talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-04--Trump Pentagon Nominee Boosted Calls For Martial Law This Week

The President ’ s nominee for a top Pentagon job boosted calls for martial law on Wednesday .
And that ’ s just one piece of the off-the-walls social media presence of Scott O ’ Grady , Trump ’ s nominee to become assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs , CNN reported .
O ’ Grady ’ s nomination was sent to the Senate on Monday .
O ’ Grady also retweeted numerous false claims that Trump had in fact won a second term in office , by a landslide , and described Joe Biden ’ s winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt carried out in coordination with Chinese President Xi Jinping , according to CNN ’ s review .
The Pentagon nominee , if confirmed , would serve through the end of Trump ’ s presidency .
On Wednesday , O ’ Grady retweeted an article about Michael Flynn ’ s call for martial law in light of the election results .
Then , he retweeted another message from the same account that had shared the article , CNN found .
“ I don ’ t know who needs to hear this , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retweeted .
“ But calling for martial law is not a bad idea when there is an attempted coup against the president and this country happening right now.
” Like other Pentagon officials in the wake of Trump ’ s purge of top Defense Department officials , O ’ Grady ’ s social media is full of conspiracy theories and outrageous claims — like the assertion that former President Barack Obama is a “ sworn socialist ” and that former Secretary of Defense James Mattis is a “ traitor.
” Following the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia elections officials having “ something to hide ” and about Donald Trump winning the state of California , which in fact Joe Biden won by more than 30 points .
He also shared conspiracy theories about COVID-19 .
CNN flagged a 2019 tweet in which O ’ Grady wrote that “ the growing muslim populations ” would pose a problem for Europe .

The President’s nominee for a top Pentagon job boosted calls for martial law on Wednesday.
And that’s just one piece of the off-the-walls social media presence of Scott O’Grady, Trump’s nominee to become assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, CNN reported. O’Grady’s nomination was sent to the Senate on Monday.
O’Grady also retweeted numerous false claims that Trump had in fact won a second term in office, by a landslide, and described Joe Biden’s winning the presidency as a “coup” attempt carried out in coordination with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to CNN’s review.
The Pentagon nominee, if confirmed, would serve through the end of Trump’s presidency.
On Wednesday, O’Grady retweeted an article about Michael Flynn’s call for martial law in light of the election results. Then, he retweeted another message from the same account that had shared the article, CNN found.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this,” read the message that O’Grady retweeted. “But calling for martial law is not a bad idea when there is an attempted coup against the president and this country happening right now.”
Like other Pentagon officials in the wake of Trump’s purge of top Defense Department officials, O’Grady’s social media is full of conspiracy theories and outrageous claims — like the assertion that former President Barack Obama is a “sworn socialist” and that former Secretary of Defense James Mattis is a “traitor.”
Following the election, O’Grady retweeted assertions about Georgia elections officials having “something to hide” and about Donald Trump winning the state of California, which in fact Joe Biden won by more than 30 points. He also shared conspiracy theories about COVID-19. CNN flagged a 2019 tweet in which O’Grady wrote that “the growing muslim populations” would pose a problem for Europe.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-04--Job Growth Slows As COVID-19 Ravages The Nation

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — America ’ s employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the viral pandemic accelerated across the country , adding 245,000 jobs , the fewest since April and the fifth straight monthly slowdown .
At the same time , the unemployment rate fell to a still-high 6.7 % , from 6.9 % in October , the Labor Department said .
November ’ s job gain was down from 610,000 in October .
Friday ’ s report of another slowdown in hiring was the latest evidence that the job market and the economy are faltering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been shattering daily records for confirmed infections .
Before the pandemic , last month ’ s gains would have been considered healthy .
But the U.S. economy is still roughly 10 million jobs below its pre-pandemic level , with a rising proportion of the unemployed describing their jobs as gone for good .
Faster hiring is needed to ensure that people who were laid off during the pandemic recession can quickly get back to work .
Two enhanced federal unemployment benefits programs are set to expire at the end of December — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colder weather is shutting down outdoor dining and many public events .
Unless Congress enacts another rescue aid package , more than 9 million unemployed people will be left without any jobless aid , state or federal , beginning after Christmas .
Friday ’ s report coincides with renewed efforts in Congress to reach a deal on a new rescue aid package .
A bipartisan group of senators has proposed a $ 900 billion plan that would include expanded unemployment benefits , more small business loans and aid to state and local governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any imminent agreement .
The gravest threat to the economy remains the raging virus , and most experts say any economic recovery depends on how fast an effective vaccine can be widely distributed and used .
U.S. deaths from the coronavirus topped 3,100 Wednesday , a new high , with more than 100,000 Americans hospitalized with the disease , also a record , and new daily cases topping 200,000 .
In response , at least 12 states have imposed new restrictions on businesses in the past month , according to an Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs that the economic recovery is stumbling .
Consumer spending grew in October at the slowest pace in six months .
Seated diners at restaurants are declining again , according to data from the reservations website OpenTable .
And a Fed report on business conditions found that growth cooled last month in several Midwest regions and in the Fed ’ s Philadelphia district .
Still , the full impact of the worsening pandemic may not be evident in Friday ’ s jobs report , which measures hiring trends in the middle of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t imposed until later in November .
As a result , some economists say the worst consequences of the pandemic won ’ t appear until the December jobs report is issued in early January .

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the viral pandemic accelerated across the country, adding 245,000 jobs, the fewest since April and the fifth straight monthly slowdown.
At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to a still-high 6.7%, from 6.9% in October, the Labor Department said. November’s job gain was down from 610,000 in October.
Friday’s report of another slowdown in hiring was the latest evidence that the job market and the economy are faltering in the face of a virus that has been shattering daily records for confirmed infections.
Before the pandemic, last month’s gains would have been considered healthy. But the U.S. economy is still roughly 10 million jobs below its pre-pandemic level, with a rising proportion of the unemployed describing their jobs as gone for good. Faster hiring is needed to ensure that people who were laid off during the pandemic recession can quickly get back to work.
Two enhanced federal unemployment benefits programs are set to expire at the end of December — just as viral cases are surging and colder weather is shutting down outdoor dining and many public events. Unless Congress enacts another rescue aid package, more than 9 million unemployed people will be left without any jobless aid, state or federal, beginning after Christmas.
Friday’s report coincides with renewed efforts in Congress to reach a deal on a new rescue aid package. A bipartisan group of senators has proposed a $900 billion plan that would include expanded unemployment benefits, more small business loans and aid to state and local governments. But there are no signs of any imminent agreement.
The gravest threat to the economy remains the raging virus, and most experts say any economic recovery depends on how fast an effective vaccine can be widely distributed and used. U.S. deaths from the coronavirus topped 3,100 Wednesday, a new high, with more than 100,000 Americans hospitalized with the disease, also a record, and new daily cases topping 200,000. In response, at least 12 states have imposed new restrictions on businesses in the past month, according to an Associated Press tally.
For now, there are signs that the economic recovery is stumbling. Consumer spending grew in October at the slowest pace in six months. Seated diners at restaurants are declining again, according to data from the reservations website OpenTable. And a Fed report on business conditions found that growth cooled last month in several Midwest regions and in the Fed’s Philadelphia district.
Still, the full impact of the worsening pandemic may not be evident in Friday’s jobs report, which measures hiring trends in the middle of the month. Some state restrictions weren’t imposed until later in November. As a result, some economists say the worst consequences of the pandemic won’t appear until the December jobs report is issued in early January.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--Of Course Trump Made Georgia Rally All About Himself

VALDOSTA , Georgia ( AP ) — President Donald Trump pressed his own grievances over losing the presidential election at a rally Saturday in Georgia , spreading baseless allegations of misconduct in last month ’ s vote , even as he pushed supporters to cast ballots for a pair of Republican Senate candidates in the state ’ s Jan. 5 runoff election that will decide the balance of power in Washington once President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month .
Trump rallied thousands of largely maskless supporters in Valdosta , not long after he was rebuffed by Georgia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special legislative session to give him the state ’ s electoral votes despite Biden winning the majority of the vote .
The latest futile attempt to subvert the presidential election results continued his unprecedented campaign to undermine confidence in the democratic process , but overshadowed his stated purpose — boosting Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler .
Republicans need one victory to maintain their Senate majority .
Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking majority vote .
Party officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy to imploring their supporters to vote in the Jan. 5 election , when Perdue and Loeffler try to hold off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , respectively .
Trump did echo Republican rhetoric that the races amounted to “ the most important congressional runoff , probably in American history.
” That is only true because he lost .
But after Air Force One landed , it quickly became apparent that Trump ’ s aim was to air his own complaints and stoke baseless doubts about the conduct of last month ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party .
“ I want to stay on presidential , ” Trumps said minutes into his speech .
“ But I got to get to these two.
” He praised the GOP lawmakers , Perdue for his support for military spending and Loeffler for pushing for early coronavirus relief spending .
But he quickly pivoted back to his own defeat .
“ Let them steal Georgia again , you ’ ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror , ” Trump told rallygoers .
Trump pulled out a piece of paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achievements , including falsely asserting he won Georgia and the White House .
Biden carried the state by 12,670 votes and won a record 81 million votes nationally .
Trump continued to reiterate his unsubstantiated claims of fraud , despite his own administration assessing the election to have been conducted without any major issues .
Chants of “ Fight for Trump ” drowned out the two senators as they briefly spoke to the crowd .
Hours before the event , Trump asked Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp in a phone call to order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a senior government official in Georgia with knowledge of the call who was not authorized to discuss the private conversation and spoke on the condition of anonymity .
A person close to the White House who was briefed on the matter verified that account of the call .
Kemp , in a tweet , said Trump also asked him to order an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in his state , a step Kemp is not empowered to take because he has no authority to interfere in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump , though , vented his frustrations with Kemp on Twitter and at the rally .
“ Your people are refusing to do what you ask , ” he complained in a tweet , as if speaking with Kemp .
“ What are they hiding ?
At least immediately ask for a Special Session of the Legislature .
That you can easily , and immediately , do.
” At the rally , he took aim once again at Kemp , saying he could assure him victory “ if he knew what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personal contact with the governor demonstrated he is intent on amplifying his conspiratorial and debunked theories of electoral fraud even as Georgia Republicans want him to turn his focus to the Jan. 5 runoff election and encourage their supporters to get out and vote .
They ’ re worried that Trump is stoking so much suspicion about Georgia elections that voters will think the system is rigged and decide to sit out the two races .
In his tweet , Kemp said : “ As I told the President this morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signature audit three times ( 11/20 , 11/24 , 12/3 ) to restore confidence in our election process and to ensure that only legal votes are counted in Georgia.
” While the governor does not have the authority to order a signature audit , an audit was initiated by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and it triggered a full hand recount that confirmed President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory in Georgia .
The race has been certified for Biden and affirmed by the state ’ s Republican election officials as a fairly conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the systemic errors Trump alleges .
But after two pro-Trump lawyers this past week questioned whether voting again is even worth it — in echoes of the president ’ s baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud — even Vice President Mike Pence betrayed concerns that the Republican coalition could crack under the force of Trump ’ s grievances .
“ I know we ’ ve all got our doubts about the last election , and I hear some of you saying , ‘ Just don ’ t vote , ’ ” Pence said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If you don ’ t vote , they win.
” Few Republicans in Washington or Georgia believe wide swaths of the electorate in this newfound battleground would opt out of voting because of Trump ’ s false claims or his denigration of the Georgia governor and secretary of state for certifying Biden ’ s victory in the state .
First lady Melania Trump made a rare political appearance to introduce the president , and encouraged Georgians to get out to vote .
“ We must keep our seats in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more important than ever that you exercise your rights as a citizen and vote.
” The risk for the GOP is that it wouldn ’ t take much of a drop-off to matter if the runoffs are as close as the presidential contest : Biden won Georgia by about 12,500 votes out of 5 million cast .
There ’ s enough noise to explain why Pence felt the need to confront the matter head on after two Trump loyalists floated the idea of the president ’ s supporters bailing on Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims have resonated with voters such as Barry Mann , a 61-year-old business owner who came to hear Pence in Savannah .
Mann hasn ’ t decided whether he ’ ll vote for his senators a second time .
“ I think there ’ s some issues with our election and more investigation needs to be done , ” Mann said , adding that he doesn ’ t think Perdue and Loeffler have done enough to support Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the results .
“ I want to see what happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A third vote count , this one requested by the president ’ s reelection campaign , was nearing completion .
Raffensperger could certify the election again as soon as Saturday ; the result is not expected to change .
Nadler reported from Atlanta and Miller from Wilmington , Delaware .
Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Russ Bynum in Savannah , Georgia , contributed to this report .

VALDOSTA, Georgia (AP) — President Donald Trump pressed his own grievances over losing the presidential election at a rally Saturday in Georgia, spreading baseless allegations of misconduct in last month’s vote, even as he pushed supporters to cast ballots for a pair of Republican Senate candidates in the state’s Jan. 5 runoff election that will decide the balance of power in Washington once President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month.
Trump rallied thousands of largely maskless supporters in Valdosta, not long after he was rebuffed by Georgia’s Republican governor in his astounding call for a special legislative session to give him the state’s electoral votes despite Biden winning the majority of the vote.
The latest futile attempt to subvert the presidential election results continued his unprecedented campaign to undermine confidence in the democratic process, but overshadowed his stated purpose — boosting Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.
Republicans need one victory to maintain their Senate majority. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking majority vote. Party officials had hoped the president would dedicate his energy to imploring their supporters to vote in the Jan. 5 election, when Perdue and Loeffler try to hold off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively.
Trump did echo Republican rhetoric that the races amounted to “the most important congressional runoff, probably in American history.” That is only true because he lost.
But after Air Force One landed, it quickly became apparent that Trump’s aim was to air his own complaints and stoke baseless doubts about the conduct of last month’s vote, rather than boost his party.
“I want to stay on presidential,” Trumps said minutes into his speech. “But I got to get to these two.” He praised the GOP lawmakers, Perdue for his support for military spending and Loeffler for pushing for early coronavirus relief spending. But he quickly pivoted back to his own defeat.
“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers.
Trump pulled out a piece of paper and read a list of his electoral achievements, including falsely asserting he won Georgia and the White House. Biden carried the state by 12,670 votes and won a record 81 million votes nationally. Trump continued to reiterate his unsubstantiated claims of fraud, despite his own administration assessing the election to have been conducted without any major issues.
Chants of “Fight for Trump” drowned out the two senators as they briefly spoke to the crowd.
Hours before the event, Trump asked Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in a phone call to order the legislative session; the governor refused, according to a senior government official in Georgia with knowledge of the call who was not authorized to discuss the private conversation and spoke on the condition of anonymity. A person close to the White House who was briefed on the matter verified that account of the call.
Kemp, in a tweet, said Trump also asked him to order an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in his state, a step Kemp is not empowered to take because he has no authority to interfere in the electoral process on Trump’s behalf.
Trump, though, vented his frustrations with Kemp on Twitter and at the rally.
“Your people are refusing to do what you ask,” he complained in a tweet, as if speaking with Kemp. “What are they hiding? At least immediately ask for a Special Session of the Legislature. That you can easily, and immediately, do.”
At the rally, he took aim once again at Kemp, saying he could assure him victory “if he knew what the hell he was doing.”
Trump’s personal contact with the governor demonstrated he is intent on amplifying his conspiratorial and debunked theories of electoral fraud even as Georgia Republicans want him to turn his focus to the Jan. 5 runoff election and encourage their supporters to get out and vote.
They’re worried that Trump is stoking so much suspicion about Georgia elections that voters will think the system is rigged and decide to sit out the two races.
In his tweet, Kemp said: “As I told the President this morning, I’ve publicly called for a signature audit three times (11/20, 11/24, 12/3) to restore confidence in our election process and to ensure that only legal votes are counted in Georgia.”
While the governor does not have the authority to order a signature audit, an audit was initiated by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and it triggered a full hand recount that confirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia. The race has been certified for Biden and affirmed by the state’s Republican election officials as a fairly conducted and counted vote, with none of the systemic errors Trump alleges.
But after two pro-Trump lawyers this past week questioned whether voting again is even worth it — in echoes of the president’s baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud — even Vice President Mike Pence betrayed concerns that the Republican coalition could crack under the force of Trump’s grievances.
“I know we’ve all got our doubts about the last election, and I hear some of you saying, ‘Just don’t vote,’” Pence said Friday while campaigning with Perdue in Savannah. “If you don’t vote, they win.”
Few Republicans in Washington or Georgia believe wide swaths of the electorate in this newfound battleground would opt out of voting because of Trump’s false claims or his denigration of the Georgia governor and secretary of state for certifying Biden’s victory in the state.
First lady Melania Trump made a rare political appearance to introduce the president, and encouraged Georgians to get out to vote.
“We must keep our seats in the Senate,” she said. “It’s more important than ever that you exercise your rights as a citizen and vote.”
The risk for the GOP is that it wouldn’t take much of a drop-off to matter if the runoffs are as close as the presidential contest: Biden won Georgia by about 12,500 votes out of 5 million cast. There’s enough noise to explain why Pence felt the need to confront the matter head on after two Trump loyalists floated the idea of the president’s supporters bailing on Perdue and Loeffler.
Trump’s false claims have resonated with voters such as Barry Mann, a 61-year-old business owner who came to hear Pence in Savannah. Mann hasn’t decided whether he’ll vote for his senators a second time.
“I think there’s some issues with our election and more investigation needs to be done,” Mann said, adding that he doesn’t think Perdue and Loeffler have done enough to support Trump’s efforts to overturn the results. “I want to see what happens between now and January,” Mann said.
A third vote count, this one requested by the president’s reelection campaign, was nearing completion. Raffensperger could certify the election again as soon as Saturday; the result is not expected to change.
___
Nadler reported from Atlanta and Miller from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-05--Trump Shamelessly Attempts To Pressure Georgia Gov To Overturn Election Results

ATLANTA ( AP ) — President Donald Trump fruitlessly pressed Georgia ’ s governor on Saturday to call a special legislative session aimed at subverting the presidential election results in that state as Trump ’ s fixation with his defeat overshadowed his party ’ s campaign to save its majority in the Senate .
Trump and Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp spoke by phone hours before Trump was to appear at a rally in Valdosta , Georgia , where Republicans hoped the president would dedicate his energy to imploring their supporters to vote in two runoff elections Jan. 5 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first postelection political rally would be a mission to help his party or himself .
Hours before the event , Trump asked Kemp in the phone call to order the legislative session ; the governor refused , according to a senior government official in Georgia with knowledge of the call who was not authorized to discuss the private conversation and spoke on the condition of anonymity .
A person close to the White House who was briefed on the matter verified that account of the call .
According to a tweet from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to order an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in his state , a step Kemp is not empowered to take because he has no authority to interfere in the electoral process on Trump ’ s behalf .
Trump vented his frustrations on Twitter after the call .
“ Your people are refusing to do what you ask , ” he complained , as if speaking with Kemp .
“ What are they hiding ?
At least immediately ask for a Special Session of the Legislature .
That you can easily , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personal contact with the governor demonstrated he is intent on amplifying his conspiratorial and debunked theories of electoral fraud even as Georgia Republicans want him to turn his focus to the Jan. 5 runoff elections and encourage their supporters to get out and vote .
They ’ re worried that Trump is stoking so much suspicion about Georgia elections that voters will think the system is rigged and decide to sit out the two races , where Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to withstand Democrats Jon Ossoff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate under Republican control .
In his tweet , Kemp said : “ As I told the President this morning , I ’ ve publicly called for a signature audit three times ( 11/20 , 11/24 , 12/3 ) to restore confidence in our election process and to ensure that only legal votes are counted in Georgia.
” While the governor does not have the authority to order a signature audit , an audit was initiated by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and it triggered a full hand recount that confirmed President-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The race has been certified for Biden and affirmed by the state ’ s Republican election officials as a fairly conducted and counted vote , with none of the systemic errors Trump alleges .
The president ’ s aides publicly scoffed at the idea that Trump might do anything at the evening Valdosta rally other than encourage Republicans to back Perdue and Loeffler .
“ I believe it ’ s the start of these two senators crossing the finish line , ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on the eve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credited Trump with being his party ’ s biggest turnout driver , noting that Republicans narrowed House Democrats ’ majority while several vulnerable Republican senators survived challenges by comfortable margins .
But after two pro-Trump lawyers this past week questioned whether voting again is even worth it — in echoes of the president ’ s baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud — even Vice President Mike Pence betrayed concerns that the Republican coalition could crack under the force of Trump ’ s grievances .
“ I know we ’ ve all got our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hear some of you saying , ‘ Just don ’ t vote , ’ ” Pence said Friday while campaigning with Perdue in Savannah .
“ If you don ’ t vote , they win.
” Republicans need one more seat for a Senate majority .
Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking majority vote .
Few Republicans in Washington or Georgia believe wide swaths of the electorate in this newfound battleground would opt out of voting because of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Georgia governor and secretary of state for certifying Biden ’ s victory in the state .
The risk for the GOP is that it wouldn ’ t take much of a drop-off to matter if the runoffs are as close as the presidential contest : Biden won Georgia by about 12,500 votes out of 5 million cast .
There ’ s enough noise to explain why Pence felt the need to confront the matter head on after two Trump loyalists floated the idea of the president ’ s supporters bailing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage all Georgians to make it known that you will not vote at all until your vote is secure — and I mean that regardless of party , ” lawyer Sidney Powell said this past week at a suburban Atlanta “ Stop the Steal ” rally .
Atlanta celebrity lawyer Lin Wood , who ’ s filed thus-far unsuccessful court challenges to Biden ’ s victory , insisted to Trump ’ s supporters that the state ’ s elections are “ rigged.
” Trump ’ s team has recently tried to dissociate itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were given a prominent platform in the flailing effort to overturn the presidential election results .
Moreover , Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani returned Thursday to the Georgia Capitol for a marathon hearing that featured yet another airing of disproved claims .
Trump has been the source of party angst with his recent declarations that Kemp is “ hapless ” and Raffensperger is an “ enemy of the people ” because they didn ’ t block Biden ’ s Georgia victory .
State law gives them no avenue to do so .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barry Mann , a 61-year-old business owner who came to hear Pence in Savannah .
Mann hasn ’ t decided whether he ’ ll vote for his senators a second time .
“ I think there ’ s some issues with our election and more investigation needs to be done , ” Mann said , adding that he doesn ’ t think Perdue and Loeffler have done enough to support Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the results .
“ I want to see what happens between now and January , ” Mann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this one requested by the president ’ s reelection campaign , was nearing completion .
Raffensperger could certify the election again as soon as Saturday ; the result is not expected to change .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Wilmington , Delaware , and Russ Bynum in Savannah , Georgia , contributed to this report .

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump fruitlessly pressed Georgia’s governor on Saturday to call a special legislative session aimed at subverting the presidential election results in that state as Trump’s fixation with his defeat overshadowed his party’s campaign to save its majority in the Senate.
Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp spoke by phone hours before Trump was to appear at a rally in Valdosta, Georgia, where Republicans hoped the president would dedicate his energy to imploring their supporters to vote in two runoff elections Jan. 5.
But it remained an open question whether his first postelection political rally would be a mission to help his party or himself.
Hours before the event, Trump asked Kemp in the phone call to order the legislative session; the governor refused, according to a senior government official in Georgia with knowledge of the call who was not authorized to discuss the private conversation and spoke on the condition of anonymity. A person close to the White House who was briefed on the matter verified that account of the call.
According to a tweet from the governor, Trump also asked him to order an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in his state, a step Kemp is not empowered to take because he has no authority to interfere in the electoral process on Trump’s behalf.
Trump vented his frustrations on Twitter after the call.
“Your people are refusing to do what you ask,” he complained, as if speaking with Kemp. “What are they hiding? At least immediately ask for a Special Session of the Legislature. That you can easily, and immediately, do.”
Trump’s personal contact with the governor demonstrated he is intent on amplifying his conspiratorial and debunked theories of electoral fraud even as Georgia Republicans want him to turn his focus to the Jan. 5 runoff elections and encourage their supporters to get out and vote.
They’re worried that Trump is stoking so much suspicion about Georgia elections that voters will think the system is rigged and decide to sit out the two races, where Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to withstand Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, and keep the Senate under Republican control.
In his tweet, Kemp said: “As I told the President this morning, I’ve publicly called for a signature audit three times (11/20, 11/24, 12/3) to restore confidence in our election process and to ensure that only legal votes are counted in Georgia.”
While the governor does not have the authority to order a signature audit, an audit was initiated by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and it triggered a full hand recount that confirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia. The race has been certified for Biden and affirmed by the state’s Republican election officials as a fairly conducted and counted vote, with none of the systemic errors Trump alleges.
The president’s aides publicly scoffed at the idea that Trump might do anything at the evening Valdosta rally other than encourage Republicans to back Perdue and Loeffler.
“I believe it’s the start of these two senators crossing the finish line,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on the eve of Trump’s visit. McEnany credited Trump with being his party’s biggest turnout driver, noting that Republicans narrowed House Democrats’ majority while several vulnerable Republican senators survived challenges by comfortable margins.
But after two pro-Trump lawyers this past week questioned whether voting again is even worth it — in echoes of the president’s baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud — even Vice President Mike Pence betrayed concerns that the Republican coalition could crack under the force of Trump’s grievances.
“I know we’ve all got our doubts about the last election, and I hear some of you saying, ‘Just don’t vote,’” Pence said Friday while campaigning with Perdue in Savannah. “If you don’t vote, they win.”
Republicans need one more seat for a Senate majority. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking majority vote.
Few Republicans in Washington or Georgia believe wide swaths of the electorate in this newfound battleground would opt out of voting because of Trump’s false claims or his denigration of the Georgia governor and secretary of state for certifying Biden’s victory in the state.
The risk for the GOP is that it wouldn’t take much of a drop-off to matter if the runoffs are as close as the presidential contest: Biden won Georgia by about 12,500 votes out of 5 million cast. There’s enough noise to explain why Pence felt the need to confront the matter head on after two Trump loyalists floated the idea of the president’s supporters bailing on Perdue and Loeffler.
“I would encourage all Georgians to make it known that you will not vote at all until your vote is secure — and I mean that regardless of party,” lawyer Sidney Powell said this past week at a suburban Atlanta “Stop the Steal” rally.
Atlanta celebrity lawyer Lin Wood, who’s filed thus-far unsuccessful court challenges to Biden’s victory, insisted to Trump’s supporters that the state’s elections are “rigged.”
Trump’s team has recently tried to dissociate itself from the pair but only after they were given a prominent platform in the flailing effort to overturn the presidential election results. Moreover, Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani returned Thursday to the Georgia Capitol for a marathon hearing that featured yet another airing of disproved claims.
Trump has been the source of party angst with his recent declarations that Kemp is “hapless” and Raffensperger is an “enemy of the people” because they didn’t block Biden’s Georgia victory. State law gives them no avenue to do so.
It’s resonated with voters such as Barry Mann, a 61-year-old business owner who came to hear Pence in Savannah. Mann hasn’t decided whether he’ll vote for his senators a second time.
“I think there’s some issues with our election and more investigation needs to be done,” Mann said, adding that he doesn’t think Perdue and Loeffler have done enough to support Trump’s efforts to overturn the results. “I want to see what happens between now and January,” Mann said.
A third vote count, this one requested by the president’s reelection campaign, was nearing completion. Raffensperger could certify the election again as soon as Saturday; the result is not expected to change.
___
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Wilmington, Delaware, and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-05--US Sets Yet Another Record For COVID-19 Cases In Single Day

WASHINGTON — Coronavirus infections continue to spread at record levels in the United States , reaching a new daily high of nearly 228,000 cases on Friday .
The 227,885 cases eclipses the previous high of more than 217,000 on Thursday , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 attributable deaths in the U.S. has passed 2,000 for the first time since the spring .
It reached 2,011 on Friday .
Two weeks ago , the seven-day average was 1,448 .
There were 2,607 deaths reported in the U.S. on Friday .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a COVID-19 aid bill that would offer relief for businesses , the unemployed , schools and health care providers .
A coronavirus surge hitting much of the U.S. is threatening to overwhelm hospitals in California .
Five San Francisco Bay Area counties have imposed a new stay-at-home order for their residents that will take effect Sunday .
Much of the rest of the state could join this weekend .
The changes will take effect for most of the area at 10 p.m. Sunday and last through Jan. 4 .
The counties have not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s threshold announced a day earlier requiring such an order when 85 % of ICU beds at regional hospitals are full , but officials said the hospital system will be overwhelmed before the end of December when Newsom ’ s order would apply .
It comes the same day the state recorded another daily record number of cases , with 22,018 , and hospitalizations topped 9,000 for first time .
Globally , Johns Hopkins reports more than 1.5 million people have died from the coronavirus pandemic , including more than 279,000 in the @ @ @

WASHINGTON — Coronavirus infections continue to spread at record levels in the United States, reaching a new daily high of nearly 228,000 cases on Friday.
The 227,885 cases eclipses the previous high of more than 217,000 on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 attributable deaths in the U.S. has passed 2,000 for the first time since the spring. It reached 2,011 on Friday. Two weeks ago, the seven-day average was 1,448. There were 2,607 deaths reported in the U.S. on Friday.
In Washington, optimism is finally building for a COVID-19 aid bill that would offer relief for businesses, the unemployed, schools and health care providers.
A coronavirus surge hitting much of the U.S. is threatening to overwhelm hospitals in California. Five San Francisco Bay Area counties have imposed a new stay-at-home order for their residents that will take effect Sunday. Much of the rest of the state could join this weekend.
The changes will take effect for most of the area at 10 p.m. Sunday and last through Jan. 4. The counties have not yet reached Gov. Gavin Newsom’s threshold announced a day earlier requiring such an order when 85% of ICU beds at regional hospitals are full, but officials said the hospital system will be overwhelmed before the end of December when Newsom’s order would apply.
It comes the same day the state recorded another daily record number of cases, with 22,018, and hospitalizations topped 9,000 for first time.
Globally, Johns Hopkins reports more than 1.5 million people have died from the coronavirus pandemic, including more than 279,000 in the United States.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-05--Judge Knocks Trump’s ‘Bizarre’ Wisconsin Lawsuit Request

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — A judge hearing President Donald Trump ’ s federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Democrat Joe Biden ’ s win in Wisconsin said Friday that the president ’ s request to “ remand ” the case to the GOP-controlled Legislature to pick new electors was “ bizarre.
” The federal case is one of two Trump has in Wisconsin making similar arguments .
He filed another one in state court , which the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear before it first goes through lower courts .
Hearings on both lawsuits were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting the importance of resolving the legal battles before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 .
Trump , who argues that hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots cast in accordance with state guidelines were illegal , wants a federal judge to give the Republican-controlled Legislature the power to determine who won the election .
“ It ’ s a request for pretty remarkable declaratory relief , ” said U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig during a conference call to set deadlines and a hearing date .
Ludwig , who said it was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also cast doubt on whether a federal court should be considering it at all .
“ I have a very , very hard time seeing how this is justiciable in the federal court , ” Ludwig , a Trump appointee , said .
“ The request to remand this case to the Legislature almost strikes me as bizarre.
” The judge questioned why Trump wasn ’ t going directly to the Legislature if he wants lawmakers to get involved with naming electors .
Bill Bock , the Trump campaign attorney in the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rule that the election was “ invalid ” so the Legislature could get involved .
He also said that the term “ remand , ” which is typically used to describe when one court sends a case to a lower court , was “ inartful.
” Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke cast serious doubt in the week on whether the Legislature might change the state ’ s electors from Biden to Trump backers .
Steineke tweeted a clip of actor Dana Carvey playing President George H.W .
Bush saying , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his state lawsuit , Trump is seeking to disqualify 221,000 ballots he claims were cast illegally .
Judge Stephen Simanek , who is hearing that case after the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to take it initially , said Friday he would rule from the bench following next week ’ s hearing that ’ s scheduled to start hours after the one in federal court .
Jim Troupis , Trump ’ s attorney in the state lawsuit , argued his case should take precedent over the federal lawsuit , where Troupis is not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to put people in a tough spot , ” Troupis said .
“ I ’ m in a tough spot in terms of deadlines.
” The high court also declined Friday to hear a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Voters Alliance over Trump ’ s loss .
Two others filed by Trump allies — one in federal court and one in state court — remain .
Trump has lost multiple lawsuits in other battleground states as part of a longshot effort to overturn Biden ’ s victory .
Even if he were to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s 10 Electoral College votes would not be enough to hand him reelection .

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge hearing President Donald Trump’s federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s win in Wisconsin said Friday that the president’s request to “remand” the case to the GOP-controlled Legislature to pick new electors was “bizarre.”
The federal case is one of two Trump has in Wisconsin making similar arguments. He filed another one in state court, which the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear before it first goes through lower courts.
Hearings on both lawsuits were scheduled for Thursday, with the judges noting the importance of resolving the legal battles before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14.
Trump, who argues that hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots cast in accordance with state guidelines were illegal, wants a federal judge to give the Republican-controlled Legislature the power to determine who won the election.
“It’s a request for pretty remarkable declaratory relief,” said U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig during a conference call to set deadlines and a hearing date. Ludwig, who said it was “an unusual case, obviously,” also cast doubt on whether a federal court should be considering it at all.
“I have a very, very hard time seeing how this is justiciable in the federal court,” Ludwig, a Trump appointee, said. “The request to remand this case to the Legislature almost strikes me as bizarre.”
The judge questioned why Trump wasn’t going directly to the Legislature if he wants lawmakers to get involved with naming electors. Bill Bock, the Trump campaign attorney in the federal lawsuit, said Trump needed the court to rule that the election was “invalid” so the Legislature could get involved. He also said that the term “remand,” which is typically used to describe when one court sends a case to a lower court, was “inartful.”
Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke cast serious doubt in the week on whether the Legislature might change the state’s electors from Biden to Trump backers. Steineke tweeted a clip of actor Dana Carvey playing President George H.W. Bush saying, “Not gonna do it.”
In his state lawsuit, Trump is seeking to disqualify 221,000 ballots he claims were cast illegally. Judge Stephen Simanek, who is hearing that case after the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to take it initially, said Friday he would rule from the bench following next week’s hearing that’s scheduled to start hours after the one in federal court.
Jim Troupis, Trump’s attorney in the state lawsuit, argued his case should take precedent over the federal lawsuit, where Troupis is not the attorney.
“I’m not trying to put people in a tough spot,” Troupis said. “I’m in a tough spot in terms of deadlines.”
The high court also declined Friday to hear a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Voters Alliance over Trump’s loss. Two others filed by Trump allies — one in federal court and one in state court — remain. Trump has lost multiple lawsuits in other battleground states as part of a longshot effort to overturn Biden’s victory. Even if he were to prevail in Wisconsin, the state’s 10 Electoral College votes would not be enough to hand him reelection.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-05--So Much Winning: Biden Officially Secures Enough Electors To Become President

California certified its presidential election Friday and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden , officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House .
Secretary of State Alex Padilla ’ s formal approval of Biden ’ s win in the state brought his tally of pledged electors so far to 279 , according to a tally by The Associated Press .
That ’ s just over the 270 threshold for victory .
These steps in the election are often ignored formalities .
But the hidden mechanics of electing a U.S. president have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump continues to deny Biden ’ s victory and pursues increasingly specious legal strategies aimed at overturning the results before they are finalized .
Although it ’ s been apparent for weeks that Biden won the presidential election , his accrual of more than 270 electors is the first step toward the White House , said Edward B. Foley , a law professor at Ohio State University .
“ It is a legal milestone and the first milestone that has that status , ” Foley said .
“ Everything prior to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The electors named Friday will meet Dec. 14 , along with counterparts in each state , to formally vote for the next president .
Most states have laws binding their electors to the winner of the popular vote in their state , measures that were upheld by a Supreme Court decision this year .
There have been no suggestions that any of Biden ’ s pledged electors would contemplate not voting for him .
Results of the Electoral College vote are due to be received , and typically approved , by Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ object to accepting the electors ’ votes , it would be almost impossible for Biden to be blocked at that point .
The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate would both vote separately to resolve any disputes .
One already has arisen from Pennsylvania , where 75 Republican lawmakers signed a statement on Friday urging Congress to block the state ’ s electoral votes from being cast for Biden .
But the state ’ s Republican U.S. senator , Pat Toomey , said soon afterward that he would not be objecting to Pennsylvania ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficulty in trying to change the election results through Congress .
“ As a practical matter , we know that Joe Biden is going to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 , ” Foley said .
That was clear in the days after the election , when the count of mail ballots gradually made clear that Biden had won victories in enough states to win the Electoral College .
It became even more apparent in late November , when every swing state won by Biden certified him as the winner of its elections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has fruitlessly tried to stop those states from certifying Biden as the winner and appointing electors for the former vice president .
He made no effort in deeply Democratic California , the most populous state in the nation and the trove of its largest number of electoral votes .
Three more states won by Biden — Colorado , Hawaii and New Jersey — have not yet certified their results .
When they do , Biden will have 306 Electoral College votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
Trump and his allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to overturn the results in the swing states Biden won — mainly Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
More than 30 have been rejected or dropped , according to an AP tally .
Trump and his allies have also raised the far-fetched notion that Republican state legislatures in those states could appoint a rival set of electors pledged to Trump .
But state Republican leaders have rejected that approach , and it would likely be futile in any case .
According to federal law , both chambers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a competing slate of electors .
If they don ’ t , the electors appointed by the states ’ governors — all pledged to Biden in these cases — must be used .
The last remaining move to block the election would be the quixotic effort to vote down the electors in Congress .
This tactic has been tried — a handful of congressional Democrats in 2000 , 2004 and 2016 objected to officially making both George W. Bush and Trump president .
But the numbers were not enough to block the two @ @ @ @ @

California certified its presidential election Friday and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s formal approval of Biden’s win in the state brought his tally of pledged electors so far to 279, according to a tally by The Associated Press. That’s just over the 270 threshold for victory.
These steps in the election are often ignored formalities. But the hidden mechanics of electing a U.S. president have drawn new scrutiny this year as President Donald Trump continues to deny Biden’s victory and pursues increasingly specious legal strategies aimed at overturning the results before they are finalized.
Although it’s been apparent for weeks that Biden won the presidential election, his accrual of more than 270 electors is the first step toward the White House, said Edward B. Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University.
“It is a legal milestone and the first milestone that has that status,” Foley said. “Everything prior to that was premised on what we call projections.”
The electors named Friday will meet Dec. 14, along with counterparts in each state, to formally vote for the next president. Most states have laws binding their electors to the winner of the popular vote in their state, measures that were upheld by a Supreme Court decision this year. There have been no suggestions that any of Biden’s pledged electors would contemplate not voting for him.
Results of the Electoral College vote are due to be received, and typically approved, by Congress on Jan. 6. Although lawmakers can object to accepting the electors’ votes, it would be almost impossible for Biden to be blocked at that point.
The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate would both vote separately to resolve any disputes. One already has arisen from Pennsylvania, where 75 Republican lawmakers signed a statement on Friday urging Congress to block the state’s electoral votes from being cast for Biden. But the state’s Republican U.S. senator, Pat Toomey, said soon afterward that he would not be objecting to Pennsylvania’s slate of electors, underscoring the difficulty in trying to change the election results through Congress.
“As a practical matter, we know that Joe Biden is going to be inaugurated on Jan. 20,” Foley said.
That was clear in the days after the election, when the count of mail ballots gradually made clear that Biden had won victories in enough states to win the Electoral College. It became even more apparent in late November, when every swing state won by Biden certified him as the winner of its elections and appointed his electors to the Electoral College. Trump has fruitlessly tried to stop those states from certifying Biden as the winner and appointing electors for the former vice president.
He made no effort in deeply Democratic California, the most populous state in the nation and the trove of its largest number of electoral votes. Three more states won by Biden — Colorado, Hawaii and New Jersey — have not yet certified their results. When they do, Biden will have 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.
Trump and his allies have brought at least 50 legal cases trying to overturn the results in the swing states Biden won — mainly Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. More than 30 have been rejected or dropped, according to an AP tally.
Trump and his allies have also raised the far-fetched notion that Republican state legislatures in those states could appoint a rival set of electors pledged to Trump.
But state Republican leaders have rejected that approach, and it would likely be futile in any case. According to federal law, both chambers of Congress would need to vote to accept a competing slate of electors. If they don’t, the electors appointed by the states’ governors — all pledged to Biden in these cases — must be used.
The last remaining move to block the election would be the quixotic effort to vote down the electors in Congress.
This tactic has been tried — a handful of congressional Democrats in 2000, 2004 and 2016 objected to officially making both George W. Bush and Trump president. But the numbers were not enough to block the two men from taking office.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--Trump Officials Refuse To Say Biden Won. But WH Press Sec Appears To Have Done So.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany seemed to inadvertently admit that President-elect Joe Biden will return to the White House during an interview on Fox News on Sunday , amid the sitting president ’ s refusal to concede and Trump administration officials having yet to outright acknowledge Biden ’ s victory .
While discussing the Georgia Senate runoff elections on Fox News , McEnany lamented that if Republicans fail to maintain its majority in the Senate as a result of the battleground state ’ s runoff elections , then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the person to deliver a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a task that the Vice President of the United States is entitled to as President of the Senate .
“ If we lose these two Senate seats , guess who ’ s casting the deciding vote in this country for our government ?
It will be Kamala Harris , ” McEnany said , without outright acknowledging that Harris is VP-elect , as she again moonlighted as a “ Trump campaign adviser ” on Fox News .
McEnany issued her remarks on Fox News as she pushed Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overturn election results — a request from the sitting president that the governor reportedly turned down on Saturday , prior to Trump ’ s appearance at a Georgia rally supporting the re-election campaigns of Sens .
David Perdue ( R-GA ) and Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) that he made all about himself .
McEnany ’ s gripe that Harris would be tasked with issuing a tie-breaking vote if Republicans lose two seats from Georgia ’ s Senate runoff elections also comes amid Trump ’ s lawsuits seeking to overturn election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , McEnany ’ s remarks on Fox News were made a few days after White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigned from her position in the waning weeks of Trump ’ s presidency .
Earlier Sunday , the battleground state ’ s top officials made clear that they are Republicans who voted for Trump , but can not , in good conscience , stand by his baseless claims .
However , other Trump administration officials on Sunday held fast to publicly denying the reality that the sitting president will depart the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During an interview on “ Fox News Sunday , ” HHS secretary Alex Azar outright refused to refer to Biden as President-elect as he attempted to defend Trump ’ s disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 280,000 Americans thus far .
When asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace whether the country would be in better shape if Trump had complied with mask-wearing early into the pandemic , compared to Biden ’ s public encouragement of mask-wearing , Azar sarcastically remarked that he “ welcomes Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to factually state that Biden is the President-elect .
Azar dodged Wallace ’ s fact check by bringing up a moment when Trump called mask-wearing “ patriotic ” after months of vehemently refusing to comply with the practice .
Wallace once again reminded Azar that Biden won the election .
“ First of all , it ’ s the President-Elect Joe Biden , Secretary Azar , and secondly , the fact is the president said on the first day , April 3 , that he wasn ’ t going to wear a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t wear a mask in public for three months until July.
” Director of Intelligence John Ratcliffe also nonsensically suggested during an interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that there might not be a Biden administration .
Ratcliffe , a Trump loyalist , issued his false statement after Bartiromo aired unfounded claims that Biden ’ s cabinet and national security nominees are involved with “ the Russia hoax.
” “ Well , these election issues — we ’ ll see who is in what seats and whether there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany seemed to inadvertently admit that President-elect Joe Biden will return to the White House during an interview on Fox News on Sunday, amid the sitting president’s refusal to concede and Trump administration officials having yet to outright acknowledge Biden’s victory.
While discussing the Georgia Senate runoff elections on Fox News, McEnany lamented that if Republicans fail to maintain its majority in the Senate as a result of the battleground state’s runoff elections, then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the person to deliver a tie-breaking vote if the occasion arises — a task that the Vice President of the United States is entitled to as President of the Senate.
“If we lose these two Senate seats, guess who’s casting the deciding vote in this country for our government? It will be Kamala Harris,” McEnany said, without outright acknowledging that Harris is VP-elect, as she again moonlighted as a “Trump campaign adviser” on Fox News.
McEnany issued her remarks on Fox News as she pushed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to order a special legislative session to overturn election results — a request from the sitting president that the governor reportedly turned down on Saturday, prior to Trump’s appearance at a Georgia rally supporting the re-election campaigns of Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) that he made all about himself.
McEnany’s gripe that Harris would be tasked with issuing a tie-breaking vote if Republicans lose two seats from Georgia’s Senate runoff elections also comes amid Trump’s lawsuits seeking to overturn election results in several states falling flat. Additionally, McEnany’s remarks on Fox News were made a few days after White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigned from her position in the waning weeks of Trump’s presidency.
Earlier Sunday, the battleground state’s top officials made clear that they are Republicans who voted for Trump, but cannot, in good conscience, stand by his baseless claims.
“If we lose these two Senate seats, guess who’s casting the deciding vote in this country for our government? It will be Kamala Harris.” — Kayleigh McEnany acknowledging that Kamala Harris is the next VP, and by implication Joe Biden is the next president.pic.twitter.com/LKaHFtPtc1 — Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) December 6, 2020
However, other Trump administration officials on Sunday held fast to publicly denying the reality that the sitting president will depart the White House upon Biden’s inauguration next month.
During an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” HHS secretary Alex Azar outright refused to refer to Biden as President-elect as he attempted to defend Trump’s disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 280,000 Americans thus far.
When asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace whether the country would be in better shape if Trump had complied with mask-wearing early into the pandemic, compared to Biden’s public encouragement of mask-wearing, Azar sarcastically remarked that he “welcomes Vice President Biden to the club.”
Wallace interjected to factually state that Biden is the President-elect.
Azar dodged Wallace’s fact check by bringing up a moment when Trump called mask-wearing “patriotic” after months of vehemently refusing to comply with the practice.
Wallace once again reminded Azar that Biden won the election.
“First of all, it’s the President-Elect Joe Biden, Secretary Azar, and secondly, the fact is the president said on the first day, April 3, that he wasn’t going to wear a mask,” Wallace said. “He didn’t wear a mask in public for three months until July.”
HHS Secretary Alex Azar calls Joe Biden “the vice president." When Chris Wallace interjects to correct him that Biden is "the president-elect, sir," Azar ignores him multiple times. pic.twitter.com/X5Y76vYmN3 — The Recount (@therecount) December 6, 2020
Director of Intelligence John Ratcliffe also nonsensically suggested during an interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that there might not be a Biden administration.
Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist, issued his false statement after Bartiromo aired unfounded claims that Biden’s cabinet and national security nominees are involved with “the Russia hoax.”
“Well, these election issues — we’ll see who is in what seats and whether there is a Biden administration,” Ratcliffe said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--Trump Says Giuliani Tested Positive For COVID-19 After Attending Crowded, Indoor Hearings

President Trump announced on Sunday that his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who leads the sitting president ’ s flailing legal attempts at overturning election results , has tested positive for COVID-19 .
It ’ s unclear whether Giuliani is experiencing any symptoms .
However , according to the New York Times on Sunday afternoon , Giuliani was at Georgetown University Medical Center .
TPM has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment .
The White House declined to comment .
In recent weeks , Giuliani has traveled throughout the country sans mask as he egged on the sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election fraud .
Legal challenges waged by Giuliani and the Trump campaign have proved fruitless as federal and state court judges have found no evidence to support the Trumpworld ’ s bogus fraud claims and President-elect Joe Biden has officially secured enough electors to win the election .
On Wednesday , Giuliani appeared before a Michigan House panel without wearing mask .
Many others in the room also appeared maskless .
The day after , Giuliani was in Atlanta , where he participated in a Georgia state Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes on the heels of other Trumpworld figures contracting the novel coronavirus , which include campaign aide Boris Epshteyn , Donald Trump Jr. as well as the former New York City mayor ’ s son Andrew Giuliani .

President Trump announced on Sunday that his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who leads the sitting president’s flailing legal attempts at overturning election results, has tested positive for COVID-19.
.@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2020
It’s unclear whether Giuliani is experiencing any symptoms. However, according to the New York Times on Sunday afternoon, Giuliani was at Georgetown University Medical Center.
The White House declined to comment.
In a statement issued Sunday night, the Trump campaign said that Giuliani tested negative “twice immediately” before traveling to Arizona, Michigan and Georgia in the past week. The Trump campaign added that Giuliani did not experience any symptoms nor test positive for COVID-19 until more than 48 hours after his return.
.@TeamTrump Statement Regarding Timeline of Mayor Giuliani’s COVID-19 Diagnosis pic.twitter.com/X8a17YhwZK — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) December 7, 2020
In recent weeks, Giuliani has traveled throughout the country sans mask as he egged on the sitting president’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud. Legal challenges waged by Giuliani and the Trump campaign have proved fruitless as federal and state court judges have found no evidence to support the Trumpworld’s bogus fraud claims and President-elect Joe Biden has officially secured enough electors to win the election.
On Wednesday, Giuliani appeared before a Michigan House panel without wearing mask. Many others in the room also appeared maskless.
The day after, Giuliani was in Atlanta, where he participated in a Georgia state Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on election security.
Giuliani’s COVID-19 diagnosis comes on the heels of other Trumpworld figures contracting the novel coronavirus, which include campaign aide Boris Epshteyn, Donald Trump Jr. as well as the former New York City mayor’s son Andrew Giuliani.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--WH COVID Officials Dispute Biden’s Claim Of ‘No Detailed Plan’ On Vaccine Rollout

Dr. Moncef Slaoui , chief adviser of Operation Warp Speed , and HHS secretary Alex Azar on Sunday pushed back on President-elect Joe Biden ’ s claim that “ there is no detailed plan ” on COVID-19 vaccine distribution .
On Friday , Biden said at an event in Wilmington , Delaware that the Trump administration had shared information with his transition team about distributing a vaccine to various states , but that his team had not seen a “ detailed plan.
” “ There is no detailed plan that we ’ ve seen , anyway , as to how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ container , into an injection syringe , into somebody ’ s arm , ” Biden said on Friday .
Two days later , Slaoui appeared on CBS and refuted the President-elect ’ s remarks .
Moncef told CBS that despite having yet to meet with Biden , he will do so this week regarding distribution plans for COVID-19 vaccines .
“ We haven ’ t had any meetings yet , ” Slaoui said .
“ I know we have a meeting this coming week and we really look forward to it because actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Slaoui then dismissed Biden ’ s claim of a lack of a detailed plan from the Trump administration for the vaccine rollout , and suggested that there is “ confusion ” because states are responsible for “ actually delivering ” the vaccine .
“ But there are videos , there are explanation exactly how to go about it .
We plan to have all the ancillary material , the syringes , the needles , the swabs , everything co-localized with the vaccine .
So , I think the plans are there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel confident that once we will explain it , everything in detail , I hope the new transition teams will understand that things are well planned.
” Slaoui insisted that Operation Warp Speed is committed to ensuring that vaccines are safely distributed to the public and that “ we will do the best we can to make that happen through the transition without any interruption.
” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar similarly refuted Biden ’ s remarks during an interview on “ Fox News Sunday ” by saying that “ with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonsense.
” “ We have comprehensive plans from the CDC , working with 64 public health jurisdictions around the country , as our governors have laid out very detailed plans that we ’ ve worked with them on.
” Azar said .
“ We ’ re leveraging our retail pharmacies , our hospitals , our public health departments , our community health centers .
We have the McKesson built kits that have the syringes , the diluent , the needles , the PPE to administer.
” Azar added that COVID-19 vaccine distribution is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States Military ” and the private sector .
“ We do hundreds of millions of vaccinations of a year , ” Azar said .
“ We ’ re leveraging the systems that are known and that work here in the United States .
”

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser of Operation Warp Speed, and HHS secretary Alex Azar on Sunday pushed back on President-elect Joe Biden’s claim that “there is no detailed plan” on COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
On Friday, Biden said at an event in Wilmington, Delaware that the Trump administration had shared information with his transition team about distributing a vaccine to various states, but that his team had not seen a “detailed plan.”
“There is no detailed plan that we’ve seen, anyway, as to how you get the vaccine out of a container, into an injection syringe, into somebody’s arm,” Biden said on Friday.
Two days later, Slaoui appeared on CBS and refuted the President-elect’s remarks.
Moncef told CBS that despite having yet to meet with Biden, he will do so this week regarding distribution plans for COVID-19 vaccines.
“We haven’t had any meetings yet,” Slaoui said. “I know we have a meeting this coming week and we really look forward to it because actually things have been really very appropriately planned.”
Slaoui then dismissed Biden’s claim of a lack of a detailed plan from the Trump administration for the vaccine rollout, and suggested that there is “confusion” because states are responsible for “actually delivering” the vaccine.
“But there are videos, there are explanation exactly how to go about it. We plan to have all the ancillary material, the syringes, the needles, the swabs, everything co-localized with the vaccine. So, I think the plans are there,” Slaoui said. “And I feel confident that once we will explain it, everything in detail, I hope the new transition teams will understand that things are well planned.”
Slaoui insisted that Operation Warp Speed is committed to ensuring that vaccines are safely distributed to the public and that “we will do the best we can to make that happen through the transition without any interruption.”
NEW: Operation Warp Speed's Moncef Slaoui tells @margbrennan he hopes to brief president-elect @JoeBiden this week on efforts during the #COVID19 pandemic amid Biden's criticisms: “I hope the new transition team will understand that things are well-planned” pic.twitter.com/IDjhFYhz8j — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 6, 2020
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar similarly refuted Biden’s remarks during an interview on “Fox News Sunday” by saying that “with all respect, that’s just nonsense.”
“We have comprehensive plans from the CDC, working with 64 public health jurisdictions around the country, as our governors have laid out very detailed plans that we’ve worked with them on.” Azar said. “We’re leveraging our retail pharmacies, our hospitals, our public health departments, our community health centers. We have the McKesson built kits that have the syringes, the diluent, the needles, the
PPE to administer.”
Azar added that COVID-19 vaccine distribution is “being micro-managed and controlled by the United States Military” and the private sector.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--Ousted DHS Chief: Trump’s Bogus Fraud Claims Are ‘Corrosive To Confidence In Democracy’

Chris Krebs , who led the Department of Homeland Security ’ s cybersecurity arm and was fired by President Trump last month after publicly debunking the sitting president ’ s conspiracy theories challenging the legitimacy of the election process , on Sunday warned of dire consequences as a result of Trump and Republican lawmakers ’ refusal to acknowledge that President-elect Joe Biden won the election .
On Saturday night , Krebs panned Trump for waging more baseless election fraud claims during his appearance at a Georgia rally in support of the state ’ s Republican senators running for re-election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ active , coordinated disinformation campaign to undermine confidence in our elections.
” The next morning , Krebs reiterated his stance during an interview on CBS on Sunday morning .
After saying that “ it is well past the time where all leaders of the Republican Party ” must accept that Joe Biden is the president elect , Krebs was asked about what he thinks the consequences are regarding the sitting president ’ s attempts at sowing doubt on the election process .
“ I do think it ’ s corrosive to confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Krebs said .
“ You know , the point of elections , it ’ s often been said by election officials , is that you ’ re trying to convince the loser that they lost .
But to do that , you have to have willing participants that are honest brokers .
And we ’ re just not seeing this right now.
” Krebs said that there has been no evidence that has supported Trump ’ s baseless election fraud claims and that “ it is time to move on , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoffs next month that will determine the balance of the Senate .
“ You should have confidence , particularly Georgia voters should have confidence in the election and they need to get out for the January 5th Senate runoff , ” Krebs said .
Krebs , who ’ s described himself as a lifelong Republican , was then pressed on why he thinks most Republicans won ’ t outright acknowledge that Biden is president-elect .
Krebs replied that he ’ s unsure of the motivations behind Republicans who still won ’ t come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , before calling on leaders in the national security community and in the Republican Party to “ stand up to accept the results and move forward.
” “ We can not allow this to continue , certainly not past January 20th , certainly not for the next four years , ” Krebs said .
“ Any sort of lost cause movement would be just horribly destructive to democracy .
”

Chris Krebs, who led the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm and was fired by President Trump last month after publicly debunking the sitting president’s conspiracy theories challenging the legitimacy of the election process, on Sunday warned of dire consequences as a result of Trump and Republican lawmakers’ refusal to acknowledge that President-elect Joe Biden won the election.
On Saturday night, Krebs panned Trump for waging more baseless election fraud claims during his appearance at a Georgia rally in support of the state’s Republican senators running for re-election. Krebs tweeted that the rally was an “active, coordinated disinformation campaign to undermine confidence in our elections.”
I’d much rather be watching football right now. Yet everyone should watch the rally to see an active, coordinated #disinfo campaign to undermine confidence in our elections. This is not stumping for candidates. This is corrosive to democracy. I’d rather be watching football. — Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) December 6, 2020
The next morning, Krebs reiterated his stance during an interview on CBS on Sunday morning.
After saying that “it is well past the time where all leaders of the Republican Party” must accept that Joe Biden is the president elect, Krebs was asked about what he thinks the consequences are regarding the sitting president’s attempts at sowing doubt on the election process.
“I do think it’s corrosive to confidence in the election, in democracy,” Krebs said. “You know, the point of elections, it’s often been said by election officials, is that you’re trying to convince the loser that they lost. But to do that, you have to have willing participants that are honest brokers. And we’re just not seeing this right now.”
Krebs said that there has been no evidence that has supported Trump’s baseless election fraud claims and that “it is time to move on,” especially in light of the Georgia Senate runoffs next month that will determine the balance of the Senate.
“You should have confidence, particularly Georgia voters should have confidence in the election and they need to get out for the January 5th Senate runoff,” Krebs said.
Krebs, who’s described himself as a lifelong Republican, was then pressed on why he thinks most Republicans won’t outright acknowledge that Biden is president-elect.
Krebs replied that he’s unsure of the motivations behind Republicans who still won’t come around to publicly acknowledging that Biden on the election, before calling on leaders in the national security community and in the Republican Party to “stand up to accept the results and move forward.”
“We cannot allow this to continue, certainly not past January 20th, certainly not for the next four years,” Krebs said. “Any sort of lost cause movement would be just horribly destructive to democracy.”
Watch Krebs’ remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--Birx Hits Back At Officials Who Are ‘Parroting’ Trump’s COVID-19 ‘Myths’

Dr. Deborah Birx , the White House coronavirus response coordinator , on Sunday rebuked government officials who ’ ve “ parroted ” President Trump and others in his administration by flouting public health guidance as the country records more than 281,000 deaths from COVID-19 .
During an interview on “ Meet the Press ” on Sunday morning , Birx was asked whether public officials are thinking that the warnings she ’ s issued throughout the year are “ overselling it , ” given how Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly flouted measures that would help reduce the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ heard that personally , ” citing how in addition to meeting with healthcare providers , governors and mayors , she also “ meets with the community.
” Birx then aired her frustration over community members who are “ parroting back ” the “ myths ” that mitigation efforts for COVID-19 don ’ t work .
“ And so I hear community members parroting back those situations , parroting back that masks don ’ t work , parroting back that we should work towards herd immunity , parroting back that gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Birx said .
“ And I think our job is to constantly say those are myths .
They are wrong , and you can see the evidence base.
” Birx took aim at governors and mayors in the Sun Belt who ’ ve let their guard down on mitigation efforts for COVID-19 .
“ And right now , across the Sun Belt , we have governors and mayors who have cases equivalent to what they had in the summertime yet aren ’ t putting in the same policies and mitigations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they know changed the course of this pandemic across the South , ” Birx said .
“ So it is frustrating because not only do we know what works , governors and mayors used those tools to stem the tide in the spring and the summer.
” Asked about her thoughts on the White House and the State Department throwing holiday parties indoors this month — which contradicts guidance that public experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci and herself urge the public to comply with — Birx did not call out the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dire situation the country is in with surging COVID-19 cases .
“ I think it ’ s really important that every single person understands that the way this virus is spread is if you ’ re with anyone indoors without a mask , that ’ s a viral spreading opportunity , ” Birx said .
“ If you ’ re outdoors and hugging and kissing individuals , that is a viral spreading opportunity .
We have to really understand how contagious , how infectious this virus is.
” Birx went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now to what we know works , which is masks , physical distancing , washing your hands , but not gathering ” and to recognize that “ this is the worst event that this country will face.
” Birx also stressed that although a COVID-19 vaccine is “ critical , ” it won ’ t “ save us from this current surge.
” “ Only we can save us from this current surge .
And we know precisely what to do , ” Birx said .
“ So , if you have loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to follow these guidelines now .
”

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, on Sunday rebuked government officials who’ve “parroted” President Trump and others in his administration by flouting public health guidance as the country records more than 281,000 deaths from COVID-19.
During an interview on “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning, Birx was asked whether public officials are thinking that the warnings she’s issued throughout the year are “overselling it,” given how Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly flouted measures that would help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Birx replied that she’s “heard that personally,” citing how in addition to meeting with healthcare providers, governors and mayors, she also “meets with the community.”
Birx then aired her frustration over community members who are “parroting back” the “myths” that mitigation efforts for COVID-19 don’t work.
“And so I hear community members parroting back those situations, parroting back that masks don’t work, parroting back that we should work towards herd immunity, parroting back that gatherings don’t result in super-spreading events,” Birx said. “And I think our job is to constantly say those are myths. They are wrong, and you can see the evidence base.”
Birx took aim at governors and mayors in the Sun Belt who’ve let their guard down on mitigation efforts for COVID-19.
“And right now, across the Sun Belt, we have governors and mayors who have cases equivalent to what they had in the summertime yet aren’t putting in the same policies and mitigations that they put in the summer, that they know changed the course of this pandemic across the South,” Birx said. “So it is frustrating because not only do we know what works, governors and mayors used those tools to stem the tide in the spring and the summer.”
Asked about her thoughts on the White House and the State Department throwing holiday parties indoors this month — which contradicts guidance that public experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci and herself urge the public to comply with — Birx did not call out the Trump administration, but emphasized the importance of understanding the dire situation the country is in with surging COVID-19 cases.
“I think it’s really important that every single person understands that the way this virus is spread is if you’re with anyone indoors without a mask, that’s a viral spreading opportunity,” Birx said. “If you’re outdoors and hugging and kissing individuals, that is a viral spreading opportunity. We have to really understand how contagious, how infectious this virus is.”
Birx went on to urge the public to “listen right now to what we know works, which is masks, physical distancing, washing your hands, but not gathering” and to recognize that “this is the worst event that this country will face.”
Birx also stressed that although a COVID-19 vaccine is “critical,” it won’t “save us from this current surge.”
“Only we can save us from this current surge. And we know precisely what to do,” Birx said. “So, if you have loved ones that you want to protect you have to follow these guidelines now.”
Watch Birx’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-06--GA Officials: We Voted For Trump But We Need To Call Out His Election Fraud Falsehoods

Georgia officials have President Trump ’ s bogus election fraud claims on their mind — and they ’ re fed up with the sitting president ’ s falsehoods amid his ongoing refusal to concede and fruitless legal battles contesting the legitimacy of the election process .
Hours before Trump made his appearance at a Georgia rally Saturday night in support of the state ’ s Republican senators running for re-election all about himself , the sitting president reportedly asked Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) in a phone call to order a legislative session to overturn election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with .
The battleground state ’ s top officials have spent the past week calling out the sitting president on his falsehoods .
They continued doing so on Sunday morning , and made clear that they are Republicans who voted for Trump , but can not , in good conscience , stand by his baseless claims : Sterling — who issued an impassioned plea last week for Trump and the state ’ s Republican senators to condemn violent threats that he , Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger , and election officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit back at Trump ’ s bogus election fraud claims during his appearance at a Georgia rally the night before during an interview on “ Meet the Press.
” After likening attempts at debunking Trump ’ s falsehoods to playing a game of Whac-a-Mole , Sterling mentioned “ hell , I voted for him ” while saying that “ the situation ’ s getting worse ” regarding the sitting president ’ s false statements that are “ stoking anger and fear among his supporters.
” “ It ’ s not just Republicans on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling up to 2019 , up to 50 percent of Democrats think Russians flipped votes on machines .
So this is going both ways , ” Sterling said .
“ It ’ s undermining democracy , and we ’ ve got to get to a point where responsible people act responsibly.
” Raffensperger told ABC News on Sunday that despite Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue ( R-GA ) calling for his ouster as the Republican senators continue egging on Trump ’ s unfounded election fraud claims , the Georgia secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supports their candidacy as a Republican who voters for Republicans .
Raffensperger stressed that while “ the job of the Republican Party is to raise money and turn out the vote , ” his job as secretary of state is to ensure “ honest and fair elections.
” Raffensperger reiterated that he and his family have faced death threats — which he described as “ unpatriotic ” behavior — before going onto say that Republicans “ didn ’ t turn out enough voters.
” Asked whether he has no doubt that Trump lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ sad , but true ” that Trump lost , but that voters have elected President-elect Joe Biden .
“ I wish he would have won , ” Raffensperger said .
“ I ’ m a conservative Republican and I ’ m disappointed but those are the results.
” Asked during an interview on CNN what his message is to Georgia voters , Duncan replied that even as someone who voted for Trump and campaigned for him , “ unfortunately ” the sitting president didn ’ t win the battleground state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance to spend five minutes with every voter in Georgia who doubts the election results , “ I ’ d be able to win their hearts over ” by “ separating fact from fiction.
” After emphasizing that Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20 , despite his differences with the President-elect , Duncan insisted that he ’ s “ proud that we ’ re able to look up after three recounts and watch and be able to see that this election was fair .
” “ Was it perfect ?
Absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if any election was perfect in the history of this country , ” Duncan said .
“ But certainly it ’ s only been nominal changes since we ’ ve had three recounts .
”

Georgia officials have President Trump’s bogus election fraud claims on their mind — and they’re fed up with the sitting president’s falsehoods amid his ongoing refusal to concede and fruitless legal battles contesting the legitimacy of the election process.
Hours before Trump made his appearance at a Georgia rally Saturday night in support of the state’s Republican senators running for re-election all about himself, the sitting president reportedly asked Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a phone call to order a legislative session to overturn election results, which the governor refused to go along with.
The battleground state’s top officials have spent the past week calling out the sitting president on his falsehoods. They continued doing so on Sunday morning, and made clear that they are Republicans who voted for Trump, but cannot, in good conscience, stand by his baseless claims:
Georgia election implementation manager Gabriel Sterling
Sterling — who issued an impassioned plea last week for Trump and the state’s Republican senators to condemn violent threats that he, Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, and election officials and workers have faced — once again hit back at Trump’s bogus election fraud claims during his appearance at a Georgia rally the night before during an interview on “Meet the Press.”
After likening attempts at debunking Trump’s falsehoods to playing a game of Whac-a-Mole, Sterling mentioned “hell, I voted for him” while saying that “the situation’s getting worse” regarding the sitting president’s false statements that are “stoking anger and fear among his supporters.”
“It’s not just Republicans on this side this time. Even in polling up to 2019, up to 50 percent of Democrats think Russians flipped votes on machines. So this is going both ways,” Sterling said. “It’s undermining democracy, and we’ve got to get to a point where responsible people act responsibly.”
NEW: @GabrielSterling reacts to Trump's claims about election fraud at Georgia rally, says "it is a game of whack-a-mole to even say 'the president's statements are false." #MTP "This undermines democracy. We have got to get to a point where responsible people act responsibly." pic.twitter.com/Gbw7AtcPWC — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 6, 2020
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R)
Raffensperger told ABC News on Sunday that despite Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue (R-GA) calling for his ouster as the Republican senators continue egging on Trump’s unfounded election fraud claims, the Georgia secretary of state maintained that he “absolutely” supports their candidacy as a Republican who voters for Republicans.
Raffensperger stressed that while “the job of the Republican Party is to raise money and turn out the vote,” his job as secretary of state is to ensure “honest and fair elections.”
Raffensperger reiterated that he and his family have faced death threats — which he described as “unpatriotic” behavior — before going onto say that Republicans “didn’t turn out enough voters.”
Asked whether he has no doubt that Trump lost Georgia, Raffensperger lamented that it’s “sad, but true” that Trump lost, but that voters have elected President-elect Joe Biden.
“I wish he would have won,” Raffensperger said. “I’m a conservative Republican and I’m disappointed but those are the results.”
“Yeah, sad but true … I’m a conservative Republican and I’m disappointed, but those are the results,” Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger tells @GStephanopoulos when asked if there’s no doubt in his mind that President Trump lost the state of Georgia. https://t.co/EJ6DD0kF8n pic.twitter.com/firlHWDalW — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 6, 2020
Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R)
Asked during an interview on CNN what his message is to Georgia voters, Duncan replied that even as someone who voted for Trump and campaigned for him, “unfortunately” the sitting president didn’t win the battleground state.
Duncan added that if he had a chance to spend five minutes with every voter in Georgia who doubts the election results, “I’d be able to win their hearts over” by “separating fact from fiction.”
After emphasizing that Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20, despite his differences with the President-elect, Duncan insisted that he’s “proud that we’re able to look up after three recounts and watch and be able to see that this election was fair. ”
“Was it perfect? Absolutely not. I don’t know if any election was perfect in the history of this country,” Duncan said. “But certainly it’s only been nominal changes since we’ve had three recounts.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-07--Entire AZ Legislature Shuts Down For A Week After Mask-Free Giuliani Contracts COVID-19

Arizona ’ s entire legislature will be closed this week after Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who socialized with GOP state lawmakers mask-less several times last week while trying to overturn President-elect Joe Biden ’ s victory , tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday .
The Arizona Capitol Times obtained an email from the Senate Chief of staff Wendy Baldo informing all senators that “ due to COVID-19 concerns and out of an abundance of caution , ” the chamber would be closed the entire week .
House Chief of Staff Michael Hunter also told lawmakers that the House building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , per multiple local news outlets .
Giuliani ’ s diagnosis came less than a week after he and fellow Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis spoke at informal hearing in Phoenix on November 30 with nine GOP lawmakers on the committee who were holding the hearing , which attempted to falsely “ prove ” that the election results were fraudulent .
Other Republicans were also reportedly seen in the audience .
Giuliani did not wear a mask , and neither did many of the GOP lawmakers in attendance .
The attorney then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the following day .
On Sunday , Trump announced that Giuliani had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The lawyer confirmed his diagnosis later that night , tweeting he was “ getting great care and feeling good.
” Giuliani , who is at high risk for the virus due to his age of 76 , was taken to Georgetown University Medical Center for treatment , according to the New York Times and ABC News .

Arizona’s entire legislature will be closed this week after Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who socialized with GOP state lawmakers mask-less several times last week while trying to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
The Arizona Capitol Times obtained an email from the Senate Chief of staff Wendy Baldo informing all senators that “due to COVID-19 concerns and out of an abundance of caution,” the chamber would be closed the entire week.
House Chief of Staff Michael Hunter also told lawmakers that the House building would be closed for a week starting Monday, per multiple local news outlets.
Giuliani’s diagnosis came less than a week after he and fellow Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis spoke at informal hearing in Phoenix on November 30 with nine GOP lawmakers on the committee who were holding the hearing, which attempted to falsely “prove” that the election results were fraudulent. Other Republicans were also reportedly seen in the audience. Giuliani did not wear a mask, and neither did many of the GOP lawmakers in attendance.
The attorney then had a private meeting with Republican leaders the following day.
On Sunday, Trump announced that Giuliani had tested positive for the coronavirus. The lawyer confirmed his diagnosis later that night, tweeting he was “getting great care and feeling good.”
Giuliani, who is at high risk for the virus due to his age of 76, was taken to Georgetown University Medical Center for treatment, according to the New York Times and ABC News.