talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--Divided Government Could Create Political Minefield For Biden On Road To COVID Eradication

In one respect , President-elect Joe Biden faces a grim Jan. 20 : an additional hundred thousand could be dead of COVID-19 between now and then , with case rates and hospitalizations skyrocketing around the country as the President copes with his loss by playing golf .
And to address the problem , the President-elect faces a bleak political landscape .
Absent a double Democratic victory in Georgia Senate runoffs in January , Biden could face a serious roadblock — in the form of Mitch McConnell — constraining parts of his COVID-19 agenda .
Biden ’ s COVID-19 response plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address portions of the Trump administration ’ s response to the virus that have been alternately disastrous or uncoordinated .
Portions of the Biden plan offer new approaches to combatting the virus that the Trump administration eschewed , including extensive use of the Defense Production Act to alleviate PPE shortages and huge investments in contact tracing and local public health services .
But other portions of it , like calls to heed scientific advice and leave career professionals at the FDA and CDC unhindered , may warm the hearts of the scientific and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worried about the limits of what the President-elect can accomplish .
“ All that ’ s essential , but it ’ s not sufficient , ” said Gary Slutkin , a former WHO epidemiologist .
He said that without support from constituencies that remain skeptical of measures to slow the virus ’ s spread , including conservative Republicans , the disease would likely to continue to progress through the United States .
The plan , available on the campaign ’ s transition website , showcases a few narrow areas where Senate Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular , the Senate GOP passed a provision in its “ skinny ” COVID-19 relief bill in September for vaccine distribution , offering $ 29 billion for the development and distribution of vaccines , therapeutics , and diagnostics .
Biden ’ s plan calls for $ 25 billion for vaccine development and distribution alone .
That number is in line with Centers for Disease control and state officials who say that they need billions to get a COVID-19 vaccine distributed to the entire population .
State officials in particular have said that distributing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding would be impossible , applying their lobbying focus to Congress .
Sen. Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) has said that he supports a second relief bill and money for vaccine distribution , though at a much smaller scale than the Democratic proposals .
McConnell has also said that he opposes a bill larger than the $ 500 billion that he ’ s offered , citing bogus concerns involving austerity .
The money needs to be appropriated by Congress , so , absent a Democratic majority , buy-in from the GOP will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how that will be resolved .
On other fronts , Biden has broad tools available to him made possible by the office of the presidency .
For getting PPE out to doctors and health-care workers , for example , Biden has said that he would make extensive use of the Defense Production Act — a law that allows the executive branch to compel the production of needed items .
The Trump administration declined to use it in a serious way , save for seizing shipments of masks and sanitary gowns that were already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan would revamp the Trump administration ’ s approach to the topic , which lacked any coherent national framework and left it to states and local jurisdictions to fend for themselves as the President repeatedly complained that increased testing was making him look bad .
Part of Biden ’ s approach would also involve investing in technology that would enable accurate at-home testing , and would ramp up the production of COVID-19 tests through the creation of a Pandemic Testing Board to coordinate supply chains for that effort .
The Biden administration will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health Jobs Corp that would undertake contact tracing .
That provision would require additional funding and may also require a statute creating the corps , likely to be nestled within the Department of Health and Human Services .
That could end up needing congressional support to be implemented .
Arguably the most difficult-to-implement portion of the plan focuses on public health guidance .
Slutkin , the former WHO epidemiologist , said that the difficulty would be doing a public health education campaign to address the virus that involves “ peer outreach to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less to do with Congress and more to do with anti-mask ideas that President Trump and others on the right have spent the past eight months spreading .
Slices of society that have been primed to be resistant to measures like mask mandates will have to be convinced .
Biden said in the plan that he will try to address this through outreach to governors and mayors responsible for issuing state and local mask mandates , as opposing to issuing a federal mask mandate that would blanket the country .
Other elements of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen and when to increase social distancing in the face of surging case counts .
There are elements of this that will require congressional support , however .
The plan involves new appropriations that would provide relief funding supporting state and governments and small businesses through lockdowns , as part of a “ renewable fund ” for government and a “ restart package ” for COVID-afflicted small business .
Those proposals remain vague , but with governments saying that they need hundreds of billions of dollars to weather the ongoing storm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes beyond the $ 500 billion on tap in the McConnell plan .

In one respect, President-elect Joe Biden faces a grim Jan. 20: an additional hundred thousand could be dead of COVID-19 between now and then, with case rates and hospitalizations skyrocketing around the country as the President copes with his loss by playing golf.
And to address the problem, the President-elect faces a bleak political landscape. Absent a double Democratic victory in Georgia Senate runoffs in January, Biden could face a serious roadblock — in the form of Mitch McConnell — constraining parts of his COVID-19 agenda.
Biden’s COVID-19 response plan focuses on seven areas, which would address portions of the Trump administration’s response to the virus that have been alternately disastrous or uncoordinated.
Portions of the Biden plan offer new approaches to combatting the virus that the Trump administration eschewed, including extensive use of the Defense Production Act to alleviate PPE shortages and huge investments in contact tracing and local public health services.
But other portions of it, like calls to heed scientific advice and leave career professionals at the FDA and CDC unhindered, may warm the hearts of the scientific and medical communities but leave others somewhat skeptical and worried about the limits of what the President-elect can accomplish.
“All that’s essential, but it’s not sufficient,” said Gary Slutkin, a former WHO epidemiologist. He said that without support from constituencies that remain skeptical of measures to slow the virus’s spread, including conservative Republicans, the disease would likely to continue to progress through the United States.
The plan, available on the campaign’s transition website, showcases a few narrow areas where Senate Republicans have signaled interest in engaging.
Vaccines
In particular, the Senate GOP passed a provision in its “skinny” COVID-19 relief bill in September for vaccine distribution, offering $29 billion for the development and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
Biden’s plan calls for $25 billion for vaccine development and distribution alone. That number is in line with Centers for Disease control and state officials who say that they need billions to get a COVID-19 vaccine distributed to the entire population.
State officials in particular have said that distributing a COVID-19 vaccine without billions in additional funding would be impossible, applying their lobbying focus to Congress.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said that he supports a second relief bill and money for vaccine distribution, though at a much smaller scale than the Democratic proposals. McConnell has also said that he opposes a bill larger than the $500 billion that he’s offered, citing bogus concerns involving austerity. The money needs to be appropriated by Congress, so, absent a Democratic majority, buy-in from the GOP will be necessary.
It’s not clear how that will be resolved.
PPE And Testing
On other fronts, Biden has broad tools available to him made possible by the office of the presidency.
For getting PPE out to doctors and health-care workers, for example, Biden has said that he would make extensive use of the Defense Production Act — a law that allows the executive branch to compel the production of needed items. The Trump administration declined to use it in a serious way, save for seizing shipments of masks and sanitary gowns that were already en route.
Biden’s testing plan would revamp the Trump administration’s approach to the topic, which lacked any coherent national framework and left it to states and local jurisdictions to fend for themselves as the President repeatedly complained that increased testing was making him look bad.
Part of Biden’s approach would also involve investing in technology that would enable accurate at-home testing, and would ramp up the production of COVID-19 tests through the creation of a Pandemic Testing Board to coordinate supply chains for that effort.
The Biden administration will also aim to create a 100,000 person-strong Public Health Jobs Corp that would undertake contact tracing.
That provision would require additional funding and may also require a statute creating the corps, likely to be nestled within the Department of Health and Human Services. That could end up needing congressional support to be implemented.
Public Health Guidance
Arguably the most difficult-to-implement portion of the plan focuses on public health guidance.
Slutkin, the former WHO epidemiologist, said that the difficulty would be doing a public health education campaign to address the virus that involves “peer outreach to all sectors of society.”
This has less to do with Congress and more to do with anti-mask ideas that President Trump and others on the right have spent the past eight months spreading.
Slices of society that have been primed to be resistant to measures like mask mandates will have to be convinced. Biden said in the plan that he will try to address this through outreach to governors and mayors responsible for issuing state and local mask mandates, as opposing to issuing a federal mask mandate that would blanket the country.
Other elements of the plan involve revamping guidance for when to reopen and when to increase social distancing in the face of surging case counts.
There are elements of this that will require congressional support, however.
The plan involves new appropriations that would provide relief funding supporting state and governments and small businesses through lockdowns, as part of a “renewable fund” for government and a “restart package” for COVID-afflicted small business.
Those proposals remain vague, but with governments saying that they need hundreds of billions of dollars to weather the ongoing storm, Congress would need to appropriate money that goes beyond the $500 billion on tap in the McConnell plan.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--Biden Names Vivek Murthy, David Kessler To COVID Working Group

WILMINGTON , Del .
( AP ) — President-elect Joe Biden signaled on Sunday he plans to move quickly to build out his government , focusing first on the raging pandemic that will likely dominate the early days of his administration .
Biden named a former surgeon general , Dr. Vivek Murthy , and a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner , David Kessler , as co-chairs of a coronavirus working group set to get started , with other members expected to be announced Monday .
Transition team officials said that also this week Biden will launch his agency review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have access to key agencies in the current administration to ease the transfer of power .
The teams will collect and review information such as budgetary and staffing decisions , pending regulations and other work in progress from current staff at the departments to help Biden ’ s team prepare to transition .
White House officials would not comment on whether they would cooperate with Biden ’ s team on the review .
“ People want the country to move forward , ” said Kate Bedingfield , Biden deputy campaign manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Meet the Press , and see Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “ have the opportunity to do the work , to get the virus under control and to get our economy back together.
” It ’ s unclear for now whether President Donald Trump and his administration will cooperate .
He has yet to acknowledge Biden ’ s victory and has pledged to mount legal challenges in several closely contested states that decided the race .
Biden adviser Jen Psaki pressed for the Trump-appointed head of the General Services Administration to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which would free up money for the transition and clear the way for Biden ’ s team to begin putting in place the transition process at agencies .
“ America ’ s national security and economic interests depend on the federal government signaling clearly and swiftly that the United States government will respect the will of the American people and engage in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power , ” Psaki said in a Twitter posting .
A GSA official said Sunday that step had not been taken yet .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and foreign capitals were preparing for a new administration .
Biden aides said the president-elect and transition team had been in touch with Republican lawmakers .
Israel ’ s prime minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , one of Trump ’ s closest allies , opened a Cabinet meeting on Sunday by congratulating Biden , a former vice president and longtime senator .
“ I have a long and warm personal connection with Joe Biden for nearly 40 years , and I know him as a great friend of the state of Israel , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we will continue to work with both of them in order to further strengthen the special alliance between Israel and the U.S. ” George W. Bush , the sole living Republican former president , also wished Biden well .
“ Though we have political differences , I know Joe Biden to be a good man , who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country , ” Bush said .
Biden faces key staffing decisions in the days ahead .
The always-frenzied 10-week transition period before Inauguration Day on Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra time it took to determine the winner of Tuesday ’ s election .
The second Catholic to be elected president , Biden started his first full day as president-elect by attending church at St. Joseph on the Brandywine near his home in Wilmington , as he does nearly every week .
After the service , he visited the church cemetery where several family members have been laid to rest , including his late son , Beau .
Beau Biden , a former Delaware attorney general , died in 2015 from cancer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his father to make a third run for the White House .
Joe Biden said Saturday in a victory speech that he would announce a task force of scientists and experts Monday to develop a “ blueprint ” to begin beating back the virus by the time he assumes the presidency .
He said his plan would be “ built on bedrock science ” and “ constructed out of compassion , empathy and concern.
” Murthy , who had advised Biden during the campaign , was named to a four-year term as surgeon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Murthy was asked to resign by Trump months into the Republican ’ s term .
Kessler was appointed as FDA commissioner by President George H.W .
Bush and served in the position through President Bill Clinton ’ s first term in the White House .
Biden senior adviser Ted Kaufman said the transition team will focus on the “ nuts and bolts ” of building the new administration in coming days .
Biden may not make top Cabinet choices for weeks .
But he built his presidential run around bipartisanship and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s election pledging to be a president for all Americans .
That suggests he could be willing to appoint some Republicans to high-profile administration positions .
Many former Republican officeholders broke with Trump to endorse Biden ’ s campaign .
Biden ’ s selection of some of them to join the new government could appease Senate Republicans , who may have to confirm many of Biden ’ s choices for top jobs .
The GOP could retain control of the chamber after two special elections in Georgia on Jan. 5 .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ire of progressives .
Some already worry that uncooperative Senate Republicans could force Biden to scale back his ambitious campaign promises to expand access to health care and lead a post-pandemic economic recovery that relies on federal investment in green technology and jobs to help combat climate change .
“ I think there will be a huge misuse of the word ‘ unity ’ to imply that we need to water down the ideas that Joe Biden just campaigned on , ” said Adam Green , co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ united around bold solutions to big problems than small-scale efforts .
Biden ’ s efforts at bipartisan reconciliation could still be derailed by Trump ’ s refusing to concede the race .
Symone Sanders , a Biden campaign senior adviser , said that while several Republican lawmakers have been in contact with the president-elect in recent days , the campaign has yet to hear from White House officials .
“ I think the White House has made clear what their strategy is here and that they are going to continue to participate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many — in many respects , baseless legal strategies , ” Sanders said on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , said Trump had a right to pursue recounts and legal challenges .
But he noted that those efforts will unlikely change the outcome and he urged the president to dial back his rhetoric .
“ I think one has to be careful in the choice of words .
I think when you say the election was corrupt or stolen or rigged that that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by authoritarians around the world .
And I think it also discourages confidence in our democratic process here at home , ” Romney said on NBC .
Madhani reported from Chicago .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington and Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report .

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden signaled on Sunday he plans to move quickly to build out his government, focusing first on the raging pandemic that will likely dominate the early days of his administration.
Biden named a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, David Kessler, as co-chairs of a coronavirus working group set to get started, with other members expected to be announced Monday.
Transition team officials said that also this week Biden will launch his agency review teams, the group of transition staffers that have access to key agencies in the current administration to ease the transfer of power. The teams will collect and review information such as budgetary and staffing decisions, pending regulations and other work in progress from current staff at the departments to help Biden’s team prepare to transition. White House officials would not comment on whether they would cooperate with Biden’s team on the review.
“People want the country to move forward,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden deputy campaign manager, in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press, and see Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “have the opportunity to do the work, to get the virus under control and to get our economy back together.”
It’s unclear for now whether President Donald Trump and his administration will cooperate. He has yet to acknowledge Biden’s victory and has pledged to mount legal challenges in several closely contested states that decided the race.
Biden adviser Jen Psaki pressed for the Trump-appointed head of the General Services Administration to quickly recognize Biden as the president-elect, which would free up money for the transition and clear the way for Biden’s team to begin putting in place the transition process at agencies.
“America’s national security and economic interests depend on the federal government signaling clearly and swiftly that the United States government will respect the will of the American people and engage in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power,” Psaki said in a Twitter posting.
A GSA official said Sunday that step had not been taken yet.
Still, there were signs that leaders in Washington and foreign capitals were preparing for a new administration.
Biden aides said the president-elect and transition team had been in touch with Republican lawmakers. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, one of Trump’s closest allies, opened a Cabinet meeting on Sunday by congratulating Biden, a former vice president and longtime senator.
“I have a long and warm personal connection with Joe Biden for nearly 40 years, and I know him as a great friend of the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “I am certain that we will continue to work with both of them in order to further strengthen the special alliance between Israel and the U.S.”
George W. Bush, the sole living Republican former president, also wished Biden well.
“Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said.
Biden faces key staffing decisions in the days ahead. The always-frenzied 10-week transition period before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 already has been shortened by the extra time it took to determine the winner of Tuesday’s election.
The second Catholic to be elected president, Biden started his first full day as president-elect by attending church at St. Joseph on the Brandywine near his home in Wilmington, as he does nearly every week. After the service, he visited the church cemetery where several family members have been laid to rest, including his late son, Beau.
Beau Biden, a former Delaware attorney general, died in 2015 from cancer. Before his death, he had encouraged his father to make a third run for the White House.
Joe Biden said Saturday in a victory speech that he would announce a task force of scientists and experts Monday to develop a “blueprint” to begin beating back the virus by the time he assumes the presidency. He said his plan would be “built on bedrock science” and “constructed out of compassion, empathy and concern.”
Murthy, who had advised Biden during the campaign, was named to a four-year term as surgeon general in 2014 by President Barack Obama. Murthy was asked to resign by Trump months into the Republican’s term. Kessler was appointed as FDA commissioner by President George H.W. Bush and served in the position through President Bill Clinton’s first term in the White House.
Biden senior adviser Ted Kaufman said the transition team will focus on the “nuts and bolts” of building the new administration in coming days.
Biden may not make top Cabinet choices for weeks. But he built his presidential run around bipartisanship and he has spent the days since Tuesday’s election pledging to be a president for all Americans. That suggests he could be willing to appoint some Republicans to high-profile administration positions.
Many former Republican officeholders broke with Trump to endorse Biden’s campaign. Biden’s selection of some of them to join the new government could appease Senate Republicans, who may have to confirm many of Biden’s choices for top jobs. The GOP could retain control of the chamber after two special elections in Georgia on Jan. 5.
Still, too much across-the-aisle cooperation could draw the ire of progressives. Some already worry that uncooperative Senate Republicans could force Biden to scale back his ambitious campaign promises to expand access to health care and lead a post-pandemic economic recovery that relies on federal investment in green technology and jobs to help combat climate change.
“I think there will be a huge misuse of the word ‘unity’ to imply that we need to water down the ideas that Joe Biden just campaigned on,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. He said the country was more united around bold solutions to big problems than small-scale efforts.
Biden’s efforts at bipartisan reconciliation could still be derailed by Trump’s refusing to concede the race.
Symone Sanders, a Biden campaign senior adviser, said that while several Republican lawmakers have been in contact with the president-elect in recent days, the campaign has yet to hear from White House officials.
“I think the White House has made clear what their strategy is here and that they are going to continue to participate and push forward these flailing and, in many — in many respects, baseless legal strategies,” Sanders said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Trump had a right to pursue recounts and legal challenges. But he noted that those efforts will unlikely change the outcome and he urged the president to dial back his rhetoric.
“I think one has to be careful in the choice of words. I think when you say the election was corrupt or stolen or rigged that that’s unfortunately rhetoric that gets picked up by authoritarians around the world. And I think it also discourages confidence in our democratic process here at home,” Romney said on NBC.
___
Madhani reported from Chicago. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington and Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--The Bogus Fraud Claims Are All About Giving Trump An Off-Ramp, Officials Say

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump has promised legal action in the coming days as he refused to concede his loss to Democrat Joe Biden , making an aggressive pitch for donors to help finance any court fight .
Trump and his campaign have leveled accusations of large-scale voter fraud in Pennsylvania and other states that broke for Biden , so far without proof .
But senior officials , campaign aides and allies told The Associated Press that overwhelming evidence of fraud isn ’ t really the point .
The strategy to wage a legal fight against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other places is more to provide Trump with an off-ramp for a loss he can ’ t quite grasp and less about changing the election ’ s outcome , the officials said .
They spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy .
Trump aides and allies also acknowledged privately the legal fights would — at best — forestall the inevitable , and some had deep reservations about the president ’ s attempts to undermine faith in the vote .
But they said Trump and a core group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of supporters on his side even in defeat .
There has never been a presidential election in memory where such widespread fraud was alleged .
Moments after the AP called the race for Biden , Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani stood in front of campaign banner taped over the garage door of a landscaping company in Philadelphia , wedged between a cremation center and an adult book store , with a handful of poll watchers and declared they ’ d been kept too far away to check for any inaccuracies .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been deprived of the right to inspect ballots , ” he said .
Partisan poll watchers are designated by a political party or campaign to report any concerns they may have .
They are not poll workers who actually tally ballots .
Monitoring polling places and election offices is allowed in most states , but rules vary and there are certain limits to avoid any harassment or intimidation .
They are not allowed to interfere with the conduct of the election and are typically required to register in advance with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the coronavirus that has killed more than 230,000 people across the country , there was litigation in a few states , including Pennsylvania , over where poll watchers could stand to ensure social distancing .
Lawyers could potentially argue the vote tally should be cast aside over fraud observed by poll watchers , but in order to win that argument they ’ d need evidence , not just allegations the monitors weren ’ t allowed to see clearly enough .
Judges are loathe to disenfranchise any voters and there would need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damaged the count so much that it must be set aside .
Democratic poll watchers , who were also given the same access , have not raised concerns .
Giuliani called evidence of fraud circumstantial at the news conference .
He said he ’ d be filing suit in federal court , but the issue has already been before judges .
A federal judge in Philadelphia Thursday night ordered the two sides to work out an agreement on the number of poll watchers and how close they could be to the counting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety of poll workers during the pandemic if poll watchers were allowed to peer over their shoulders .
On Fox News Channel ’ s “ Sunday Morning Futures ” Sunday , Giuliani said two additional lawsuits were in the process of being drafted , in addition to existing litigation in Pennsylvania .
By the end of this week , Giuliani predicted the campaign would have filed “ four or five ” lawsuits , with a total of 10 possible .
Voter fraud is extremely rare , and when it does happen , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not change the outcome of the election .
Typically , it involves someone wanting to honor the wishes of a loved one who recently died and either knowingly or not commits a crime by filling out that ballot .
Trump campaign officials have also alleged that more than 21,000 had been cast in the name of the dead in Pennsylvania .
The claims stem from a conservative legal group ’ s lawsuit against the Secretary of State , accusing her of wrongly including some 21,000 supposedly dead residents on voter rolls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , John Jones , has said he was doubtful of the claims .
He said the Public Interest Legal Foundation that brought the claims was asking the court to accept that there were dead people on voter rolls , and he asked for proof and questioned why they had waited until the “ eleventh hour ” to file suit .
“ We can not and will not take plaintiff ’ s word for it — in an election where every vote matters , we will not disenfranchise potentially eligible voters based solely upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he wrote in an Oct. 20 ruling .
Even Trump ’ s own administration has pushed back at the claims of widespread voter fraud and illegal voting though it didn ’ t mention Trump was the one making the allegations .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , the federal agency that oversees U.S. election security , also noted local election offices have detection measures that “ make it highly difficult to commit fraud through counterfeit ballots.
” Top election officials in the battleground states of Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat — have all said they see no widespread voting irregularities , no major instances of fraud or illegal activity .
Meanwhile , on a call with supporters Saturday , Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien encouraged them to be ready to continue the fight for Trump , including standing by for rallies and demonstrations .
Other aides outlined what they argued were irregularities in the count .
And Republicans were sticking to the idea that all “ legal ” votes must be counted — the language freighted with a clear implication that Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for which there is no evidence .
It ’ s was precarious balance for Trump ’ s allies as they try to be supportive of the president — and avoid risking further fallout — but face the reality of the vote count .
According to one Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation , Republicans on Capitol Hill were giving Trump the space to consider all legal options , and allowing the process to play out .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet made any public statements — neither congratulating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the results .
“ I ’ m not sure his position would have changed from yesterday — count all the votes , adjudicate all the claims , ” said Scott Jennings , a Republican strategist in Kentucky allied with McConnell .
“ My sense is there ’ s won ’ t be any tolerance for beyond what the law allows .
There will be tolerance for what the law allows.
” It was a view being echoed by several other Republicans neither supporting or rejecting the outcome .
“ Nothing that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legal issue that could succeed .
There is just is nothing there , ” said Barry Richard , who represented George W. Bush in the 2000 recount in Florida that ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court .
“ When these kind of lawsuits are filed it just breeds contempt for the whole legal system , ” he said .
Associated Press Writers Lisa Mascaro and Meg Kinnard in Columbia , S.C. contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has promised legal action in the coming days as he refused to concede his loss to Democrat Joe Biden, making an aggressive pitch for donors to help finance any court fight.
Trump and his campaign have leveled accusations of large-scale voter fraud in Pennsylvania and other states that broke for Biden, so far without proof.
But senior officials, campaign aides and allies told The Associated Press that overwhelming evidence of fraud isn’t really the point.
The strategy to wage a legal fight against the votes tallied for Biden in Pennsylvania and other places is more to provide Trump with an off-ramp for a loss he can’t quite grasp and less about changing the election’s outcome, the officials said. They spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.
Trump aides and allies also acknowledged privately the legal fights would — at best — forestall the inevitable, and some had deep reservations about the president’s attempts to undermine faith in the vote. But they said Trump and a core group of loyalists were aiming to keep his base of supporters on his side even in defeat.
There has never been a presidential election in memory where such widespread fraud was alleged.
Moments after the AP called the race for Biden, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani stood in front of campaign banner taped over the garage door of a landscaping company in Philadelphia, wedged between a cremation center and an adult book store, with a handful of poll watchers and declared they’d been kept too far away to check for any inaccuracies.
“We have no way of knowing, because we’ve been deprived of the right to inspect ballots,” he said.
Partisan poll watchers are designated by a political party or campaign to report any concerns they may have. They are not poll workers who actually tally ballots. Monitoring polling places and election offices is allowed in most states, but rules vary and there are certain limits to avoid any harassment or intimidation. They are not allowed to interfere with the conduct of the election and are typically required to register in advance with the local election office.
This year, because of the coronavirus that has killed more than 230,000 people across the country, there was litigation in a few states, including Pennsylvania, over where poll watchers could stand to ensure social distancing.
Lawyers could potentially argue the vote tally should be cast aside over fraud observed by poll watchers, but in order to win that argument they’d need evidence, not just allegations the monitors weren’t allowed to see clearly enough. Judges are loathe to disenfranchise any voters and there would need to be substantial proof that fraud had damaged the count so much that it must be set aside.
Democratic poll watchers, who were also given the same access, have not raised concerns. Giuliani called evidence of fraud circumstantial at the news conference. He said he’d be filing suit in federal court, but the issue has already been before judges.
A federal judge in Philadelphia Thursday night ordered the two sides to work out an agreement on the number of poll watchers and how close they could be to the counting. The judge also voiced concerns about the safety of poll workers during the pandemic if poll watchers were allowed to peer over their shoulders.
On Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” Sunday, Giuliani said two additional lawsuits were in the process of being drafted, in addition to existing litigation in Pennsylvania.
By the end of this week, Giuliani predicted the campaign would have filed “four or five” lawsuits, with a total of 10 possible.
Voter fraud is extremely rare, and when it does happen, people are generally caught and prosecuted and it does not change the outcome of the election. Typically, it involves someone wanting to honor the wishes of a loved one who recently died and either knowingly or not commits a crime by filling out that ballot.
Trump campaign officials have also alleged that more than 21,000 had been cast in the name of the dead in Pennsylvania. The claims stem from a conservative legal group’s lawsuit against the Secretary of State, accusing her of wrongly including some 21,000 supposedly dead residents on voter rolls.
The federal judge who has the case, John Jones, has said he was doubtful of the claims. He said the Public Interest Legal Foundation that brought the claims was asking the court to accept that there were dead people on voter rolls, and he asked for proof and questioned why they had waited until the “eleventh hour” to file suit.
“We cannot and will not take plaintiff’s word for it — in an election where every vote matters, we will not disenfranchise potentially eligible voters based solely upon the allegations of a private foundation,” he wrote in an Oct. 20 ruling.
Even Trump’s own administration has pushed back at the claims of widespread voter fraud and illegal voting though it didn’t mention Trump was the one making the allegations. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the federal agency that oversees U.S. election security, also noted local election offices have detection measures that “make it highly difficult to commit fraud through counterfeit ballots.”
Top election officials in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada — both Republican and Democrat — have all said they see no widespread voting irregularities, no major instances of fraud or illegal activity.
Meanwhile, on a call with supporters Saturday, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien encouraged them to be ready to continue the fight for Trump, including standing by for rallies and demonstrations. Other aides outlined what they argued were irregularities in the count.
And Republicans were sticking to the idea that all “legal” votes must be counted — the language freighted with a clear implication that Democrats want illegal votes counted, a claim for which there is no evidence.
It’s was precarious balance for Trump’s allies as they try to be supportive of the president — and avoid risking further fallout — but face the reality of the vote count.
According to one Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation, Republicans on Capitol Hill were giving Trump the space to consider all legal options, and allowing the process to play out.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet made any public statements — neither congratulating Biden nor joining Trump’s complaints about the results.
“I’m not sure his position would have changed from yesterday — count all the votes, adjudicate all the claims,” said Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist in Kentucky allied with McConnell. “My sense is there’s won’t be any tolerance for beyond what the law allows. There will be tolerance for what the law allows.”
It was a view being echoed by several other Republicans neither supporting or rejecting the outcome.
“Nothing that I’ve seen regarding the election raises a legal issue that could succeed. There is just is nothing there,” said Barry Richard, who represented George W. Bush in the 2000 recount in Florida that ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court. “When these kind of lawsuits are filed it just breeds contempt for the whole legal system,” he said.
___
Associated Press Writers Lisa Mascaro and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C. contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--Without Evidence To Back Them Up, Trump Allies Egg On Claims Of Widespread Fraud

Several prominent Republicans put their names behind President Donald Trump ’ s ridiculous claims of widespread voter fraud on Sunday , egging on the President ’ s effort to reject the election ’ s results and undermine confidence in the democratic process .
“ People have signed legal documents , affidavits , stating that they saw illegal activities !
” Gov .
Kristi Noem ( R ) of South Dakota told ABC News ’ George Stephanopoulos , as if that was itself evidence of wrongdoing .
On Fox News , speaking to Maria Bartiromo , Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to present evidence of widespread fraud… just not yet .
“ It takes a while to collect 2,000 affidavits , ” Giuliani said .
The messages of support came a day after several networks projected that Biden had won the election — and after Trump released a statement through his campaign promising yet more legal action against elections officials and states .
“ We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner , and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him : they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposed , ” he said .
But the evidence presented by Republicans has , at this point , become a standard set of weak talking points : Observers weren ’ t allowed to watch the ballot-counting process in Pennsylvania closely enough , they say .
And a counting error in one Michigan county mistakenly awarded Trump votes to Biden .
( The mistake was quickly corrected , state and local officials point out , and would have been discovered during the canvassing process even without an uproar of bad faith allegations . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking later on Bartiromo ’ s show Sunday , said Republicans had established without a doubt that a handful of dead people had voted in Pennsylvania ( though he didn ’ t share the evidence that made him so sure ) .
“ There ’ s so much to be looked at , and I ’ m hellbent on looking at it , ” he said .
Graham eventually got to what he said was an unavoidable political truth about mail-in voting , which exploded in popularity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view , mail in balloting is a nightmare for us , ” he said .
Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) , speaking after the South Carolinian , didn ’ t spend as much effort trying to back up the Trump campaign on its country-spanning , evidence-free allegations of fraud .
But he , like his colleagues , was convinced that Joe Biden hadn ’ t earned the presidential call just yet .
“ You know , one of the frustrating things , just as an American watching this , is you hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on and it ’ s hard to know what the facts are , it ’ s hard to know what the truth is , ” Cruz said .
“ Well , we have a process for ascertaining the truth , which is that you can go and present evidence and test it in a court of law.
” The Texan offered Trump dead-enders a ray of hope : “ Historically , mail-in votes are much more likely to be disqualified in a recount than in-person votes .
”

Several prominent Republicans put their names behind President Donald Trump’s ridiculous claims of widespread voter fraud on Sunday, egging on the President’s effort to reject the election’s results and undermine confidence in the democratic process.
“People have signed legal documents, affidavits, stating that they saw illegal activities!” Gov. Kristi Noem (R) of South Dakota told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, as if that was itself evidence of wrongdoing.
On Fox News, speaking to Maria Bartiromo, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said that, sure, he was prepared to present evidence of widespread fraud… just not yet.
“It takes a while to collect 2,000 affidavits,” Giuliani said.
The messages of support came a day after several networks projected that Biden had won the election — and after Trump released a statement through his campaign promising yet more legal action against elections officials and states. “We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed,” he said.
But the evidence presented by Republicans has, at this point, become a standard set of weak talking points: Observers weren’t allowed to watch the ballot-counting process in Pennsylvania closely enough, they say. And a counting error in one Michigan county mistakenly awarded Trump votes to Biden. (The mistake was quickly corrected, state and local officials point out, and would have been discovered during the canvassing process even without an uproar of bad faith allegations.)
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), speaking later on Bartiromo’s show Sunday, said Republicans had established without a doubt that a handful of dead people had voted in Pennsylvania (though he didn’t share the evidence that made him so sure).
“There’s so much to be looked at, and I’m hellbent on looking at it,” he said.
Graham eventually got to what he said was an unavoidable political truth about mail-in voting, which exploded in popularity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: “From a Republican point of view, mail in balloting is a nightmare for us,” he said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), speaking after the South Carolinian, didn’t spend as much effort trying to back up the Trump campaign on its country-spanning, evidence-free allegations of fraud. But he, like his colleagues, was convinced that Joe Biden hadn’t earned the presidential call just yet.
“You know, one of the frustrating things, just as an American watching this, is you hear all these allegations of what’s going on and it’s hard to know what the facts are, it’s hard to know what the truth is,” Cruz said. “Well, we have a process for ascertaining the truth, which is that you can go and present evidence and test it in a court of law.”
The Texan offered Trump dead-enders a ray of hope: “Historically, mail-in votes are much more likely to be disqualified in a recount than in-person votes.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--Some GOPers Gently Suggest That Trump  Should Finally Prepare To Concede

Some Republicans arrived on television Sunday morning to request that President Trump finally concede his loss to President-elect Joe Biden , a day after the former VP ’ s return to the White House was projected by news organizations and Biden delivered a victory speech that spoke to a divided nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Former New Jersey governor — and friend to Trump — Chris Christie , Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) , Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R-AK ) and Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan ( R ) were among those who gently spoke out against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s speech .
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill , meanwhile , have yet to weigh in on Trump ’ s obstinance , and some continue to egg on the President as he makes baseless allegations that Democrats are conspiring to “ STEAL ” the election .
During a roundtable on ABC News , former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie ( R ) — who assisted President Trump in preparing for his disastrous first presidential debate against Biden — was asked whether Republicans are ready to work with Biden given how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol Hill have yet to congratulate the President-elect on his victory .
Christie replied that it ’ s going to be “ issue by issue ” when it comes to “ whether Republicans work with Democrats and vice versa , ” before agreeing that GOPers can start by acknowledging Biden ’ s victory .
The former New Jersey governor said that he believes “ there ’ s lots of Republicans trying to feel their way around ” Trump ’ s refusal to concede .
“ That ’ s why to me I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say to the President : if your basis for not conceding is that there was voter fraud , then show us .
Show us !
” Christie said .
“ Because if you can ’ t show us , we can ’ t do this .
We can ’ t back you blindly without evidence.
” Christie added that he hopes that Republicans won ’ t exactly turn their backs on the President , who he said he ’ s been friends with for 20 years , but that they ’ ll “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ friendship doesn ’ t mean that you ’ re blind.
” “ Friendship means that you will listen to somebody , give them their opportunity and if they don ’ t come forward with the proof , then it ’ s time to move on , ” Christie said .
Romney went a step beyond his Saturday acknowledgement that Biden won the presidential election by telling CNN on Sunday that it ’ s simply not President Trump ’ s nature to accept defeat , or , even , accept “ truth.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change the nature of President Trump in these last days , apparently , of his presidency , ” Romney told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper .
“ He is who he is .
He has a relatively relaxed relationship with the truth.
” Romney argued that Trump will “ keep on fighting until the very end , ” but that he ’ s “ convinced that once all remedies have been exhausted , if those are exhausted in a way that ’ s not favorable to him , he will accept the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not expect Trump “ to go quietly in the night ” because “ that ’ s not how he operates.
” The Utah senator added that Trump ’ s baseless claims that the election was stolen from him are “ destructive to the cause of democracy.
” After quoting the musical “ Hamilton ” by saying “ history has its eyes on you ” — referring to Republican-elected officials who haven ’ t pushed back on Trump ’ s unfounded claims of widespread fraud in the election process — Romney argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice to not accept the election ’ s results .
“ You don ’ t have to remove him from office , ” Romney said .
“ If he does not win on a legitimate basis , why then , he ceases to be president when Joe Biden is sworn in , it ’ s as simple as that.
” Romney echoed his sentiment during an interview on MSNBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” that also aired on Sunday , when he said that Trump is “ without question the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ will have an enormous impact on our party going forward.
” “ I believe the great majority of people who voted for Donald Trump want to make sure that his principles and his policies are pursued , ” Romney said on MSNBC .
“ So yeah , he ’ s not disappearing by any means .
He ’ s the 900-pound gorilla when it comes to the Republican Party.
” On Saturday night , following Biden ’ s victory speech , Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R-AK ) congratulated the President-elect in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still being counted in her state .
“ While we may not always agree , I will work with them to do what is right for Alaska — just as I will continue to emphasize collaboration and bipartisanship with my colleagues in a narrowly divided Senate , ” Murkowski wrote late Saturday .
Murkowski , without mentioning Trump , wrote that honoring voters ’ choice “ has always defined us and is the source of our exceptionalism.
” “ We must uphold that legacy , focus on bridging our divisions , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hogan — who ’ s known as a prominent critic of Trump and wrote in former President Ronald Reagan on his ballot in the 2020 presidential election — told CNN on Sunday that “ whether you like it or not , it ’ s time to get behind the winner , ” a day after Biden declared victory .
After saying that “ there are legal processes if you think there are mistakes , ” Hogan doubted that “ we ’ re going to see anything that ’ s going to overturn this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our system works , ” Hogan said .
“ Whether you like it or not , it ’ s time to get behind the winner of the race ” Asked whether Trump should concede , Hogan said Trump “ ought to at least acknowledge that he will ” concede , but that it might “ take a few more days ” since ballot-counting in three states is still happening .
“ But at some point , I think very soon , the narrative may change , ” Hogan said .
“ More and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results , and a number of people also did congratulate the president-elect .
And hopefully the president ’ s team will do the right thing in the end .
”

Some Republicans arrived on television Sunday morning to request that President Trump finally concede his loss to President-elect Joe Biden, a day after the former VP’s return to the White House was projected by news organizations and Biden delivered a victory speech that spoke to a divided nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former New Jersey governor — and friend to Trump — Chris Christie, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) were among those who gently spoke out against the President’s refusal to concede following Biden’s speech.
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, have yet to weigh in on Trump’s obstinance, and some continue to egg on the President as he makes baseless allegations that Democrats are conspiring to “STEAL” the election.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)
During a roundtable on ABC News, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) — who assisted President Trump in preparing for his disastrous first presidential debate against Biden — was asked whether Republicans are ready to work with Biden given how Trump and the majority of GOPers on Capitol Hill have yet to congratulate the President-elect on his victory.
Christie replied that it’s going to be “issue by issue” when it comes to “whether Republicans work with Democrats and vice versa,” before agreeing that GOPers can start by acknowledging Biden’s victory.
The former New Jersey governor said that he believes “there’s lots of Republicans trying to feel their way around” Trump’s refusal to concede.
“That’s why to me I think it was so important early on to say to the President: if your basis for not conceding is that there was voter fraud, then show us. Show us!” Christie said. “Because if you can’t show us, we can’t do this. We can’t back you blindly without evidence.”
Christie added that he hopes that Republicans won’t exactly turn their backs on the President, who he said he’s been friends with for 20 years, but that they’ll “move in the direction” of saying that “friendship doesn’t mean that you’re blind.”
“Friendship means that you will listen to somebody, give them their opportunity and if they don’t come forward with the proof, then it’s time to move on,” Christie said.
Chris Christie says he's been friends with Trump for years, "but friendship doesn’t mean that you’re blind. (It) means that you will listen to somebody, give them their opportunity and if they don’t come forward with the proof, then it’s time to move on.” https://t.co/sPlwnHbr7y pic.twitter.com/jzYepmVIFr — ABC News (@ABC) November 8, 2020
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)
Romney went a step beyond his Saturday acknowledgement that Biden won the presidential election by telling CNN on Sunday that it’s simply not President Trump’s nature to accept defeat, or, even, accept “truth.”
“You’re not going to change the nature of President Trump in these last days, apparently, of his presidency,” Romney told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “He is who he is. He has a relatively relaxed relationship with the truth.”
Romney argued that Trump will “keep on fighting until the very end,” but that he’s “convinced that once all remedies have been exhausted, if those are exhausted in a way that’s not favorable to him, he will accept the inevitable.”
However, Romney said he does not expect Trump “to go quietly in the night” because “that’s not how he operates.” The Utah senator added that Trump’s baseless claims that the election was stolen from him are “destructive to the cause of democracy.”
After quoting the musical “Hamilton” by saying “history has its eyes on you” — referring to Republican-elected officials who haven’t pushed back on Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread fraud in the election process — Romney argued that the President won’t have a choice to not accept the election’s results.
“You don’t have to remove him from office,” Romney said. “If he does not win on a legitimate basis, why then, he ceases to be president when Joe Biden is sworn in, it’s as simple as that.”
Sen. Mitt Romney on Pres. Trump's unfounded election fraud claims: "He has a relatively relaxed relationship with the truth. … I'm convinced that once all remedies have been exhausted, if those are exhausted in a way that's not favorable to him, he will accept the inevitable" pic.twitter.com/waICSUpiKD — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) November 8, 2020
Romney echoed his sentiment during an interview on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” that also aired on Sunday, when he said that Trump is “without question the most powerful voice” in the Republican Party and “will have an enormous impact on our party going forward.”
“I believe the great majority of people who voted for Donald Trump want to make sure that his principles and his policies are pursued,” Romney said on MSNBC. “So yeah, he’s not disappearing by any means. He’s the 900-pound gorilla when it comes to the Republican Party.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
On Saturday night, following Biden’s victory speech, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) congratulated the President-elect in a statement that also acknowledged that ballots are still being counted in her state.
“While we may not always agree, I will work with them to do what is right for Alaska — just as I will continue to emphasize collaboration and bipartisanship with my colleagues in a narrowly divided Senate,” Murkowski wrote late Saturday.
Murkowski, without mentioning Trump, wrote that honoring voters’ choice “has always defined us and is the source of our exceptionalism.”
“We must uphold that legacy, focus on bridging our divisions, and meet our challenges together as Americans.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R)
Hogan — who’s known as a prominent critic of Trump and wrote in former President Ronald Reagan on his ballot in the 2020 presidential election — told CNN on Sunday that “whether you like it or not, it’s time to get behind the winner,” a day after Biden declared victory.
After saying that “there are legal processes if you think there are mistakes,” Hogan doubted that “we’re going to see anything that’s going to overturn this election.”
“This is the way our system works,” Hogan said. “Whether you like it or not, it’s time to get behind the winner of the race”
Asked whether Trump should concede, Hogan said Trump “ought to at least acknowledge that he will” concede, but that it might “take a few more days” since ballot-counting in three states is still happening.
“But at some point, I think very soon, the narrative may change,” Hogan said. “More and more people in my party are accepting the results, and a number of people also did congratulate the president-elect. And hopefully the president’s team will do the right thing in the end.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--Trump Lost But, In Much Of The Country, Trumpism Did Not

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump lost .
But Trumpism did not .
It won in the parts of the country and with the voters whom Trump catered to over four years , constantly jabbing the hard edges of almost every contentious cultural issue into Red America , on the bet that fear and anger were a winning hand .
It almost was .
Joe Biden defeated Trump to win the presidency , and is on pace to win up to 306 electoral votes , a total that would match what Trump exaggerated as a “ landslide ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election year , such a victory would mean Biden would have carried other Democrats along with him .
Instead , several promising Democratic Senate and House candidates , including incumbents , lost .
For Trump , the situation was the inverse .
His popularity among his base voters helped protect incumbent Republicans but was not enough to save him .
He won more votes for president than any other candidate .
Except Biden .
The rejection of Trump was personal .
The election did little to suggest that the country was suddenly less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas where he already had a core of support , in rural and small-town America .
Biden did the same , only more , in urban and suburban America while also holding down Trump margins in some rural areas .
The outcome didn ’ t change the fact that much of the country is still speaking two different political languages .
“ This defied everyone ’ s expectations .
Everyone said if Joe Biden wins , Democrats win the Senate .
If Trump wins , Republicans win the Senate , ” said Rahm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chief of staff to President Barack Obama .
“ That ’ s not what happened .
Clearly there was an undertow .
“ Life is not binary , ” Emanuel said .
“ It ’ s more complicated .
Florida , a state that voted for Trump , voted for the minimum wage .
Illinois , a state that voted for Biden , voted down a progressive income tax .
California , cobalt blue , voted against affirmative action in the place of employment.
” Emanuel said that Democrats may have erred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would rebuild the economy while also gaining control over the virus and in not batting back Republican efforts to label them socialists .
“ Trump played to people ’ s fatigue about COVID , ” he said .
“ If we had brought the same sense of urgency to getting the economy moving as we did getting COVID under control , it might have been different.
” Instead , some Democrats were advocating for expanding the Supreme Court and ending the filibuster in the Senate , proposals that might have prompted fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s clear there was more voter frustration with Trump than with the ideology of the Republican Party , ” said Mike Murphy , a strategist to several Republican presidential campaigns who broke with his party over Trump .
“ Clearly the presidential race was operating in its own world from the congressional race.
” Since Trump campaigned largely on friendly turf , he also helped Republican candidates in those areas .
“ Trump lifted Republican candidates by vastly boosting turnout in areas of Republican strength , ” said David Axelrod , former senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and districts that favor Republicans , they ran up the score.
” Many voters offered a consistent refrain about Trump : They liked his policies but could not abide his anger-fueled personality , his constant use of Twitter as a weapon , and the way he ridiculed anyone who dared disagree with him .
Biden ’ s call for a return to decency , and his appeal to be a president for all Americans and not just the base of his party , was an important part of his formula .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s persistently low approval ratings , was also a testament to the inherent power of an incumbent seeking reelection .
There ’ s a reason only three elected incumbents before Trump had lost in nearly a century .
When an incumbent loses , the challenger ’ s party often gains .
In 1980 , when Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter , Republicans took 12 Senate seats from Democrats .
In 1992 , Bill Clinton ’ s victory over President George H.W .
Bush also came with three Democratic Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D. Roosevelt defeated President Herbert Hoover in 1932 , Democrats gained nearly 100 House seats and a dozen in the Senate , giving Roosevelt the muscular majorities he needed to pass sweeping New Deal legislation .
But no president in recent memory had maintained such iron-grip allegiance from his own party as Trump , with only a handful of Republicans in Congress ever willing to cross him , fearing that they were always one presidential tweet away from a primary challenge .
They stuck with him during his impeachment , when only Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convict him , and Trump ostracized him .
And several were sticking with him even in defeat , offering up unproven allegations of voter fraud .
Some voters liked Trump ’ s tough talk on trade and getting other nations to pay more for common defense .
They gave him credit , right or wrong , for an economy that was buoyant before the pandemic struck .
And Trump played to Americans ’ fatigue from all the restrictions imposed because of the virus by saying the warnings of his own administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , there was a collective limit to how much more of Trump ’ s always-in-your-face presidency they were willing to take .
Not enough , though , to deliver Biden a majority in the Senate , at least not until the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia in January .
But some Democrats also noted that they held most seats in swing states , and that Biden won in some competitive districts .
“ There are also many districts that Biden flipped from 2016 , like my district , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said her margin of victory over the same opponent more than doubled from 2018 .
“ The bottom line on Republicans winning in traditionally Republican-held seats was their unprecedented turnout , ” Luria said .
“ Trump was not able to capitalize on that turnout himself , because his actions and rhetoric over the last four years made him unpalatable to the majority of Americans.
” Biden clearly was seen as both a necessary and acceptable alternative .
He had no pithy slogan like “ Hope and Change ” when he was Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather , he tapped into a national desire to stop the noise , to turn the page from a period so marked by rage and hate inspired from the White House itself .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lost. But Trumpism did not.
It won in the parts of the country and with the voters whom Trump catered to over four years, constantly jabbing the hard edges of almost every contentious cultural issue into Red America, on the bet that fear and anger were a winning hand. It almost was.
Joe Biden defeated Trump to win the presidency, and is on pace to win up to 306 electoral votes, a total that would match what Trump exaggerated as a “landslide” four years ago. In a typical election year, such a victory would mean Biden would have carried other Democrats along with him. Instead, several promising Democratic Senate and House candidates, including incumbents, lost.
For Trump, the situation was the inverse. His popularity among his base voters helped protect incumbent Republicans but was not enough to save him. He won more votes for president than any other candidate. Except Biden. The rejection of Trump was personal.
The election did little to suggest that the country was suddenly less polarized. Trump wrung out votes from areas where he already had a core of support, in rural and small-town America. Biden did the same, only more, in urban and suburban America while also holding down Trump margins in some rural areas. The outcome didn’t change the fact that much of the country is still speaking two different political languages.
“This defied everyone’s expectations. Everyone said if Joe Biden wins, Democrats win the Senate. If Trump wins, Republicans win the Senate,” said Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff to President Barack Obama. “That’s not what happened. Clearly there was an undertow.
“Life is not binary,” Emanuel said. “It’s more complicated. Florida, a state that voted for Trump, voted for the minimum wage. Illinois, a state that voted for Biden, voted down a progressive income tax. California, cobalt blue, voted against affirmative action in the place of employment.”
Emanuel said that Democrats may have erred in not offering clearer plans about how they would rebuild the economy while also gaining control over the virus and in not batting back Republican efforts to label them socialists.
“Trump played to people’s fatigue about COVID,” he said. “If we had brought the same sense of urgency to getting the economy moving as we did getting COVID under control, it might have been different.”
Instead, some Democrats were advocating for expanding the Supreme Court and ending the filibuster in the Senate, proposals that might have prompted fear about one-party control.
“It’s clear there was more voter frustration with Trump than with the ideology of the Republican Party,” said Mike Murphy, a strategist to several Republican presidential campaigns who broke with his party over Trump. “Clearly the presidential race was operating in its own world from the congressional race.”
Since Trump campaigned largely on friendly turf, he also helped Republican candidates in those areas.
“Trump lifted Republican candidates by vastly boosting turnout in areas of Republican strength,” said David Axelrod, former senior adviser Obama. “In the states and districts that favor Republicans, they ran up the score.”
Many voters offered a consistent refrain about Trump: They liked his policies but could not abide his anger-fueled personality, his constant use of Twitter as a weapon, and the way he ridiculed anyone who dared disagree with him.
Biden’s call for a return to decency, and his appeal to be a president for all Americans and not just the base of his party, was an important part of his formula.
But the closeness of the race, even with the president’s persistently low approval ratings, was also a testament to the inherent power of an incumbent seeking reelection. There’s a reason only three elected incumbents before Trump had lost in nearly a century.
When an incumbent loses, the challenger’s party often gains. In 1980, when Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter, Republicans took 12 Senate seats from Democrats. In 1992, Bill Clinton’s victory over President George H.W. Bush also came with three Democratic Senate victories over incumbent Republicans. When Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated President Herbert Hoover in 1932, Democrats gained nearly 100 House seats and a dozen in the Senate, giving Roosevelt the muscular majorities he needed to pass sweeping New Deal legislation.
But no president in recent memory had maintained such iron-grip allegiance from his own party as Trump, with only a handful of Republicans in Congress ever willing to cross him, fearing that they were always one presidential tweet away from a primary challenge. They stuck with him during his impeachment, when only Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, voted to convict him, and Trump ostracized him. And several were sticking with him even in defeat, offering up unproven allegations of voter fraud.
Some voters liked Trump’s tough talk on trade and getting other nations to pay more for common defense. They gave him credit, right or wrong, for an economy that was buoyant before the pandemic struck. And Trump played to Americans’ fatigue from all the restrictions imposed because of the virus by saying the warnings of his own administration’s top public health officials were overblown.
Still, there was a collective limit to how much more of Trump’s always-in-your-face presidency they were willing to take.
Not enough, though, to deliver Biden a majority in the Senate, at least not until the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia in January.
But some Democrats also noted that they held most seats in swing states, and that Biden won in some competitive districts. “There are also many districts that Biden flipped from 2016, like my district,” said Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia. She said her margin of victory over the same opponent more than doubled from 2018.
“The bottom line on Republicans winning in traditionally Republican-held seats was their unprecedented turnout,” Luria said. “Trump was not able to capitalize on that turnout himself, because his actions and rhetoric over the last four years made him unpalatable to the majority of Americans.”
Biden clearly was seen as both a necessary and acceptable alternative. He had no pithy slogan like “Hope and Change” when he was Obama’s running mate in 2008. Rather, he tapped into a national desire to stop the noise, to turn the page from a period so marked by rage and hate inspired from the White House itself.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-08--Trump Might Not Ever Formally Concede; Instead, May Grudgingly Vacate White House

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump never admits defeat .
But he faces a stark choice now that Democrat Joe Biden has won the White House : Concede graciously for the sake of the nation or don ’ t — and get evicted anyway .
After nearly four tortured days of counting yielded a victory for Biden on Saturday , Trump was still insisting the race was not over .
He threw out baseless allegations of voter fraud , promised a flurry of legal action and fired off all-caps tweets falsely insisting he ’ d “ WON THIS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not expected to ever formally concede , according to people close to him , but is likely to grudgingly vacate the White House at the end of his term .
His ongoing efforts to paint the election as unfair are seen both as an effort to soothe a bruised ego and to show his loyal base of supporters that he is still fighting .
That could be key to keeping them energized for what comes next .
“ He intends to fight , ” Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow said as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headed for defeat .
Would Trump ever concede ?
“ I doubt it , ” said Trump ’ s longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone , whose prison sentence was commuted by Trump in July .
Stone asserted that Biden , as a result , will have “ a cloud over his presidency with half the people in the country believing that he was illegitimately elected.
” Allies suggested that if Trump wants to launch a media empire in coming years , he has an incentive to prolong the drama .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door open to a possible 2024 comeback — he would be only a year older then than Biden is now .
There are many in his inner circle egging him on , including his personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani .
The former New York mayor has been promising to provide the president with evidence of voter fraud but has produced little , including during a press conference he held Saturday in the parking lot of a small Philadelphia landscaping company next to an adult bookstore .
Trump ’ s adult sons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged their father to keep fighting and challenged Republicans to stand with them .
Other political allies and White House officials , however , have pressed Trump to change his tone and commit to a smooth transition .
They ’ ve emphasized to him that history will be a harsh judge of any action he takes that is seen as undermining his successor .
And they have advised him to deliver a speech in the coming week pledging to support the transition .
Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has told others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept the outcome of the race — even if Trump won ’ t come to terms with how it was reached .
At Fox News , where prime-time hosts wield enormous influence over Trump , Laura Ingraham gave voice to the president ’ s belief that the election had been unfair , while also pleading with him to keep his legacy in mind — and preserve his status as a GOP kingmaker — by gracefully leaving office .
“ If and when it ’ s time to accept an unfavorable outcome in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes , President Trump needs to do it with the same grace and composure that he demonstrated at that town hall with Savannah Guthrie , ” she said Thursday .
“ President Trump ’ s legacy will only become more significant if he focuses on moving the country forward.
” This story is based on interviews with more than a dozen Trump aides and allies , many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions .
That the peaceful transfer of power was even in doubt reflected the norm-shattering habits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even in victory never admitted that he had lost the popular vote in 2016 .
Most aides believed the president would take the weekend to decide on a plan , which will most certainly involve more legal action .
But some aides believe the legal skirmishes are more about putting up the appearance of a fight than producing results .
There were some indications Trump was moving in a less contentious direction , even as he continued to angrily complain to aides , reviving old grievances about the Russia investigation that began under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , Trump suggested he would avail himself of every avenue under the law to challenge the election ’ s result .
Allies interpreted it as a begrudging acknowledgement of the likely outcome .
“ We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government , ” Trump said in the statement .
“ I will never give up fighting for you and our nation.
” On Saturday , the White House released a terse statement saying the president “ will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair election ” and that the administration “ is following all statutory requirements.
” Still , there were concerns that Trump ’ s rhetoric would inflame tensions in a nation that was already bitterly divided before the election .
Isolated scuffles were reported near tabulation centers in Philadelphia and Phoenix .
Pro-Trump protesters — some of them openly carrying rifles and handguns — rallied outside tallying facilities in a few cities around the country Friday , responding to Trump ’ s groundless accusations that the Democrats were trying to steal the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican National Committee have bombarded supporters with impassioned pleas for cash , raking in tens of millions of dollars since Tuesday , according to people familiar with the matter .
Some of the money was earmarked to retire campaign debt , but the rest could be used to keep up an aggressive public campaign to continue to undermine faith in the election outcome .
The Biden campaign made clear its patience had limits .
“ As we said on July 19 , the American people will decide this election , ” Biden spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.
” Trump , whose voluminous Twitter account seems to provide an apt entry for any occasion , offered this advice in 2016 : “ Vladimir Putin said today about Hillary and Dems : “ In my opinion , it is humiliating .
One must be able to lose with dignity , ” So true !
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump never admits defeat. But he faces a stark choice now that Democrat Joe Biden has won the White House: Concede graciously for the sake of the nation or don’t — and get evicted anyway.
After nearly four tortured days of counting yielded a victory for Biden on Saturday, Trump was still insisting the race was not over. He threw out baseless allegations of voter fraud, promised a flurry of legal action and fired off all-caps tweets falsely insisting he’d “WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT.”
Trump is not expected to ever formally concede, according to people close to him, but is likely to grudgingly vacate the White House at the end of his term. His ongoing efforts to paint the election as unfair are seen both as an effort to soothe a bruised ego and to show his loyal base of supporters that he is still fighting. That could be key to keeping them energized for what comes next.
“He intends to fight,” Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow said as it was becoming clear that the president was headed for defeat.
Would Trump ever concede? “I doubt it,” said Trump’s longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone, whose prison sentence was commuted by Trump in July. Stone asserted that Biden, as a result, will have “a cloud over his presidency with half the people in the country believing that he was illegitimately elected.”
Allies suggested that if Trump wants to launch a media empire in coming years, he has an incentive to prolong the drama. So, too, if he intends to keep the door open to a possible 2024 comeback — he would be only a year older then than Biden is now.
There are many in his inner circle egging him on, including his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. The former New York mayor has been promising to provide the president with evidence of voter fraud but has produced little, including during a press conference he held Saturday in the parking lot of a small Philadelphia landscaping company next to an adult bookstore.
Trump’s adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, have also urged their father to keep fighting and challenged Republicans to stand with them.
Other political allies and White House officials, however, have pressed Trump to change his tone and commit to a smooth transition. They’ve emphasized to him that history will be a harsh judge of any action he takes that is seen as undermining his successor. And they have advised him to deliver a speech in the coming week pledging to support the transition.
Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has told others that he has urged the president to accept the outcome of the race — even if Trump won’t come to terms with how it was reached.
At Fox News, where prime-time hosts wield enormous influence over Trump, Laura Ingraham gave voice to the president’s belief that the election had been unfair, while also pleading with him to keep his legacy in mind — and preserve his status as a GOP kingmaker — by gracefully leaving office.
“If and when it’s time to accept an unfavorable outcome in this election, and we hope it never comes, President Trump needs to do it with the same grace and composure that he demonstrated at that town hall with Savannah Guthrie,” she said Thursday. “President Trump’s legacy will only become more significant if he focuses on moving the country forward.”
This story is based on interviews with more than a dozen Trump aides and allies, many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.
That the peaceful transfer of power was even in doubt reflected the norm-shattering habits of the now-lame duck president, who even in victory never admitted that he had lost the popular vote in 2016.
Most aides believed the president would take the weekend to decide on a plan, which will most certainly involve more legal action. But some aides believe the legal skirmishes are more about putting up the appearance of a fight than producing results.
There were some indications Trump was moving in a less contentious direction, even as he continued to angrily complain to aides, reviving old grievances about the Russia investigation that began under President Barack Obama,
In a statement Friday, Trump suggested he would avail himself of every avenue under the law to challenge the election’s result. Allies interpreted it as a begrudging acknowledgement of the likely outcome.
“We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government,” Trump said in the statement. “I will never give up fighting for you and our nation.”
On Saturday, the White House released a terse statement saying the president “will accept the results of a free and fair election” and that the administration “is following all statutory requirements.”
Still, there were concerns that Trump’s rhetoric would inflame tensions in a nation that was already bitterly divided before the election. Isolated scuffles were reported near tabulation centers in Philadelphia and Phoenix.
Pro-Trump protesters — some of them openly carrying rifles and handguns — rallied outside tallying facilities in a few cities around the country Friday, responding to Trump’s groundless accusations that the Democrats were trying to steal the White House.
Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee have bombarded supporters with impassioned pleas for cash, raking in tens of millions of dollars since Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter. Some of the money was earmarked to retire campaign debt, but the rest could be used to keep up an aggressive public campaign to continue to undermine faith in the election outcome.
The Biden campaign made clear its patience had limits.
“As we said on July 19, the American people will decide this election,” Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said Friday. “And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
Trump, whose voluminous Twitter account seems to provide an apt entry for any occasion, offered this advice in 2016: “Vladimir Putin said today about Hillary and Dems: “In my opinion, it is humiliating. One must be able to lose with dignity,” So true!”