cnbc--2020-11-10--Democratic counties represent 70% of U.S. GDP, 2020 election shows

The 2020 elections , chaotic and marked by races `` too close to call , '' have nonetheless reaffirmed that , at least in Washington , the two parties now speak for markedly different segments of the U.S. economy .
President Donald Trump carried 2,497 counties across the country that together generate 29 % of the American economy , according to a new study by the Brookings Institution .
President-elect Joe Biden won 477 counties that together generate 70 % of U.S. GDP .
Republicans represent a far greater number of smaller counties with less-educated , more-homogenous workforces that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing , agriculture and mining .
Democrats represent a smaller number of densely populated and diverse metropolitan counties fueled by service-oriented industries such as finance , professional services and software .
That 's similar to the 2016 results , when Brookings showed that the nearly 2,600 counties Trump won generated 36 % of the country 's output versus the 472 counties that Hillary Clinton won , which produced 64 % .
Brookings researcher Mark Muro put it this way : `` While the election 's outcome has changed , the nation 's political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue and red America continue to reflect two very different economies — one oriented to diverse , often college-educated workers in professional and digital services professions and the other whiter , less-educated , and more dependent on 'traditional ' industries , '' he added .
To put a point on this economic-geographic divergence , Brookings noted that Biden flipped seven of the nation 's 100-highest-output counties in the 2020 election and further cemented the link between the Democratic Party and the nation 's core economic hubs .
Biden took away half of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , including Maricopa in Arizona , Tarrant in Texas , Duval and Pinellas in Florida and Morris in New Jersey .
Blue districts have attracted the expanding segments of the U.S. population and workforce ; 34 % of their residents are non-White and 36 % have at least a bachelor 's degree .
Red districts , by comparison , are 15 % non-White and 25 % have at least a bachelor 's degree , Brookings found .
The problem , Muro suggests , is not only that Democrats and Republicans disagree on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that they represent `` radically different '' areas of the economy .
These differences , if they persist or worsen , could result in partisan gridlock for years to come , the researcher wrote .
Democrats represent voters who overwhelmingly live in the nation 's diverse centers and thus tend to prioritize housing affordability , better social safety nets , transportation infrastructure and racial justice .
On the other hand , Republicans represent the economies of the nation 's struggling small towns and rural areas that see little reason to weigh the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this pattern continues — with one party aiming to confront the challenges at top of mind for a majority of Americans , and the other continuing to stoke the hostility and indignation held by a significant minority — it will be a recipe not only for more gridlock and ineffective governance , but also for economic harm to nearly all people and places , '' Muro wrote .
`` In light of the desperate need for a broad , historic recovery from the economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic , a continuation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past decade would be a particularly unsustainable situation for Americans in communities of all sizes , '' he added .

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
The 2020 elections, chaotic and marked by races "too close to call," have nonetheless reaffirmed that, at least in Washington, the two parties now speak for markedly different segments of the U.S. economy. President Donald Trump carried 2,497 counties across the country that together generate 29% of the American economy, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution. President-elect Joe Biden won 477 counties that together generate 70% of U.S. GDP. Republicans represent a far greater number of smaller counties with less-educated, more-homogenous workforces that, on average, tend to rely on manufacturing, agriculture and mining. Democrats represent a smaller number of densely populated and diverse metropolitan counties fueled by service-oriented industries such as finance, professional services and software. That's similar to the 2016 results, when Brookings showed that the nearly 2,600 counties Trump won generated 36% of the country's output versus the 472 counties that Hillary Clinton won, which produced 64%.
Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards
Brookings researcher Mark Muro put it this way: "While the election's outcome has changed, the nation's political geography remains rigidly divided." "Blue and red America continue to reflect two very different economies — one oriented to
diverse, often college-educated workers in professional and digital services professions and the other whiter, less-educated, and more dependent on 'traditional' industries," he added. To put a point on this economic-geographic divergence, Brookings noted that Biden flipped seven of the nation's 100-highest-output counties in the 2020 election and further cemented the link between the Democratic Party and the nation's core economic hubs. Biden took away half of Trump's 10 most economically significant counties from 2016, including Maricopa in Arizona, Tarrant in Texas, Duval and Pinellas in Florida and Morris in New Jersey. Blue districts have attracted the expanding segments of the U.S. population and workforce; 34% of their residents are non-White and 36% have at least a bachelor's degree. Red districts, by comparison, are 15% non-White and 25% have at least a bachelor's degree, Brookings found.
Silhouettes of Former Vice President Joe Biden (L) and President Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Reuters


cnbc--2020-11-10--Supreme Court appears willing to leave Obamacare in place

`` I think it 's hard for you to argue that Congress intended the entire act to fall if the mandate was struck down , '' Roberts told Hawkins , noting that the same Congress `` did not even try to repeal the rest of the act . ''
Roberts was appointed by President George W. Bush .
But Roberts and Kavanaugh suggested that would not doom the rest of the law .
The court 's six conservatives seemed sympathetic to arguments made by Kyle Hawkins , the Texas solicitor general , and acting Justice Department Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was stripped of an accompanying penalty .
The Trump administration , via the Department of Justice , argued in favor of the red states ' challenge .
The Supreme Court upheld the mandate in 2012 under Congress 's taxing power , but Texas and other Republican-led states argued that the reduction of the penalty made that justification no longer workable , and as a result the whole Affordable Care Act must be struck down .
The individual mandate provision , as enacted in 2010 , requires most Americans to obtain health insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress reduced the penalty to $ 0 in 2017 .
`` Today , I think the winner in this case was the Affordable Care Act and Congress , '' Michele Goodwin , a law professor at the University of California , Irvine , said in an interview after arguments concluded .
Such a decision would leave in place the central aspects of the 900-plus page legislation , which collectively have transformed American health-care over the past decade , from the expansion of Medicaid in dozens of states to the requirement that insurers cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Roberts , who cast the key vote in 2012 upholding Obamacare , and Justice Brett Kavanaugh , an appointee of President Donald Trump , suggested that the court may cast aside a challenged provision of the law , known as the individual mandate , while leaving the rest of it standing .
During arguments in a case seeking to eliminate Obamacare , two of the court 's conservatives on Tuesday signaled they would not strike down the landmark legislation .
The Affordable Care Act seems likely to withstand its third challenge at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Republican lawmakers may have wanted the Supreme Court to strike down the law , `` but that 's not our job . ''
Kavanaugh told Donald Verrilli , who was solicitor general under former President Barack Obama , that `` I tend to agree with you that this is a very straightforward case '' and that under the court 's precedents `` we would excise the mandate and leave the rest of the act in place . ''
Verrilli was arguing on behalf of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives , which along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by California was defending Obamacare .
Michael Mongan , the solicitor general of California , argued on behalf of the blue states .
Later , Kavanaugh told Hawkins that it `` sure seems '' like Congress in 2017 wanted to lower the individual mandate penalty without getting rid of the Affordable Care Act 's other provisions , such as its protections for those with preexisting conditions .
While Republicans in Congress repeatedly threatened to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act , the party was never able to muster a majority in the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An effort at the `` skinny repeal '' of certain provisions , including the individual mandate , failed in 2017 after the late GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona cast a vote against the effort .
Michael Kimberly , a partner at the law firm McDermott Will & Emery who co-chairs the firm 's Supreme Court and appellate practice group , said that Kavanaugh 's comments were `` strikingly direct . ''
Kimberly said that Kavanaugh 's comments were out of character , suggesting the judge was trying to signal how he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the defenders have reason for cautious optimism , '' Kimberly said .
The court 's three liberals , Justices Stephen Breyer , Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan appeared ready to side with the blue states and the House of Representatives .
It takes five votes to gain a majority on the nine-judge panel .
The Democratic-appointees seemed skeptical of the red states ' argument that the mandate was unconstitutional , and sympathetic to California 's claim that those states lacked even the ability to sue , given their failure to prove that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The only thing that changed is something that made the law less coercive , '' Kagan said .
Breyer suggested that allowing the red states to bring their claim could open up challenges to all sorts of laws that would be unlawful if they included penalties , such as hypothetical statutes calling for citizens to plant trees , clean up yards or buy war bonds .
The court 's conservatives seemed more amenable to the claim from red states and the Justice Department that the law 's challengers had been harmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a law requiring everyone to mow their lawn once a week , even if there was no penalty , there `` will certainly be injury '' to those who did n't comply .
Justice Clarence Thomas said that such a law could still have a `` chilling effect . ''
A ruling siding with the red states by invalidating the individual mandate , but with the blue states by allowing the bulk of the Affordable Care Act to remain standing , would represent a win for Democrats .
Health-care activists said that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Act , more than 20 million people could lose their insurance .
The dispute , which was argued in the shadow of last week 's presidential election , was a central focus of Democrats during the confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett last month .
After the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a liberal , died in September , Democrats sought to turn the fight for her replacement , Barrett , into a referendum on the law .
In that regard , Barrett 's questioning on Tuesday was anticlimactic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into her thinking about the legal issues .
The case had also become a political flash point in the race between Trump and President-elect Joe Biden , who have sketched out vastly different visions for the future of American health care .
Trump pushed to gut the Affordable Care Act , while Biden 's agenda calls for building on the law , which the former vice president played a role in shepherding through Congress in the first place .
The political stakes were amplified by the pandemic , which has killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care a more salient issue .
Efforts to contain the pandemic also caused a devastating recession , which has resulted in millions losing their health-care coverage .
`` The elephant in the room happens to be the political tenor behind all of these issues , '' Goodwin said .
She noted that given Trump 's attacks on the federal judiciary , the chief justice has had to project an air of neutrality more than previous leaders of the court .
`` The chief justice is having to call balls and strikes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court does abide by the rule of law , and the court under his jurisdiction will not be partisan , '' Goodwin said .
`` How much of that he controls is limited , '' she added .
`` The reality is this is a court that has been affected by the political tenor of these times . ''
Ahead of the case coming to the Supreme Court , two lower courts sided with Texas , including the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals court , and agreed that the individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , did not say whether the rest of the Affordable Care Act would also have to be struck down .
Arguments , which were scheduled to last for 80 minutes , began at 10 a.m .
ET and concluded around noon .
They were conducted by phone as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and streamed live to the public .
A decision in the case , known as California v. Texas , No .
19-840 , is expected toward the end of June .

"I think it's hard for you to argue that Congress intended the entire act to fall if the mandate was struck down," Roberts told Hawkins, noting that the same Congress "did not even try to repeal the rest of the act." Roberts was appointed by President George W. Bush.
But Roberts and Kavanaugh suggested that would not doom the rest of the law.
The court's six conservatives seemed sympathetic to arguments made by Kyle Hawkins, the Texas solicitor general, and acting Justice Department Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall that the individual mandate became unconstitutional when it was stripped of an accompanying penalty.
The Trump administration, via the Department of Justice, argued in favor of the red states' challenge.
The Supreme Court upheld the mandate in 2012 under Congress's taxing power, but Texas and other Republican-led states argued that the reduction of the penalty made that justification no longer workable, and as a result the whole Affordable Care Act must be struck down.
The individual mandate provision, as enacted in 2010, requires most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. The GOP-controlled Congress reduced the penalty to $0 in 2017.
"Today, I think the winner in this case was the Affordable Care Act and Congress," Michele Goodwin, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, said in an interview after arguments concluded.
Such a decision would leave in place the central aspects of the 900-plus page legislation, which collectively have transformed American health-care over the past decade, from the expansion of Medicaid in dozens of states to the requirement that insurers cover those with preexisting conditions.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who cast the key vote in 2012 upholding Obamacare, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an appointee of President Donald Trump, suggested that the court may cast aside a challenged provision of the law, known as the individual mandate, while leaving the rest of it standing.
During arguments in a case seeking to eliminate Obamacare, two of the court's conservatives on Tuesday signaled they would not strike down the landmark legislation.
The Affordable Care Act seems likely to withstand its third challenge at the Supreme Court.
Roberts acknowledged that some Republican lawmakers may have wanted the Supreme Court to strike down the law, "but that's not our job."
Kavanaugh told Donald Verrilli, who was solicitor general under former President Barack Obama, that "I tend to agree with you that this is a very straightforward case" and that under the court's precedents "we would excise the mandate and leave the rest of the act in place."
Verrilli was arguing on behalf of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which along with a coalition of Democratic states led by California was defending Obamacare. Michael Mongan, the solicitor general of California, argued on behalf of the blue states.
Later, Kavanaugh told Hawkins that it "sure seems" like Congress in 2017 wanted to lower the individual mandate penalty without getting rid of the Affordable Care Act's other provisions, such as its protections for those with preexisting conditions.
While Republicans in Congress repeatedly threatened to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act, the party was never able to muster a majority in the House and Senate willing to do so. An effort at the "skinny repeal" of certain provisions, including the individual mandate, failed in 2017 after the late GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona cast a vote against the effort.
Michael Kimberly, a partner at the law firm McDermott Will & Emery who co-chairs the firm's Supreme Court and appellate practice group, said that Kavanaugh's comments were "strikingly direct."
Kimberly said that Kavanaugh's comments were out of character, suggesting the judge was trying to signal how he would rule in the case.
"I think the defenders have reason for cautious optimism," Kimberly said.
The court's three liberals, Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan appeared ready to side with the blue states and the House of Representatives. It takes five votes to gain a majority on the nine-judge panel.
The Democratic-appointees seemed skeptical of the red states' argument that the mandate was unconstitutional, and sympathetic to California's claim that those states lacked even the ability to sue, given their failure to prove that they had been harmed by the law.
"The only thing that changed is something that made the law less coercive," Kagan said.
Breyer suggested that allowing the red states to bring their claim could open up challenges to all sorts of laws that would be unlawful if they included penalties, such as hypothetical statutes calling for citizens to plant trees, clean up yards or buy war bonds.
The court's conservatives seemed more amenable to the claim from red states and the Justice Department that the law's challengers had been harmed.
Roberts noted that if Congress passed a law requiring everyone to mow their lawn once a week, even if there was no penalty, there "will certainly be injury" to those who didn't comply. Justice Clarence Thomas said that such a law could still have a "chilling effect."
A ruling siding with the red states by invalidating the individual mandate, but with the blue states by allowing the bulk of the Affordable Care Act to remain standing, would represent a win for Democrats.
Health-care activists said that if the Supreme Court struck down the Affordable Care Act, more than 20 million people could lose their insurance.
The dispute, which was argued in the shadow of last week's presidential election, was a central focus of Democrats during the confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett last month.
After the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal, died in September, Democrats sought to turn the fight for her replacement, Barrett, into a referendum on the law.
In that regard, Barrett's questioning on Tuesday was anticlimactic, as it didn't provide much insight into her thinking about the legal issues.
The case had also become a political flash point in the race between Trump and President-elect Joe Biden, who have sketched out vastly different visions for the future of American health care.
Trump pushed to gut the Affordable Care Act, while Biden's agenda calls for building on the law, which the former vice president played a role in shepherding through Congress in the first place.
The political stakes were amplified by the pandemic, which has killed more than 230,000 in the U.S. and made health care a more salient issue. Efforts to contain the pandemic also caused a devastating recession, which has resulted in millions losing their health-care coverage.
"The elephant in the room happens to be the political tenor behind all of these issues," Goodwin said. She noted that given Trump's attacks on the federal judiciary, the chief justice has had to project an air of neutrality more than previous leaders of the court.
"The chief justice is having to call balls and strikes, and in such a way that it is clear the court does abide by the rule of law, and the court under his jurisdiction will not be partisan," Goodwin said.
"How much of that he controls is limited," she added. "The reality is this is a court that has been affected by the political tenor of these times."
Ahead of the case coming to the Supreme Court, two lower courts sided with Texas, including the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals court, and agreed that the individual mandate was unlawful. The appeals court, though, did not say whether the rest of the Affordable Care Act would also have to be struck down.
Arguments, which were scheduled to last for 80 minutes, began at 10 a.m. ET and concluded around noon. They were conducted by phone as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and streamed live to the public.
A decision in the case, known as California v. Texas, No. 19-840, is expected toward the end of June.


cnbc--2020-11-10--Warren wants answers on suspension of FDA inspections of overseas drug manufacturing facilities

U.S .
Senator Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) participates in a news conference with other Democratic Senators at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , October 20 , 2020 .
Democratic Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Tina Smith are concerned about the safety of pharmaceuticals and drug components coming into the United States , as the coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to many inspections of overseas drug manufacturing facilities .
In a letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn released Tuesday , the senators wrote : `` We are concerned that , absent proper oversight of our drug supply chain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans rely on , patients will face an increased risk of drug contamination or other problems with quality , purity , or potency . ''
On March 10 , the Food and Drug Administration announced it would postpone on-site inspections .
Right now , inspections are only happening on a case-by-case basis and are limited to those described as mission-critical , pre-approved , or for cause .
Routine surveillance inspections are n't happening at all .
Of the inspections that are being done , many are conducted remotely , by requesting records and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers say the failures of foreign manufacturers to comply with U.S. regulations have put patients at risk .
In 2008 , contamination in blood-thinning medication heparin , which is sourced from China , resulted in 240 deaths .
In 2018 , the FDA found N-Nitrosodimethylamine , a known carcinogen , in batches of the blood pressure medication valsartan and traced it back to a Chinese manufacturer , Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd .
The products were voluntarily recalled .
According to the FDA , just 28 % of facilities making active drug ingredients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. market are located in the United States , with many facilities located in China and India .
`` With such a significant amount of drugs and drug ingredients arriving from abroad , it is imperative that the FDA take all steps necessary to ensure drug quality and safety , '' Warren and Smith said in the letter .
The FDA says it has increased physical exams of products arriving at U.S. borders through sampling and testing before they enter the market .
But there are concerns about whether the FDA can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the huge number of imports .
The FDA said Tuesday it `` will review the letter and will respond directly to the Senators . ''
In July , Warren , of Massachusetts , and Smith , of Minnesota , introduced the U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Defense and Enhancement Act , which would provide the federal government with additional information regarding the nation 's drug supply chain .
Under their proposed legislation , drugmakers would be required to report to the FDA each year the source of active pharmaceutical ingredients and starting materials used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
It also requires the FDA commissioner and the secretary of Defense to develop a confidential list of `` critical drugs '' deemed essential for public health and national security .

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) participates in a news conference with other Democratic Senators at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, October 20, 2020.
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tina Smith are concerned about the safety of pharmaceuticals and drug components coming into the United States, as the coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to many inspections of overseas drug manufacturing facilities.
In a letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn released Tuesday, the senators wrote: "We are concerned that, absent proper oversight of our drug supply chain and the overseas facilities manufacturing products millions of Americans rely on, patients will face an increased risk of drug contamination or other problems with quality, purity, or potency."
On March 10, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would postpone on-site inspections. Right now, inspections are only happening on a case-by-case basis and are limited to those described as mission-critical, pre-approved, or for cause. Routine surveillance inspections aren't happening at all.
Of the inspections that are being done, many are conducted remotely, by requesting records and other information from the facilities.
The lawmakers say the failures of foreign manufacturers to comply with U.S. regulations have put patients at risk. In 2008, contamination in blood-thinning medication heparin, which is sourced from China, resulted in 240 deaths. In 2018, the FDA found N-Nitrosodimethylamine, a known carcinogen, in batches of the blood pressure medication valsartan and traced it back to a Chinese manufacturer, Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The products were voluntarily recalled.
According to the FDA, just 28% of facilities making active drug ingredients and 47% producing finished drugs for the U.S. market are located in the United States, with many facilities located in China and India.
"With such a significant amount of drugs and drug ingredients arriving from abroad, it is imperative that the FDA take all steps necessary to ensure drug quality and safety," Warren and Smith said in the letter.
The FDA says it has increased physical exams of products arriving at U.S. borders through sampling and testing before they enter the market. But there are concerns about whether the FDA can keep up with border inspections, given the huge number of imports.
The FDA said Tuesday it "will review the letter and will respond directly to the Senators."
In July, Warren, of Massachusetts, and Smith, of Minnesota, introduced the U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Defense and Enhancement Act, which would provide the federal government with additional information regarding the nation's drug supply chain.
Under their proposed legislation, drugmakers would be required to report to the FDA each year the source of active pharmaceutical ingredients and starting materials used to make drugs that are consumed in the United States.
It also requires the FDA commissioner and the secretary of Defense to develop a confidential list of "critical drugs" deemed essential for public health and national security.


cnbc--2020-11-10--McConnell and Schumer reelected as party leaders as Senate control remains undecided

Regardless of who controls the Senate next year , Republicans and Democrats will have the same leaders they do now @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday unanimously reelected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as the caucus ' leader .
Likewise @ @ @ @ @ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to head their caucus .
The election results have not @ @ @ @ @ the next Congress with a Senate majority .
Republicans and Democrats will both come out @ @ @ @ @ at least 48 Senate seats , a net gain of one for Democrats , NBC @ @ @ @ @ not called the winner of four Senate races .
At least one outstanding race , @ @ @ @ @ Georgia will get decided by a runoff in January .
Democrats entered Election Day with @ @ @ @ @ , which would give the party unified control of government .
Joe Biden will win @ @ @ @ @ will keep their House majority , according to NBC .
Holding the Senate would give @ @ @ @ @ priorities .

Regardless of who controls the Senate next year, Republicans and Democrats will have the same leaders they do now.
The Senate GOP on Tuesday unanimously reelected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as the caucus' leader. Likewise, all Senate Democrats chose Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to head their caucus.
The election results have not yet indicated who will enter the next Congress with a Senate majority. Republicans and Democrats will both come out of the 2020 election with at least 48 Senate seats, a net gain of one for Democrats, NBC News projects.
NBC has not called the winner of four Senate races. At least one outstanding race, and potentially two, in Georgia will get decided by a runoff in January.
Democrats entered Election Day with hopes of flipping the Senate, which would give the party unified control of government. Joe Biden will win the White House and Democrats will keep their House majority, according to NBC.
Holding the Senate would give Republicans a buffer against Democratic priorities.


cnbc--2020-11-10--Amy Klobuchar considered for Biden Cabinet posts including attorney general and Agriculture secretar

Amy Klobuchar considered for Biden Cabinet posts including attorney general and Agriculture secretary

Sen. Amy Klobuchar , ( D-MN ) speaks during the fourth day of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington , DC , October 15 , 2020 .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , is being floated for a Cabinet post inside President-elect Joe Biden 's administration , according to people briefed on the matter .
Klobuchar , according to these people , is being considered by Biden and his team for a number of positions , including attorney general and secretary of Agriculture .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible Cabinet appointees since Election Day as the Senate remains up for grabs after Democrats failed to pick up key victories for seats within that chamber of Congress , these people added .
They declined to be named as these deliberations have been made in private .
The Senate is responsible for confirming Cabinet appointments .
If Republicans maintain their majority , Biden might have to choose more moderate nominees if he wants a smoother confirmation process .
Klobuchar is considered a moderate and a member of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Forestry .
The Senate majority is up for grabs as two races in Georgia have yet to be settled .
`` The Biden-Harris Transition team has not made any personnel decisions at this time , '' a Biden transition spokesperson said .
A representative for Klobuchar did not return a request for comment .
If Klobuchar were chosen to join Biden 's Cabinet , Gov .
Tim Walz , D-Minn. , would be responsible for appointing her replacement .
She is up for reelection in 2024 .
If she is asked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Klobuchar could face another round of scrutiny on her tenure as Hennepin County attorney .
The senator drew heavy fire from civil rights activists and Black community leaders in February after The Associated Press published an investigation that raised questions about whether a Black teenager , Myon Burrell , was wrongly convicted of murder during Klobuchar 's tenure as the county 's chief lawyer .
The senator had for years cited the 2002 Burrell case as proof that she is tough on crime and of her pursuit of justice for Black communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was 16 when he was convicted of murdering 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards , has insisted he is innocent and has rejected all plea deals .
The AP report also quoted one of Burrell 's co-defendants as saying that he , and not Burrell , was the gunman responsible for the murder .
Others being mentioned for attorney general include Sen. Doug Jones , D-Ala , who recently lost his Alabama Senate seat , former acting Attorney General Sally Yates and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra , according to Politico .
When Klobuchar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she published an op-ed on CNN proposing the creation of a `` clemency advisory board as well as a position in the White House — outside of the Department of Justice — that advises the president from a criminal justice reform perspective . ''
One of the areas that could interest Biden in choosing her to lead the Department of Justice is her stance on antitrust and her pushback on the tech giants .
During her run for president , she said strong antitrust enforcement means looking back at the deal between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a group of bipartisan lawmakers , has introduced the Honest Ads Act , which looks to `` help prevent foreign interference in future elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements . ''
The Department of Agriculture , which is led by Sonny Perdue , may be where Klobuchar ends up .
As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and a former presidential candidate , Klobuchar has supported tying farmers ' subsidies to their cost of production , which would likely augment the amount of money they receive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief and spending more on conservation programs that pay farmers to adopt certain environmentally friendly practices .
She proposed that taxpayers cover a greater percentage of farmers ' premium payments for crop insurance .

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D-MN) speaks during the fourth day of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, October 15, 2020.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is being floated for a Cabinet post inside President-elect Joe Biden's administration, according to people briefed on the matter.
Klobuchar, according to these people, is being considered by Biden and his team for a number of positions, including attorney general and secretary of Agriculture.
Her name has risen on the list of possible Cabinet appointees since Election Day as the Senate remains up for grabs after Democrats failed to pick up key victories for seats within that chamber of Congress, these people added. They declined to be named as these deliberations have been made in private.
The Senate is responsible for confirming Cabinet appointments. If Republicans maintain their majority, Biden might have to choose more moderate nominees if he wants a smoother confirmation process. Klobuchar is considered a moderate and a member of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
The Senate majority is up for grabs as two races in Georgia have yet to be settled.
"The Biden-Harris Transition team has not made any personnel decisions at this time," a Biden transition spokesperson said.
A representative for Klobuchar did not return a request for comment.
If Klobuchar were chosen to join Biden's Cabinet, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., would be responsible for appointing her replacement. She is up for reelection in 2024.
If she is asked to succeed William Barr at the Justice Department, Klobuchar could face another round of scrutiny on her tenure as Hennepin County attorney.
The senator drew heavy fire from civil rights activists and Black community leaders in February after The Associated Press published an investigation that raised questions about whether a Black teenager, Myon Burrell, was wrongly convicted of murder during Klobuchar's tenure as the county's chief lawyer.


cnbc--2020-11-10--DOJ eyes GOP claims of illegal votes in Nevada, Pennsylvania, as Trump refuses to concede to Biden

William Barr , U.S. attorney general , wears a protective mask while arriving at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Monday , Nov. 9 , 2020 .
The Department of Justice is `` looking into '' allegations by Republicans that illegal votes were cast in Nevada and Pennsylvania , NBC News reported Tuesday .
The investigations were disclosed after Attorney General William Barr , in a memo , authorized federal prosecutors to probe `` specific '' claims of voter fraud even before the election results of the race between President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department is eyeing GOP claims that ineligible voters cast ballots in Nevada , and that there was backdating of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania , a department source told NBC News .
After Barr 's memo , issued Monday , the head of the DOJ division that prosecutes election crimes resigned , in apparent disagreement with the new policy and its ramifications .
The official , Richard Pilger , will continue to work within the DOJ .
A DOJ spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC .
While Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases , '' he included two key qualifiers to the use of that authority .
First , the allegations of irregularities must be clear and apparently credible , he wrote .
Second , the allegations , `` if true , '' would need to `` potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State '' for a prosecutor to open an investigation before the election results were certified by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general also wrote that , `` While serious allegations should be handled with great care , specious , speculative , fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries . ''
Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden despite major media organizations , including NBC News , projected Biden as the winner of the Nov. 3 election .
That call was made Saturday , after the former vice president was projected to win Pennsylvania 's 20 Electoral College votes .

William Barr, U.S. attorney general, wears a protective mask while arriving at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020.
The Department of Justice is "looking into" allegations by Republicans that illegal votes were cast in Nevada and Pennsylvania, NBC News reported Tuesday.
The investigations were disclosed after Attorney General William Barr, in a memo, authorized federal prosecutors to probe "specific" claims of voter fraud even before the election results of the race between President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden are certified.
Barr's Justice Department is eyeing GOP claims that ineligible voters cast ballots in Nevada, and that there was backdating of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, a department source told NBC News.
After Barr's memo, issued Monday, the head of the DOJ division that prosecutes election crimes resigned, in apparent disagreement with the new policy and its ramifications. The official, Richard Pilger, will continue to work within the DOJ.
A DOJ spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
While Barr's memo authorized federal prosecutors to probe "substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases," he included two key qualifiers to the use of that authority.
First, the allegations of irregularities must be clear and apparently credible, he wrote.
Second, the allegations, "if true," would need to "potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State" for a prosecutor to open an investigation before the election results were certified by the state, Barr wrote.
The attorney general also wrote that, "While serious allegations should be handled with great care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries."
Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden despite major media organizations, including NBC News, projected Biden as the winner of the Nov. 3 election. That call was made Saturday, after the former vice president was projected to win Pennsylvania's 20 Electoral College votes.


cnbc--2020-11-11--Amy Klobuchar considered for Biden Cabinet posts including attorney general and Agriculture secretar

Sen. Amy Klobuchar , ( D-MN ) speaks during the fourth day of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington , DC , October 15 , 2020 .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , is being floated for a Cabinet post inside President-elect Joe Biden 's administration , according to people briefed on the matter .
Klobuchar , according to these people , is being considered by Biden and his team for a number of positions , including attorney general and secretary of Agriculture .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible Cabinet appointees since Election Day as the Senate remains up for grabs after Democrats failed to pick up key victories for seats within that chamber of Congress , these people added .
They declined to be named as these deliberations have been made in private .
The Senate is responsible for confirming Cabinet appointments .
If Republicans maintain their majority , Biden might have to choose more moderate nominees if he wants a smoother confirmation process .
Klobuchar is considered a moderate and a member of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Forestry .
The Senate majority is up for grabs as two races in Georgia have yet to be settled .
`` The Biden-Harris Transition team has not made any personnel decisions at this time , '' a Biden transition spokesperson said .
A representative for Klobuchar did not return a request for comment .
If Klobuchar were chosen to join Biden 's Cabinet , Gov .
Tim Walz , D-Minn. , would be responsible for appointing her replacement .
She is up for reelection in 2024 .
If she is asked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Klobuchar could face another round of scrutiny on her tenure as Hennepin County attorney .
The senator drew heavy fire from civil rights activists and Black community leaders in February after The Associated Press published an investigation that raised questions about whether a Black teenager , Myon Burrell , was wrongly convicted of murder during Klobuchar 's tenure as the county 's chief lawyer .


cnbc--2020-11-12--Trump meets with top election advisors as Biden's lead endures

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington , July 9 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump met with his top election advisors on Wednesday as his chances for reversing an apparent win by President-elect Joe Biden in the race for the White House looked increasingly daunting .
NBC News reported that Trump met with his son-in-law and senior White House advisor Jared Kushner , campaign manager Bill Stepien and senior campaign advisor Jason Miller to discuss a path forward for the Republican incumbent .
Trump held a similar meeting on Tuesday that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal challenges his campaign has launched in an attempt to invalidate ballots cast for Biden in six battleground states .
Wednesday 's meeting came as NBC News reported that there is growing expectation among Trump 's advisors that he will never concede that he lost to Biden , even when ballots are certified in coming weeks around the country .
`` Do not expect him to concede , '' a top aide told NBC .
It is more likely , the aide said , that `` he 'll say something like , 'We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'm not contesting them . '
'' Biden , a Democratic former vice president , has 77.4 million votes in the popular vote tally , compared with 72.26 million ballots cast for Trump , a margin of 50.8 % to 47.4 % , with 96 % of the expected national vote counted so far .
But the Electoral College vote , not the popular vote , determines who wins the White House .
Every state , with the exceptions of Maine and Nebraska , award all of their electoral votes , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts plus two , to the winner of their popular election votes .
NBC News has projected that Biden will win at least 279 Electoral College votes , which is nine more than the minimum a candidate needs to clinch a win for the presidency .
Trump is projected as of now to win 217 electoral votes .

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, July 9, 2020.
President Donald Trump met with his top election advisors on Wednesday as his chances for reversing an apparent win by President-elect Joe Biden in the race for the White House looked increasingly daunting.
NBC News reported that Trump met with his son-in-law and senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, campaign manager Bill Stepien and senior campaign advisor Jason Miller to discuss a path forward for the Republican incumbent.
Trump held a similar meeting on Tuesday that was more focused on the status of multiple legal challenges his campaign has launched in an attempt to invalidate ballots cast for Biden in six battleground states.
Wednesday's meeting came as NBC News reported that there is growing expectation among Trump's advisors that he will never concede that he lost to Biden, even when ballots are certified in coming weeks around the country.
"Do not expect him to concede," a top aide told NBC. It is more likely, the aide said, that "he'll say something like, 'We can't trust the results, but I'm not contesting them.'"
Biden, a Democratic former vice president, has 77.4 million votes in the popular vote tally, compared with 72.26 million ballots cast for Trump, a margin of 50.8% to 47.4%, with 96% of the expected national vote counted so far.
But the Electoral College vote, not the popular vote, determines who wins the White House. Every state, with the exceptions of Maine and Nebraska, award all of their electoral votes, which are equal to their number of congressional districts plus two, to the winner of their popular election votes.
NBC News has projected that Biden will win at least 279 Electoral College votes, which is nine more than the minimum a candidate needs to clinch a win for the presidency.
Trump is projected as of now to win 217 electoral votes.


cnbc--2020-11-11--'Very, highly unlikely' Trump wins Arizona, no evidence of fraud, Republican state attorney general

'Very, highly unlikely' Trump wins Arizona, no evidence of fraud, Republican state attorney general says

An election worker holds ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center ( MCTEC ) , days after former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election , in Phoenix , Arizona , November 9 , 2020 .
But even without Arizona , Biden currently is projected to win 279 Electoral College votes , nine more than he needs to deny the Republican incumbent a second White House term .
NBC News has not yet projected a winner in Arizona 's presidential election .
The Democratic former vice president Biden currently holds a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a margin of less than .4 percentage points over Trump , in the state .
`` It does appear Joe Biden will win Arizona , '' Brnovich said in an interview on Fox Business .
And there is no evidence so far that Arizona 's votes were tainted by fraud or other irregularities that would affect the election , said Attorney General Mark Brnovich .
President Donald Trump is `` very , highly unlikely '' to win enough of the still-uncounted ballots in Arizona to defeat President-elect Joe Biden , that state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wins Arizona , Biden would get 11 additional Electoral College votes .
That would give him even more of a cushion against ongoing legal efforts by the Trump campaign to invalidate a number of ballots in six battleground states , including Arizona .
Brnovich said that with fewer than 50,000 ballots yet to be counted in Arizona , Trump would need to be named on at least 65 % of ballots to catch up and exceed Biden 's final tally .
While that is possible , statistically , it is `` very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brnovich said in his interview .
The attorney general said his office examined more than 1,000 complaints of ballots being invalidated by ink bleed-through and people using Sharpie markers and that his office also conducted random audits of election precincts .
Those inquiries found no evidence of fraud and `` no facts that would lead anyone to believe that the election results will change , '' said Brnovich , whose wife , Susan Brnovich , was appointed to the U.S. District Court in Arizona by Trump in 2018 .
Brnovich said the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the fact that in many cases voters `` split their ticket . ''
`` People voted for Republicans down ballot , but they did n't vote for President Trump , [ or for incumbent GOP Sen. ] Martha McSally ... that 's the reality , '' Brnovich said .
`` Just because that happened , it does n't mean it 's fraud . ''
McSally is projected to lose her race .
As of Wednesday , she had 48.8 % of the vote , compared with Democratic challenger Mark Kelly , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia 's secretary of state on Wednesday said there would be a hand recount of all ballots cast in the state , which has 16 Electoral College votes at stake .
NBC has yet to project a winner in Georgia , where Biden is leading Trump by 49.5 % to 49.2 % , or a margin of about 14,000 ballots in the tally as of Wednesday afternoon .
Legal analysts say that Trump 's goal of avoiding defeat by Biden through a combination of court challenges and recounts is daunting .
Recounts rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of ballots for a candidate , much less of the 10,000 ballots or more that Trump trails Biden in states including Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania .
And even if Trump can prove fraud in some cases , legal observers say judges are unlikely to invalidate a state 's election results unless there are enough cases of fraud to make a difference in the outcome .
Trump 's electoral vote tally stands at 217 , according to NBC News projections .
Even if he wins the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , where he leads Biden by more than 70,000 popular votes , Trump would need to reverse the projected results of three states , at minimum , to win enough electoral votes to clinch the national race .

An election worker holds ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC), days after former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in Phoenix, Arizona, November 9, 2020.
But even without Arizona, Biden currently is projected to win 279 Electoral College votes, nine more than he needs to deny the Republican incumbent a second White House term.
NBC News has not yet projected a winner in Arizona's presidential election. The Democratic former vice president Biden currently holds a lead of just under 13,000 votes, a margin of less than .4 percentage points over Trump, in the state.
"It does appear Joe Biden will win Arizona," Brnovich said in an interview on Fox Business.
And there is no evidence so far that Arizona's votes were tainted by fraud or other irregularities that would affect the election, said Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
President Donald Trump is "very, highly unlikely" to win enough of the still-uncounted ballots in Arizona to defeat President-elect Joe Biden , that state's Republican attorney general said Wednesday.
If he wins Arizona, Biden would get 11 additional Electoral College votes. That would give him even more of a cushion against ongoing legal efforts by the Trump campaign to invalidate a number of ballots in six battleground states, including Arizona.
Brnovich said that with fewer than 50,000 ballots yet to be counted in Arizona, Trump would need to be named on at least 65% of ballots to catch up and exceed Biden's final tally.
While that is possible, statistically, it is "very, highly unlikely to happen," Brnovich said in his interview.
The attorney general said his office examined more than 1,000 complaints of ballots being invalidated by ink bleed-through and people using Sharpie markers and that his office also conducted random audits of election precincts.
Those inquiries found no evidence of fraud and "no facts that would lead anyone to believe that the election results will change," said Brnovich, whose wife, Susan Brnovich, was appointed to the U.S. District Court in Arizona by Trump in 2018.
Brnovich said the idea of significant fraud in Arizona is undercut by the fact that in many cases voters "split their ticket."
"People voted for Republicans down ballot, but they didn't vote for President Trump, [or for incumbent GOP Sen.] Martha McSally ... that's the reality," Brnovich said.
"Just because that happened, it doesn't mean it's fraud."
McSally is projected to lose her race. As of Wednesday, she had 48.8% of the vote, compared with Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, who had 51.2% of the vote.
Georgia's secretary of state on Wednesday said there would be a hand recount of all ballots cast in the state, which has 16 Electoral College votes at stake.
NBC has yet to project a winner in Georgia, where Biden is leading Trump by 49.5% to 49.2%, or a margin of about 14,000 ballots in the tally as of Wednesday afternoon.
Legal analysts say that Trump's goal of avoiding defeat by Biden through a combination of court challenges and recounts is daunting.
Recounts rarely, if ever, see swings of thousands of ballots for a candidate, much less of the 10,000 ballots or more that Trump trails Biden in states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
And even if Trump can prove fraud in some cases, legal observers say judges are unlikely to invalidate a state's election results unless there are enough cases of fraud to make a difference in the outcome.
Trump's electoral vote tally stands at 217, according to NBC News projections.
Even if he wins the 15 electoral votes at stake in North Carolina, where he leads Biden by more than 70,000 popular votes, Trump would need to reverse the projected results of three states, at minimum, to win enough electoral votes to clinch the national race.


cnbc--2020-11-11--Two more people from Trump's Election Night party at White House test positive for coronavirus

Former Donald Trump campaign adviser , Healy E. Baumgardner , right , talks to a member of the media in the hallway of the Rayburn House Office building on Capitol Hill in Washington , Thursday , April 26 , 2018 .
Two more people who attended an Election Night party at the White House have been diagnosed with the coronavirus , bringing the current tally of Covid-19 cases from the event to at least five , NBC News reported Wednesday .
The newly reported cases from the party were of Brian Jack , the White House political affairs director , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House aide who now works in private equity .
Baumgardner attended the Nov. 3 event in the East Room at the White House as a guest of President Donald Trump 's personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani .
Baumgardner told NBC News she tested positive on Wednesday .
Two sources familiar with Jack confirmed his diagnosis .
Three other people who attended the party were diagnosed with Covid-19 after the event : White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson , and David Bossie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing effort to challenge results of the election against President-elect Joe Biden .

Former Donald Trump campaign adviser, Healy E. Baumgardner, right, talks to a member of the media in the hallway of the Rayburn House Office building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 26, 2018. Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP
Two more people who attended an Election Night party at the White House have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, bringing the current tally of Covid-19 cases from the event to at least five, NBC News reported Wednesday. The newly reported cases from the party were of Brian Jack, the White House political affairs director, and of Healy Baumgardner, a former White House aide who now works in private equity. Baumgardner attended the Nov. 3 event in the East Room at the White House as a guest of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Baumgardner told NBC News she tested positive on Wednesday. Two sources familiar with Jack confirmed his diagnosis.
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Three other people who attended the party were diagnosed with Covid-19 after the event: White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, and David Bossie, who briefly directed President Donald Trump's ongoing effort to challenge results of the election against President-elect Joe Biden. A White House spokesman declined to comment to CNBC.
White House Political Director Brian Jack, from left, Deputy Staff Secretery Catherine Keller, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, aide John McEntee and White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino walk across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020. Patrick Semansky | AP


cnbc--2020-11-11--Trump campaign legal advisor hopes court challenges to Biden election victory will be done within 'n

Trump campaign legal advisor hopes court challenges to Biden election victory will be done within 'next two weeks'

Detroit election workers work on counting absentee ballots for the 2020 general election at TCF Center on November 4 , 2020 in Detroit , Michigan .
Even if the Trump campaign can prove fraud , or show that ballots were improperly cast in some cases , it is far from clear that the campaign will be able to invalidate enough of the tens of thousands of ballots necessary to erase Biden 's margin of victory in any state .
But those efforts have been criticized by Biden 's campaign and others for failing to offer substantive evidence of fraud .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges pending and plans to seek recounts in six battleground states , is relying on those efforts to overturn what is now a projected victory for President-elect Joe Biden , the former Democratic vice president .
In those states , Trump 's campaign is asking judges to bar state officials from certifying election results pending challenges to ballots there .
`` It 's incredibly important that the states do n't certify false results , '' Ellis said , referring to two legal challenges the Republican campaign is bringing in Pennsylvania and Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump campaign legal advisor , during a Fox Business News interview , said it will `` be up to the courts to make sure to hear these cases expeditiously . ''
A top legal advisor to President Donald Trump 's campaign said Wednesday that she hopes a number of court challenges to ballots cast in the presidential election are resolved `` within the next two weeks , '' even as Democrats dismissed claims of significant voter fraud .
The longest contested presidential election in modern times was in 2000 , when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Gore conceded to George W. Bush , the Republican nominee .
But that delay was the result of a dispute over ballots in just one state , Florida , five fewer than the number of states in which the Trump campaign is disputing results .
Biden is projected as the winner in four of the states in dispute , Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin and Nevada , and is leading in ballot counting in the two other states , Arizona and Georgia .
On Wednesday , Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recount of the votes in each county there .
Biden leads Trump by more than 14,000 votes in Georgia .
Biden currently is projected to receive at least 279 Electoral College votes — nine more than the minimum needed to secure a White House victory .
He could get 27 more such votes if he wins in Arizona and Georgia .
Ellis on Tuesday mocked much of the media 's reference to Biden as `` president-elect '' by editing her Twitter handle to read `` President-Elect Jenna Ellis . ''
It is long-standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News , to project the winner of a presidential election , and other elections , days or weeks before the final vote popular vote tallies are completed in individual states , and well before a vote in the Electoral College officially determines the winner of the presidency .
Trump has not only refused to concede to Biden as he contests the election , but also has falsely claimed to have won the election .
The Trump campaign 's lawsuit in Michigan was filed Wednesday .
The campaign said the lawsuit cites `` multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unlawful vote counting '' in the state .
On Tuesday , a federal judge in Pennsylvania scheduled for Nov. 19 an evidentiary hearing on a Trump campaign lawsuit that challenges the process for evaluating the legitimacy of mail-in ballots in the state .
Asked when she expected the legal process to be done , and whether there will be proof of systemic and significant fraud , she said , `` That depends on when we 're granted meaningful access '' to ballots .
`` So hopefully sooner rather than later , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American wants this done expeditiously , '' she said .
`` But hopefully within the next two weeks .
But we 'll see . ''
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov .
John Fetterman , a Democrat , later Wednesday in a CNN interview , said that the only known case of of voter fraud `` in Pennsylvania in this cycle , is a registered Republican in Luzerne County , tried to vote for Trump with his dead mother 's ballot . ''
`` The bottom line is that there is no truth to any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign 's claims .
`` And at some point , we all have to collectively accept that yelling 'voter fraud ' when there is no evidence whatsoever of it is yelling 'fire ' in a crowded theater and it is harming the democratic franchise of our country and the peaceful transition of power and we can not accept that . ''
Biden campaign legal advisor Bob Bauer on Tuesday told reporters that the Trump campaign 's array of election lawsuits is `` noise , not really law . ''
`` Theatrics not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He pointed out that since Election Day last week , judges have dismissed seven court cases lodged by the Trump campaign in Georgia , Michigan , Nevada , and Pennsylvania .
And he said the Trump campaign can not win the election based on recounts in any state .
`` Since 2000 , in 31 statewide recounts , the average change in votes was 430 , and the median change was 267 , '' Bauer said .
`` End of story .
These margins can not be overcome in recounts .
So the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political theatrics . ''
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel , a Democrat , on Tuesday said in a statement , `` Let me be clear — the November elections in Michigan ran as smoothly as ever . ''
`` Irregularities occur in every election , but there are multiple layers of protection to ensure that these irregularities are caught and rectified , '' Nessel said .
`` Most of these are simple human error , not crimes — in several examples throughout the state we have found election workers making inadvertent errors that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate of the opposite party . ''

Detroit election workers work on counting absentee ballots for the 2020 general election at TCF Center on November 4, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan.
Even if the Trump campaign can prove fraud, or show that ballots were improperly cast in some cases, it is far from clear that the campaign will be able to invalidate enough of the tens of thousands of ballots necessary to erase Biden's margin of victory in any state.
But those efforts have been criticized by Biden's campaign and others for failing to offer substantive evidence of fraud.
The Trump campaign, which has court challenges pending and plans to seek recounts in six battleground states, is relying on those efforts to overturn what is now a projected victory for President-elect Joe Biden , the former Democratic vice president.
In those states, Trump's campaign is asking judges to bar state officials from certifying election results pending challenges to ballots there.
"It's incredibly important that the states don't certify false results," Ellis said, referring to two legal challenges the Republican campaign is bringing in Pennsylvania and Michigan, led by Democratic governors.
Jenna Ellis, Trump campaign legal advisor, during a Fox Business News interview, said it will "be up to the courts to make sure to hear these cases expeditiously."
A top legal advisor to President Donald Trump 's campaign said Wednesday that she hopes a number of court challenges to ballots cast in the presidential election are resolved "within the next two weeks," even as Democrats dismissed claims of significant voter fraud.
The longest contested presidential election in modern times was in 2000, when it took 35 days before Democratic Vice President Al Gore conceded to George W. Bush, the Republican nominee. But that delay was the result of a dispute over ballots in just one state, Florida, five fewer than the number of states in which the Trump campaign is disputing results.
Biden is projected as the winner in four of the states in dispute, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada, and is leading in ballot counting in the two other states, Arizona and Georgia.
On Wednesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the state will conduct a by-hand recount of the votes in each county there. Biden leads Trump by more than 14,000 votes in Georgia.
Biden currently is projected to receive at least 279 Electoral College votes — nine more than the minimum needed to secure a White House victory. He could get 27 more such votes if he wins in Arizona and Georgia.
Ellis on Tuesday mocked much of the media's reference to Biden as "president-elect" by editing her Twitter handle to read "President-Elect Jenna Ellis."
It is long-standing practice for media outlets, including NBC News, to project the winner of a presidential election, and other elections, days or weeks before the final vote popular vote tallies are completed in individual states, and well before a vote in the Electoral College officially determines the winner of the presidency.
Trump has not only refused to concede to Biden as he contests the election, but also has falsely claimed to have won the election.
The Trump campaign's lawsuit in Michigan was filed Wednesday. The campaign said the lawsuit cites "multiple witness accounts of irregularities, incompetence, and unlawful vote counting" in the state.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Pennsylvania scheduled for Nov. 19 an evidentiary hearing on a Trump campaign lawsuit that challenges the process for evaluating the legitimacy of mail-in ballots in the state.
Asked when she expected the legal process to be done, and whether there will be proof of systemic and significant fraud, she said, "That depends on when we're granted meaningful access" to ballots.
"So hopefully sooner rather than later," Ellis said.
"I know every American wants this done expeditiously," she said. "But hopefully within the next two weeks. But we'll see."
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, later Wednesday in a CNN interview, said that the only known case of of voter fraud "in Pennsylvania in this cycle, is a registered Republican in Luzerne County, tried to vote for Trump with his dead mother's ballot."
"The bottom line is that there is no truth to any of this," Fetterman said of the Trump campaign's claims.
"And at some point, we all have to collectively accept that yelling 'voter fraud' when there is no evidence whatsoever of it is yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater and it is harming the democratic franchise of our country and the peaceful transition of power and we cannot accept that."
Biden campaign legal advisor Bob Bauer on Tuesday told reporters that the Trump campaign's array of election lawsuits is "noise, not really law."
"Theatrics not really lawsuits," Bauer said.
He pointed out that since Election Day last week, judges have dismissed seven court cases lodged by the Trump campaign in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
And he said the Trump campaign cannot win the election based on recounts in any state.
"Since 2000, in 31 statewide recounts, the average change in votes was 430, and the median change was 267," Bauer said. "End of story. These margins cannot be overcome in recounts. So the recounts are yet another piece of the political theatrics."
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, on Tuesday said in a statement, "Let me be clear — the November elections in Michigan ran as smoothly as ever."
"Irregularities occur in every election, but there are multiple layers of protection to ensure that these irregularities are caught and rectified," Nessel said.
"Most of these are simple human error, not crimes — in several examples throughout the state we have found election workers making inadvertent errors that would have given more votes to the candidate of the opposite party."


cnbc--2020-11-11--GOP pollster calls Georgia's unresolved Senate races the most important 'in modern times'

Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that the undecided U.S. Senate elections in Georgia are critical in shaping the trajectory of President-elect Joe Biden 's time in the White House , calling them `` the most important Senate elections in modern times . ''
The race between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock is headed to a runoff on Jan. 5 , after neither candidate failed to secure 50 % of the vote in last week 's general election .
The state 's other Senate contest , between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be headed to a runoff — although NBC News has not made an official call .
The balance of power in the Senate will be at stake if both end up heading to a January runoff — and if both were to flip Democratic , then the Senate would be split down the middle .
Republicans currently hold 50 seats , compared with 48 in Democratic hands , including two independent senators , Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine , who caucus with the Democrats .
That means a pair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 100-seat Senate 50-50 .
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would hold the tie-breaking vote .
`` If the Democrats can win both of these seats back , then they will be in control of the Senate and the president will have an agenda that wo n't be able to be challenged '' on Capitol Hill , Luntz said on `` Squawk Box . ''
`` If the Republicans win even one of these seats , then they [ retain ] control the majority and they will determine exactly what of the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will keep control of the House , according to NBC News , which puts the count at 225 Democrats and 210 Republicans .
That would be a net-loss of seven seats for the Democrats but still over the 218-seat threshold needed to keep their majority .
Luntz said the `` consequences '' of Democrats winning both Senate seats in Georgia make it more likely that ambitious proposals on climate change and rolling back portions of President Donald Trump 's signature tax reform law could be approved .
Democrats also could push for changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the filibuster , which establishes a 60-vote threshold to bring legislation to the floor , according to Luntz .
However , Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said this week that he would oppose proposals to end the filibuster or expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court , a pledge that , if fulfilled , would dash progressive hopes for more structural reforms .
Luntz noted Manchin 's recent remarks , saying he takes the West Virginia Democrat at his word , calling him a `` reasonable senator . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Senate would still mean that committee chairs would be considerably more liberal than Republican counterparts .
`` The stakes have never been so high and everybody in Washington is going to be impacted by what happens on Jan. 5 , '' he said .
Even so , Luntz said he believes it is challenging to forecast what will happen in the Georgia Senate races — especially given the prospect that Biden would ultimately win the presidential contest there .
With 99 % of the expected ballots counted , Biden leads Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 million cast .
No Democratic presidential candidate has won Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992 .
Now , however , it is a `` genuine swing state , '' Luntz said .
However , later Wednesday morning after Luntz 's interview , Georgia 's Republican secretary of state , Brad Raffensperger , announced a statewide `` full , by-hand '' recount in the presidential election .
He said he aims to finish the recount in time for the Nov. 20 deadline to certify the state 's election results .
Among the factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to predict , according to Luntz , is the massive spending in the races .
He said it is also unclear what role Trump will decide to play in the election .
`` We do n't know if he 's going to take his marbles and go home , whether he 's going to be active '' in campaigning for the GOP candidates , Luntz said .
Republican voters may also feel dejected if Biden ends up winning the state and not show up for the January vote , he said .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allies to be active in courting support and turn out for Warnock and , potentially , Ossoff .
`` They will do everything they absolutely can .
They 're going to flood the state , '' he said .

Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Wednesday that the undecided U.S. Senate elections in Georgia are critical in shaping the trajectory of President-elect Joe Biden's time in the White House, calling them "the most important Senate elections in modern times."
The race between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock is headed to a runoff on Jan. 5, after neither candidate failed to secure 50% of the vote in last week's general election. The state's other Senate contest, between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff, also appears to be headed to a runoff — although NBC News has not made an official call.
The balance of power in the Senate will be at stake if both end up heading to a January runoff — and if both were to flip Democratic, then the Senate would be split down the middle.
Republicans currently hold 50 seats, compared with 48 in Democratic hands, including two independent senators, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, who caucus with the Democrats. That means a pair of Democratic victories in Georgia would make the 100-seat Senate 50-50. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would hold the tie-breaking vote.
"If the Democrats can win both of these seats back, then they will be in control of the Senate and the president will have an agenda that won't be able to be challenged" on Capitol Hill, Luntz said on "Squawk Box." "If the Republicans win even one of these seats, then they [retain] control the majority and they will determine exactly what of the president's agenda will go forward."
Democrats will keep control of the House, according to NBC News, which puts the count at 225 Democrats and 210 Republicans. That would be a net-loss of seven seats for the Democrats but still over the 218-seat threshold needed to keep their majority.
Luntz said the "consequences" of Democrats winning both Senate seats in Georgia make it more likely that ambitious proposals on climate change and rolling back portions of President Donald Trump's signature tax reform law could be approved. Democrats also could push for changes to Senate rules, such as eliminating the filibuster, which establishes a 60-vote threshold to bring legislation to the floor, according to Luntz.
However, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said this week that he would oppose proposals to end the filibuster or expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court, a pledge that, if fulfilled, would dash progressive hopes for more structural reforms.
Luntz noted Manchin's recent remarks, saying he takes the West Virginia Democrat at his word, calling him a "reasonable senator." Nonetheless, Luntz noted that Democratic control of the Senate would still mean that committee chairs would be considerably more liberal than Republican counterparts. "The stakes have never been so high and everybody in Washington is going to be impacted by what happens on Jan. 5," he said.
Even so, Luntz said he believes it is challenging to forecast what will happen in the Georgia Senate races — especially given the prospect that Biden would ultimately win the presidential contest there. With 99% of the expected ballots counted, Biden leads Trump by just over 14,000 votes of nearly 5 million cast. No Democratic presidential candidate has won Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992. Now, however, it is a "genuine swing state," Luntz said.
However, later Wednesday morning after Luntz's interview, Georgia's Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, announced a statewide "full, by-hand" recount in the presidential election. He said he aims to finish the recount in time for the Nov. 20 deadline to certify the state's election results.
Among the factors that make the Georgia Senate outcomes hard to predict, according to Luntz, is the massive spending in the races. He said it is also unclear what role Trump will decide to play in the election. "We don't know if he's going to take his marbles and go home, whether he's going to be active" in campaigning for the GOP candidates, Luntz said. Republican voters may also feel dejected if Biden ends up winning the state and not show up for the January vote, he said.
By contrast, Luntz said he expects Biden and allies to be active in courting support and turn out for Warnock and, potentially, Ossoff. "They will do everything they absolutely can. They're going to flood the state," he said.


cnbc--2020-11-11--Georgia will recount presidential election ballots by hand as Biden’s lead over Trump grows

Raffensperger , a Republican , said the state will work with county officials to complete the recount in time to meet its Nov. 20 deadline for certifying statewide election results .
`` With the margin being so close , it will require a full , by-hand recount in each county , '' Raffensperger said at a press conference .
Georgia will conduct a statewide recount of ballots cast in the election between President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden , Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Wednesday .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference at the State Capitol in Atlanta , Georgia , U.S. , November 6 , 2020 .
`` It 'll take every bit of the time we have left , for sure , '' he said .
Biden 's lead over Trump in Georgia has grown to more than 14,000 votes among nearly 5 million cast , according to NBC News , which has not projected a winner in the Peach State .
Raffensperger had previously telegraphed that a recount was likely in the state , which has traditionally voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including GOP Rep. Doug Collins , asked the Georgia official earlier this week for a hand recount .
`` This will help build confidence .
It will be an audit , a recount and a recanvass all at once , '' Raffensperger said .
`` It will be a heavy lift but we will work with the counties to get this done in time for our state certification . ''
Trump , on the day after the Nov. 3 election , falsely asserted that his campaign had `` claimed , for Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
With Biden now projected to secure more than the 270 electoral votes required to clinch the presidency , Trump and his surrogates have already demanded recounts in states including Georgia and Wisconsin .
They have also launched a flurry of accusations of electoral fraud , without citing evidence .
Trump campaign lawyers have filed lawsuits in multiple key states related to those claims .
Many of those cases have already been thrown out by judges .
Trump has refused to concede to Biden and is falsely claiming he won the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden administration can not formally begin until the General Services Administration makes an `` ascertainment '' of the winner , which it has so far refused to do .
Raffensperger said at the press conference that at 1 p.m .
ET , he will declare the presidential race in his state is subject to a `` risk-limiting audit . ''
`` We 'll be counting every single piece of paper , every single ballot .
every single lawfully cast , legal ballot , '' he said .
When a reporter noted that such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ballots , rather than the entire body of votes , Raffensperger said , `` you actually have to do a full hand-by-hand recount of all [ ballots ] because the margin is so close . ''
Raffensperger came under attack from within his own party on Monday , when Georgia 's two Republican senators , Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , demanded his resignation .
The senators claimed in a joint statement that there have been `` too many failures in Georgia elections this year , '' without citing any specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump likely facing runoff elections in January against their respective Democratic challengers .

Raffensperger, a Republican, said the state will work with county officials to complete the recount in time to meet its Nov. 20 deadline for certifying statewide election results.
"With the margin being so close, it will require a full, by-hand recount in each county," Raffensperger said at a press conference.
Georgia will conduct a statewide recount of ballots cast in the election between President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden , Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Wednesday.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state of the election and ballot count during a news conference at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., November 6, 2020.
"It'll take every bit of the time we have left, for sure," he said.
Biden's lead over Trump in Georgia has grown to more than 14,000 votes among nearly 5 million cast, according to NBC News, which has not projected a winner in the Peach State.
Raffensperger had previously telegraphed that a recount was likely in the state, which has traditionally voted for Republican presidential nominees. Trump's supporters, including GOP Rep. Doug Collins, asked the Georgia official earlier this week for a hand recount.
"This will help build confidence. It will be an audit, a recount and a recanvass all at once," Raffensperger said. "It will be a heavy lift but we will work with the counties to get this done in time for our state certification."
Trump, on the day after the Nov. 3 election, falsely asserted that his campaign had "claimed, for Electoral Vote purposes," Georgia and other states. With Biden now projected to secure more than the 270 electoral votes required to clinch the presidency, Trump and his surrogates have already demanded recounts in states including Georgia and Wisconsin.
They have also launched a flurry of accusations of electoral fraud, without citing evidence. Trump campaign lawyers have filed lawsuits in multiple key states related to those claims. Many of those cases have already been thrown out by judges.
Trump has refused to concede to Biden and is falsely claiming he won the election. The transition of power to a Biden administration cannot formally begin until the General Services Administration makes an "ascertainment" of the winner, which it has so far refused to do.
Raffensperger said at the press conference that at 1 p.m. ET, he will declare the presidential race in his state is subject to a "risk-limiting audit."
"We'll be counting every single piece of paper, every single ballot. every single lawfully cast, legal ballot," he said.
When a reporter noted that such an audit usually involves just a sample of the ballots, rather than the entire body of votes, Raffensperger said, "you actually have to do a full hand-by-hand recount of all [ballots] because the margin is so close."
Raffensperger came under attack from within his own party on Monday, when Georgia's two Republican senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, demanded his resignation. The senators claimed in a joint statement that there have been "too many failures in Georgia elections this year," without citing any specific examples.
Both senators are closely allied with Trump likely facing runoff elections in January against their respective Democratic challengers.


cnbc--2020-11-11--Retired Gen. Petraeus to Trump: Act quickly on election suits 'if you really care for the country'

Ret .
Gen. David Petraeus urged President Donald Trump on Veterans Day not to drag out his election lawsuits and to allow transition planning to begin in the meantime .
`` If you really care for the country , at the very least , exhaust these legal challenges as quickly as is absolutely possible , ideally by early next week , '' Petraeus said on CNBC 's `` Squawk Box . ''
`` Then you can get on with this . ''
While NBC News and other media organizations have projected Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to concede .
His campaign has launched a flurry of lawsuits related to the voting process or the vote counting .
However , there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud , despite Trump 's baseless insistence that his loss is due to `` illegal votes . ''
Biden , vice president under former President Barack Obama , has nonetheless launched his transition team , announcing various advisory groups and delivering presidential-like speeches on health care and the coronavirus pandemic in recent days .
On Tuesday , Biden called Trump 's refusal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frankly . ''
Petraeus , who previously served as director of the CIA under Obama , said he believes the Trump administration should at least allow important aspects of the transition to a new president to happen concurrently with any legal proceedings .
`` My hope would be , obviously , that whatever legal challenges are raised will be resolved very expeditiously , '' he said .
`` I do n't understand why in the meantime , actually , you still ca n't get on with a transition in terms of the time-consuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as background checks for people who will need high-level security clearances .
White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an email to CNBC that the Trump administration `` is following all statutory requirements '' related to a transition of power .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday predicted a smooth transition to a second Trump term .
This week , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and some other Republicans rallied behind Trump 's right to fight the election results in the courts .
In a statement , Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Every American deserves to be able to trust that our elections are free , fair , safe , and secure .
The President owes that to everyone who voted for him , and to those who voted for Joe Biden as well , '' Murtaugh said in an email .
`` This is not just about this election , but every election in the future . ''
`` I 'm nonpartisan .
I do n't favor either party , but I do favor the country , '' said Petraeus , chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do believe that we should enable the incoming team to have as smooth of a transition as is absolutely possible for the good of the country . ''
Petraeus , a retired four-star Army general who oversaw years of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq , said he learned lessons about transitioning to new roles from a mentor , Ret .
Gen. Jack Keane .
`` He used to tell the battalion and brigade commanders , 'If you really love your unit , if you really care for it , you will suppress your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the organization before you even leave , before the change of command , ' '' he said .
Petraeus resigned as CIA chief in 2012 , under fire for sharing classified information with his biographer , with whom he was having an extramarital affair .
He later pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information and was fined and put on probation .

Ret. Gen. David Petraeus urged President Donald Trump on Veterans Day not to drag out his election lawsuits and to allow transition planning to begin in the meantime.
"If you really care for the country, at the very least, exhaust these legal challenges as quickly as is absolutely possible, ideally by early next week," Petraeus said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "Then you can get on with this."
While NBC News and other media organizations have projected Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of last week's the presidential contest, Trump has refused to concede. His campaign has launched a flurry of lawsuits related to the voting process or the vote counting. However, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, despite Trump's baseless insistence that his loss is due to "illegal votes."
Biden, vice president under former President Barack Obama, has nonetheless launched his transition team, announcing various advisory groups and delivering presidential-like speeches on health care and the coronavirus pandemic in recent days. On Tuesday, Biden called Trump's refusal to concede "an embarrassment, quite frankly."
Petraeus, who previously served as director of the CIA under Obama, said he believes the Trump administration should at least allow important aspects of the transition to a new president to happen concurrently with any legal proceedings.
"My hope would be, obviously, that whatever legal challenges are raised will be resolved very expeditiously," he said. "I don't understand why in the meantime, actually, you still can't get on with a transition in terms of the time-consuming tasks," Petraeus added, such as background checks for people who will need high-level security clearances.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an email to CNBC that the Trump administration "is following all statutory requirements" related to a transition of power.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday predicted a smooth transition to a second Trump term. This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and some other Republicans rallied behind Trump's right to fight the election results in the courts.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh also defended the president's legal maneuvers. "Every American deserves to be able to trust that our elections are free, fair, safe, and secure. The President owes that to everyone who voted for him, and to those who voted for Joe Biden as well," Murtaugh said in an email. "This is not just about this election, but every election in the future."
"I'm nonpartisan. I don't favor either party, but I do favor the country," said Petraeus, chairman of KKR Global Institute. "I do believe that we should enable the incoming team to have as smooth of a transition as is absolutely possible for the good of the country."
Inauguration Day is set for Jan. 20.
Petraeus, a retired four-star Army general who oversaw years of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, said he learned lessons about transitioning to new roles from a mentor, Ret. Gen. Jack Keane.
"He used to tell the battalion and brigade commanders, 'If you really love your unit, if you really care for it, you will suppress your ego, you'll let your successor into the organization before you even leave, before the change of command,'" he said.
Petraeus resigned as CIA chief in 2012, under fire for sharing classified information with his biographer, with whom he was having an extramarital affair. He later pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information and was fined and put on probation.