set the next hearing for Dec. 2 .
In this Aug. 25 , 2014 file photo , Attorney Bill Burck walks to court in Richmond , Va. Bannon , former head of the conservative news site Breitbart , is free on $ 5 million bond in his criminal case , where he and his co-defendants are accused of defrauding donors to a nonprofit group set up to supposedly fund building a wall on the southern border of the United States .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bannon ran President Donald Trump 's winning campaign in the latter part of the 2016 cycle .
He later served in the White House as a senior advisor to Trump before the president fired him in August 2017 .
Twitter on Thursday permanently suspended the account of Bannon 's podcast , `` War Room : Pandemic , '' after his comments about Fauci and Wray on that show , when he was discussing a hypothetical second term for Trump .
Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YouTube as well for violating that video platform 's policies .
On his podcast , Bannon had said , `` Second term kicks off with firing Wray , firing Fauci . ''
`` Now I actually want to go a step farther , but I realize the president is a kind-hearted man and a good man , '' Bannon said .
`` I 'd actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England , I 'd put the heads on pikes , right , I 'd put them at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warning to federal bureaucrats .
You either get with the program or you 're gone – time to stop playing games . ''
Bannon 's spokeswoman said Thursday that he was not suggesting that Fauci and Wray be beheaded .
She also said he has `` never called for violence of any kind . ''
`` Mr. Bannon 's commentary was clearly meant metaphorically .
He previously played a clip of St. Thomas More 's trial and was making an allusion to this historical event in Tudor England for rhetorical purposes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bannon has been openly critical of FBI Director Chris Wray for weeks and has called for his firing for his failure to investigate and address Hunter Biden 's hard drive and that has been in Director Wray 's possession since in Dec 2019 , '' she said .
`` In addition , Mr. Bannon has supported comments from the White House calling for the immediate firing of Dr .
Fauci . ''
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney 's Office declined to comment Friday when asked if that office will seek to revoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge to impose a gag order on him because of his remarks about Fauci and Wray .
The same office in August had told the judge in the case that a `` steady stream '' of `` highly inflammatory '' social media posts about the case by Bannon 's co-defendant Brian Kolfage risked influencing the potential pool of jurors for the trial of the four men .
Prosecutors said at the time that a gag order against Kolfage might be required in light of his calling the case a `` witch hunt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Torres , warned Kolfage , Bannon , and the other two defendants , Anthony Badolato and Timothy Shea , at a court hearing that she would take action `` if I determine that public statements by attorneys or by the defendants threaten the court 's ability to conduct a fair trial . ''
Asked by the judge at the hearing if he understood her , Bannon said , `` Yes , your honor . ''
A Twitter spokesperson in a statement Thursday said , `` The @ WarRoomPandemic account has been permanently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically our policy on the glorification of violence . ''
Alex Joseph , a spokesperson for YouTube , which is owned by Google , said : `` We 've removed this video for violating our policy against inciting violence .
We will continue to be vigilant as we enforce our policies in the post-election period . ''

Former White House senior counselor to President Donald Trump Steve Bannon leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after he testified at the Roger Stone trial November 8, 2019 in Washington, DC.
"Mr. Bannon respectfully requests that the status conference in this matter be adjourned for three weeks so that he may formally retain new counsel," Burck wrote.
Burck asked Torres for a three-week continuance of a status conference in the case, which currently is scheduled for Monday.
"Mr. Bannon is in the process of retaining new counsel, and [the firm of] Quinn Emanuel intends to move to withdraw," wrote his lead attorney, William Burck, in a letter Friday to Judge Analisa Torres in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where Bannon is scheduled to go on trial next May.
The criminal defense lawyers for former top Trump advisor Steve Bannon will seek to withdraw from the case, just a day after Bannon discussed having FBI Director Christopher Wray and federal infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci beheaded.
A spokeswoman for Bannon had no immediate comment about Burck's letter.
Burck is a highly regarded Republican lawyer who worked in the White House as an advisor to President George W. Bush, and who represented Bannon and other Trump White House officials during special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Burck declined to comment to CNBC when asked why he and his co-counsel, Daniel Koffmann, plan to stop representing Bannon.
He noted that prosecutors in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as well as lawyers for Bannon's three co-defendants, had agreed to the adjournment. Torres later Friday signed off on the request, and set the next hearing for Dec. 2.
Bannon, former head of the conservative news site Breitbart, is free on $5 million bond in his criminal case, where he and his co-defendants are accused of defrauding donors to a nonprofit group set up to supposedly fund building a wall on the southern border of the United States.
He has pleaded not guilty in that case.
Bannon ran President Donald Trump's winning campaign in the latter part of the 2016 cycle.
He later served in the White House as a senior advisor to Trump before the president fired him in August 2017.
Twitter on Thursday permanently suspended the account of Bannon's podcast, "War Room: Pandemic," after his comments about Fauci and Wray on that show, when he was discussing a hypothetical second term for Trump. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The episode was removed by YouTube as well for violating that video platform's policies.
On his podcast, Bannon had said, "Second term kicks off with firing Wray, firing Fauci."
"Now I actually want to go a step farther, but I realize the president is a kind-hearted man and a good man," Bannon said.
"I'd actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England, I'd put the heads on pikes, right, I'd put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats. You either get with the program or you're gone – time to stop playing games."
Bannon's spokeswoman said Thursday that he was not suggesting that Fauci and Wray be beheaded.
She also said he has "never called for violence of any kind."
"Mr. Bannon's commentary was clearly meant metaphorically. He previously played a clip of St. Thomas More's trial and was making an allusion to this historical event in Tudor England for rhetorical purposes," the spokeswoman said.
"Mr. Bannon has been openly critical of FBI Director Chris Wray for weeks and has called for his firing for his failure to investigate and address Hunter Biden's hard drive and that has been in Director Wray's possession since in Dec 2019," she said.
"In addition, Mr. Bannon has supported comments from the White House calling for the immediate firing of Dr. Fauci."
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment Friday when asked if that office will seek to revoke Bannon's release bond or ask a judge to impose a gag order on him because of his remarks about Fauci and Wray.
The same office in August had told the judge in the case that a "steady stream" of "highly inflammatory" social media posts about the case by Bannon's co-defendant Brian Kolfage risked influencing the potential pool of jurors for the trial of the four men.
Prosecutors said at the time that a gag order against Kolfage might be required in light of his calling the case a "witch hunt."
After that letter, the judge, Torres, warned Kolfage, Bannon, and the other two defendants, Anthony Badolato and Timothy Shea, at a court hearing that she would take action "if I determine that public statements by attorneys or by the defendants threaten the court's ability to conduct a fair trial."
Asked by the judge at the hearing if he understood her, Bannon said, "Yes, your honor."
A Twitter spokesperson in a statement Thursday said, "The @WarRoomPandemic account has been permanently suspended for violating the Twitter Rules, specifically our policy on the glorification of violence."
Alex Joseph, a spokesperson for YouTube, which is owned by Google, said: "We've removed this video for violating our policy against inciting violence. We will continue to be vigilant as we enforce our policies in the post-election period."


cnbc--2020-11-06--McConnell and Pelosi are once again at odds over the size of a coronavirus stimulus package

The two most powerful people in Congress — at least for the next two months — renewed their calls for coronavirus stimulus on Friday .
A relief deal could prove just as difficult to reach as it did before Election Day .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , again called for a targeted aid package .
In Kentucky , he argued a better-than-expected October jobs report that saw the U.S. unemployment rate fall to 6.9 % reduces the need for a sweeping stimulus bill .
`` I think it reinforces the argument that I 've been making for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller – rather than throwing another $ 3 trillion at this issue – is more appropriate , '' he told reporters , according to Reuters .
McConnell noted that he will not necessarily lead the Senate in January : NBC News projects both Republicans and Democrats will hold at least 48 seats , with four races unsettled .
Meanwhile , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for Republicans to restart aid talks that fell apart before the 2020 election .
She told reporters that the `` imperative to act could not be greater '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 120,000 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday .
Still , she said a narrow bill `` does n't appeal to me at all . ''
The chambers of Congress failed to find common ground on relief before the election , as Senate Republicans tried to pass a $ 500 billion aid bill and House Democrats approved a $ 2.2 trillion package .

The two most powerful people in Congress — at least for the next two months — renewed their calls for coronavirus stimulus on Friday.
A relief deal could prove just as difficult to reach as it did before Election Day.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., again called for a targeted aid package. In Kentucky, he argued a better-than-expected October jobs report that saw the U.S. unemployment rate fall to 6.9% reduces the need for a sweeping stimulus bill.
"I think it reinforces the argument that I've been making for the last few months, that something smaller – rather than throwing another $3 trillion at this issue – is more appropriate," he told reporters, according to Reuters. McConnell noted that he will not necessarily lead the Senate in January: NBC News projects both Republicans and Democrats will hold at least 48 seats, with four races unsettled.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for Republicans to restart aid talks that fell apart before the 2020 election. She told reporters that the "imperative to act could not be greater" after the U.S. posted a record of more than 120,000 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday.
Still, she said a narrow bill "doesn't appeal to me at all." The chambers of Congress failed to find common ground on relief before the election, as Senate Republicans tried to pass a $500 billion aid bill and House Democrats approved a $2.2 trillion package.