buzzfeed--2020-12-14--Trump Says Attorney General Bill Barr Will Step Down Weeks After Barr Said There Wasn't Widespread V

Trump Says Attorney General Bill Barr Will Step Down Weeks After Barr Said There Wasn't Widespread Voter Fraud

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump tweeted Monday that Attorney General Bill Barr will step down with just a month remaining in his administration , two weeks after Barr publicly threw cold water on the president ’ s insistence that his election loss was illegitimate because of widespread voter fraud .
Trump announced that Barr will leave the Justice Department before Christmas and will be replaced by Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen as acting attorney general .
“ Our relationship has been a very good one , he has done an outstanding job , ” Trump insisted in his Monday tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friction between the president and Barr .
Trump tweeted that the two men had met on Monday .
The letter that Barr sent Trump announcing his departure , which the Justice Department titled as a `` Letter of Resignation , '' began by noting that he had given the president an `` update '' on the Justice Department 's `` review of voter fraud allegations and how these allegations will continue to be pursued . ''
The letter did n't include any other details on what Barr told Trump about that review ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prosecutions that bolstered Trump and his supporters ' baseless claims that there was fraud across multiple states that rigged the election for President-elect Joe Biden .
`` At a time when our country is so deeply divided , it is incumbent on all levels of government , and all agencies acting within their purview , to do all we can to assure the integrity of elections and promote public confidence in their outcome , '' Barr wrote .
Barr has rarely broken with Trump in his two years in office , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published Dec. 1 , Barr said that the Justice Department hadn ’ t uncovered evidence of fraud that could change the results of the election .
He didn ’ t totally disavow Trump ’ s fraud claims or directly criticize the president , but his comments contradicted the campaign ’ s postelection rhetoric and conspiracy theories of pervasive , nationwide fraud that tilted the race to President-elect Joe Biden .
“ [ T ] o date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP .
In response to Barr ’ s interview , the campaign released a statement from Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis , who have led Trump ’ s postelection legal fight , that was critical of the Justice Department .
“ With all due respect to the Attorney General , there hasn ’ t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation , ” Giuliani and Ellis wrote .
“ Again , with the greatest respect to the Attorney General , his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud.
” Before and after the election , Barr had fueled Trump ’ s narrative that expanded mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic would undermine the integrity of the election by authorizing prosecutors to pursue certain voter fraud investigations .
As the New York Times reported , Barr ’ s guidance went against previous DOJ policies meant to limit law enforcement activity that could affect an election .
Barr spent the bulk of his resignation letter praising Trump and his record on everything from the economy and response to the coronavirus vaccine to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for law enforcement .
He took a parting shot at the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election , describing it as an `` effort to cripple , if not oust , your Administration with frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia . ''
`` Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless , implacable resistance , '' Barr wrote .
Barr is the second attorney general ousted by Trump .
Trump ’ s first attorney general , Jeff Sessions , was forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Trump had repeatedly , and publicly , criticized Sessions over the course of his two years in office for recusing from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
Barr , who was confirmed in February 2019 , enjoyed a far less fraught tenure in office .
He earned praise from Trump for tapping Justice Department officials to probe the Mueller investigation and for directing the US attorney ’ s office in Washington to recommend a lesser sentence for longtime Trump ally Roger Stone , who was convicted of lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commuted Stone ’ s prison sentence .
Barr revealed on Dec. 1 that he had appointed US Attorney John Durham in October as a special counsel to continue his counter-investigation into the origins of the 2016 Russia inquiry , meaning it will likely continue into the Biden administration .
This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump tweeted Monday that Attorney General Bill Barr will step down with just a month remaining in his administration, two weeks after Barr publicly threw cold water on the president’s insistence that his election loss was illegitimate because of widespread voter fraud.
Trump announced that Barr will leave the Justice Department before Christmas and will be replaced by Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen as acting attorney general. “Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job,” Trump insisted in his Monday tweet, but the announcement comes after recent friction between the president and Barr.
Trump tweeted that the two men had met on Monday. The letter that Barr sent Trump announcing his departure, which the Justice Department titled as a "Letter of Resignation," began by noting that he had given the president an "update" on the Justice Department's "review of voter fraud allegations and how these allegations will continue to be pursued." The letter didn't include any other details on what Barr told Trump about that review; to date, there have been no federal prosecutions that bolstered Trump and his supporters' baseless claims that there was fraud across multiple states that rigged the election for President-elect Joe Biden.
"At a time when our country is so deeply divided, it is incumbent on all levels of government, and all agencies acting within their purview, to do all we can to assure the integrity of elections and promote public confidence in their outcome," Barr wrote.
Barr has rarely broken with Trump in his two years in office, but in an interview with the Associated Press published Dec. 1, Barr said that the Justice Department hadn’t uncovered evidence of fraud that could change the results of the election. He didn’t totally disavow Trump’s fraud claims or directly criticize the president, but his comments contradicted the campaign’s postelection rhetoric and conspiracy theories of pervasive, nationwide fraud that tilted the race to President-elect Joe Biden.
“[T]o date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.
In response to Barr’s interview, the campaign released a statement from Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, who have led Trump’s postelection legal fight, that was critical of the Justice Department.
“With all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation,” Giuliani and Ellis wrote. “Again, with the greatest respect to the Attorney General, his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”
Before and after the election, Barr had fueled Trump’s narrative that expanded mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic would undermine the integrity of the election by authorizing prosecutors to pursue certain voter fraud investigations. As the New York Times reported, Barr’s guidance went against previous DOJ policies meant to limit law enforcement activity that could affect an election.
Barr spent the bulk of his resignation letter praising Trump and his record on everything from the economy and response to the coronavirus vaccine to the confirmation of federal judges and support for law enforcement. He took a parting shot at the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, describing it as an "effort to cripple, if not oust, your Administration with frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia."
"Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless, implacable resistance," Barr wrote.
Barr is the second attorney general ousted by Trump. Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was forced to submit his resignation in November 2018; Trump had repeatedly, and publicly, criticized Sessions over the course of his two years in office for recusing from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Barr, who was confirmed in February 2019, enjoyed a far less fraught tenure in office. He earned praise from Trump for tapping Justice Department officials to probe the Mueller investigation and for directing the US attorney’s office in Washington to recommend a lesser sentence for longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress and obstruction; Trump later commuted Stone’s prison sentence.
Barr revealed on Dec. 1 that he had appointed US Attorney John Durham in October as a special counsel to continue his counter-investigation into the origins of the 2016 Russia inquiry, meaning it will likely continue into the Biden administration.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.


buzzfeed--2020-12-14--This Newly Released Letter Details The Criminal Referral On Donald Trump Over His Ukraine Phone Call

Nearly one year after the House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump , the federal government has released the criminal referral alleging Trump committed crimes related to his phone call with Ukraine ’ s President Volodymyr Zelensky , a conversation that sparked the historic proceedings .
The document , obtained by BuzzFeed News from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit , is a letter dated September 4 , 2019 , and signed by Michael Atkinson , inspector general for the intelligence community .
It was sent to Stacey Moy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI ’ s counterintelligence division .
Moy ’ s involvement in the Ukraine matter has not been previously disclosed .
The inspector general “ is formally referring allegations received from an individual regarding , among other things , alleged violations of law related to a telephone call on July 25 , 2019 , between President Donald J. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , ” Atkinson wrote .
“ This referral is a follow-up to my secure telephone call on August 27 , 2019 , with FBI Director Christopher A. Wray ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , during which I provided to Mr. Murphy a summary of the Complainant ’ s allegations.
” On Aug. 12 , 2019 , an anonymous CIA official had filed a formal whistleblower complaint with the House and Senate Intelligence committees and Atkinson , the inspector general , alleging Trump pressured Zelensky to publicly announce investigations into his political rivals while withholding $ 400 million in military aid .
Trump wanted Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden , then the Democratic presidential frontrunner , and his son Hunter related to unsubstantiated claims that Biden had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into the Ukrainian gas company his son , Hunter , sat on the board of .
Atkinson also sent a copy of his letter to Brian Benczkowski , the head of the Justice Department ’ s criminal division , after learning that “ other authorities ” had also sent the office information about the whistleblower ’ s allegation .
However , the Justice Department declined to investigate whether Trump had violated a campaign finance law that prohibits foreign contributions to US politicians .
Three weeks after Atkinson sent the letter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House would launch an impeachment inquiry into Trump .
Following impeachment in the House , the Senate acquitted Trump on Feb. 5 on obstruction of Congress and abuse of power .
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the letter .
In addition to the criminal referral , the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also turned over another previously undisclosed document : a four-page letter Atkinson sent to White House counsel Pat Cipollone on Aug. 26 , 2019 , requesting access to all documents from the White House related to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preservation of records , stating that “ intentional failure to meet the obligations may result in charges of obstruction of justice.
” Irvin McCullough , a national security analyst at the Government Accountability Project , told BuzzFeed News the document preservation letter is noteworthy because it is “ extraordinarily rare for an inspector general to investigate the White House and issue document preservation holds . ''
“ There is usually a hesitancy to go after the White House because the White House can fire you , ” McCullough said .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in April .
BuzzFeed News also sued the CIA , seeking a copy of the criminal referral that the agency ’ s top lawyer reportedly sent the Justice Department about the whistleblower ’ s complaint .
Responding to that request , the CIA issued what is known as a Glomar response : The agency can neither confirm nor deny that such a document exists .

Nearly one year after the House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump, the federal government has released the criminal referral alleging Trump committed crimes related to his phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, a conversation that sparked the historic proceedings.
The document, obtained by BuzzFeed News from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, is a letter dated September 4, 2019, and signed by Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community. It was sent to Stacey Moy, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division. Moy’s involvement in the Ukraine matter has not been previously disclosed.
The inspector general “is formally referring allegations received from an individual regarding, among other things, alleged violations of law related to a telephone call on July 25, 2019, between President Donald J. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” Atkinson wrote. “This referral is a follow-up to my secure telephone call on August 27, 2019, with FBI Director Christopher A. Wray’s Chief of Staff, Paul B. Murphy, during which I provided to Mr. Murphy a summary of the Complainant’s allegations.”
On Aug. 12, 2019, an anonymous CIA officer had filed a formal whistleblower complaint with the House and Senate Intelligence committees and Atkinson, the inspector general, alleging Trump pressured Zelensky to publicly announce investigations into then-Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, while withholding $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.
"According to the Complainant's allegations, 'the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election,' which 'includes, among other things, pressuring a foreign country to investigate one of the President's main domestic political rivals,'" Atkinson wrote.
Trump wanted Zelensky to investigate unsubstantiated claims that Biden had pressured Ukraine’s prosecutor to drop an investigation into the Ukrainian gas company Hunter sat on the board of.
Atkinson's criminal referral said he determined "there are reasonable grounds to believe" that the whistleblower's allegations against Trump "appear credible."
Atkinson also sent a copy of his letter to Brian Benczkowski, the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, after learning that “other authorities” had also sent the office information about the whistleblower’s allegation. However, the Justice Department declined to investigate whether Trump had violated a campaign finance law that prohibits foreign contributions to US politicians.
Three weeks after Atkinson sent the letter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would launch an impeachment inquiry into Trump. Following impeachment in the House, the Senate acquitted Trump on Feb. 5 on obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the letter.
In addition to the criminal referral, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also turned over another previously undisclosed document: a four-page letter Atkinson sent to White House counsel Pat Cipollone on Aug. 26, 2019, requesting access to all documents from the White House related to the Ukraine phone call as well as the preservation of records, stating that “intentional failure to meet the obligations may result in charges of obstruction of justice.”
Irvin McCullough, a national security analyst at the Government Accountability Project, told BuzzFeed News the document preservation letter is noteworthy because it is “extraordinarily rare for an inspector general to investigate the White House and issue document preservation holds."
“There is usually a hesitancy to go after the White House because the White House can fire you,” McCullough said.
That’s what happened to Atkinson. Trump fired him in April.
BuzzFeed News also sued the CIA, seeking a copy of the criminal referral that the agency’s top lawyer reportedly sent the Justice Department about the whistleblower’s complaint. Responding to that request, the CIA issued what is known as a Glomar response: The agency can neither confirm nor deny that such a document exists.


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--Joe Biden Officially Won The Electoral College

Joe Biden has officially won a majority of the Electoral College and will be the next president , an outcome that has been clear for more than a month .
The 538 Electoral College members met in their states Monday to vote for president and vice president , a ceremonial process laid out in the Constitution .
The members , who include party activists and stalwarts like the Clintons , have officially given Biden more than 270 electoral votes , the threshold for winning the presidency .
In the end , he will win 306 electoral votes to President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president won the popular vote by an even more substantial margin of more than 7 million votes .
The Electoral College vote is typically a quiet event that doesn ’ t exactly make news , coming weeks after the election results are already known .
But Trump , who has refused to accept his loss , has spent the weeks since Election Day singularly focused on undermining the results , lobbing a series of failed lawsuits intended to overturn the vote .
Republicans in Washington , DC , have largely stuck by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silence , holding off on calling Biden the president-elect and continuing to treat the unproven allegations of mass voter fraud as a legitimate concern .
This past weekend , thousands of Trump supporters gathered in DC and elsewhere to protest the election result in “ Stop the Steal ” rallies .
Some of the rallies resulted in violence , with four people stabbed in DC and another person shot in Olympia , Washington state .
Electors in some key states were surrounded by security when they met on Monday , an atypical setup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persistent threats .
The next step for the election process comes on Jan. 6 , when Congress is due to inspect and approve of the Electoral College votes .
Even more than Monday ’ s Electoral College vote , the step in Congress is largely ceremonial .
But this year ’ s election process , with Republicans so far unwilling to stand by the results , is unprecedented , and some Republicans have already reportedly discussed protesting the votes in Congress .
If at least one member in both the House and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chambers would have to convene a debate about the legitimacy of the ballots .
Disputes would be decided by a vote .
So far there appears to be nowhere near enough support in Congress to mount a serious challenge to Biden ’ s victory .
Not a single Republican senator has committed to challenging the results , which would shut the door on any last-minute drama .
`` It 's their prerogative .
It 's allowed for in the Constitution , but it 's not going anywhere , '' Sen. John Thune , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Monday of a House challenge .
He called such a move `` an opportunity for people to vent . ''
Trump himself continues to reject the election results , tweeting debunked claims about voter fraud costing him the states he needed to win .
But much of his party seems ready to move on .
After weeks of walking on eggshells to avoid angering the president , Senate Republicans are starting to come around to publicly acknowledging Biden won .
“ I think he 's president-elect , subject to whatever additional litigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any .
Obviously , the Texas case was not successful , ” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Monday , referring to a long shot Republican lawsuit led by the state to overturn the election results of Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin , and Michigan .
The Supreme Court declined to hear the suit .
At the Trump campaign headquarters in Arlington , Virginia , the signs bearing his name are being stripped from the wall while desks are being cleared out , the Daily Beast reported .
Michigan Rep. Paul Mitchell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party and sit as an independent over his disappointment with so many of his colleagues pandering to Trump ’ s attempts to overturn the election .
Mitchell announced his retirement , however , in July 2019 , in part because of the “ rhetoric and vitriol ” in modern politics ; he ’ ll leave Congress at the end of the month .

Joe Biden has officially won a majority of the Electoral College and will be the next president, an outcome that has been clear for more than a month.
The 538 Electoral College members met in their states Monday to vote for president and vice president, a ceremonial process laid out in the Constitution. The members, who include party activists and stalwarts like the Clintons, have officially given Biden more than 270 electoral votes, the threshold for winning the presidency. In the end, he will win 306 electoral votes to President Donald Trump’s 232. The former vice president won the popular vote by an even more substantial margin of more than 7 million votes.
The Electoral College vote is typically a quiet event that doesn’t exactly make news, coming weeks after the election results are already known. But Trump, who has refused to accept his loss, has spent the weeks since Election Day singularly focused on undermining the results, lobbing a series of failed lawsuits intended to overturn the vote. Republicans in Washington, DC, have largely stuck by him, either explicitly or with their silence, holding off on calling Biden the president-elect and continuing to treat the unproven allegations of mass voter fraud as a legitimate concern.
This past weekend, thousands of Trump supporters gathered in DC and elsewhere to protest the election result in “Stop the Steal” rallies. Some of the rallies resulted in violence, with four people stabbed in DC and another person shot in Olympia, Washington state. Electors in some key states were surrounded by security when they met on Monday, an atypical setup for a normally sleepy event due to persistent threats.
The next step for the election process comes on Jan. 6, when Congress is due to inspect and approve of the Electoral College votes. Even more than Monday’s Electoral College vote, the step in Congress is largely ceremonial. But this year’s election process, with Republicans so far unwilling to stand by the results, is unprecedented, and some Republicans have already reportedly discussed protesting the votes in Congress.
If at least one member in both the House and the Senate objects to the results, the chambers would have to convene a debate about the legitimacy of the ballots. Disputes would be decided by a vote.
So far there appears to be nowhere near enough support in Congress to mount a serious challenge to Biden’s victory. Not a single Republican senator has committed to challenging the results, which would shut the door on any last-minute drama.
"It's their prerogative. It's allowed for in the Constitution, but it's not going anywhere," Sen. John Thune, the second-highest-ranking Republican in Senate leadership, said Monday of a House challenge. He called such a move "an opportunity for people to vent."
Trump himself continues to reject the election results, tweeting debunked claims about voter fraud costing him the states he needed to win. But much of his party seems ready to move on. After weeks of walking on eggshells to avoid angering the president, Senate Republicans are starting to come around to publicly acknowledging Biden won.
“I think he's president-elect, subject to whatever additional litigation is ongoing. I'm not aware of any. Obviously, the Texas case was not successful,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Monday, referring to a long shot Republican lawsuit led by the state to overturn the election results of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Supreme Court declined to hear the suit.
At the Trump campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the signs bearing his name are being stripped from the wall while desks are being cleared out, the Daily Beast reported.
Michigan Rep. Paul Mitchell announced Monday he will leave the Republican Party and sit as an independent over his disappointment with so many of his colleagues pandering to Trump’s attempts to overturn the election. Mitchell announced his retirement, however, in July 2019, in part because of the “rhetoric and vitriol” in modern politics; he’ll leave Congress at the end of the month.


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--Pro-Trump Republicans Are Holding Fake Electoral College Votes While The Real Electoral College Meet

Pro-Trump Republicans Are Holding Fake Electoral College Votes While The Real Electoral College Meets To Formalize Biden's Win

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden ’ s presidential victory hit another milestone Monday as the Electoral College met to vote .
But to President Donald Trump ’ s most fervent supporters , the Electoral College vote is just one more step in Trump ’ s master plan to overturn the election results and stay in power .
A segment of the country has so bought into Trump ’ s denial of reality that they are convinced not only that the election was stolen , but that Trump is in the midst of a miraculous comeback and will be sworn in for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fantasy narrative has spilled out of the internet and into the streets .
In Georgia , pro-Trump Republicans claimed to cast the state ’ s Electoral College votes for Trump .
( Biden won Georgia by 12,000 votes . )
In Nevada , the chair of the state ’ s Republican Party held a press conference to “ certify ” Nevada ’ s six electoral votes for Trump .
( Biden won Nevada by 34,000 votes . )
In Michigan , a crowd of would-be electors demanded to enter the statehouse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were refused because the actual Electoral College members were already inside .
These Republican votes are not official , not recognized , and have no real-world weight whatsoever .
But to Trump ’ s die-hard fans , they are a key part of a plan that ends with Congress overturning the election results and handing the presidency back to Trump .
The theory goes that when Congress counts the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6 , lawmakers will declare Biden ’ s win to be fraudulent and choose to count the pro-Trump slates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to victory .
The pro-Trump internet is awash with slogans like “ Hold the line ” and “ Stop the steal ” calling for supporters not to give up .
“ There is a 0.0 % chance Biden will see his hand on a bible on January 20th .
Fear not , ” reads one comment on the pro-Trump message board TheDonald.win that is in line with the general sentiment .
This narrative is being reinforced straight from the White House .
“ We have more than enough time to right the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certify Donald Trump as the winner , ” Trump adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox News Monday morning .
The idea is based on an unprecedented but technically possible reading of the United States Constitution .
In theory , Congress could try to count a renegade set of Electoral College votes , or just refuse to count Electoral College votes cast for Joe Biden .
It ’ s a desperate long shot .
So far , not a single Republican in the Senate has agreed to challenge the Electoral College results , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go along with such a scheme .
The House of Representatives is a different story .
A majority of Republican members there have endorsed Trump ’ s repeatedly debunked claims that widespread fraud cost him the election .
But they don ’ t have the numbers to overturn the election results on their own .
In reality , Trump ’ s legal team has lost nearly 60 court cases , failed to demonstrate a single case of voter fraud , and failed to toss out any votes , let alone the hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outcome of the election .
But in Trumpland , a vast conspiracy involving Democrats , the Chinese government , an international globalist cabal , rigged voting machines , corrupt state governments , and bought-off poll workers came together to steal the election from Trump .
Many have rejected the results of the election entirely .
Their first expectation was that the Supreme Court would step in and hand Trump his victory .
Court loss after court loss was chalked up to Trump ’ s team waiting for the right moment .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeated mantra among his supporters .
When all 50 states certified their election results it was seen as good news : Trump was waiting for Democrats to complete their fraud before bringing down the hammer and having them arrested .
That illusion shattered when the Supreme Court refused to hear Trump ’ s lawsuit .
Trump ’ s angry tweets seemed to confirm this was not part of the plan .
Now hopes have turned to Congress or , increasingly , Trump calling in the military .
“ If the majority of Justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military has the huevos to defend our nation , ” reads one pro-Trump tweet .
“ The military will ultimately have to be used .
We ’ re officially in a Cold Civil War .
The military will have to be used to put down the traitors of the Republican , ” reads another .
“ It ’ s time to bring in the military and end this shit , ” reads another .
The theory gaining steam is that Trump will invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to call in the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , conduct their own recount to prove Trump won , then round up and imprison Democrats and others seen as traitors .
The pro-Trump outlet the Epoch Times is openly making the case for Trump to call in the military .

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden’s presidential victory hit another milestone Monday as the Electoral College met to vote. But to President Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters, the Electoral College vote is just one more step in Trump’s master plan to overturn the election results and stay in power.
A segment of the country has so bought into Trump’s denial of reality that they are convinced not only that the election was stolen, but that Trump is in the midst of a miraculous comeback and will be sworn in for a second term on Jan. 20.
The fantasy narrative has spilled out of the internet and into the streets. In Georgia, pro-Trump Republicans claimed to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for Trump. (Biden won Georgia by 12,000 votes.) In Nevada, the chair of the state’s Republican Party held a press conference to “certify” Nevada’s six electoral votes for Trump. (Biden won Nevada by 34,000 votes.) In Michigan, a crowd of would-be electors demanded to enter the statehouse to cast their votes for Trump, but were refused because the actual Electoral College members were already inside.
These Republican votes are not official, not recognized, and have no real-world weight whatsoever. But to Trump’s die-hard fans, they are a key part of a plan that ends with Congress overturning the election results and handing the presidency back to Trump.
The theory goes that when Congress counts the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, lawmakers will declare Biden’s win to be fraudulent and choose to count the pro-Trump slates of Electoral College votes instead, carrying him to victory. The pro-Trump internet is awash with slogans like “Hold the line” and “Stop the steal” calling for supporters not to give up.
“There is a 0.0% chance Biden will see his hand on a bible on January 20th. Fear not,” reads one comment on the pro-Trump message board TheDonald.win that is in line with the general sentiment.
This narrative is being reinforced straight from the White House.
“We have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election result and certify Donald Trump as the winner,” Trump adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox News Monday morning.
The idea is based on an unprecedented but technically possible reading of the United States Constitution. In theory, Congress could try to count a renegade set of Electoral College votes, or just refuse to count Electoral College votes cast for Joe Biden. It’s a desperate long shot. So far, not a single Republican in the Senate has agreed to challenge the Electoral College results, and nearly all of them would need to go along with such a scheme.
The House of Representatives is a different story. A majority of Republican members there have endorsed Trump’s repeatedly debunked claims that widespread fraud cost him the election. But they don’t have the numbers to overturn the election results on their own.
In reality, Trump’s legal team has lost nearly 60 court cases, failed to demonstrate a single case of voter fraud, and failed to toss out any votes, let alone the hundreds of thousands that would be required to swing the outcome of the election.
But in Trumpland, a vast conspiracy involving Democrats, the Chinese government, an international globalist cabal, rigged voting machines, corrupt state governments, and bought-off poll workers came together to steal the election from Trump. Many have rejected the results of the election entirely.
Their first expectation was that the Supreme Court would step in and hand Trump his victory. Court loss after court loss was chalked up to Trump’s team waiting for the right moment. “Trust the plan” is a commonly repeated mantra among his supporters. When all 50 states certified their election results it was seen as good news: Trump was waiting for Democrats to complete their fraud before bringing down the hammer and having them arrested.
That illusion shattered when the Supreme Court refused to hear Trump’s lawsuit. Trump’s angry tweets seemed to confirm this was not part of the plan. Now hopes have turned to Congress or, increasingly, Trump calling in the military.
“If the majority of Justices in SCOTUS are truly cowards, our military has the huevos to defend our nation,” reads one pro-Trump tweet.
“The military will ultimately have to be used. We’re officially in a Cold Civil War. The military will have to be used to put down the traitors of the Republican,” reads another.
“It’s time to bring in the military and end this shit,” reads another.
The theory gaining steam is that Trump will invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to call in the military, who will seize the election ballots, conduct their own recount to prove Trump won, then round up and imprison Democrats and others seen as traitors. The pro-Trump outlet the Epoch Times is openly making the case for Trump to call in the military.


buzzfeed--2020-12-14--Trump And His Allies Have Lost Nearly 60 Election Fights In Court (And Counting)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump had another brutal weekend in court , with the US Supreme Court and other judges across the country rejecting his latest efforts to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden .
Trump and his allies have lost 59 times in court since Nov. 3 , according to a running tally on Twitter from Marc Elias , the lawyer leading Democrats ’ fight against the GOP ’ s post-election challenges .
The Supreme Court ’ s one-paragraph rejection of Trump and Texas ' bid to invalidate more than 20 million votes on Friday night was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the president has faced over the past 72 hours alone .
The odds that the justices would step in on the eve of Monday ’ s Electoral College vote to throw the presidential race into turmoil were slim to none .
The justices stopped Texas ’ s unprecedented attempt to sue Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin , and Michigan — all states that Biden won — at the door .
But judges ruled over the weekend in other , narrower legal fights that the president filed in recent weeks , and rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back-to-back losses highlighted the breadth of Trump and Republican ’ s failure to convince judges of every political background and at every level of the US judicial system to undo Biden ’ s victory .
The fact that the Electoral College is meeting on Monday to make the results official makes it even less likely that judges will do anything dramatic going forward .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make his case and he has lost on the merits , ” US District Judge Brett Ludwig wrote in an opinion on Saturday , dismissing a Trump campaign lawsuit that accused Wisconsin election officials of violating state law and asking the court to effectively void Biden ’ s 20,000-vote lead and let the Republican-controlled state legislature decide what to do .
Ludwig , who joined a small but notable group of Trump ’ s own judicial nominees who have ruled against the president ’ s election challenges , made clear that what Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , using the word “ extraordinary ” in italics three times .
He concluded with a statement that read like a rebuttal to the baseless claims of Trump , his lawyers , and his supporters that the courts , along with voting systems across the country , were rigged against them .
“ In his reply brief , plaintiff ‘ asks that the Rule of Law be followed , ’ ” wrote Ludwig .
“ It has been.
” Ludwig ’ s order came one day after a state court judge rejected Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change Biden ’ s win in the most racially diverse counties in the state , Milwaukee and Dane counties .
The campaign ’ s lawyers immediately appealed and the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments on Saturday .
On Monday , the state justices issued a 4-3 decision denying the campaign 's challenge , finding Trump and his lawyers had waited far too long to bring challenges to how the state ran absentee voting this year .
`` Election claims of this type must be brought expeditiously .
The Campaign waited until after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have been raised long before the election , '' Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote for the majority .
`` The Campaign is not entitled to relief , and therefore does not succeed in its effort to strike votes and alter the certified winner of the 2020 presidential election . ''
In Georgia , meanwhile , the state Supreme Court on Saturday refused to take up Trump ’ s statewide election contest .
The state justices wrote that they didn ’ t have jurisdiction to hear the case because the campaign had skipped ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any lower court decision to appeal .
The campaign argued there was “ significant systemic misconduct , fraud , and other irregularities ” in how Georgia ran the election , but the justices found Trump failed to show that it was “ one of those extremely rare cases ” that they could take up right away .
Trump and Republicans have lost dozens of lawsuits filed since Election Day , sometimes losing a single case multiple times when they ’ ve tried to appeal .
That number could continue to grow ; Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin to the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit .
The GOP election challenges have come in roughly two waves after Nov. 3 .
The first wave largely focused on objections to specific clusters of ballots or election practices at the city and county level .
In Pennsylvania , Trump ’ s campaign and Republicans challenged sets of absentee ballots — ranging from several dozen to several thousand votes — where the voter didn ’ t include pieces of information on the outside envelope , such as their address or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those ballots could be counted .
There were cases claiming Republican poll watchers were denied access to watch ballots processed at counting sites in Philadelphia and Detroit ; that late-arriving absentee ballots were improperly mingled with valid ballots in Chatham County , Georgia ; and that election officials in Maricopa County , Arizona , violated state law by using computer software to verify signatures and may have miscounted ballots filled out using Sharpies .
Judges rejected those cases , citing a lack of evidence , or the challengers dropped them before a judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tip , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .
There was also Trump ’ s first big attempt at nullifying Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania , in the form of a federal lawsuit led by Rudy Giuliani .
It was chaotic litigation , marked by multiple changes to Trump ’ s legal team and multiple attempts at changing what they were arguing and asking the courts to do .
At a Nov. 17 court hearing , Giuliani revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principles and was forced to admit that it was not a voter fraud case — their claims were based on objections to some counties allowing voters to fix or “ cure ” absentee ballots with defects while others did not and issues with poll watcher access .
“ Free , fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy .
Charges of unfairness are serious .
But calling an election unfair does not make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here , ” Judge Stephanos Bibas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominees — wrote in a 3–0 federal appeals court decision upholding a district court judge ’ s refusal to allow Trump ’ s campaign to relitigate the case after it was dismissed .
That initial round of litigation yielded Trump ’ s only win to date — an order from a judge in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania tossing out a narrow subset of absentee ballots that arrived during a three-day window after Election Day where the voter failed to provide proof of identification by Nov. 9 .
The secretary of state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many ballots were affected , but the state had agreed to separate them out while the case was pending , meaning they didn ’ t contribute to Biden ’ s 80,000-vote lead in the state .
As the weeks went on and states began formally certifying results , the legal challenges morphed to increasingly mirror Trump and his allies ’ lies about widespread voter fraud and wild theories of a nationwide conspiracy to rig the election for Biden .
Sidney Powell , a Texas-based lawyer who had earned Trump ’ s praise for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation into Russian election interference and her legal defense work on behalf of Trump ’ s now-pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , vowed to “ release the Kraken.
” She filed lawsuits in federal court against election officials in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , and Wisconsin , alleging widespread fraud and asking judges to invalidate the results statewide .
Judges in all four cases rejected Powell ’ s claims .
They issued opinions that eviscerated the legal underpinnings of her lawsuits and made clear they were unpersuaded by any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The judge in Michigan described Powell ’ s proof of fraud as “ speculation and conjecture.
” The judge in Arizona wrote that the allegations were “ sorely wanting of relevant or reliable evidence.
” All of the judges found that Powell ’ s cases failed on multiple levels , including that her plaintiffs didn ’ t have standing to sue and that the cases were moot because the states had already certified results .
The judges dinged Powell for procedural missteps and issued full-throated condemnations of the effort to have courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Federal judges do not appoint the president in this country .
One wonders why the plaintiffs came to federal court and asked a federal judge to do so , ” US District Chief Judge Pamela Pepper wrote in a Dec. 9 opinion dismissing Powell ’ s case in Wisconsin .
“ After a week of sometimes odd and often harried litigation , the court is no closer to answering the ‘ why.
’ ” US District Judge Linda Parker in Michigan wrote in a Dec. 7 opinion that Powell ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek—as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court—and more about the impact of their allegations on People ’ s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government.
” “ Plaintiffs ask this Court to ignore the orderly statutory scheme established to challenge elections and to ignore the will of millions of voters .
This , the Court can not , and will not , do , ” Parker wrote .
Powell is appealing all of her losses , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear the Georgia case .
More attempts at undermining Biden ’ s win or clawing back state certifications have fallen flat over the past two weeks .
The US Supreme Court on Dec. 8 refused to immediately take up a challenge in Pennsylvania brought by Rep. Mike Kelly and other Republicans after they lost in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ; that case , initially filed in late November , contested a state law expanding mail-in voting that passed more than a year ago .
Kelly filed another petition asking the Supreme Court to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
Republican state lawmakers and voters in Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit in state court on Dec. 4 featuring a laundry list of claims of election irregularities and state law violations and then dropped it a week later after the court denied their request for an emergency order .
The Arizona Supreme Court on Dec. 8 rejected an election contest brought by Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward challenging ballots cast in Maricopa County .
An analysis of a random sample of ballots showed an error rate that didn ’ t “ come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recount , the court concluded , and there was no evidence of signature forgery or other “ misconduct.
” Ward filed a petition on Friday asking the US Supreme Court to take the case .
Another new case was filed in the US Supreme Court on Dec. 8 by L. Lin Wood Jr. , a conservative lawyer who repeatedly lost a case he filed in federal court in Georgia challenging the election results there .
In a 3–0 decision , a federal appeals court panel that featured two of the court ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barbara Lagoa , another one of Trump ’ s nominees , agreed with the district court judge that Wood lacked standing to bring the case .
Wood has petitioned the US Supreme Court to hear his case as well .
In Michigan , the Trump campaign recently attempted to revive a case it had lost challenging how officials in Wayne County , which includes Detroit , had managed the election and claiming poll watchers were denied access to observe ballots being processed .
A judge had rejected the case on Nov. 5 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Michigan Court of Appeals the next day but didn ’ t complete the appeal until Nov. 30 — nearly two weeks after the state certified the election results .
The appeals court rejected the case as moot on Dec. 4 and wrote that the campaign “ failed to follow the clear law in Michigan ” that the way to allege fraud after results were certified was to seek a recount .
The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday issued an order denying the Trump campaign ’ s effort to press the case there @

Ludwig’s order came one day after a state court judge rejected Trump’s appeal of recounts that failed to change Biden’s win in the most racially diverse counties in the state, Milwaukee and Dane counties.
The campaign’s lawyers immediately appealed and the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments on Saturday. On Monday, the state justices issued a 4-3 decision denying the campaign's challenge, finding Trump and his lawyers had waited far too long to bring challenges to how the state ran absentee voting this year.
"Election claims of this type must be brought expeditiously. The Campaign waited until after the election to raise selective challenges that could have been raised long before the election," Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote for the majority. "The Campaign is not entitled to relief, and therefore does not succeed in its effort to strike votes and alter the certified winner of the 2020 presidential election."
In Georgia, meanwhile, the state Supreme Court on Saturday refused to take up Trump’s statewide election contest. The state justices wrote that they didn’t have jurisdiction to hear the case because the campaign had skipped ahead and filed a petition before there was any lower court decision to appeal. The campaign argued there was “significant systemic misconduct, fraud, and other irregularities” in how Georgia ran the election, but the justices found Trump failed to show that it was “one of those extremely rare cases” that they could take up right away.
Trump and Republicans have lost dozens of lawsuits filed since Election Day, sometimes losing a single case multiple times when they’ve tried to appeal. That number could continue to grow; Trump immediately took Ludwig’s decision in Wisconsin to the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
The GOP election challenges have come in roughly two waves after Nov. 3. The first wave largely focused on objections to specific clusters of ballots or election practices at the city and county level. In Pennsylvania, Trump’s campaign and Republicans challenged sets of absentee ballots — ranging from several dozen to several thousand votes — where the voter didn’t include pieces of information on the outside envelope, such as their address or the date. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled those ballots could be counted.
There were cases claiming Republican poll watchers were denied access to watch ballots processed at counting sites in Philadelphia and Detroit; that late-arriving absentee ballots were improperly mingled with valid ballots in Chatham County, Georgia; and that election officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, violated state law by using computer software to verify signatures and may have miscounted ballots filled out using Sharpies. Judges rejected those cases, citing a lack of evidence, or the challengers dropped them before a judge ruled.
If you have a news tip, we’d like to hear from you. Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels.
There was also Trump’s first big attempt at nullifying Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, in the form of a federal lawsuit led by Rudy Giuliani. It was chaotic litigation, marked by multiple changes to Trump’s legal team and multiple attempts at changing what they were arguing and asking the courts to do. At a Nov. 17 court hearing, Giuliani revealed a lack of understanding of basic legal principles and was forced to admit that it was not a voter fraud case — their claims were based on objections to some counties allowing voters to fix or “cure” absentee ballots with defects while others did not and issues with poll watcher access.
“Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here,” Judge Stephanos Bibas — one of Trump’s own nominees — wrote in a 3–0 federal appeals court decision upholding a district court judge’s refusal to allow Trump’s campaign to relitigate the case after it was dismissed.
That initial round of litigation yielded Trump’s only win to date — an order from a judge in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania tossing out a narrow subset of absentee ballots that arrived during a three-day window after Election Day where the voter failed to provide proof of identification by Nov. 9. The secretary of state’s office hasn’t confirmed how many ballots were affected, but the state had agreed to separate them out while the case was pending, meaning they didn’t contribute to Biden’s 80,000-vote lead in the state.
As the weeks went on and states began formally certifying results, the legal challenges morphed to increasingly mirror Trump and his allies’ lies about widespread voter fraud and wild theories of a nationwide conspiracy to rig the election for Biden.
Sidney Powell, a Texas-based lawyer who had earned Trump’s praise for her TV attacks on the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference and her legal defense work on behalf of Trump’s now-pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, vowed to “release the Kraken.” She filed lawsuits in federal court against election officials in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, alleging widespread fraud and asking judges to invalidate the results statewide.
Judges in all four cases rejected Powell’s claims. They issued opinions that eviscerated the legal underpinnings of her lawsuits and made clear they were unpersuaded by any of the evidence she’d put forward. The judge in Michigan described Powell’s proof of fraud as “speculation and conjecture.” The judge in Arizona wrote that the allegations were “sorely wanting of relevant or reliable evidence.” All of the judges found that Powell’s cases failed on multiple levels, including that her plaintiffs didn’t have standing to sue and that the cases were moot because the states had already certified results.


buzzfeed--2020-12-14--Trump’s Legal Arguments Are Getting More Delusional. Support From Republicans Just Keeps Growing.

As President Donald Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the presidential election grow increasingly desperate and deranged , more and more Republicans are lining up behind him .
Trump has faced a nearly unbroken string of decisive legal defeats , losing more than 50 cases , and experts widely agree he will fail in his efforts to reverse the election .
And yet , the number of Republicans willing to flout the will of the voters in favor of showing fealty to a president who will be out of office in a month is actually growing .
Republican pandering to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for relatively conventional measures like audits and recounts .
It has now reached the point of more than 120 federal elected officials fighting to allow states on the other side of the country to overturn the votes of their own constituents .
Even as state officials report threats of violence for certifying verified election results , Republicans are throwing their weight behind Trump ’ s increasingly extreme and utterly fabricated theories about the election , and the country , being “ stolen.
” After dozens of court losses , Trump ’ s latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican-controlled states to overturn the election results of other states .
The longshot lawsuit led by Texas and backed by 16 other Republican attorneys general — this does not include court filings from states that don ’ t actually exist — sought to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin , and Michigan , all states won by Joe Biden .
One hundred twenty-six House Republicans , a majority of the conference , signed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit , including the top two Republicans in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minority Whip Steve Scalise .
Remarkably , 17 Republicans who signed the brief represent districts in the states being sued , essentially siding with Trump and the state of Texas over their own constituents — and their own election victories .
It went nowhere .
Friday evening the Supreme Court rejected the Texas lawsuit .
This last-ditch effort came after Republicans in states that Biden won had already tried but failed to block his victory .
Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West responded to the loss by putting out a statement suggesting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union to form their own country .
But the Texas suit reveals that underneath the surface there are deep divisions in the party about Trump ’ s increasingly delusional crusade .
While few Republicans in the Senate will dare state publicly that Trump lost , not a single one joined the Texas lawsuit .
Even normally steadfast Trump allies are expressing amazement at the lengths the president is going to .
Texas Sen. John Cornyn called the lawsuit extraordinary and unprecedented .
“ States handle their own election laws and voting and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , ” he said .
” But I 've never seen something like this.
” Republican Sen. Mitt Romney , who has largely supported Trump ’ s agenda but voted to impeach him , went further .
“ It ’ s just simply madness , ” he said .
“ The idea of supplanting the vote of the people with partisan legislators is so completely out of our national character that it 's simply mad.
” The concept of one state overturning the election results in another is unheard of in American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail — which may be why so many Republicans signed onto the effort .
It represents a way of currying favor with Trump ’ s base without having to worry about the gambit actually succeeding .
“ I just don ’ t know why a state like Texas , which never wants anybody telling them what to do , now wants to tell a bunch of other states how to run their elections .
I doubt the Supreme Court will take it up , ” Senate Whip John Thune told the Hill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to Trump and defend democracy are also rising .
On the floor of the Senate Friday , Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy accused many of his colleagues of holding loyalty to Donald Trump over their country and displaying a willingness to toss aside democracy if it gets in the way of Trump staying in power .
“ Democracies are really fragile things .
Ours only continues because we make choices so that it can remain , ” said Murphy .
“ Right now , the most serious attempt to overthrow our democracy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those who are pushing to make Donald Trump for a second term no matter the outcome of the election are engaged in a treachery against their nation .
You can not at the same time love America and hate democracy.
” Murphy closed his speech by saying Trump will not succeed in stealing this election , but if so many people are willing to back a president attempting to overthrow an election he lost decisively , it lays the groundwork for a losing candidate to successfully overturn the next election , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that happens , the American experiment is done .
It ’ s over , ” he said .
There is still a faction of Trump ’ s party that is not actively going along with his delusions .
Senate Republicans have unanimously declined — so far — an attempt by Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks to challenge the Electoral College when it goes to Congress for an official count in early January .
A handful are becoming increasingly vocal .
“ Every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Trump ’ s picks — closed the book on this nonsense , ” Sen. Ben Sasse said in a statement celebrating the Supreme Court throwing out the Texas lawsuit .
For weeks now , many high-profile Republicans have done their best not to get involved in Trump ’ s baseless allegations that widespread fraud took place — specifically the states that he narrowly lost , and only for his race , not down-ballot races that other Republicans won .
They supported Trump ’ s right to exhaust his legal options , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal challenges .
But as Trump ’ s fight drags on , they are under increasing pressure to join his crusade .
Trump ’ s enablers are fervently whipping his supporters into a revolutionary — and potentially violent — zeal .
Earlier this week the Arizona Republican Party ’ s official Twitter account encouraged supporters to literally give their lives in the fight to overturn the election .
“ Live for nothing , or die for something , ” read one tweet quoting the 2008 movie Rambo .
The message is being heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want the military to put these people down .
I want to do it with the bois , ” reads one comment on TheDonald.win , a pro-Trump message board , referring to shooting Antifa and Black Lives Matter protestors , one of countless such messages calling for or eagerly anticipating violence .
“ We are the military now , ” reads another .
State officials who defend election results have reported receiving threats of violence .
Michigan ’ s secretary of state said dozens of armed protesters showed up outside her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters gathered outside of the secretary of state ’ s home chanting “ we are watching you.
” Pennsylvania Senate Republican leader Kim Ward told the New York Times “ I ’ d get my house bombed tonight ” if she refused to back Trump ’ s efforts to overturn the state results .
Trump has not explicitly called for violence but has at every turn called for America ’ s institutions — Congress , state legislatures , the courts , anyone — to overturn the clear results of the election .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word ‘ courage ’ , and saving our Country , ” he tweeted this week in line with his usual tone .
“ I received hundreds of thousands of legal votes more , in all of the Swing States , than did my opponent .
ALL Data taken after the vote says that it was impossible for me to lose , unless FIXED !
”

As President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the presidential election grow increasingly desperate and deranged, more and more Republicans are lining up behind him.
Trump has faced a nearly unbroken string of decisive legal defeats, losing more than 50 cases, and experts widely agree he will fail in his efforts to reverse the election. And yet, the number of Republicans willing to flout the will of the voters in favor of showing fealty to a president who will be out of office in a month is actually growing.
Republican pandering to Trump’s denialism started with support for relatively conventional measures like audits and recounts. It has now reached the point of more than 120 federal elected officials fighting to allow states on the other side of the country to overturn the votes of their own constituents. Even as state officials report threats of violence for certifying verified election results, Republicans are throwing their weight behind Trump’s increasingly extreme and utterly fabricated theories about the election, and the country, being “stolen.”
After dozens of court losses, Trump’s latest move was an extraordinary legal gambit by Republican-controlled states to overturn the election results of other states. The longshot lawsuit led by Texas and backed by 16 other Republican attorneys general — this does not include court filings from states that don’t actually exist — sought to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan, all states won by Joe Biden.
One hundred twenty-six House Republicans, a majority of the conference, signed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit, including the top two Republicans in the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise.
Remarkably, 17 Republicans who signed the brief represent districts in the states being sued, essentially siding with Trump and the state of Texas over their own constituents — and their own election victories.
It went nowhere. Friday evening the Supreme Court rejected the Texas lawsuit. This last-ditch effort came after Republicans in states that Biden won had already tried but failed to block his victory.
Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West responded to the loss by putting out a statement suggesting that Trump-supporting states should consider seceding from the union to form their own country.
But the Texas suit reveals that underneath the surface there are deep divisions in the party about Trump’s increasingly delusional crusade. While few Republicans in the Senate will dare state publicly that Trump lost, not a single one joined the Texas lawsuit. Even normally steadfast Trump allies are expressing amazement at the lengths the president is going to.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn called the lawsuit extraordinary and unprecedented. “States handle their own election laws and voting and you can make claims of constitutionality in that state,” he said. ”But I've never seen something like this.”
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who has largely supported Trump’s agenda but voted to impeach him, went further. “It’s just simply madness,” he said. “The idea of supplanting the vote of the people with partisan legislators is so completely out of our national character that it's simply mad.”
The concept of one state overturning the election results in another is unheard of in American democracy. It was widely expected to fail — which may be why so many Republicans signed onto the effort. It represents a way of currying favor with Trump’s base without having to worry about the gambit actually succeeding. “I just don’t know why a state like Texas, which never wants anybody telling them what to do, now wants to tell a bunch of other states how to run their elections. I doubt the Supreme Court will take it up,” Senate Whip John Thune told the Hill.
Calls for the Republican party to stand up to Trump and defend democracy are also rising. On the floor of the Senate Friday, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy accused many of his colleagues of holding loyalty to Donald Trump over their country and displaying a willingness to toss aside democracy if it gets in the way of Trump staying in power.
“Democracies are really fragile things. Ours only continues because we make choices so that it can remain,” said Murphy. “Right now, the most serious attempt to overthrow our democracy in the history of this country is underway. Those who are pushing to make Donald Trump for a second term no matter the outcome of the election are engaged in a treachery against their nation. You cannot at the same time love America and hate democracy.”
Murphy closed his speech by saying Trump will not succeed in stealing this election, but if so many people are willing to back a president attempting to overthrow an election he lost decisively, it lays the groundwork for a losing candidate to successfully overturn the next election, or the election after that. “If that happens, the American experiment is done. It’s over,” he said.
There is still a faction of Trump’s party that is not actively going along with his delusions. Senate Republicans have unanimously declined — so far — an attempt by Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks to challenge the Electoral College when it goes to Congress for an official count in early January.
A handful are becoming increasingly vocal. “Every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that the Supreme Court — including all three of President Trump’s picks — closed the book on this nonsense,” Sen. Ben Sasse said in a statement celebrating the Supreme Court throwing out the Texas lawsuit.
For weeks now, many high-profile Republicans have done their best not to get involved in Trump’s baseless allegations that widespread fraud took place — specifically the states that he narrowly lost, and only for his race, not down-ballot races that other Republicans won. They supported Trump’s right to exhaust his legal options, without commenting on the substance of his legal challenges.
But as Trump’s fight drags on, they are under increasing pressure to join his crusade. Trump’s enablers are fervently whipping his supporters into a revolutionary — and potentially violent — zeal. Earlier this week the Arizona Republican Party’s official Twitter account encouraged supporters to literally give their lives in the fight to overturn the election. “Live for nothing, or die for something,” read one tweet quoting the 2008 movie Rambo.
The message is being heard loud and clear. “I don’t want the military to put these people down. I want to do it with the bois,” reads one comment on TheDonald.win, a pro-Trump message board, referring to shooting Antifa and Black Lives Matter protestors, one of countless such messages calling for or eagerly anticipating violence. “We are the military now,” reads another.
State officials who defend election results have reported receiving threats of violence. Michigan’s secretary of state said dozens of armed protesters showed up outside her home. In Arizona, video shows protesters gathered outside of the secretary of state’s home chanting “we are watching you.” Pennsylvania Senate Republican leader Kim Ward told the New York Times “I’d get my house bombed tonight” if she refused to back Trump’s efforts to overturn the state results.
Trump has not explicitly called for violence but has at every turn called for America’s institutions — Congress, state legislatures, the courts, anyone — to overturn the clear results of the election. “We will soon be learning about the word ‘courage’, and saving our Country,” he tweeted this week in line with his usual tone. “I received hundreds of thousands of legal votes more, in all of the Swing States, than did my opponent. ALL Data taken after the vote says that it was impossible for me to lose, unless FIXED!”


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--🚨The US Has Authorized Its First COVID-19 Vaccine 🚨

Nine grueling months into a deadly pandemic that has upended every aspect of life , the United States has a coronavirus vaccine .
The highly effective vaccine , made by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer , was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday , following an overwhelming 17–4 vote of confidence from an advisory panel of independent experts .
On Monday , the first shipments of the vaccines should arrive in states , which are expected to give them first to healthcare workers and people in nursing homes , federal officials said Saturday .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people their first shots will be delivered by the end of the year .
`` The FDA ’ s authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world , ” said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement from the agency on Friday .
“ The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel , serious , and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide.
” At a press conference on Saturday morning , Hahn said the agency had applied high standards of review `` so that Americans can have trust and confidence that the vaccine meets FDA ’ s rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness . ''
`` With this authorization , we know our federal partners are already moving to distribute the first doses of the vaccine throughout the country , '' Hahn said .
The vaccine is a source of badly needed hope in the depths of an out-of-control outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected millions more , strained hospitals , and shows no signs of letting up .
The licensure of the vaccine , which was developed in record time in partnership with the German company BioNTech , comes the same week that the US reported a record 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day .
“ Actually having the vaccine in somebody ’ s arm in less than a year — 11 months to be exact , from January to the beginning of December — it would have been inconceivable to me a year or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Fauci , chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , at a Friday event prior to the authorization .
He added that he planned to get the vaccine publicly and that he will recommend his family get it , too .
From the outset , the Trump administration failed to adequately invest in efforts to prevent the virus ’ s transmission ; it instead staked the country ’ s hopes on never-before-developed therapeutics and vaccines , funded in part by a $ 14 billion public-private partnership called Operation Warp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump tweeted a video address about the vaccine , calling it a “ medical miracle.
” “ We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months .
This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history , ” Trump said .
“ It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.
” And Albert Bourla , Pfizer ’ s CEO , said , “ Pfizer ’ s purpose is breakthroughs that change patients ’ lives , and in our 171-year history there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a breakthrough than today with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to suffer from COVID-19.
” Pfizer ’ s vaccine on its own will not return society to normal , especially while early doses are limited .
To keep transmission low , everyone — vaccinated or not — will still have to wear a mask , socially distance , and wash their hands .
And it will take a long time before 60 % to 70 % of the population recovers from COVID-19 or gets immunized , the level that experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading .
This winter , the CDC director has warned , could be “ the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.
” But data suggests that the vaccine works extremely well — far better than most scientists had expected .
Based on preliminary results from an ongoing late-stage clinical trial that now includes 44,000 people , the vaccine appears to be 95 % effective at preventing COVID-19 when compared with participants who received placebo shots .
That far exceeds the FDA ’ s minimum requirement of 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the flu shot is thought to be about 60 % effective on average .
Commonly reported side effects to Pfizer ’ s vaccine included arm soreness , fatigue , headaches , muscle pains , chills , joint pain , and fever .
The rate of serious side effects was very low , and none were clearly linked to the vaccine .
While the CDC has said healthcare workers and people who work or live in nursing homes should get the first shots , it ’ s ultimately up to governors to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intend to prioritize other groups , such as older people with high-risk conditions .
This is the first authorized vaccine made from a genetic molecule called messenger RNA ( mRNA ) — a stunning scientific achievement , considering that work on it began in January .
Previously , the mumps vaccine was considered the fastest ever developed , and that took four years to reach the market .
Several unique factors contributed to how quickly the vaccine could be tested and authorized .
For one , its underlying biotechnology was not invented in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harness mRNA against various diseases for more than three decades .
Then the US ’ s disastrous handling of the pandemic led to a nationwide surge , enabling clinical trials to quickly rack up enough cases among participants to show that the vaccine worked .
And since Pfizer submitted its data on Nov. 20 , the FDA has compressed its vetting process into a span of weeks rather than months .
An “ emergency use authorization ” requires less data than a full approval .
At the same time , Hahn has stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and efficacy .
In a change instituted this fall , the agency required that companies submit a minimum of two months ’ worth of safety data from half of the trial participants .
The US is the sixth country to authorize Pfizer ’ s vaccine , following the United Kingdom , Canada , Bahrain , Saudi Arabia , and Mexico .
A second mRNA vaccine , made by the biotech company Moderna , has also delivered extremely promising results and could be green-lit by the FDA as early as next week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a painstaking endeavor .
Because the vaccine ’ s fragile mRNA molecules break down at room temperature , it must be transported and stored at -94 degrees .
That ’ s prompted states to rush to buy expensive , ultracold freezers , but they will likely be out of reach for rural , underresourced parts of the country .
Once thawed and diluted , a vial — which contains five doses apiece — has to be used within six hours .
The vaccine will not stem the outbreak if people don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely be another major challenge .
About 63 % of Americans recently surveyed by Gallup said they were willing to get a vaccine , up from an all-time low of 50 % in September .
That dip in confidence reflects how politicized vaccine development became this fall , when President Donald Trump was pushing federal scientists to approve one before the election .
Pfizer has since sought to distance itself from the president and Operation Warp Speed , with its head of vaccine development telling the New York Times last month that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While the company did not take federal money for research and development , Pfizer struck a $ 1.95 billion deal with the government to deliver 100 million doses , regardless of whether the vaccine was shown to work .
The gulf between the White House and the company became even clearer upon reports this week that the administration had declined an offer from Pfizer this summer to lock in additional doses beyond the initial shipment .
In the waning days of his presidency , Trump has kept up his efforts to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Following reports that the agency planned to issue an authorization on Saturday , Trump demanded in a Friday morning tweet that it “ get the dam vaccines out NOW.
” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows allegedly told Hahn to submit his resignation if he didn ’ t authorize the vaccine by Friday , the Washington Post reported , though it ’ s unclear whether that would get doses to people any faster .
At Saturday 's press conference , Hahn called the report `` inaccurate . ''
The mRNA vaccine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks apart , instructs human cells to make proteins that prime the immune system to recognize and attack a coronavirus infection .
Pfizer ’ s latest analysis , confirmed by the FDA , found it was 95 % effective at preventing COVID-19 among people who were at least 16 years old , starting just one week after the second shot .
That rate was calculated from a total of 170 people in the clinical trial who got infected : 162 people who were given placebo shots versus eight who received the vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up across age categories , genders , racial and ethnic groups , and people with underlying conditions that raise the risk for severe illness .
“ Overall , there is not much to argue with here in terms of efficacy , ” Deepta Bhattacharya , an immunologist at the University of Arizona who is not on the FDA ’ s advisory panel , told BuzzFeed News by email .
“ It just looks great no matter how you look at it.
” Still , some significant questions remain .
People were defined as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive test result and at least one symptom , including a cough or loss of taste .
But there were far fewer severe cases that were life-threatening or required hospitalization , and critics have worried that a vaccine that primarily prevents mild cases will not provide help where it ’ s most needed .
The FDA concluded that the data does “ suggest protection from severe COVID-19 disease , ” though it is not definite .
It ’ s also not known whether the vaccine can prevent asymptomatic cases or stop an infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s potentially important because asymptomatic cases are believed to make up 20 % to 30 % of all cases and are a significant driver in transmission .
Kathrin Jansen , Pfizer ’ s head of vaccine development , said during Thursday ’ s FDA panel meeting that participants are being screened for antibodies to try to address this question , with answers expected in early 2021 .
How long immunity to the virus will last is still up in the air .
But in a promising sign , Pfizer reported that patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection two months after receiving their second shots .
There also wasn ’ t enough data to show how well the vaccine worked in people who are pregnant or lactating , those who have HIV/AIDS or an otherwise immunocompromised system , and children under 16 ( the study expanded to include those as young as 12 in October ) .
Older teens , on the other hand , were a topic of heated discussion during the panel meeting this week .
Several members raised concerns that there wasn ’ t enough data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 153 of them — to support giving them the vaccine .
The vaccine does seem very safe .
Based on more than 18,000 vaccine recipients , half of whom were tracked for at least two months after their second dose , the FDA said it saw “ no specific safety concerns.
” Pfizer has said it will continue tracking participants for signs of side effects for two more years .
In the short term , people shouldn ’ t be surprised if they have side effects after getting their shots .
Overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who got the vaccine reported having some kind of reaction , most commonly arm soreness , fatigue , headaches , muscle pains , chills , joint pain , and fever .
That ’ s a higher rate than that of some other common immunizations , including the flu shot .
Operation Warp Speed chief science adviser Moncef Slaoui has compared the Pfizer vaccine ’ s rate of side effects to that of the shingles vaccine .
Side effects also occurred more in younger patients than in those age 55 and older , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This may cause some problems in vaccine uptake , as younger people are aware that they are at lower risk following natural infection , ” Bhattacharya said .
“ Public messaging will matter here.
” As for severe side effects , the rate of those — about 1 in 200 — was virtually the same in participants who received the vaccine and the placebo .
The side effects that FDA said may have been related to the vaccine included swollen lymph nodes , heart arrhythmia , and one shoulder injury .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bell ’ s palsy , a condition that temporarily weakens facial muscles .
The FDA determined that the incidents weren ’ t statistically unusual given the number of people in the trial , but the agency will watch out for any cases as the vaccine is widely distributed .
Concerns have also emerged about whether people with severe allergies should get the vaccine .
This week , two healthcare workers in the UK reported allergic reactions after receiving their first shots .
Both had a history of severe allergies and have reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK ’ s health regulator announced that people with a “ significant history of allergic reactions to a vaccine , medicine or food ” should not be given the vaccine .
It is not known what exactly the workers were allergic to .
Pfizer ’ s prescribing information in the US only warns that the vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergies to components of the vaccine , a narrower restriction than the one given by the UK .
The FDA has asked Pfizer to monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more data to the agency .
On Saturday , Peter Marks , the director of the FDA 's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , said that people with a history of severe allergic reactions should talk to their doctors before getting their first shot .
`` The vaccine really is one we ’ re comfortable giving to patients who ’ ve had other allergic reactions other than severe allergic reactions to a vaccine or one of its components , '' Marks said .
`` So obviously you ’ ll need to tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allergic reactions — they ’ ll help determine , knowing what ’ s in the vaccine , if you may be allergic to one of those components .
But we are making sure that sites where this vaccine is being administered have the ability to treat allergic reactions . ''
At Thursday ’ s FDA advisory meeting , Paul Offit , a vaccine expert at the Children ’ s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the panel , expressed concern about needlessly scaring people away from taking the vaccine .
He recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in people with common allergies .
“ This issue is not going to die until we have better data , ” Offit said Thursday .
With the release of the vaccine , a thorny question arises for the clinical trial volunteers who risked their bodies to help make it a reality : Should people who received the placebo now get the immunization ?
Pfizer has proposed giving the real shots to those people as they become eligible .
It ’ s hard to imagine that many would turn one down .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unblinding ” participants would irrevocably ruin scientists ’ chances to collect important data .
It ’ s a dilemma that will likely come up more and more as other COVID-19 vaccines become available in the US .
Moderna ’ s vaccine will be evaluated by the FDA ’ s advisory panel on Dec. 17 .
AstraZeneca and Oxford University , as well as Johnson & Johnson , are in late-stage trials .
This week , Operation Warp Speed ’ s chief science adviser suggested that the latter vaccine — a one-shot immunization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect enough data from its trial for an FDA submission in January .
Fauci and other experts expect that immunizations for the general public can begin in April .
By then , even with a vaccine , more than a half million Americans could be dead .

Nine grueling months into a deadly pandemic that has upended every aspect of life, the United States has a coronavirus vaccine.
The highly effective vaccine, made by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday, following an overwhelming 17–4 vote of confidence from an advisory panel of independent experts.
On Monday, the first shipments of the vaccines should arrive in states, which are expected to give them first to healthcare workers and people in nursing homes, federal officials said Saturday. They estimate that enough doses to give 20 million people their first shots will be delivered by the end of the year.
"The FDA’s authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world,” said FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn in a statement from the agency on Friday. “The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel, serious, and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its emergence is a true testament to scientific innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide.”
At a press conference on Saturday morning, Hahn said the agency had applied high standards of review "so that Americans can have trust and confidence that the vaccine meets FDA’s rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness." "With this authorization, we know our federal partners are already moving to distribute the first doses of the vaccine throughout the country," Hahn said.
The vaccine is a source of badly needed hope in the depths of an out-of-control outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans, infected millions more, strained hospitals, and shows no signs of letting up. The licensure of the vaccine, which was developed in record time in partnership with the German company BioNTech, comes the same week that the US reported a record 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day.
“Actually having the vaccine in somebody’s arm in less than a year — 11 months to be exact, from January to the beginning of December — it would have been inconceivable to me a year or two or three ago,” said Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a Friday event prior to the authorization. He added that he planned to get the vaccine publicly and that he will recommend his family get it, too.
From the outset, the Trump administration failed to adequately invest in efforts to prevent the virus’s transmission; it instead staked the country’s hopes on never-before-developed therapeutics and vaccines, funded in part by a $14 billion public-private partnership called Operation Warp Speed.
On Friday night, President Donald Trump tweeted a video address about the vaccine, calling it a “medical miracle.” “We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months. This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history,” Trump said. “It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.” And Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said, “Pfizer’s purpose is breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, and in our 171-year history there has never been a more urgent need for a breakthrough than today with hundreds of thousands of people continuing to suffer from COVID-19.”
Pfizer’s vaccine on its own will not return society to normal, especially while early doses are limited. To keep transmission low, everyone — vaccinated or not — will still have to wear a mask, socially distance, and wash their hands. And it will take a long time before 60% to 70% of the population recovers from COVID-19 or gets immunized, the level that experts say is necessary for the virus to stop spreading. This winter, the CDC director has warned, could be “the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
But data suggests that the vaccine works extremely well — far better than most scientists had expected.
Based on preliminary results from an ongoing late-stage clinical trial that now includes 44,000 people, the vaccine appears to be 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 when compared with participants who received placebo shots. That far exceeds the FDA’s minimum requirement of 50% for a COVID-19 vaccine. By comparison, the flu shot is thought to be about 60% effective on average.
Commonly reported side effects to Pfizer’s vaccine included arm soreness, fatigue, headaches, muscle pains, chills, joint pain, and fever. The rate of serious side effects was very low, and none were clearly linked to the vaccine.
While the CDC has said healthcare workers and people who work or live in nursing homes should get the first shots, it’s ultimately up to governors to decide who will receive them. Some states intend to prioritize other groups, such as older people with high-risk conditions.


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--Joe Biden Beat Trump. Now He’s Trying To Kill His Conspiracies.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks at the Queen venue in Wilmington , Delaware , after the Electoral College formally elected him as president , Dec. 14 .
In his first speech after officially winning the Electoral College , Joe Biden forcefully tried to put election conspiracy theories still being pushed by President Donald Trump and his allies to bed .
“ This election now ranks as the clearest demonstration of the true will of the American people — one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we ’ ve ever seen in our country .
It should be celebrated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nationally televised speech from Delaware .
“ Once again in America , the rule of law , our Constitution , and the will of the people have prevailed .
Our democracy — pushed , tested , threatened — proved to be resilient , true , and strong , ” he said .
It was Biden ’ s most explicit and detailed rebuttal yet of Trump ’ s claims of election fraud and the dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits that have been launched by the president 's campaign and Republicans to challenge his win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to President Trump to contest the results .
He took full advantage of each and every one of these avenues .
President Trump was denied no course of action he wanted to take , ” he said , adding that the president had unsuccessfully taken his election challenge to Republican governors , secretaries of state , state legislatures , and Republican-appointed judges .
“ Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy — even when we find those results hard to accept — but that is the obligation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty to uphold our Constitution , ” Biden said .
Biden pointed out that he won the same number of electoral votes that Donald Trump won in 2016 .
“ At the time , President Trump called his Electoral College tally a landslide .
By his own standards , these numbers represented a clear victory then , and I respectfully suggest they do so now , ” he said .
Biden condemned the intimidation tactics the president and his supporters used in recent weeks to try to convince state and local officials not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He praised those officials from across the political spectrum for “ demonstrating absolute courage , ” adding that “ they could not and would not give credence to what they knew was not true.
” “ They knew the elections they oversaw were honest and free and fair .
They saw it with their own eyes , and they wouldn ’ t be bullied into saying anything different , ” he said .
“ It was truly remarkable because so many of these patriotic Americans were subjected to so much : enormous political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats of physical violence.
” “ I hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw in this election .
It is unconscionable , ” he added .
“ We owe these public servants a debt of gratitude .
They didn ’ t seek the spotlight , and our democracy survived because of them.
” He went on to address the lawsuits brought by Trump and Republicans — dozens of cases that have failed to change the reality that Biden won .
On Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the state of Texas to challenge Biden ’ s win in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Michigan , and Wisconsin .
Biden called the Texas lawsuit “ an effort by elected officials in one group of states to try to get the Supreme Court to wipe out the votes of more than 20 million Americans in other states.
” “ It ’ s a position so extreme we ’ ve never seen it before , a position that refused to respect the will of the people , refused to respect the rule of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution .
Thankfully , a unanimous Supreme Court immediately and completely rejected this effort .
The court sent a clear signal to President Trump and his allies that they would be no part of this unprecedented assault on our democracy , ” he said .
After Electoral College members met on Monday , Biden won 306 total electoral votes to Trump ’ s 232 .
He also defeated Trump in the popular vote by a margin of more than 7 million — with a historic number of Americans , more than 81 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity of our elections remains intact .
Now it is time to turn the page as we ’ ve done throughout our history , ” he said .

In his first speech after officially winning the Electoral College, Joe Biden forcefully tried to put election conspiracy theories still being pushed by President Donald Trump and his allies to bed.
“This election now ranks as the clearest demonstration of the true will of the American people — one of the most amazing demonstrations of civic duty we’ve ever seen in our country. It should be celebrated, not attacked,” Biden said in a nationally televised speech from Delaware.
“Once again in America, the rule of law, our Constitution, and the will of the people have prevailed. Our democracy — pushed, tested, threatened — proved to be resilient, true, and strong,” he said.
It was Biden’s most explicit and detailed rebuttal yet of Trump’s claims of election fraud and the dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits that have been launched by the president's campaign and Republicans to challenge his win.
“Every avenue was made available to President Trump to contest the results. He took full advantage of each and every one of these avenues. President Trump was denied no course of action he wanted to take,” he said, adding that the president had unsuccessfully taken his election challenge to Republican governors, secretaries of state, state legislatures, and Republican-appointed judges.
“Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy — even when we find those results hard to accept — but that is the obligation of those who have taken a sworn duty to uphold our Constitution,” Biden said.
Biden pointed out that he won the same number of electoral votes that Donald Trump won in 2016.
“At the time, President Trump called his Electoral College tally a landslide. By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now,” he said.
Biden condemned the intimidation tactics the president and his supporters used in recent weeks to try to convince state and local officials not to certify Biden’s wins. He praised those officials from across the political spectrum for “demonstrating absolute courage,” adding that “they could not and would not give credence to what they knew was not true.”
“They knew the elections they oversaw were honest and free and fair. They saw it with their own eyes, and they wouldn’t be bullied into saying anything different,” he said. “It was truly remarkable because so many of these patriotic Americans were subjected to so much: enormous political pressure, verbal abuse, and even threats of physical violence.”
“I hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw in this election. It is unconscionable,” he added. “We owe these public servants a debt of gratitude. They didn’t seek the spotlight, and our democracy survived because of them.”
He went on to address the lawsuits brought by Trump and Republicans — dozens of cases that have failed to change the reality that Biden won.
On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected the Trump-hyped case brought by the state of Texas to challenge Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Biden called the Texas lawsuit “an effort by elected officials in one group of states to try to get the Supreme Court to wipe out the votes of more than 20 million Americans in other states.”
“It’s a position so extreme we’ve never seen it before, a position that refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law, and refused to honor our Constitution. Thankfully, a unanimous Supreme Court immediately and completely rejected this effort. The court sent a clear signal to President Trump and his allies that they would be no part of this unprecedented assault on our democracy,” he said.
After Electoral College members met on Monday, Biden won 306 total electoral votes to Trump’s 232. He also defeated Trump in the popular vote by a margin of more than 7 million — with a historic number of Americans, more than 81 million, voting for Biden.
“The integrity of our elections remains intact. Now it is time to turn the page as we’ve done throughout our history,” he said.


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--This Newly Released Letter Details The Criminal Referral On Donald Trump Over His Ukraine Phone Call


buzzfeed--2020-12-15--Trump And His Allies Have Lost Nearly 60 Election Fights In Court (And Counting)