talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--State Dept. Is Refusing To Convey Messages To Biden From Foreign Leaders

Dozes of messages from foreign leaders await President-elect Joe Biden at the State Department but the Trump administration is refusing to let him access them , CNN reported on Wednesday .
Department officials told CNN that the messages have been arriving at the State Department since the President-elect ’ s victory over the weekend .
But since President Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept he lost , the White House has instructed agency officials not to cooperate with the incoming Biden administration , and Biden has been kept from accessing State Department resources .
In spite of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incoming president , Biden ’ s team has been in contact with foreign governments without the help of State Department and the President-elect has held numerous calls with leaders , including German Prime Minister Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
But a source familiar with the issue told CNN that the Biden team “ would prefer to be using the State Department resources ” in an effort to facilitate the calls more smoothly .
State department officials told CNN that since leaving the White House Biden would have been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone to place a call to a foreign leader — a resource provided to former presidents and vice presidents .
But now , as the President-elect , he is being denied that access to that resource by the Trump administration .
The effort to block Biden from receiving messages at the State Department follows comments from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday when he refused to accept Trump ’ s defeat and called for “ a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.
” According to CNN , foreign leaders appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get in touch with the President-elect by other means , and their teams in some cases have reached out to former Obama-era diplomats for their assistance about sending congratulatory messages to Biden ’ s team .
The efforts by the Trump administration to prevent a smooth transition between administrations , as Trump ’ s GOP allies advance false claims about election fraud and Trump refuses to concede , raises questions about how Biden ’ s team will be briefed to hit the ground running on urgent matters .
Slow transitions in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to national securities that foreign adversaries can seize upon .
Biden made clear that combating COVID-19 will be his first battle as president and on Monday announced a task force of scientists and experts that will be dedicated to the work of combating the virus , but the Trump administration ’ s efforts to ban the incoming administration ’ s access to many of its resources likely hampers those efforts to some degree .

Dozens of messages from foreign leaders await President-elect Joe Biden at the State Department but the Trump administration is refusing to let him access them, CNN reported on Wednesday.
Department officials told CNN that the messages have been arriving at the State Department since the President-elect’s victory over the weekend. But since President Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept he lost, the White House has instructed agency officials not to cooperate with the incoming Biden administration, and Biden has been kept from accessing State Department resources.
In spite of the Trump administration’s efforts to block the incoming president, Biden’s team has been in contact with foreign governments without the help of State Department and the President-elect has held numerous calls with leaders, including German Prime Minister Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
But a source familiar with the issue told CNN that the Biden team “would prefer to be using the State Department resources” in an effort to facilitate the calls more smoothly.
State department officials told CNN that since leaving the White House Biden would have been able access the State Department operations center by phone to place a call to a foreign leader — a resource provided to former presidents and vice presidents. But now, as the President-elect, he is being denied that access to that resource by the Trump administration.
The effort to block Biden from receiving messages at the State Department follows comments from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday when he refused to accept Trump’s defeat and called for “a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”
According to CNN, foreign leaders appear to now realize that they will have to get in touch with the President-elect by other means, and their teams in some cases have reached out to former Obama-era diplomats for their assistance about sending congratulatory messages to Biden’s team.
The efforts by the Trump administration to prevent a smooth transition between administrations, as Trump’s GOP allies advance false claims about election fraud and Trump refuses to concede, raises questions about how Biden’s team will be briefed to hit the ground running on urgent matters.
Slow transitions in the past have also been cited for creating vulnerabilities to national securities that foreign adversaries can seize upon.
Biden made clear that combating COVID-19 will be his first battle as president and on Monday announced a task force of scientists and experts that will be dedicated to the work of combating the virus, but the Trump administration’s efforts to ban the incoming administration’s access to many of its resources likely hampers those efforts to some degree.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Biden Announces Chief Of Staff Pick Amid Trump Admin’s Refusal To Allow Transition

President-elect Joe Biden announced on Wednesday night that he had picked Ron Klain to be his White House chief of staff as the current Trump administration continues to stonewall the Biden team ’ s transition process in President Donald Trump ’ s corrupt refusal to accept his defeat .
Biden praised Klain , who served as his chief of staff back when Biden was vice president and who was also senior adviser to the Democrat ’ s campaign , as someone who “ has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together.
” “ His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again , ” the President-elect said in a statement .
Klain called the appointment an “ honor of a lifetime ” in a statement of his own .
“ I look forward to helping him and the Vice President-elect assemble a talented and diverse team to work in the White House , as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country , ” he said .
Biden ’ s announcement comes in the middle of President Donald Trump ’ s crusade to steal the election by falsely claiming the Democrat ’ s victory was manufactured by mass election fraud , despite Trump nor his legal team being able to prove the President ’ s accusations .
As part of Trump ’ s attacks on the election results , his White House has ordered senior officials not to work with Biden ’ s transition team .

President-elect Joe Biden announced on Wednesday night that he had picked Ron Klain to be his White House chief of staff as the current Trump administration continues to stonewall the Biden team’s transition process in President Donald Trump’s corrupt refusal to accept his defeat.
Biden praised Klain, who served as his chief of staff back when Biden was vice president and who was also senior adviser to the Democrat’s campaign, as someone who “has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together.”
“His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,” the President-elect said in a statement.
Klain called the appointment an “honor of a lifetime” in a statement of his own.
“I look forward to helping him and the Vice President-elect assemble a talented and diverse team to work in the White House, as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change, and seek to heal the divides in our country,” he said.
Biden’s announcement comes in the middle of President Donald Trump’s crusade to steal the election by falsely claiming the Democrat’s victory was manufactured by mass election fraud, despite Trump nor his legal team being able to prove the President’s accusations.
As part of Trump’s attacks on the election results, his White House has ordered senior officials not to work with Biden’s transition team.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Trump’s Adult Children Are Divided On Pushing Their Father To Accept Reality

Trump ’ s adult children are reportedly giving their father , the unrelenting President who continues to wage unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud , conflicting advice on whether he should finally let his guard down and concede his loss to President-elect Joe Biden .
According to CNN on Thursday , a divide has emerged among Trump ’ s adult children in advising their father on his next steps following his election loss to Biden .
The sitting president is still in denial over his election loss as he mounts legal battles based on unfounded election fraud claims .
CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sons , Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump , are egging their father on to stay in the fight , Ivanka Trump — who is the only one among the President ’ s adult children to land a role in the West Wing — is taking a more measured post-election loss approach .
Sources told CNN that Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are contemplating ways that the President can save face as he considers his next steps .
According to CNN , Ivanka Trump and Kushner would prefer the President to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conclusion of Georgia ’ s recount on November 20 .
On the other hand , Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. would prefer to drag it out as long as possible .
A source familiar with the situation told CNN that Ivanka Trump and Kushner are against the belief that legal battles will change the election ’ s outcome , but are nevertheless pushing for a more measured approach to let the President ’ s legal fight and recounts continue .
The President ’ s eldest daughter and her husband reportedly want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing them to appear sensitive to Trump.
” A source told CNN that Ivanka Trump is privately realistic about her father ’ s election loss and has asked the President whether it ’ s worth endangering his and his businesses amid his refusal to concede .
The President ’ s daughter is also mindful that her entire future is tied to her father ’ s , and must be handled delicately .
A source familiar with Trump ’ s thinking told CNN that the President appears to be heeding to his daughter ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not going to win , but he also knows he holds all the cards right now because he knows that he won 72 million votes and founded a movement , ” the source told CNN .
Additionally , the source told CNN that the sitting POTUS believes he was never seen as a legitimate candidate or President .
“ He was investigated and impeached and people tried to destroy him and his family , so why should he rush to concede anything now when Georgia and Arizona still haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling him that they have some legitimate legal recourse in Pennsylvania ?
” the source told CNN .
According to CNN , when Trump eventually comes to terms with his loss to Biden , the soon-to-be former president is being urged to characterize this election as the “ last final act of harassment , ” but that he won ’ t abandon his trove of supporters and will make clear this won ’ t be the last they ’ ll hear from him .

Trump’s adult children are reportedly giving their father, the unrelenting President who continues to wage unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud, conflicting advice on whether he should finally let his guard down and concede his loss to President-elect Joe Biden.
According to CNN on Thursday, a divide has emerged among Trump’s adult children in advising their father on his next steps following his election loss to Biden. The sitting president is still in denial over his election loss as he mounts legal battles based on unfounded election fraud claims.
CNN reported that while Trump’s adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, are egging their father on to stay in the fight, Ivanka Trump — who is the only one among the President’s adult children to land a role in the West Wing — is taking a more measured post-election loss approach.
Sources told CNN that Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are contemplating ways that the President can save face as he considers his next steps.
According to CNN, Ivanka Trump and Kushner would prefer the President to concede as early as next week following the conclusion of Georgia’s recount on November 20. On the other hand, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. would prefer to drag it out as long as possible.
A source familiar with the situation told CNN that Ivanka Trump and Kushner are against the belief that legal battles will change the election’s outcome, but are nevertheless pushing for a more measured approach to let the President’s legal fight and recounts continue. The President’s eldest daughter and her husband reportedly want to “ensure future election integrity while allowing them to appear sensitive to Trump.”
A source told CNN that Ivanka Trump is privately realistic about her father’s election loss and has asked the President whether it’s worth endangering his and his businesses amid his refusal to concede. The President’s daughter is also mindful that her entire future is tied to her father’s, and must be handled delicately.
A source familiar with Trump’s thinking told CNN that the President appears to be heeding to his daughter’s advice.
“He knows he’s not going to win, but he also knows he holds all the cards right now because he knows that he won 72 million votes and founded a movement,” the source told CNN.
Additionally, the source told CNN that the sitting POTUS believes he was never seen as a legitimate candidate or President.
“He was investigated and impeached and people tried to destroy him and his family, so why should he rush to concede anything now when Georgia and Arizona still haven’t been called, and some people are telling him that they have some legitimate legal recourse in Pennsylvania?” the source told CNN.
According to CNN, when Trump eventually comes to terms with his loss to Biden, the soon-to-be former president is being urged to characterize this election as the “last final act of harassment,” but that he won’t abandon his trove of supporters and will make clear this won’t be the last they’ll hear from him.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Oldest GOP Rep. Tests Positive For COVID As Outbreak Grows Among Trumpworld

Rep. Don Young ( R-AK ) , a 24-term congressman who recently won re-election and is the oldest member of Congress at 87 , announced Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19 .
Young ’ s announcement also comes amid at least eight Republican National Committee staffers contracting COVID-19 as well , according to the Washington Post on Thursday .
RNC officials told the Post that the staffers were spread out between Washington and some of the RNC ’ s field offices in states like Pennsylvania .
Earlier Thursday , the RNC revealed that Richard Walters , the chief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID .
According to the Post , RNC officials said the committee was contact tracing individual cases , but many staffers are still undergoing testing .
The RNC officials also told the Post that about a dozen White House officials have contracted the virus in the last 10 days .
It became more clear that the most recent COVID-19 outbreak among Trump ’ s inner circle had grown by Thursday with Trump campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski , who ’ s been the face of the President ’ s feeble election fraud lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 .
Lewandowski ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis came on the heels of White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump campaign adviser David Bossie testing positive for the coronavirus as they wage legal battles amid Trump ’ s baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud .
Over the past several days , Trumpworld COVID-19 infections have also included Secretary of Urban Housing and Development Ben Carson and White House Political Director Brian Jack .
Lewandowski , Meadows , Bossie , Carson and Jack attended the White House ’ s party on election @ @

Rep. Don Young (R-AK), a 24-term congressman who recently won re-election and is the oldest member of Congress at 87, announced Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19.
I have tested positive for COVID-19. I am feeling strong, following proper protocols, working from home in Alaska, and ask for privacy at this time. May God Bless Alaska. — Rep. Don Young (@repdonyoung) November 12, 2020
Young’s announcement also comes amid at least eight Republican National Committee staffers contracting COVID-19 as well, according to the Washington Post on Thursday.
RNC officials told the Post that the staffers were spread out between Washington and some of the RNC’s field offices in states like Pennsylvania.
Earlier Thursday, the RNC revealed that Richard Walters, the chief of staff for the party, tested positive for COVID.
According to the Post, RNC officials said the committee was contact tracing individual cases, but many staffers are still undergoing testing.
The RNC officials also told the Post that about a dozen White House officials have contracted the virus in the last 10 days.
It became more clear that the most recent COVID-19 outbreak among Trump’s inner circle had grown by Thursday with Trump campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski, who’s been the face of the President’s feeble election fraud lawsuits in states like Pennsylvania, testing positive for COVID-19.
Lewandowski’s COVID-19 diagnosis came on the heels of White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump campaign adviser David Bossie testing positive for the coronavirus as they wage legal battles amid Trump’s baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud.
Over the past several days, Trumpworld COVID-19 infections have also included Secretary of Urban Housing and Development Ben Carson and White House Political Director Brian Jack.
Lewandowski, Meadows, Bossie, Carson and Jack attended the White House’s party on election night.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Rushed 2000 Transition Hampered Gov. Before 9/11, Former Officials Warn As Trump Delays

As the President Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election , multiple officials from previous administrations have expressed concern about the national security implications of withholding key information from the Biden transition team .
For veterans of past administrations , the situation echoes another , in 2000 , when a contested recount of the presidential race in Florida stalled the official presidential transition until mid-December , when the Supreme Court ruled in George W. Bush ’ s favor .
The 9/11 Commission Report , which was published in 2004 and dissected the months running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist attacks , offered a grave analysis of that delay .
“ The dispute over the election and the 36-day delay cut in half the normal transition period , ” the report found .
“ Given that a presidential election in the United States brings wholesale change in personnel , this loss of time hampered the new administration in identifying , recruiting , clearing , and obtaining Senate confirmation of key appointees.
” In the final days of Bill Clinton ’ s presidency , the administration had been “ seized by the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qaeda and [ Osama ] bin Laden , ” Clinton ’ s chief of staff at the time , John Podesta , said during a recent interview with the “ Transition Lab ” podcast .
But , Podesta said , the shortened transition period interrupted that focus .
“ One of the effects of that truncated period of time was we were unable , I think , to put the focus of their security team really on the threat of bin Laden , ” he said , referring to the Bush transition team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first chief of staff Andrew Card said the report ’ s warnings were ringing in his ears nearly two decades later .
“ The 9/11 Commission had said if there had been a longer transition and there had been cooperation , there might have been a better response , or maybe not even any attack , ” Card told CNBC ’ s Shepard Smith .
“ We ’ ve got a lot of enemies that would love to attack us during this time of uncertainty , ” Card added of 2020 .
Philip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission that produced the report , told TPM Thursday that it speaks for itself .
“ I certainly believe the President and GSA are improperly delaying the transition operations , ” he said .
The Bush administration ’ s subsequent hand-off to Barack Obama in 2008 is now held out as the “ gold standard ” among recent presidential transitions .
That ’ s in part because the task of filling the thousands of political vacancies created by Bush ’ s departure “ took on new urgency after the attacks of Sept. 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidential Transition noted earlier this year .
“ Every day matters in a transition , and every day that ’ s lost is increasingly important ” David Marchick , the center ’ s director , told TPM Thursday .
“ It ’ s deeply in our country ’ s interest to have as many people in their seats as possible on or soon after Jan. 20 , and a stalled transition makes that harder.
” Stacks of national security and diplomatic memos , millions of dollars , government resources and valuable expedited security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the President- and vice-president elect .
But first , a Trump administration official , Government Services Administration head Emily Murphy , must officially “ ascertain ” that Biden has in fact won the presidential election .
But so far , Murphy remains silent , to the increasing confusion and frustration of outside observers .
As the Trump administration reportedly continues to put pressure on political appointees to hold the President ’ s line and ignore reality about the election ’ s results , pressure is mounting on Murphy to open up government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday , four former secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security called on the administration to acknowledge Biden ’ s victory , noting that “ a peaceful transfer of power was defined as essential to national security by the 9/11 Commission.
” And on Thursday , more than 150 former national security officials — including the former heads of the Pentagon and CIA , among others — wrote bluntly to Murphy that delaying the transition further “ poses a serious risk to our national security.
” Citing the 9/11 Commission Report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimize national security disruptions “ carries all the more force amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic.
” “ In this moment of uncertainty , we must put politics aside , ” the former officials concluded .
“ Further delaying the Biden team ’ s ability to access the President ’ s Daily Brief and other national security information and resources compromises the continuity and readiness of our national leadership , with potentially immense consequences for our national security .
”

As the President Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election, multiple officials from previous administrations have expressed concern about the national security implications of withholding key information from the Biden transition team.
For veterans of past administrations, the situation echoes another, in 2000, when a contested recount of the presidential race in Florida stalled the official presidential transition until mid-December, when the Supreme Court ruled in George W. Bush’s favor.
The 9/11 Commission Report, which was published in 2004 and dissected the months running up to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, offered a grave analysis of that delay.
“The dispute over the election and the 36-day delay cut in half the normal transition period,” the report found. “Given that a presidential election in the United States brings wholesale change in personnel, this loss of time hampered the new administration in identifying, recruiting, clearing, and obtaining Senate confirmation of key appointees.”
In the final days of Bill Clinton’s presidency, the administration had been “seized by the threat of what was going on with Al Qaeda and [Osama] bin Laden,” Clinton’s chief of staff at the time, John Podesta, said during a recent interview with the “Transition Lab” podcast.
But, Podesta said, the shortened transition period interrupted that focus.
“One of the effects of that truncated period of time was we were unable, I think, to put the focus of their security team really on the threat of bin Laden,” he said, referring to the Bush transition team.
On Wednesday, Bush’s first chief of staff Andrew Card said the report’s warnings were ringing in his ears nearly two decades later.
“The 9/11 Commission had said if there had been a longer transition and there had been cooperation, there might have been a better response, or maybe not even any attack,” Card told CNBC’s Shepard Smith.
“We’ve got a lot of enemies that would love to attack us during this time of uncertainty,” Card added of 2020.
Philip Zelikow, the executive director of the commission that produced the report, told TPM Thursday that it speaks for itself.
“I certainly believe the President and GSA are improperly delaying the transition operations,” he said.
The Bush administration’s subsequent hand-off to Barack Obama in 2008 is now held out as the “gold standard” among recent presidential transitions. That’s in part because the task of filling the thousands of political vacancies created by Bush’s departure “took on new urgency after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,” the Center for Presidential Transition noted earlier this year.
“Every day matters in a transition, and every day that’s lost is increasingly important” David Marchick, the center’s director, told TPM Thursday.
“It’s deeply in our country’s interest to have as many people in their seats as possible on or soon after Jan. 20, and a stalled transition makes that harder.”
Stacks of national security and diplomatic memos, millions of dollars, government resources and valuable expedited security clearances await the national security officials working with the President- and vice-president elect. But first, a Trump administration official, Government Services Administration head Emily Murphy, must officially “ascertain” that Biden has in fact won the presidential election.
But so far, Murphy remains silent, to the increasing confusion and frustration of outside observers.
As the Trump administration reportedly continues to put pressure on political appointees to hold the President’s line and ignore reality about the election’s results, pressure is mounting on Murphy to open up government resources to Biden’s team.
On Tuesday, four former secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security called on the administration to acknowledge Biden’s victory, noting that “a peaceful transfer of power was defined as essential to national security by the 9/11 Commission.”
And on Thursday, more than 150 former national security officials — including the former heads of the Pentagon and CIA, among others — wrote bluntly to Murphy that delaying the transition further “poses a serious risk to our national security.”
Citing the 9/11 Commission Report, the former officials said its recommendation to minimize national security disruptions “carries all the more force amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic.”
“In this moment of uncertainty, we must put politics aside,” the former officials concluded. “Further delaying the Biden team’s ability to access the President’s Daily Brief and other national security information and resources compromises the continuity and readiness of our national leadership, with potentially immense consequences for our national security.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--SharpieGate Case Judge To Trump Camp: How You’re Collecting Evidence Is Not ‘Trustworthy’

The dubious way that the Trump campaign is collecting “ evidence ” to support its post-election litigation was exposed in a Thursday hearing in its “ SharpieGate ” lawsuit in Arizona .
Before getting into the meat of the dispute , a judge said he was tossing out some of the declarations the campaign had submitted with the lawsuit , which echoes conspiracy theories on the far right about how election workers were handling certain ballots .
The case is one of several that President Trump ’ s campaign and its allies have brought to baselessly sow doubt about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the final certification of Trump ’ s defeat .
This particular lawsuit bootstraps onto a conspiracy theory known as “ SharpieGate ” that caught fire on the internet ’ s far-right corners during the week of the election .
Pro-Trump social media groups circulated false claims that ballots filled out by Sharpie were not being read by Maricopa County ’ s ballot-scanners .
Several high profile people in Trump ’ s inner circle amplified the claims .
Already , a group of conservative activists brought a similar lawsuit that they since dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by election officials .
Thursday ’ s hearing was the latest example of how those claims fall apart once they make contact with the legal system .
Even as the Trump campaign lawsuit avoids some of the more bizarre aspects of the “ SharpieGate ” conspiracy theory , the lawsuit alleges that some voters may have been disenfranchised by how election workers in Maricopa County were handling issues arising from how the tabulators were scanning in ballots .
At the hearing , the Trump campaign ’ s lawyer Kory Langhofer stressed that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred — a contrast to the rhetoric President Trump and his allies have employed .
He said that the case concerned “ good faith errors in operating machine [ s ] .
” “ It is not a fraud case , it is not a ‘ stealing the election ’ case , ” Langhofer said .
“ This is , compared to that , a relatively boring and anodyne case about the proper procedures being followed.
” Regardless , the number of votes that are implicated by the Trump campaign ’ s claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as having an “ over vote , ” or more than one selection for President — are very small .
Only 180 ballots cast in Maricopa County have been identified as presidential over votes , according to election officials , which is well short of the 12,000-vote margin Biden currently claims over Trump in Arizona .
Before the judge got into the merits of the dispute , he grilled the Trump campaign on the major problems in how it was collecting affidavits from voters who supposedly witnessed the tabulator issues .
In arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via an online form — should be included , the Trump campaign ’ s attorney pointed to the CAPTCHA tool they used to filter out bots .
He also said that the campaign excluded affidavits that were obviously spam , as well as those where the declarant didn ’ t match Maricopa County ’ s list of people who voted in-person on Election Day .
( The lawsuit ’ s allegations concern those specific voters . )
The judge said that the campaign ’ s own admission that many people submitted apparently untruthful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , showed that the way the campaign was collecting that evidence wasn ’ t in fact reliable .
“ The fact that your process for obtaining these affidavits yielded affidavits that you yourself found to be false does not support a finding that this process generates reliable evidence , ” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley said .
“ This is concerning.
” As he considered whether to toss out the affidavits in question , Judge Kiley showed increasing skepticism towards how the campaign collected its evidence and what that campaign ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about its reliability .
“ So , some of the affidavits that your solicitation received were from people that you can prove were not in fact voters on Election Day , ” Kiley said .
“ You can prove that those affidavits are in fact false ?
” The Trump campaign insisted that those affidavits weren ’ t necessarily false — maybe they were filed by people who watched their spouses vote that day and observed the tabulator issues — but acknowledged that they had them filtered out of the batch they filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they filtered out those declarants who were deemed obviously fake , because they used a fictitious name or profanity in their email addresses .
“ To clarify … your solicitation of witnesses yielded some affidavits from people — sworn affidavits — that you yourself determined are clearly false and ‘ spam ’ as you put it ?
” the judge said .
After the lawyer confirmed that characterization , the judge then pointed out that the affidavits the campaign did submit were ones that they merely could not prove to be false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the declarations were submitted under punishment perjury , they could be trusted .
But then the judge pointed out that the ones the campaign itself deemed to be fake were submitted under that disclaimer as well .
“ If your process for gathering declarations has yielded sworn statements under oath that your investigation has determined to be false , that doesn ’ t give me any reason to believe that your process is one that generates trustworthy affidavits , ” Kiley said .
“ It simply generated affidavits that you can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not the same as being trustworthy .
”

The dubious way that the Trump campaign is collecting “evidence” to support its post-election litigation was exposed in a Thursday hearing in its “SharpieGate” lawsuit in Arizona.
Before getting into the meat of the dispute, a judge said he was tossing out some of the declarations the campaign had submitted with the lawsuit, which echoes conspiracy theories on the far right about how election workers were handling certain ballots.
The case is one of several that President Trump’s campaign and its allies have brought to baselessly sow doubt about the outcome of the election and to stave off the final certification of Trump’s defeat. This particular lawsuit bootstraps onto a conspiracy theory known as “SharpieGate” that caught fire on the internet’s far-right corners during the week of the election. Pro-Trump social media groups circulated false claims that ballots filled out by Sharpie were not being read by Maricopa County’s ballot-scanners. Several high profile people in Trump’s inner circle amplified the claims. Already, a group of conservative activists brought a similar lawsuit that they since dismissed after the theory had been widely debunked by election officials.
Thursday’s hearing was the latest example of how those claims fall apart once they make contact with the legal system. Even as the Trump campaign lawsuit avoids some of the more bizarre aspects of the “SharpieGate” conspiracy theory, the lawsuit alleges that some voters may have been disenfranchised by how election workers in Maricopa County were handling issues arising from how the tabulators were scanning in ballots.
At the hearing, the Trump campaign’s lawyer Kory Langhofer stressed that they were not claiming any “fraud” occurred — a contrast to the rhetoric President Trump and his allies have employed. He said that the case concerned “good faith errors in operating machine[s].”
“It is not a fraud case, it is not a ‘stealing the election’ case,” Langhofer said. “This is, compared to that, a relatively boring and anodyne case about the proper procedures being followed.”
(The initial iteration of the SharpieGate theory that went viral last week alleged that elections officials had intentionally handed voters Sharpies to effectively nullify their ballots.)
Regardless, the number of votes that are implicated by the Trump campaign’s claims — which zero in on ballots marked as having an “over vote,” or more than one selection for President — are very small. Only 180 ballots cast in Maricopa County have been identified as presidential over votes, according to election officials, which is well short of the 12,000-vote margin Biden currently claims over Trump in Arizona.
Before the judge got into the merits of the dispute, he grilled the Trump campaign on the major problems in how it was collecting affidavits from voters who supposedly witnessed the tabulator issues.
In arguing that the affidavits — which were submitted via an online form — should be included, the Trump campaign’s attorney pointed to the CAPTCHA tool they used to filter out bots. He also said that the campaign excluded affidavits that were obviously spam, as well as those where the declarant didn’t match Maricopa County’s list of people who voted in-person on Election Day. (The lawsuit’s allegations concern those specific voters.)
The judge said that the campaign’s own admission that many people submitted apparently untruthful declarations, supposedly under penalty of perjury, showed that the way the campaign was collecting that evidence wasn’t in fact reliable.
“The fact that your process for obtaining these affidavits yielded affidavits that you yourself found to be false does not support a finding that this process generates reliable evidence,” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Kiley said. “This is concerning.”
As he considered whether to toss out the affidavits in question, Judge Kiley showed increasing skepticism towards how the campaign collected its evidence and what that campaign’s own vetting of that evidence showed about its reliability.
“So, some of the affidavits that your solicitation received were from people that you can prove were not in fact voters on Election Day,” Kiley said. “You can prove that those affidavits are in fact false?”
The Trump campaign insisted that those affidavits weren’t necessarily false — maybe they were filed by people who watched their spouses vote that day and observed the tabulator issues — but acknowledged that they had them filtered out of the batch they filed in court nonetheless. Langhofer also admitted that they filtered out those declarants who were deemed obviously fake, because they used a fictitious name or profanity in their email addresses.
“To clarify … your solicitation of witnesses yielded some affidavits from people — sworn affidavits — that you yourself determined are clearly false and ‘spam’ as you put it?” the judge said.
After the lawyer confirmed that characterization, the judge then pointed out that the affidavits the campaign did submit were ones that they merely could not prove to be false.
Langhofer tried to suggest that because the declarations were submitted under punishment perjury, they could be trusted. But then the judge pointed out that the ones the campaign itself deemed to be fake were submitted under that disclaimer as well.
“If your process for gathering declarations has yielded sworn statements under oath that your investigation has determined to be false, that doesn’t give me any reason to believe that your process is one that generates trustworthy affidavits,” Kiley said. “It simply generated affidavits that you can’t prove are not true. That’s not the same as being trustworthy.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Some GOPers Have Outright Declared Biden President-Elect As Trump Plays Pretend

A small contingent of prominent Republicans have begun publicly acknowledging Joe Biden as President-elect and Kamala Harris as VP-elect even as President Trump still refuses to concede and continues waging widespread and unfounded election fraud claims .
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have yet to weigh in on Trump ’ s refusal to concede , while some continue to egg on the President ’ s bogus voter fraud allegations .
Only a handful of Republicans have come out of the woodwork to gently suggest that Trump finally concede .
While Trump has refused to concede his loss to Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit a major snag .
General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy — a Trump appointee who has sole authority over whether Biden ’ s transition can officially move forward — has not signed the letter of “ ascertainment , ” which would allow the President-elect ’ s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it .
Here are the Republicans who ’ ve outright declared that Biden is the President-elect : Sasse congratulated Biden in an interview the Omaha World-Herald .
“ Today in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and President-Elect Biden , that both would be wise in the execution of their respective duties during this important time in our nation , ” Sasse said .
DeWine clearly acknowledged that Biden won the presidential election during an interview on CNN Thursday .
“ We need to consider the former vice president as the president-elect , ” DeWine said .
“ Joe Biden is the president-elect.
” However , DeWine also told CNN on Thursday morning that Trump has a right to go to court and that as a former prosecutor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ability to have your courts and go in to make your case and they have every right to do that and that looks like what they are trying to do.
” Bush extended his “ warm congratulations ” to Biden in a statement .
Bush said that he spoke to the president-elect and thanked him for his “ patriotic ” victory speech , and had also called Harris to congratulate her on her historic victory .
“ I know Joe Biden to be a good man , who has won his opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Bush said .
“ The president-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat , he will govern for all Americans .
I offered him the same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama : my prayers for his success , and my pledge to help in any way I can.
” Although he has not directly referred to Biden as President-elect , Rogers , who chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the Obama administration , demanded that Biden should begin to receive the President ’ s Daily Brief .
During a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christie — 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s lots of Republicans trying to feel their way around ” Trump ’ s refusal to concede , but suggested that the President finally do so .
“ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

A small contingent of prominent Republicans have begun publicly acknowledging Joe Biden as President-elect and Kamala Harris as VP-elect even as President Trump still refuses to concede and continues waging widespread and unfounded election fraud claims.
Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have yet to weigh in on Trump’s refusal to concede, while some continue to egg on the President’s bogus voter fraud allegations. Only a handful of Republicans have come out of the woodwork to gently suggest that Trump finally concede.
While Trump has refused to concede his loss to Biden, the President-elect’s transition has already hit a major snag.
General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy — a Trump appointee who has sole authority over whether Biden’s transition can officially move forward — has not signed the letter of “ascertainment,” which would allow the President-elect’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it.
Here are the Republicans who’ve outright declared that Biden is the President-elect:
Republican senators
Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead. — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 7, 2020
My statement on the 2020 Presidential election results: pic.twitter.com/8NY1WpaJpC — Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) November 9, 2020
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Sasse congratulated Biden in an interview the Omaha World-Herald.
“Today in our house we pray for both President Trump and President-Elect Biden, that both would be wise in the execution of their respective duties during this important time in our nation,” Sasse said.
House Republicans
We have to find a way to come together, bridge divisions, and focus on solutions that help the millions who are struggling. I am raising my hand and committing to working with President-elect Biden and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress to do exactly that. pic.twitter.com/EXWLWKmBdp — Fred Upton #WearYourMask (@RepFredUpton) November 7, 2020
Congratulations to Pres-elect Biden on a successful campaign. All Americans need to come together to support Pres-elect Biden. Our nation will only be successful if the new admin is. We must work together to enact bipartisan legislation & solve the problems our country faces 1/2 — Francis Rooney (@RepRooney) November 8, 2020
It’s time to come together. America has spoken and we must respect the decision. More unites us than divides us; we can find common ground. I hope the president-elect can embody this. I wish him good luck and I wish the president a successful final few weeks. God bless the USA! — Rep. Will Hurd (@HurdOnTheHill) November 7, 2020
Congratulations to President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris. This election was hard-fought by both candidates and ultimately the voters chose them for the job. America now looks to you to lead our country and unite us for the common good. — Rep. Paul Mitchell (@RepPaulMitchell) November 7, 2020
Sofia and I extend our Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Our nation deserves two competing parties who can work together when possible, and compete honorably when not. — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) November 7, 2020
Republican governors
Congratulations to President-elect Biden. Everyone should want our president to succeed because we need our country to succeed. We have great challenges ahead of us as a country. Now more than ever, we need to come together as Americans. — Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) November 7, 2020
I congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on their victory. This has been a long and divisive campaign, but now it is critical for us all to focus on the very real and immediate challenges facing this nation. — Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) November 7, 2020
My official statement on the presidential election: pic.twitter.com/F6AoS8lfhG — Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) November 7, 2020
Abby and I wish a heart-felt congratulations to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris on the election call today. Thank you for your commitment to unite us all. We pray for you and promise to work with you to benefit the people of Utah. 1/ — Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) November 7, 2020
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R)
DeWine clearly acknowledged that Biden won the presidential election during an interview on CNN Thursday.
“We need to consider the former vice president as the president-elect,” DeWine said. “Joe Biden is the president-elect.”
However, DeWine also told CNN on Thursday morning that Trump has a right to go to court and that as a former prosecutor, he is “a great believer in the ability to have your courts and go in to make your case and they have every right to do that and that looks like what they are trying to do.”
Other prominent Republicans
Congratulations to my dear friend and President-elect @JoeBiden Vice-President-elect @KamalaHarris. Its time to move beyond politics and toward building a stronger america. I know Joe will unify the country toward a better future. — Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) November 7, 2020
Congratulations, President-Elect @JoeBiden I know you will do as you promised and be a president for the whole country. pic.twitter.com/fCrbSldYki — John Kasich (@JohnKasich) November 7, 2020
Congratulations to President-elect Biden. I have prayed for our President most of my adult life. I will be praying for you and your success. Now is the time to heal deep wounds. Many are counting on you to lead the way. — Jeb Bush (@JebBush) November 7, 2020
Former President George W. Bush
Bush extended his “warm congratulations” to Biden in a statement. Bush said that he spoke to the president-elect and thanked him for his “patriotic” victory speech, and had also called Harris to congratulate her on her historic victory.
“I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said. “The president-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans. I offered him the same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama: my prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can.”
Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI)
Although he has not directly referred to Biden as President-elect, Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the Obama administration, demanded that Biden should begin to receive the President’s Daily Brief.
Our adversaries aren't waiting for the transition to take place. @JoeBiden should receive the President's Daily Brief (PDB) starting today. He needs to know what the latest threats are & begin to plan accordingly. This isn't about politics; this is about national security. — Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogers) November 10, 2020
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)
During a roundtable on ABC News on Sunday, Christie — 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, but suggested that the President finally do so.
“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.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Georgia Secretary Of State To Quarantine After Wife Tests Positive For COVID-19

ATLANTA , GEORGIA - JANUARY 20 : Brad Raffensperger , Georgia Secretary of State speaks onstage during 2020 Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ at Ebenezer Baptist Church on January 20 , 2020 in Atlanta , Geor ... ATLANTA @ @ @ @ @ : Brad Raffensperger , Georgia Secretary of State speaks onstage during 2020 Martin Luther King @ @ @ @ @ Ebenezer Baptist Church on January 20 , 2020 in Atlanta , Georgia .
( Photo @ @ @ @ @

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 20: Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State speaks onstage during 2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on January 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Geor...
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 20: Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State speaks onstage during 2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on January 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
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talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Graham Joins GOPers Saying Biden Should Have Access To Intel Briefings

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) on Thursday acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden should be getting access to classified intelligence briefings .
“ Yeah , I think he should , ” Graham , a close Trump ally , told CNN when asked if he believed the incoming president should be receiving the briefings following earlier reports that the Trump administration had denied Biden access to documents and other resources needed to ensure a smooth transfer of power .
Graham told CNN on Thursday “ I hope so , ” when asked if he expects Biden will get the briefings soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his opinion with the White House .
The comments follow a pledge by Sen. James Lankford ( R-OK ) on Wednesday to “ step in ” if the Trump administration continued to deny Biden access to intelligence briefings .
Lankford , a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , told a local radio station that he saw “ nothing wrong ” with allowing Biden access to the briefings in order to “ be able to prepare himself ” for the presidency .
The comments seem to indicate a pivot for Graham who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight in court to whittle away at Biden ’ s victory , parroting on Fox News on Sunday that dead people had cast ballots in Pennsylvania — a conspiracy theory that Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt ( R ) promptly debunked .
The admission by Graham also follows the modest acknowledgement by Republican colleague Sen .
Rob Portman ( OH ) who also told CNN , “ yeah , I don ’ t think that would hurt , ” for Biden to start getting the briefings .
Graham and Portman joined a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have access to classified briefings , as other GOP allies remain in an alternate reality of denial about Trump ’ s defeat , even suggesting that Trump still has a chance of winning an election that has been over for nearly one week when on Saturday Biden was declared President-elect by every major news organization .

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden should be getting access to classified intelligence briefings.
“Yeah, I think he should,” Graham, a close Trump ally, told CNN when asked if he believed the incoming president should be receiving the briefings following earlier reports that the Trump administration had denied Biden access to documents and other resources needed to ensure a smooth transfer of power.
Graham told CNN on Thursday “I hope so,” when asked if he expects Biden will get the briefings soon, adding that he had not voiced his opinion with the White House.
The comments follow a pledge by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on Wednesday to “step in” if the Trump administration continued to deny Biden access to intelligence briefings. Lankford, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told a local radio station that he saw “nothing wrong” with allowing Biden access to the briefings in order to “be able to prepare himself” for the presidency.
The comments seem to indicate a pivot for Graham who previously defended Trump’s effort to fight in court to whittle away at Biden’s victory, parroting on Fox News on Sunday that dead people had cast ballots in Pennsylvania — a conspiracy theory that Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt (R) promptly debunked.
The admission by Graham also follows the modest acknowledgement by Republican colleague Sen. Rob Portman (OH) who also told CNN, “yeah, I don’t think that would hurt,” for Biden to start getting the briefings.
Graham and Portman joined a small cohort of Republicans who say Biden should have access to classified briefings, as other GOP allies remain in an alternate reality of denial about Trump’s defeat, even suggesting that Trump still has a chance of winning an election that has been over for nearly one week when on Saturday Biden was declared President-elect by every major news organization.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--Lewandowski Contracts COVID As Outbreak Among Trump’s Anti-Election Squad Grows

Apparently even the coronavirus is tired of President Donald Trump and his lackeys persistently trying to steal the election .
Trump campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski , who ’ s been on the front lines of the President ’ s feeble election fraud lawsuits in states like Pennsylvania , tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday .
In the days following the election , Lewandowski has been flitting about Philadelphia , shouting conspiracy theories about illegal voting into a bullhorn outside a vote counting center and participating in Rudy Giuliani ’ s head-scratching press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected in Philly .
The campaign adviser told CNBC that he feels “ great ” despite the diagnosis .
Aside from Lewandowski , two other members of the motley crew working to fight Trump ’ s defeat in the courts have also contracted the virus recently : Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump campaign adviser David Bossie .
The stream of infections in Trumpland hasn ’ t stopped there : Secretary of Urban Housing and Development Ben Carson and White House Political Director Brian Jack have tested positive for COVID-19 over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the men attended the White House ’ s party on election night .
Additionally , Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Richard Walters also tested positive for the virus on Thursday , though the Washington Post reported that he was not at the party .

Apparently even the coronavirus is tired of President Donald Trump and his lackeys persistently trying to steal the election.
Trump campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski, who’s been on the front lines of the President’s feeble election fraud lawsuits in states like Pennsylvania, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.
In the days following the election, Lewandowski has been flitting about Philadelphia, shouting conspiracy theories about illegal voting into a bullhorn outside a vote counting center and participating in Rudy Giuliani’s head-scratching press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping. In fact, Lewandowski reportedly believes he was infected in Philly.
The campaign adviser told CNBC that he feels “great” despite the diagnosis.
Aside from Lewandowski, two other members of the motley crew working to fight Trump’s defeat in the courts have also contracted the virus recently: Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump campaign adviser David Bossie.
The stream of infections in Trumpland hasn’t stopped there: Secretary of Urban Housing and Development Ben Carson and White House Political Director Brian Jack have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past several days.
All five of the men attended the White House’s party on election night.
Additionally, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Richard Walters also tested positive for the virus on Thursday, though the Washington Post reported that he was not at the party.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--McCarthy Isn’t Worried About QAnon-Aligned House GOP-Elects: ‘Give Them An Opportunity’

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-CA ) brushed off concerns over two Republican QAnon supporters who were elected to the House last week during a Thursday news conference .
When asked about whether he has concerns about QAnon-aligned Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert — who were both elected to the House GOP in Georgia and Colorado , respectively — McCarthy appeared unbothered by both House GOP-elects who ’ ve publicly backed the complicated pro-Trump conspiracy theory .
QAnon centers around an unfounded belief that a “ deep state ” is undermining the President , who is the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our party is very diverse and you mentioned two people who will join our party and both of them have denounced QAnon , ” McCarthy said , after laughing off the question .
McCarthy found a way to jab at the press as he implored the media to give the QAnon-aligned House GOP-elects a chance .
“ And the only thing I would ask of you in a press , these are new members , give them an opportunity before you claim what you believe they have done and what they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s fair for all.
” Greene ’ s unsurprising win came after she ran unopposed in Georgia ’ s deep-red 14th District .
Greene came under fire when her past comments backing the QAnon conspiracy theory emerged , which included a video of her in 2017 saying “ Q is a patriot , we know that for sure.
” Although Greene told Fox News in August that she no longer talks about “ Q ” after finding “ misinformation ” and that the far-right conspiracy theory would not reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not flat-out denounced QAnon itself .
Boebert , a gun-rights activist , said in a May interview that she hopes QAnon is “ real.
” “ It only means America is getting stronger and better , and people are returning to conservative values , and that ’ s what I am for , ” Boebert said in May .
Boebert also told Colorado Public Radio recently that although she is not a follower of QAnon , she does not “ believe that ’ s a radical notion to want to get rid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) brushed off concerns over two Republican QAnon supporters who were elected to the House last week during a Thursday news conference.
When asked about whether he has concerns about QAnon-aligned Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert — who were both elected to the House GOP in Georgia and Colorado, respectively — McCarthy appeared unbothered by both House GOP-elects who’ve publicly backed the complicated pro-Trump conspiracy theory.
QAnon centers around an unfounded belief that a “deep state” is undermining the President, who is the last line of defense against child-molesting Democrats.
“Our party is very diverse and you mentioned two people who will join our party and both of them have denounced QAnon,” McCarthy said, after laughing off the question.
McCarthy found a way to jab at the press as he implored the media to give the QAnon-aligned House GOP-elects a chance.
“And the only thing I would ask of you in a press, these are new members, give them an opportunity before you claim what you believe they have done and what they will do,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s fair for all.”
Greene’s unsurprising win came after she ran unopposed in Georgia’s deep-red 14th District. Greene came under fire when her past comments backing the QAnon conspiracy theory emerged, which included a video of her in 2017 saying “Q is a patriot, we know that for sure.”
Although Greene told Fox News in August that she no longer talks about “Q” after finding “misinformation” and that the far-right conspiracy theory would not reflect her priorities in Congress, she has not flat-out denounced QAnon itself.
Boebert, a gun-rights activist, said in a May interview that she hopes QAnon is “real.”
“It only means America is getting stronger and better, and people are returning to conservative values, and that’s what I am for,” Boebert said in May.
Boebert also told Colorado Public Radio recently that although she is not a follower of QAnon, she does not “believe that’s a radical notion to want to get rid of people trying to undermine the president of the United States.”
Watch McCarthy’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-12--After Democratic Elections, International Pressure Grows For US Regime To Relinquish Power

The tables have turned as a group of former leaders from around the world on Wednesday called on the United States — a cheerleader for installing democracy abroad — to carry out its own credo .
In a joint statement , a group of former world leaders known as “ The Elders ” sounded the alarm about the future of American democracy amid President Donald Trump ’ s ongoing refusal to accept his loss in the 2020 presidential election and move on .
“ The continued assertions of electoral fraud by the President and some senior members of the Administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as yet without any compelling evidence , convey a lack of respect for the integrity and independence of the democratic and legal institutions of the United States , ” the group wrote .
“ President Trump should follow the example set by his predecessors and declare himself willing to accept the verdict cast by the American people at the ballot box , ” they added .
The statement from the group , which includes former presidents of Colombia , Finland , Mexico , and Norway , as well as former UN Secretary General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Trump tweeted late Wednesday that he “ will win ” an election that has been over for almost a week when President-elect Joe Biden emerged last Saturday as its victor .
Trump and many of his GOP allies have launched a baseless crusade on the integrity of the vote that , without evidence , appears to be fizzling in court .
Desperate to hold onto power , Trump allies have even suggested that GOP-controlled state legislatures should overrule the will of the people in states carried by Biden to toss a win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State Mike Pompeo called for a “ second Trump administration ” while rebuffing concerns from reporters who asked if the President ’ s unwillingness to concede reflected poorly on the nation ’ s efforts abroad to reinforce democracy in foreign elections .
The team of leaders chastised the President and his allies for undermining those efforts while putting the country ’ s national security at risk , noting “ those who stand to benefit from the current impasse are autocratic rulers and malign actors ” seeking to erode democratic institutions .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act responsibly ” and support a smooth transition .
“ Continued baseless accusations of subversion risk further deepening the instability and polarisation in American society , and eroding public faith in institutions that is the bedrock of democratic life , ” they wrote .

The tables have turned as a group of former leaders from around the world on Wednesday called on the United States — a cheerleader for installing democracy abroad — to carry out its own credo.
In a joint statement, a group of former world leaders known as “The Elders” sounded the alarm about the future of American democracy amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing refusal to accept his loss in the 2020 presidential election and move on.
“The continued assertions of electoral fraud by the President and some senior members of the Administration and of the Republican Party, offered as yet without any compelling evidence, convey a lack of respect for the integrity and independence of the democratic and legal institutions of the United States,” the group wrote.
“President Trump should follow the example set by his predecessors and declare himself willing to accept the verdict cast by the American people at the ballot box,” they added.
The statement from the group, which includes former presidents of Colombia, Finland, Mexico, and Norway, as well as former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, among others, comes as Trump tweeted late Wednesday that he “will win” an election that has been over for almost a week when President-elect Joe Biden emerged last Saturday as its victor.
Trump and many of his GOP allies have launched a baseless crusade on the integrity of the vote that, without evidence, appears to be fizzling in court. Desperate to hold onto power, Trump allies have even suggested that GOP-controlled state legislatures should overrule the will of the people in states carried by Biden to toss a win to Trump.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a “second Trump administration” while rebuffing concerns from reporters who asked if the President’s unwillingness to concede reflected poorly on the nation’s efforts abroad to reinforce democracy in foreign elections.
The team of leaders chastised the President and his allies for undermining those efforts while putting the country’s national security at risk, noting “those who stand to benefit from the current impasse are autocratic rulers and malign actors” seeking to erode democratic institutions.
The Elders called on Republican leaders to “act responsibly” and support a smooth transition.
“Continued baseless accusations of subversion risk further deepening the instability and polarisation in American society, and eroding public faith in institutions that is the bedrock of democratic life,” they wrote.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Rand Paul Thinks 11 Million Americans With COVID Should ‘Celebrate’

Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) on Thursday said that the more than 11 million people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the United Stated should “ celebrate ” — falsely claiming that those people are now immune to coronavirus .
“ We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID , ” Paul told Fox News ’ Martha MacCallum during an interview on Thursday night .
“ We should tell them to celebrate , we should tell them to throw away their masks , go to restaurants , and live again , because these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which suggest reinfection is not possible are not only incorrect , but also smack of insensitivity for the more than 242,000 people in the infected group who have already died from the virus and will be unable to “ live again.
” The Centers for Disease Control And Prevention have warned against the line of thinking perpetuated by Paul and others in the Trump administration who have suggested once infected , there is no further need for caution , noting that the probability of reinfection likely increases over time due to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve called “ genetic drift.
” “ As the COVID-19 pandemic continues , we expect to see more cases of reinfection , ” the CDC has noted on its website .
The GOP lawmaker also used the Fox News podium to advance another false claim , by pushing a conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump has peddled for months .
He suggested as Trump did earlier this week , that in the wake of the election , public health officials who Trump believed were conspiring against his bid for reelection would be painting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has now entered arguably one of its worst phases since the pandemic began .
“ I want to believe he is well-intentioned , ” Paul said of infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci , before accusing the official of bias because he “ believes that submission and lockdowns are fine.
” Paul , who was a physician before entering politics , also suggested that Fauci who has led the country through a number of public health crises “ tends to gloss over the science , ” using as evidence that Fauci won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that children “ may have preexisting immunity.
” “ The bottom line is there ’ s a great deal of optimism that we should have out there , ” Paul said .
His call for “ optimism ” comes as the country recently reported the most hospitalizations for the virus since the pandemic began earlier this week and topped previous records with more than 150,000 new infections on Thursday– just over a week after hitting the milestone of 100,000 cases in a single day .

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Thursday said that the more than 11 million people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the United Stated should “celebrate” — falsely claiming that those people are now immune to coronavirus.
“We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID,” Paul told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum during an interview on Thursday night. “We should tell them to celebrate, we should tell them to throw away their masks, go to restaurants, and live again, because these people are now immune.”
Rand Paul: We have 11 million people in our country who have already had COVID. We should tell them to celebrate. We should tell them to throw away their masks, go to restaurants, and live again because these people are now immune(they are not immune) pic.twitter.com/Un2CQ1b5Tg — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) November 13, 2020
The comments, which suggest reinfection is not possible are not only incorrect, but also smack of insensitivity for the more than 242,000 people in the infected group who have already died from the virus and will be unable to “live again.”
The Centers for Disease Control And Prevention have warned against the line of thinking perpetuated by Paul and others in the Trump administration who have suggested once infected, there is no further need for caution, noting that the probability of reinfection likely increases over time due to “waning immunity” and what they’ve called “genetic drift.”
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we expect to see more cases of reinfection,” the CDC has noted on its website.
The GOP lawmaker also used the Fox News podium to advance another false claim, by pushing a conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump has peddled for months. He suggested as Trump did earlier this week, that in the wake of the election, public health officials who Trump believed were conspiring against his bid for reelection would be painting a much rosier picture about the virus that has now entered arguably one of its worst phases since the pandemic began.
“I want to believe he is well-intentioned,” Paul said of infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, before accusing the official of bias because he “believes that submission and lockdowns are fine.”
Paul, who was a physician before entering politics, also suggested that Fauci who has led the country through a number of public health crises “tends to gloss over the science,” using as evidence that Fauci won’t sign onto a widely disputed claim that children “may have preexisting immunity.”
“The bottom line is there’s a great deal of optimism that we should have out there,” Paul said.
His call for “optimism” comes as the country recently reported the most hospitalizations for the virus since the pandemic began earlier this week and topped previous records with more than 150,000 new infections on Thursday– just over a week after hitting the milestone of 100,000 cases in a single day.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Biden’s Chief Of Staff Says McConnell Still Hasn’t Spoken To President-elect

Ron Klain , whom President-elect Joe Biden has tapped as his chief of staff , stated on Thursday night that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) has still not spoken to the Democrat amid President Donald Trump ’ s corrupt attacks on the election results .
In his first interview since his appointment , Klain told MSNBC anchor Lawrence O ’ Donnell that Biden had been speaking to “ some ” GOP senators and governors .
“ He has not spoken , though , to Senator McConnell , ” the Biden aide said .
“ I think Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Trump won the election .
He didn ’ t. ” Klain said there would be a “ time and place ” for the two men , who worked together in the Senate back when Biden served as a senator of Delaware , to have discussions .
“ They obviously need no introduction to one another , ” Klain told O ’ Donnell .
“ They have worked together .
They have fought each other , worked together and fought each other over the decades.
” “ They ’ ll have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so I think that will all proceed forward in a very fine , efficient way , ” he added .
Earlier this week , McConnell bolstered Trump ’ s refusal to accept his defeat , which has involved the President falsely claiming voter fraud and hurling a series of lawsuits at swing states that have been largely laughed out of court .

Ron Klain, whom President-elect Joe Biden has tapped as his chief of staff, stated on Thursday night that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has still not spoken to the Democrat amid President Donald Trump’s corrupt attacks on the election results.
In his first interview since his appointment, Klain told MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell that Biden had been speaking to “some” GOP senators and governors.
“He has not spoken, though, to Senator McConnell,” the Biden aide said. “I think Senator McConnell still seems to be insisting somehow that President Trump won the election. He didn’t.”
Klain said there would be a “time and place” for the two men, who worked together in the Senate back when Biden served as a senator of Delaware, to have discussions.
“They obviously need no introduction to one another,” Klain told O’Donnell. “They have worked together. They have fought each other, worked together and fought each other over the decades.”
“They’ll have a working relationship when the time comes, so I think that will all proceed forward in a very fine, efficient way,” he added.
Earlier this week, McConnell bolstered Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat, which has involved the President falsely claiming voter fraud and hurling a series of lawsuits at swing states that have been largely laughed out of court.
Watch Klain below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Biden Wins Arizona, Officially Flips GOP Stronghold Blue

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden has won the previously reliably red state of Arizona , further cementing his victory in the @ @ @ @ @ .
CNN and NBC News called the Grand Canyon State for Biden on Thursday night @ @ @ @ @ Fox News ( much to Trump ’ s fury ) had projected Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ .
The state ’ s 11 electoral votes continue to put the former vice president @ @ @ @ @ the election , which Trump has refused to concede and has instead stirred up debunked @ @ @ @ @ .
The last Democrat to win Arizona was Bill Clinton in 1996 .
The 2020 @ @ @ @ @ candidate Mark Kelly defeat Sen. Martha McSally ( R-AZ ) , meaning that both of @ @ @ @ @ senators will be Democrats once Kelly is sworn in .

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden has won the previously reliably red state of Arizona, further cementing his victory in the race against President Donald Trump.
CNN and NBC News called the Grand Canyon State for Biden on Thursday night. The Associated Press and Fox News (much to Trump’s fury) had projected Biden’s Arizona win on election night.
The state’s 11 electoral votes continue to put the former vice president over the line to win the election, which Trump has refused to concede and has instead stirred up debunked conspiracy theories about illegal voting.
The last Democrat to win Arizona was Bill Clinton in 1996.
The 2020 elections also saw Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly defeat Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ), meaning that both of the state’s U.S. senators will be Democrats once Kelly is sworn in.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

• In a sign that the Trump White House isn ’ t accepting the reality of a Biden victory , General Services Administration ( GSA ) Administrator Emily Murphy has yet to sign a letter needed for the former VP to formally begin the transition process to the White House .
• The White House also reportedly directed officials not to cooperate with the Biden team .
• Nevertheless , Biden is moving ahead in building his staff .
On Wednesday night , Biden announced that Ron Klain would serve as his chief of staff .
Klain previously served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was vice president , and also coordinated the Obama administration ’ s response to Ebola .
• The transition team also released a list of agency review teams as it look ahead to building an administration .
See if you recognize any of the names on the list here .
• The Biden team , for its part , isn ’ t too worried about the roadblocks so far .
• The Trump campaign ’ s efforts to challenge Biden ’ s decisive electoral win have not been going well .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an effort to toss out Biden ’ s win in the key swing state .
The suit recycled a bunch of old , debunked claims about the process .
• Late in the week , the law firm representing Trump ’ s efforts in Pennsylvania withdrew .
• Two legal efforts to whip up a so-called “ SharpieGate ” conspiracy in Arizona have also fallen flat .
• President Trump said that after the Nov. 3 election , no one would be talking about the coronavirus anymore .
If only .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a level that we have not yet seen since the pandemic first hit the U.S. earlier this year .
• Meanwhile , there appears to be a growing COVID-19 outbreak among aides in Trump ’ s orbit : HUD Secretary Ben Carson , campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski and a number of Republican National Committee staffers have tested positive in recent days .
• Josh Kovensky has a good rundown of why this latest COVID surge is so bad , and why it ’ s likely to get even worse .
Is this feature @ @ @ @ @ @

The California State Bar is arguing that recent criminal charges against John Eastman in Fulton County, Georgia should not prevent…


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Sad! Disgraced Trump Demands Fealty From Cuomo Before New York Gets COVID Vaccine

A deflated and low energy President Trump sought on Friday to relive the glory days of his presidency , trying to use Pfizer ’ s COVID-19 vaccine as a bludgeon to get people to be nice to him .
At a briefing in the White House ’ s Rose Garden , Trump tried to bully New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) by withholding a vaccine for New York state until Cuomo told the President he was sorry for being mean about the vaccine .
“ As soon as April , the vaccine will be available to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places like New York state , ” Trump said .
He added that he didn ’ t want New York state to have the life-saving intervention because Cuomo was wrong to have said that he wanted state authorities to review the vaccine and its distribution plan before sending it out .
TPM first reported in September that Cuomo , along with other governors , were considering waiting to distribute a vaccine had the Trump administration approved it before safety and efficacy markers were met .
“ For political reasons , the governor decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s good politically , I think it ’ s bad from a health standpoint , but he wants to take his time on the vaccine and he doesn ’ t trust where the vaccine is coming from , ” Trump sneered at a Friday briefing on Operation Warp Speed , his administration ’ s effort to accelerate vaccine development .
“ He doesn ’ t trust the fact that it ’ s this White House , this administration , so we won ’ t be delivering it to New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that pains me to say that , ” Trump added .
“ So Governor Cuomo will have to let us know when he ’ s ready for it .
We can ’ t be delivering it to a state that won ’ t be giving it to its people immediately.
” Within an hour of the President ’ s remarks , New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was prepared to sue to ensure that her state received the vaccine on the same schedule as the rest of the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to distribute anything , given that President-elect Biden will take office on Jan. 20 .
The current timeline of vaccine approval and distribution suggests that Trump would have a few weeks , max , to withhold it from his home state of New York .
But it ’ s always fun to reminisce about the good ol ’ days when the apparatus of government was just another way to run low-rent extortion schemes .

A deflated and low energy President Trump sought on Friday to relive the glory days of his presidency, trying to use Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as a bludgeon to get people to be nice to him.
At a briefing in the White House’s Rose Garden, Trump tried to bully New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) by withholding a vaccine for New York state until Cuomo told the President he was sorry for being mean about the vaccine.
“As soon as April, the vaccine will be available to the entire general population with the exception of places like New York state,” Trump said.
He added that he didn’t want New York state to have the life-saving intervention because Cuomo was wrong to have said that he wanted state authorities to review the vaccine and its distribution plan before sending it out.
TPM first reported in September that Cuomo, along with other governors, were considering waiting to distribute a vaccine had the Trump administration approved it before safety and efficacy markers were met.
“For political reasons, the governor decided to say — I don’t think it’s good politically, I think it’s bad from a health standpoint, but he wants to take his time on the vaccine and he doesn’t trust where the vaccine is coming from,” Trump sneered at a Friday briefing on Operation Warp Speed, his administration’s effort to accelerate vaccine development.
“He doesn’t trust the fact that it’s this White House, this administration, so we won’t be delivering it to New York until we have authorization to do so and that pains me to say that,” Trump added. “So Governor Cuomo will have to let us know when he’s ready for it. We can’t be delivering it to a state that won’t be giving it to its people immediately.”
Within an hour of the President’s remarks, New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was prepared to sue to ensure that her state received the vaccine on the same schedule as the rest of the country.
Trump won’t have much time to distribute anything, given that President-elect Biden will take office on Jan. 20.
The current timeline of vaccine approval and distribution suggests that Trump would have a few weeks, max, to withhold it from his home state of New York.
But it’s always fun to reminisce about the good ol’ days when the apparatus of government was just another way to run low-rent extortion schemes.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Prosecutors Say Barr’s New Elections Probe Policy is Political, ‘Not Based In Fact’

Sixteen federal prosecutors tasked with monitoring the 2020 elections told Attorney General Bill Barr that his policy allowing them to look into “ vote tabulation irregularities ” before results are certified was blatantly political and not based in facts .
In a letter to Barr on Friday reported by The Washington Post , the group of U.S. attorneys that served as district election officers said Barr ’ s policy change “ thrusts career prosecutors into partisan politics ” and “ was not based in fact.
” In their districts , the prosecutors wrote , there was no evidence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memo had specified .
Barr ’ s policy , which came after media organizations projected that Joe Biden was the president-elect , gave the feds permission to investigate “ clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities ” if they could impact the outcome of a federal election .
The policy violated long-standing DOJ policy , drew criticism from former DOJ officials , and led to the director of the election crimes branch of the DOJ public integrity section resigning from that role .
“ Perhaps they did not read the memo , ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Post , referring to the letter ’ s signatories .
She pointed to a section of Barr ’ s memo that specified , “ Nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election.
” Still , the policy rollout itself has been interpreted as a political move meant to support President Donald Trump ; typically , such investigations aren ’ t pursued before the certification of election results .
“ We disagree with the Memorandum ’ s argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prosecutorial actions on the outcome of an election is greatly minimized after voting ends but before certification occurs , ” the 16 assistant U.S. attorneys wrote , according to the Post .
Per the post , the letter ’ s signatories were from the following federal districts :

Sixteen federal prosecutors tasked with monitoring the 2020 elections told Attorney General Bill Barr that his policy allowing them to look into “vote tabulation irregularities” before results are certified was blatantly political and not based in facts.
In a letter to Barr on Friday reported by The Washington Post, the group of U.S. attorneys that served as district election officers said Barr’s policy change “thrusts career prosecutors into partisan politics” and “was not based in fact.”
In their districts, the prosecutors wrote, there was no evidence of the type of election fraud Barr’s memo had specified.
Barr’s policy, which came after media organizations projected that Joe Biden was the president-elect, gave the feds permission to investigate “clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities” if they could impact the outcome of a federal election.
The policy violated long-standing DOJ policy, drew criticism from former DOJ officials, and led to the director of the election crimes branch of the DOJ public integrity section resigning from that role.
“Perhaps they did not read the memo,” a DOJ spokesperson, Kerri Kupec, told the Post, referring to the letter’s signatories. She pointed to a section of Barr’s memo that specified, “Nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election.”
Still, the policy rollout itself has been interpreted as a political move meant to support President Donald Trump; typically, such investigations aren’t pursued before the certification of election results.
“We disagree with the Memorandum’s argument that the impact of taking overt investigative and prosecutorial actions on the outcome of an election is greatly minimized after voting ends but before certification occurs,” the 16 assistant U.S. attorneys wrote, according to the Post.
Per the post, the letter’s signatories were from the following federal districts:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-13--Trump Camp Forced To Shut Down Absurd Voter Fraud Hotline Due To Ceaseless Prank Calls

This is how the Trump campaign ’ s voter fraud hotline ends : not with a bang , but with harrowing reports of the Hamburglar terrorizing American patriots at the poll sites .
Sadly , the campaign ’ s fearsome weapon against the nonexistent voter fraud that President Donald Trump falsely claims to have “ stolen ” the election has been felled by pranksters relentlessly flooding the hotline with hoax calls like these : The campaign kept having to change the hotline number , though Lara Trump , President Donald Trump ’ s daughter-in-law , was so confident of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hoaxers to keep up the shenanigans on Saturday .
“ To those who have spammed our other numbers : it ’ s shameful that you don ’ t think it ’ s important to have integrity in our elections .
It ’ s fundamental to our republic , ” she tweeted .
“ Keep spamming .
We will keep changing the number.
” Well Lara , people did exactly that , and the campaign had to pull the plug on the hotline as a result on Friday .
Defenders of election integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ’ s “ Voter Fraud Issue Report Form ” is still up , though that might not be extremely prank-proof either : The saga illustrates the comically inept means through which Trump and his allies have been attempting to muddy the waters with false allegations of “ illegal ” votes as the President refuses to recognize his decisive electoral loss .
Trump ’ s lawsuits crying voter fraud have also been going up in smoke .

This is how the Trump campaign’s voter fraud hotline ends: not with a bang, but with harrowing reports of the Hamburglar terrorizing American patriots at the poll sites.
Sadly, the campaign’s fearsome weapon against the nonexistent voter fraud that President Donald Trump falsely claims to have “stolen” the election has been felled by pranksters relentlessly flooding the hotline with hoax calls like these:
I…may just do this all night pic.twitter.com/OFtKDeMBqE — Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) November 7, 2020
ok fine i called the trump voter hotline to save our country from antifa pic.twitter.com/s9p6decfW6 — Talia Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) November 9, 2020
Reporting some voter fraud to the Trump voter fraud hotline pic.twitter.com/RAGG80G25x — Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) November 9, 2020
The campaign kept having to change the hotline number, though Lara Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, was so confident of the hotline’s success that she dared the hoaxers to keep up the shenanigans on Saturday.
“To those who have spammed our other numbers: it’s shameful that you don’t think it’s important to have integrity in our elections. It’s fundamental to our republic,” she tweeted. “Keep spamming. We will keep changing the number.”
Well Lara, people did exactly that, and the campaign had to pull the plug on the hotline as a result on Friday.
Defenders of election integrity need not fear, however! The campaign’s “Voter Fraud Issue Report Form” is still up, though that might not be extremely prank-proof either:
Just because you can fit the entire Bee Movie script into Rudy’s fraud form doesn’t mean you should paste the entire Bee Movie script into Rudy’s fraud form. But it IS possible, just so you know. pic.twitter.com/M8ivqONxWw — Chris Evans’ Beard, not the Four Seasons Hotel (@EvansBeard) November 7, 2020
The saga illustrates the comically inept means through which Trump and his allies have been attempting to muddy the waters with false allegations of “illegal” votes as the President refuses to recognize his decisive electoral loss. Trump’s lawsuits crying voter fraud have also been going up in smoke.