pamelagellerreport--2020-11-18--Massive Danish Mask Study Finds MASKS INEFFECTIVE

The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers by more than 50 % in a community with modest infection rates , some degree of social distancing , and uncommon general mask use .
The data were compatible with lesser degrees of self-protection .
A total of 3030 participants were randomly assigned to the recommendation to wear masks , and 2994 were assigned to control ; 4862 completed the study .
Infection with SARS-CoV-2 occurred in 42 participants recommended masks ( 1.8 % ) and 53 control participants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference was −0.3 percentage point ( 95 % CI , −1.2 to 0.4 percentage point ; P = 0.38 ) ( odds ratio , 0.82 [ CI , 0.54 to 1.23 ] ; P = 0.33 ) .
Multiple imputation accounting for loss to follow-up yielded similar results .
Although the difference observed was not statistically significant , the 95 % CIs are compatible with a 46 % reduction to a 23 % increase in infection .
Encouragement to follow social distancing measures for coronavirus disease 2019 , plus either no mask recommendation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when outside the home among other persons together with a supply of 50 surgical masks and instructions for proper use .
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ) , the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) , has infected more than 54 million persons ( 1 , 2 ) .
Measures to impede transmission in health care and community settings are essential ( 3 ) .
The virus is transmitted person-to-person , primarily through the mouth , nose , or eyes via respiratory droplets , aerosols , or fomites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours ( 6 ) , and touching a contaminated surface followed by face touching is another possible route of transmission ( 7 ) .
Face masks are a plausible means to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses by minimizing the risk that respiratory droplets will reach wearers ’ nasal or oral mucosa .
Face masks are also hypothesized to reduce face touching ( 8 , 9 ) , but frequent face and mask touching has been reported among health care personnel ( 10 ) .
Observational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in health care settings ( 11 , 12 ) and as source control in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 or other coronaviruses ( 13 ) .
An increasing number of localities recommend masks in community settings on the basis of this observational evidence , but recommendations vary and controversy exists ( 14 ) .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( 15 ) strongly recommend that persons with symptoms or known infection wear masks to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to others ( source control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO acknowledges that we lack evidence that wearing a mask protects healthy persons from SARS-CoV-2 ( prevention ) ( 17 ) .
A systematic review of observational studies reported that mask use reduced risk for SARS , Middle East respiratory syndrome , and COVID-19 by 66 % overall , 70 % in health care workers , and 44 % in the community ( 12 ) .
However , surgical and cloth masks were grouped in preventive studies , and none of the 3 included non–health care studies related directly to COVID-19 .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College of Physicians recommendations ( 19 ) concluded that evidence on mask effectiveness for respiratory infection prevention is stronger in health care than community settings .
Observational evidence suggests that mask wearing mitigates SARS-CoV-2 transmission , but whether this observed association arises because masks protect uninfected wearers ( protective effect ) or because transmission is reduced from infected mask wearers ( source control ) is uncertain .
Here , we report a randomized controlled trial ( 20 ) that assessed whether a recommendation to wear a surgical mask when outside the home among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection in a setting where public health measures were in effect but community mask wearing was uncommon and not recommended .
DANMASK-19 ( Danish Study to Assess Face Masks for the Protection Against COVID-19 Infection ) was an investigator-initiated , nationwide , unblinded , randomized controlled trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT04337541 ) .
The trial protocol was registered with the Danish Data Protection Agency ( P-2020-311 ) ( Part 10 of the Supplement ) and published ( 21 ) .
The researchers presented the protocol to the independent regional scientific ethics committee of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not require ethics approval ( H-20023709 ) in accordance with Danish legislation ( Parts 11 and 12 of the Supplement ) .
The trial was done in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki .
During the study period ( 3 April to 2 June 2020 ) , Danish authorities did not recommend use of masks in the community and mask use was uncommon ( < 5 % ) outside hospitals ( 22 ) .
Recommended public health measures included quarantining persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection , social distancing ( including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained open ) , limiting the number of persons seen , frequent hand hygiene and cleaning , and limiting visitors to hospitals and nursing homes ( 23 , 24 ) .
Cafés and restaurants were closed during the study until 18 May 2020 .
Eligible persons were community-dwelling adults aged 18 years or older without current or prior symptoms or diagnosis of COVID-19 who reported being outside the home among others for at least 3 hours per day and who did not wear masks during their daily work .
Recruitment involved media advertisements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Interested citizens had internet access to detailed study information and to research staff for questions ( Part 3 of the Supplement ) .
At baseline , participants completed a demographic survey and provided consent for researchers to access their national registry data ( Parts 4 and 5 of the Supplement ) .
Recruitment occurred from 3 through 24 April 2020 .
Half of participants were randomly assigned to a group on 12 April and half on 24 April .
Participants were enrolled and data registered using Research Electronic Data Capture ( REDCap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to the mask or control group using a computer algorithm and were stratified by the 5 regions of Denmark ( Supplement Table 1 ) .
Participants were notified of allocation by e-mail , and study packages were sent by courier ( Part 7 of the Supplement ) .
Participants in the mask group were instructed to wear a mask when outside the home during the next month .
They received 50 three-layer , disposable , surgical face masks with ear loops ( TYPE II EN 14683 [ Abena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; made in China ) .
Participants in both groups received materials and instructions for antibody testing on receipt and at 1 month .
They also received materials and instructions for collecting an oropharyngeal/nasal swab sample for polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) testing at 1 month and whenever symptoms compatible with COVID-19 occurred during follow-up .
If symptomatic , participants were strongly encouraged to seek medical care .
They registered symptoms and results of the antibody test in the online REDCap system .
Participants returned the test material by prepaid express courier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibody testing , oropharyngeal/nasal swabbing , and proper use of masks ( Part 8 of the Supplement ) , and a help line was available to participants .
In accordance with WHO recommendations for health care settings at that time , participants were instructed to change the mask if outside the home for more than 8 hours .
At baseline and in weekly follow-up e-mails , participants in both groups were encouraged to follow current COVID-19 recommendations from the Danish authorities .
Participants tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in whole blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test [ Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics ] ) according to the manufacturer ’ s recommendations and as previously described ( 26 ) .
After puncturing a fingertip with a lancet , they withdrew blood into a capillary tube and placed 1 drop of blood followed by 2 drops of saline in the test chamber in each of the 2 test plates ( IgM and IgG ) .
Participants reported IgM and IgG results separately as “ 1 line present ” ( negative ) , “ 2 lines present ” ( positive ) , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I could not perform the test ” ( treated as a negative result ) .
Participants were categorized as seropositive if they had developed IgM , IgG , or both .
The manufacturer reported that sensitivity was 90.2 % and specificity 99.2 % .
A previously reported internal validation using 651 samples from blood donors before November 2019 and 155 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection estimated a sensitivity of 82.5 % ( 95 % CI , 75.3 % to 88.4 % ) and specificity of 99.5 % ( CI , 98.7 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ( 27 ) and others ( 28 ) have reported that oropharyngeal/nasal swab sampling for SARS-CoV-2 by participants , as opposed to health care workers , is clinically useful .
Descriptions of RNA extraction , primer and probe used , reverse transcription , preamplification , and microfluidic quantitative PCR are detailed in Part 6 of the Supplement .
Participants received 4 follow-up surveys ( Parts 4 and 5 of the Supplement ) by e-mail to collect information on antibody test results , adherence to recommendations on time spent outside the home among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis based on PCR testing done in public hospitals , and known COVID-19 exposures .
The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 infection , defined as a positive result on an oropharyngeal/nasal swab test for SARS-CoV-2 , development of a positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody test result ( IgM or IgG ) during the study period , or a hospital-based diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 .
Secondary end points included PCR evidence of infection with other respiratory viruses ( Supplement Table 2 ) .
The sample size was determined to provide adequate power for assessment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intention-to-treat analysis .
Authorities estimated an incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection of at least 2 % during the study period .
Assuming that wearing a face mask halves risk for infection , we estimated that a sample of 4636 participants would provide the trial with 80 % power at a significance level of 5 % ( 2-sided α level ) .
Anticipating 20 % loss to follow-up in this community-based study , we aimed to assign at least 6000 participants .
Participants with a positive result on an antibody test at baseline were excluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of proportions assuming binomial distribution ( Clopper–Pearson ) .
The primary composite outcome ( intention-to-treat ) was compared between groups using the χ2 test .
Odds ratios and confidence limits were calculated using logistic regression .
We did a per protocol analysis that included only participants reporting complete or predominant use of face masks as instructed .
A conservative sensitivity analysis assumed that participants with a positive result on an antibody test at the end of the study who had not provided antibody test results at study entrance had had a positive result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertainty of loss to follow-up , we did ( post hoc ) 200 imputations using the R package smcfcs , version 1.4.1 ( 29 ) , to impute missing values of outcome .
We included sex , age , type of work , time out of home , and outcome in this calculation .
Prespecified subgroups were compared by logistic regression analysis .
In a post hoc analysis , we explored whether there was a subgroup defined by a constellation of participant characteristics for which a recommendation to wear masks seemed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , type of work , time out of home , and outcome in this calculation .
Two-sided P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant .
Analyses were done using R , version 3.6.1 ( R Foundation ) .
An unrestricted grant from the Salling Foundations supported the study , and the BESTSELLER Foundation donated the Livzon tests .
The funders did not influence study design , conduct , or reporting .
A total of 17 258 Danish citizens responded to recruitment , and 6024 completed the baseline survey and fulfilled eligibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 ; n = 2995 ) were randomly assigned on 12 April 2020 and were followed from 14 to 16 April through 15 May 2020 .
Remaining participants ( group 2 ; n = 3029 ) were randomly assigned on 24 April 2020 and were followed from 2 to 4 May through 2 June 2020 .
A total of 3030 participants were randomly assigned to the recommendation to wear face masks , and 2994 were assigned not to wear face masks ( Figure ) ; 4862 participants ( 80.7 % ) completed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which were well balanced between groups .
Participants reported having spent a median of 4.5 hours per day outside the home .
Based on the lowest adherence reported in the mask group during follow-up , 46 % of participants wore the mask as recommended , 47 % predominantly as recommended , and 7 % not as recommended .
The primary outcome occurred in 42 participants ( 1.8 % ) in the mask group and 53 ( 2.1 % ) in the control group .
In an intention-to-treat analysis , the between-group difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ −1.2 to 0.4 percentage point ; P = 0.38 ) ( odds ratio [ OR ] , 0.82 [ CI , 0.54 to 1.23 ] ; P = 0.33 ) in favor of the mask group ( Supplement Figure 1 ) .
When this analysis was repeated with multiple imputation for missing data due to loss to follow-up , it yielded similar results ( OR , 0.81 [ CI , 0.53 to 1.23 ] ; P = 0.32 ) .
Table 2 provides data on the components of the primary end point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a per protocol analysis that excluded participants in the mask group who reported nonadherence ( 7 % ) , SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 40 participants ( 1.8 % ) in the mask group and 53 ( 2.1 % ) in the control group ( between-group difference , −0.4 percentage point [ CI , −1.2 to 0.5 percentage point ] ; P = 0.40 ) ( OR , 0.84 [ CI , 0.55 to 1.26 ] ; P = 0.40 ) .
Supplement Figure 2 provides results of the prespecified subgroup analyses of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant interactions were identified .
In the preplanned sensitivity analysis , those who had a positive result on an antibody test at 1 month but had not provided antibody results at baseline were considered to have had positive results at baseline ( n = 18 ) —that is , they were excluded from the analysis .
In this analysis , the primary outcome occurred in 33 participants ( 1.4 % ) in the face mask group and 44 ( 1.8 % ) in the control group ( between-group difference , −0.4 percentage point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point ] ; P = 0.22 ) ( OR , 0.77 [ CI , 0.49 to 1.22 ] ; P = 0.26 ) .
Three post hoc ( not preplanned ) analyses were done .
In the first , which included only participants reporting wearing face masks “ exactly as instructed , ” infection ( the primary outcome ) occurred in 22 participants ( 2.0 % ) in the face mask group and 53 ( 2.1 % ) in the control group ( between-group difference , −0.2 percentage point [ CI , −1.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ = 0.82 ) ( OR , 0.93 [ CI , 0.56 to 1.54 ] ; P = 0.78 ) .
The second post hoc analysis excluded participants who did not provide antibody test results at baseline ; infection occurred in 33 participants ( 1.7 % ) in the face mask group and 44 ( 2.1 % ) in the control group ( between-group difference , −0.4 percentage point [ CI , −1.4 to 0.4 percentage point ] ; P = 0.33 ) ( OR , 0.80 [ CI , 0.51 to 1.27 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third post hoc analysis , which investigated constellations of patient characteristics , we did not find a subgroup where face masks were effective at conventional levels of statistical significance ( data not shown ) .
A total of 52 participants in the mask group and 39 control participants reported COVID-19 in their household .
Of these , 2 participants in the face mask group and 1 in the control group developed SARS-CoV-2 infection , suggesting that the source of most observed infections was outside the home .
Reported symptoms did not differ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supplement Table 3 ) .
In the mask group , 9 participants ( 0.5 % ) were positive for 1 or more of the 11 respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 , compared with 11 participants ( 0.6 % ) in the control group ( between-group difference , −0.1 percentage point [ CI , −0.6 to 0.4 percentage point ] ; P = 0.87 ) ( OR , 0.84 [ CI , 0.35 to 2.04 ] ; P = 0.71 ) .
Positivity for any virus , including SARS-CoV-2 , occurred in 9 mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control participants ( 0.8 % ) ( between-group difference , −0.3 percentage point [ CI , −0.9 to 0.2 percentage point ] ; P = 0.26 ) ( OR , 0.58 [ CI , 0.25 to 1.31 ] ; P = 0.19 ) .
In this community-based , randomized controlled trial conducted in a setting where mask wearing was uncommon and was not among other recommended public health measures related to COVID-19 , a recommendation to wear a surgical mask when outside the home among others did not reduce , at conventional levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with no mask recommendation .
We designed the study to detect a reduction in infection rate from 2 % to 1 % .
Although no statistically significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 incidence was observed , the 95 % CIs are compatible with a possible 46 % reduction to 23 % increase in infection among mask wearers .
These findings do offer evidence about the degree of protection mask wearers can anticipate in a setting where others are not wearing masks and where other public health measures , including social distancing , are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should not be used to conclude that a recommendation for everyone to wear masks in the community would not be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections , because the trial did not test the role of masks in source control of SARS-CoV-2 infection .
During the study period , authorities did not recommend face mask use outside hospital settings and mask use was rare in community settings ( 22 ) .
This means that study participants ’ exposure was overwhelmingly to persons not wearing masks .
The observed infection rate was similar to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study period ( 26 , 30 ) .
Of note , the observed incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher than we had estimated when planning a sample size that would ensure more than 80 % power to detect a 50 % decrease in infection .
The intervention lasted only 1 month and was carried out during a period when Danish authorities recommended quarantine of diagnosed patients , physical distancing , and hand hygiene as general protective means against SARS-CoV-2 transmission ( 23 ) .
Cafés and restaurants were closed through 18 May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group continued through 2 June .
The first randomized group was followed while the Danish society was under lockdown .
Reopening occurred ( 18 May 2020 ) during follow-up of the second group of participants , but it was not reflected in the outcome because infection rates were similar between groups ( Supplement Figure 2 ) .
The relative infection rate between mask wearers and those not wearing masks would most likely be affected by changes in applied protective means or in the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 , whereas the rate difference between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely by a higher—or lower—number of infected citizens .
Although we saw no statistically significant difference in presence of other respiratory viruses , the study was not sufficiently powered to draw definite conclusions about the protective effect of masks for other viral infections .
Likewise , the study had limited power for any of the subgroup analyses .
The primary outcome was mainly defined by antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 .
This definition was chosen because the viral load of infected patients may be only transiently detectable ( 31 , 32 ) and because approximately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asymptomatic ( 33 , 26 ) .
Masks have been hypothesized to reduce inoculum size ( 34 ) and could increase the likelihood that infected mask users are asymptomatic , but this hypothesis has been challenged ( 35 ) .
For these reasons , we did not rely solely on identification of SARS-CoV-2 in oropharyngeal/nasal swab samples .
As mentioned in the Methods section , an internal validation study estimated that the point-of-care test has 82.5 % sensitivity and 99.5 % specificity ( 26 ) .
The observed rate of incident SARS-CoV-2 infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial design .
These rates were based on thorough screening of all participants using antibody measurements combined with PCR , whereas the observed official infection rates relied solely on PCR test–based estimates during the period .
In addition , authorities tested only a small subset of primarily symptomatic citizens of the entire population , yielding low incidence rates .
On this basis , the infection rates we report here are not comparable with the official SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in the Danish population .
The eligibility requirement of at least 3 hours of exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add to this difference .
Between 6 April and 9 May 2020 , we found a similar seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 of 1.9 % ( CI , 0.8 % to 2.3 % ) in Danish blood donors using the Livzon point-of-care test and assessed by laboratory technicians ( 36 ) .
Testing at the end of follow-up , however , may not have captured any infections contracted during the last part of the study period , but this would have been true in both the mask and control groups and was not expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks provided to participants were high-quality surgical masks with a filtration rate of 98 % ( 37 ) .
A published meta-analysis found no statistically significant difference in preventing influenza in health care workers between respirators ( N95 [ American standard ] or FFP2 [ European standard ] ) and surgical face masks ( 38 ) .
Adherence to mask use may be higher than observed in this study in settings where mask use is common .
Some mask group participants ( 14 % ) reported adverse reactions from other citizens ( Supplement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence the protective effect of masks , sensitivity analyses had similar results across reported adherence .
How SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted—via respiratory droplets , aerosols , or ( to a lesser extent ) fomites—is not firmly established .
Droplets are larger and rapidly fall to the ground , whereas aerosols are smaller ( ≤5 μm ) and may evaporate and remain in the air for hours ( 39 ) .
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may take place through multiple routes .
It has been argued that for the primary route of SARS-CoV-2 spread—that is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whereas masks would not be effective against spread via aerosols , which might penetrate or circumnavigate a face mask ( 37 , 39 ) .
Thus , spread of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols would at least partially explain the present findings .
Lack of eye protection may also have been of importance , and use of face shields also covering the eyes ( rather than face masks only ) has been advocated to halt the conjunctival route of transmission ( 40 , 41 ) .
We observed no statistically significant interaction between wearers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 ) .
Recent reports indicate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via fomites is unusual ( 42 ) , but masks may alter behavior and potentially affect fomite transmission .
The present findings are compatible with the findings of a review of randomized controlled trials of the efficacy of face masks for prevention ( as personal protective equipment ) against influenza virus ( 18 ) .
A recent meta-analysis that suggested a protective effect of face masks in the non–health care setting was based on 3 observational studies that included a total of 725 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than SARS-CoV-2 ( 12 ) .
Of 725 participants , 138 ( 19 % ) were infected , so the transmission rate seems to be higher than for SARS-CoV-2 .
Further , these studies focused on prevention of infection in healthy mask wearers from patients with a known , diagnosed infection rather than prevention of transmission from persons in their surroundings in general .
In addition , identified comparators ( control participants ) not wearing masks may also have missed other protective means .
Recent observational studies that indicate a protective association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and SARS-CoV-2 transmission are limited by study design and simultaneous introduction of other public health interventions ( 14 , 43 ) .
Several challenges regarding wearing disposable face masks in the community exist .
These include practical aspects , such as potential incorrect wearing , reduced adherence , reduced durability of the mask depending on type of mask and occupation , and weather .
Such circumstances may necessitate the use of multiple face masks during the day .
In our study , participants used a mean of 1.7 masks per weekday and 1.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Wearing a face mask may be physically unpleasant , and psychological barriers and other side effects have been described ( 44 ) .
“ Face mask policing ” between citizens might reinforce use of masks but may be challenging .
In addition , the wearer of a face mask may change to a less cautious behavior because of a false sense of security , as pointed out by WHO ( 17 ) ; accordingly , our face mask group seemed less worried ( Supplement Table 4 ) , which may explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future ( Supplement Table 5 ) .
These challenges , including costs and availability , may reduce the efficacy of face masks to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection .
The potential benefits of a community-wide recommendation to wear masks include combined prevention and source control for symptomatic and asymptomatic persons , improved attention , and reduced potential stigmatization of persons wearing masks to prevent infection of others ( 17 ) .
Although masks may also have served as source control in SARS-CoV-2–infected participants , the study was not designed to determine the effectiveness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitation is that the findings are inconclusive , with CIs compatible with a 46 % decrease to a 23 % increase in infection .
Other limitations include the following .
Participants may have been more cautious and focused on hygiene than the general population ; however , the observed infection rate was similar to findings of other studies in Denmark ( 26 , 30 ) .
Loss to follow-up was 19 % , but results of multiple imputation accounting for missing data were similar to the main results .
In addition , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests , and blinding to the intervention was not possible .
Finally , a randomized controlled trial provides high-level evidence for treatment effects but can be prone to reduced external validity .
Our results suggest that the recommendation to wear a surgical mask when outside the home among others did not reduce , at conventional levels of statistical significance , the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mask wearers in a setting where social distancing and other public health measures were in effect , mask recommendations were not among those measures , and community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the findings were inconclusive and can not definitively exclude a 46 % reduction to a 23 % increase in infection of mask wearers in such a setting .
It is important to emphasize that this trial did not address the effects of masks as source control or as protection in settings where social distancing and other public health measures are not in effect .
Reduction in release of virus from infected persons into the environment may be the mechanism for mitigation of transmission in communities where mask use is common or mandated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thus , these findings do not provide data on the effectiveness of widespread mask wearing in the community in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections .
They do , however , offer evidence about the degree of protection mask wearers can anticipate in a setting where others are not wearing masks and where other public health measures , including social distancing , are in effect .
The findings also suggest that persons should not abandon other COVID-19 safety measures regardless of the use of masks .
While we await additional data to inform mask recommendations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , uncertainty about the degree of source control and protective effect , and the absence of data suggesting serious adverse effects of masks ( 45 ) .

The recommendation to wear surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not reduce the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among wearers by more than 50% in a community with modest infection rates, some degree of social distancing, and uncommon general mask use. The data were compatible with lesser degrees of self-protection.
A total of 3030 participants were randomly assigned to the recommendation to wear masks, and 2994 were assigned to control; 4862 completed the study. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 occurred in 42 participants recommended masks (1.8%) and 53 control participants (2.1%). The between-group difference was −0.3 percentage point (95% CI, −1.2 to 0.4 percentage point; P = 0.38) (odds ratio, 0.82 [CI, 0.54 to 1.23]; P = 0.33). Multiple imputation accounting for loss to follow-up yielded similar results. Although the difference observed was not statistically significant, the 95% CIs are compatible with a 46% reduction to a 23% increase in infection.
Encouragement to follow social distancing measures for coronavirus disease 2019, plus either no mask recommendation or a recommendation to wear a mask when outside the home among other persons together with a supply of 50 surgical masks and instructions for proper use.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 54 million persons (1, 2). Measures to impede transmission in health care and community settings are essential (3). The virus is transmitted person-to-person, primarily through the mouth, nose, or eyes via respiratory droplets, aerosols, or fomites (4, 5). It can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours (6), and touching a contaminated surface followed by face touching is another possible route of transmission (7). Face masks are a plausible means to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses by minimizing the risk that respiratory droplets will reach wearers’ nasal or oral mucosa. Face masks are also hypothesized to reduce face touching (8, 9), but frequent face and mask touching has been reported among health care personnel (10). Observational evidence supports the efficacy of face masks in health care settings (11, 12) and as source control in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 or other coronaviruses (13).
An increasing number of localities recommend masks in community settings on the basis of this observational evidence, but recommendations vary and controversy exists (14). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (15) strongly recommend that persons with symptoms or known infection wear masks to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to others (source control) (16). However, WHO acknowledges that we lack evidence that wearing a mask protects healthy persons from SARS-CoV-2 (prevention) (17). A systematic review of observational studies reported that mask use reduced risk for SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and COVID-19 by 66% overall, 70% in health care workers, and 44% in the community (12). However, surgical and cloth masks were grouped in preventive studies, and none of the 3 included non–health care studies related directly to COVID-19. Another systematic review (18) and American College of Physicians recommendations (19) concluded that evidence on mask effectiveness for respiratory infection prevention is stronger in health care than community settings.
Observational evidence suggests that mask wearing mitigates SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but whether this observed association arises because masks protect uninfected wearers (protective effect) or because transmission is reduced from infected mask wearers (source control) is uncertain. Here, we report a randomized controlled trial (20) that assessed whether a recommendation to wear a surgical mask when outside the home among others reduced wearers’ risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a setting where public health measures were in effect but community mask wearing was uncommon and not recommended.
Methods
Trial Design and Oversight
DANMASK-19 (Danish Study to Assess Face Masks for the Protection Against COVID-19 Infection) was an investigator-initiated, nationwide, unblinded, randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04337541). The trial protocol was registered with the Danish Data Protection Agency (P-2020-311) (Part 10 of the Supplement) and published (21). The researchers presented the protocol to the independent regional scientific ethics committee of the Capital Region of Denmark, which did not require ethics approval (H-20023709) in accordance with Danish legislation (Parts 11 and 12 of the Supplement). The trial was done in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Participants and Study Period
During the study period (3 April to 2 June 2020), Danish authorities did not recommend use of masks in the community and mask use was uncommon (<5%) outside hospitals (22). Recommended public health measures included quarantining persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection, social distancing (including in shops and public transportation, which remained open), limiting the number of persons seen, frequent hand hygiene and cleaning, and limiting visitors to hospitals and nursing homes (23, 24). Cafés and restaurants were closed during the study until 18 May 2020.
Eligible persons were community-dwelling adults aged 18 years or older without current or prior symptoms or diagnosis of COVID-19 who reported being outside the home among others for at least 3 hours per day and who did not wear masks during their daily work. Recruitment involved media advertisements and contacting private companies and public organizations. Interested citizens had internet access to detailed study information and to research staff for questions (Part 3 of the Supplement). At baseline, participants completed a demographic survey and provided consent for researchers to access their national registry data (Parts 4 and 5 of the Supplement). Recruitment occurred from 3 through 24 April 2020. Half of participants were randomly assigned to a group on 12 April and half on 24 April.
Intervention
Participants were enrolled and data registered using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software (25). Eligible participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to the mask or control group using a computer algorithm and were stratified by the 5 regions of Denmark (Supplement Table 1). Participants were notified of allocation by e-mail, and study packages were sent by courier (Part 7 of the Supplement). Participants in the mask group were instructed to wear a mask when outside the home during the next month. They received 50 three-layer, disposable, surgical face masks with ear loops (TYPE II EN 14683 [Abena]; filtration rate, 98%; made in China). Participants in both groups received materials and instructions for antibody testing on receipt and at 1 month. They also received materials and instructions for collecting an oropharyngeal/nasal swab sample for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at 1 month and whenever symptoms compatible with COVID-19 occurred during follow-up. If symptomatic, participants were strongly encouraged to seek medical care. They registered symptoms and results of the antibody test in the online REDCap system. Participants returned the test material by prepaid express courier.
Written instructions and instructional videos guided antibody testing, oropharyngeal/nasal swabbing, and proper use of masks (Part 8 of the Supplement), and a help line was available to participants. In accordance with WHO recommendations for health care settings at that time, participants were instructed to change the mask if outside the home for more than 8 hours. At baseline and in weekly follow-up e-mails, participants in both groups were encouraged to follow current COVID-19 recommendations from the Danish authorities.
Antibody and Viral PCR Testing
Participants tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in whole blood using a point-of-care test (Lateral Flow test [Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics]) according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and as previously described (26). After puncturing a fingertip with a lancet, they withdrew blood into a capillary tube and placed 1 drop of blood followed by 2 drops of saline in the test chamber in each of the 2 test plates (IgM and IgG). Participants reported IgM and IgG results separately as “1 line present” (negative), “2 lines present” (positive), or “I am not sure, or I could not perform the test” (treated as a negative result). Participants were categorized as seropositive if they had developed IgM, IgG, or both. The manufacturer reported that sensitivity was 90.2% and specificity 99.2%. A previously reported internal validation using 651 samples from blood donors before November 2019 and 155 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection estimated a sensitivity of 82.5% (95% CI, 75.3% to 88.4%) and specificity of 99.5% (CI, 98.7% to 99.9%) (26). We (27) and others (28) have reported that oropharyngeal/nasal swab sampling for SARS-CoV-2 by participants, as opposed to health care workers, is clinically useful. Descriptions of RNA extraction, primer and probe used, reverse transcription, preamplification, and microfluidic quantitative PCR are detailed in Part 6 of the Supplement.
Data Collection
Participants received 4 follow-up surveys (Parts 4 and 5 of the Supplement) by e-mail to collect information on antibody test results, adherence to recommendations on time spent outside the home among others, development of symptoms, COVID-19 diagnosis based on PCR testing done in public hospitals, and known COVID-19 exposures.
Outcomes
The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 infection, defined as a positive result on an oropharyngeal/nasal swab test for SARS-CoV-2, development of a positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody test result (IgM or IgG) during the study period, or a hospital-based diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19. Secondary end points included PCR evidence of infection with other respiratory viruses (Supplement Table 2).
Sample Size Calculations
The sample size was determined to provide adequate power for assessment of the combined composite primary outcome in the intention-to-treat analysis. Authorities estimated an incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection of at least 2% during the study period. Assuming that wearing a face mask halves risk for infection, we estimated that a sample of 4636 participants would provide the trial with 80% power at a significance level of 5% (2-sided α level). Anticipating 20% loss to follow-up in this community-based study, we aimed to assign at least 6000 participants.
Statistical Analysis
Participants with a positive result on an antibody test at baseline were excluded from the analyses. We calculated CIs of proportions assuming binomial distribution (Clopper–Pearson).
The primary composite outcome (intention-to-treat) was compared between groups using the χ2 test. Odds ratios and confidence limits were calculated using logistic regression. We did a per protocol analysis that included only participants reporting complete or predominant use of face masks as instructed. A conservative sensitivity analysis assumed that participants with a positive result on an antibody test at the end of the study who had not provided antibody test results at study entrance had had a positive result at entrance. To further examine the uncertainty of loss to follow-up, we did (post hoc) 200 imputations using the R package smcfcs, version 1.4.1 (29), to impute missing values of outcome. We included sex, age, type of work, time out of home, and outcome in this calculation.
Prespecified subgroups were compared by logistic regression analysis. In a post hoc analysis, we explored whether there was a subgroup defined by a constellation of participant characteristics for which a recommendation to wear masks seemed to be effective. We included sex, age, type of work, time out of home, and outcome in this calculation.
Two-sided P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Analyses were done using R, version 3.6.1 (R Foundation).
Role of the Funding Source
An unrestricted grant from the Salling Foundations supported the study, and the BESTSELLER Foundation donated the Livzon tests. The funders did not influence study design, conduct, or reporting.
Results
Participants
A total of 17 258 Danish citizens responded to recruitment, and 6024 completed the baseline survey and fulfilled eligibility criteria. The first participants (group 1; n = 2995) were randomly assigned on 12 April 2020 and were followed from 14 to 16 April through 15 May 2020. Remaining participants (group 2; n = 3029) were randomly assigned on 24 April 2020 and were followed from 2 to 4 May through 2 June 2020. A total of 3030 participants were randomly assigned to the recommendation to wear face masks, and 2994 were assigned not to wear face masks (Figure); 4862 participants (80.7%) completed the study. Table 1 shows baseline characteristics, which were well balanced between groups. Participants reported having spent a median of 4.5 hours per day outside the home.
Figure. Study flow diagram.Inclusion and exclusion criteria are described in the Methods section, and criteria for completion of the study are given in the Supplement. SARS-CoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Table 1. Characteristics of Participants Completing the Study
Adherence
Based on the lowest adherence reported in the mask group during follow-up, 46% of participants wore the mask as recommended, 47% predominantly as recommended, and 7% not as recommended.
Primary Outcome
The primary outcome occurred in 42 participants (1.8%) in the mask group and 53 (2.1%) in the control group. In an intention-to-treat analysis, the between-group difference was −0.3 percentage point (CI, −1.2 to 0.4 percentage point; P = 0.38) (odds ratio [OR], 0.82 [CI, 0.54 to 1.23]; P = 0.33) in favor of the mask group (Supplement Figure 1). When this analysis was repeated with multiple imputation for missing data due to loss to follow-up, it yielded similar results (OR, 0.81 [CI, 0.53 to 1.23]; P = 0.32). Table 2 provides data on the components of the primary end point, which were similar between groups.
Table 2. Distribution of the Components of the Composite Primary Outcome
In a per protocol analysis that excluded participants in the mask group who reported nonadherence (7%), SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 40 participants (1.8%) in the mask group and 53 (2.1%) in the control group (between-group difference, −0.4 percentage point [CI, −1.2 to 0.5 percentage point]; P = 0.40) (OR, 0.84 [CI, 0.55 to 1.26]; P = 0.40). Supplement Figure 2 provides results of the prespecified subgroup analyses of the primary composite end point. No statistically significant interactions were identified.
In the preplanned sensitivity analysis, those who had a positive result on an antibody test at 1 month but had not provided antibody results at baseline were considered to have had positive results at baseline (n = 18)—that is, they were excluded from the analysis. In this analysis, the primary outcome occurred in 33 participants (1.4%) in the face mask group and 44 (1.8%) in the control group (between-group difference, −0.4 percentage point [CI, −1.1 to 0.4 percentage point]; P = 0.22) (OR, 0.77 [CI, 0.49 to 1.22]; P = 0.26).
Three post hoc (not preplanned) analyses were done. In the first, which included only participants reporting wearing face masks “exactly as instructed,” infection (the primary outcome) occurred in 22 participants (2.0%) in the face mask group and 53 (2.1%) in the control group (between-group difference, −0.2 percentage point [CI, −1.3 to 0.9 percentage point]; P = 0.82) (OR, 0.93 [CI, 0.56 to 1.54]; P = 0.78). The second post hoc analysis excluded participants who did not provide antibody test results at baseline; infection occurred in 33 participants (1.7%) in the face mask group and 44 (2.1%) in the control group (between-group difference, −0.4 percentage point [CI, −1.4 to 0.4 percentage point]; P = 0.33) (OR, 0.80 [CI, 0.51 to 1.27]; P = 0.35). In the third post hoc analysis, which investigated constellations of patient characteristics, we did not find a subgroup where face masks were effective at conventional levels of statistical significance (data not shown).
A total of 52 participants in the mask group and 39 control participants reported COVID-19 in their household. Of these, 2 participants in the face mask group and 1 in the control group developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that the source of most observed infections was outside the home. Reported symptoms did not differ between groups during the study period (Supplement Table 3).
Secondary Outcomes
In the mask group, 9 participants (0.5%) were positive for 1 or more of the 11 respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2, compared with 11 participants (0.6%) in the control group (between-group difference, −0.1 percentage point [CI, −0.6 to 0.4 percentage point]; P = 0.87) (OR, 0.84 [CI, 0.35 to 2.04]; P = 0.71). Positivity for any virus, including SARS-CoV-2, occurred in 9 mask participants (0.5%) versus 16 control participants (0.8%) (between-group difference, −0.3 percentage point [CI, −0.9 to 0.2 percentage point]; P = 0.26) (OR, 0.58 [CI, 0.25 to 1.31]; P = 0.19).
Discussion
In this community-based, randomized controlled trial conducted in a setting where mask wearing was uncommon and was not among other recommended public health measures related to COVID-19, a recommendation to wear a surgical mask when outside the home among others did not reduce, at conventional levels of statistical significance, incident SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with no mask recommendation. We designed the study to detect a reduction in infection rate from 2% to 1%. Although no statistically significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 incidence was observed, the 95% CIs are compatible with a possible 46% reduction to 23% increase in infection among mask wearers. These findings do offer evidence about the degree of protection mask wearers can anticipate in a setting where others are not wearing masks and where other public health measures, including social distancing, are in effect. The findings, however, should not be used to conclude that a recommendation for everyone to wear masks in the community would not be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections, because the trial did not test the role of masks in source control of SARS-CoV-2 infection. During the study period, authorities did not recommend face mask use outside hospital settings and mask use was rare in community settings (22). This means that study participants’ exposure was overwhelmingly to persons not wearing masks.
The observed infection rate was similar to that reported in other large Danish studies during the study period (26, 30). Of note, the observed incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher than we had estimated when planning a sample size that would ensure more than 80% power to detect a 50% decrease in infection. The intervention lasted only 1 month and was carried out during a period when Danish authorities recommended quarantine of diagnosed patients, physical distancing, and hand hygiene as general protective means against SARS-CoV-2 transmission (23). Cafés and restaurants were closed through 18 May, but follow-up of the second randomized group continued through 2 June.
The first randomized group was followed while the Danish society was under lockdown. Reopening occurred (18 May 2020) during follow-up of the second group of participants, but it was not reflected in the outcome because infection rates were similar between groups (Supplement Figure 2). The relative infection rate between mask wearers and those not wearing masks would most likely be affected by changes in applied protective means or in the virulence of SARS-CoV-2, whereas the rate difference between the 2 groups would probably not be affected solely by a higher—or lower—number of infected citizens.
Although we saw no statistically significant difference in presence of other respiratory viruses, the study was not sufficiently powered to draw definite conclusions about the protective effect of masks for other viral infections. Likewise, the study had limited power for any of the subgroup analyses.
The primary outcome was mainly defined by antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. This definition was chosen because the viral load of infected patients may be only transiently detectable (31, 32) and because approximately half of persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic (33, 26). Masks have been hypothesized to reduce inoculum size (34) and could increase the likelihood that infected mask users are asymptomatic, but this hypothesis has been challenged (35). For these reasons, we did not rely solely on identification of SARS-CoV-2 in oropharyngeal/nasal swab samples. As mentioned in the Methods section, an internal validation study estimated that the point-of-care test has 82.5% sensitivity and 99.5% specificity (26).
The observed rate of incident SARS-CoV-2 infection was similar to what was estimated during trial design. These rates were based on thorough screening of all participants using antibody measurements combined with PCR, whereas the observed official infection rates relied solely on PCR test–based estimates during the period. In addition, authorities tested only a small subset of primarily symptomatic citizens of the entire population, yielding low incidence rates. On this basis, the infection rates we report here are not comparable with the official SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in the Danish population. The eligibility requirement of at least 3 hours of exposure to other persons outside the home would add to this difference. Between 6 April and 9 May 2020, we found a similar seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 of 1.9% (CI, 0.8% to 2.3%) in Danish blood donors using the Livzon point-of-care test and assessed by laboratory technicians (36). Testing at the end of follow-up, however, may not have captured any infections contracted during the last part of the study period, but this would have been true in both the mask and control groups and was not expected to influence the overall findings.
The face masks provided to participants were high-quality surgical masks with a filtration rate of 98% (37). A published meta-analysis found no statistically significant difference in preventing influenza in health care workers between respirators (N95 [American standard] or FFP2 [European standard]) and surgical face masks (38). Adherence to mask use may be higher than observed in this study in settings where mask use is common. Some mask group participants (14%) reported adverse reactions from other citizens (Supplement Table 4). Although adherence may influence the protective effect of masks, sensitivity analyses had similar results across reported adherence.
How SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted—via respiratory droplets, aerosols, or (to a lesser extent) fomites—is not firmly established. Droplets are larger and rapidly fall to the ground, whereas aerosols are smaller (≤5 μm) and may evaporate and remain in the air for hours (39). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may take place through multiple routes. It has been argued that for the primary route of SARS-CoV-2 spread—that is, via droplets—face masks would be considered effective, whereas masks would not be effective against spread via aerosols, which might penetrate or circumnavigate a face mask (37, 39). Thus, spread of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols would at least partially explain the present findings. Lack of eye protection may also have been of importance, and use of face shields also covering the eyes (rather than face masks only) has been advocated to halt the conjunctival route of transmission (40, 41). We observed no statistically significant interaction between wearers and nonwearers of eyeglasses (Supplement Figure 2). Recent reports indicate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via fomites is unusual (42), but masks may alter behavior and potentially affect fomite transmission.
The present findings are compatible with the findings of a review of randomized controlled trials of the efficacy of face masks for prevention (as personal protective equipment) against influenza virus (18). A recent meta-analysis that suggested a protective effect of face masks in the non–health care setting was based on 3 observational studies that included a total of 725 participants and focused on transmission of SARS-CoV-1 rather than SARS-CoV-2 (12). Of 725 participants, 138 (19%) were infected, so the transmission rate seems to be higher than for SARS-CoV-2. Further, these studies focused on prevention of infection in healthy mask wearers from patients with a known, diagnosed infection rather than prevention of transmission from persons in their surroundings in general. In addition, identified comparators (control participants) not wearing masks may also have missed other protective means. Recent observational studies that indicate a protective association between mandated mask use in the community and SARS-CoV-2 transmission are limited by study design and simultaneous introduction of other public health interventions (14, 43).
Several challenges regarding wearing disposable face masks in the community exist. These include practical aspects, such as potential incorrect wearing, reduced adherence, reduced durability of the mask depending on type of mask and occupation, and weather. Such circumstances may necessitate the use of multiple face masks during the day. In our study, participants used a mean of 1.7 masks per weekday and 1.3 per weekend day (Supplement Table 4). Wearing a face mask may be physically unpleasant, and psychological barriers and other side effects have been described (44). “Face mask policing” between citizens might reinforce use of masks but may be challenging. In addition, the wearer of a face mask may change to a less cautious behavior because of a false sense of security, as pointed out by WHO (17); accordingly, our face mask group seemed less worried (Supplement Table 4), which may explain their increased willingness to wear face masks in the future (Supplement Table 5). These challenges, including costs and availability, may reduce the efficacy of face masks to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The potential benefits of a community-wide recommendation to wear masks include combined prevention and source control for symptomatic and asymptomatic persons, improved attention, and reduced potential stigmatization of persons wearing masks to prevent infection of others (17). Although masks may also have served as source control in SARS-CoV-2–infected participants, the study was not designed to determine the effectiveness of source control.
The most important limitation is that the findings are inconclusive, with CIs compatible with a 46% decrease to a 23% increase in infection. Other limitations include the following. Participants may have been more cautious and focused on hygiene than the general population; however, the observed infection rate was similar to findings of other studies in Denmark (26, 30). Loss to follow-up was 19%, but results of multiple imputation accounting for missing data were similar to the main results. In addition, we relied on patient-reported findings on home antibody tests, and blinding to the intervention was not possible. Finally, a randomized controlled trial provides high-level evidence for treatment effects but can be prone to reduced external validity.
Our results suggest that the recommendation to wear a surgical mask when outside the home among others did not reduce, at conventional levels of statistical significance, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mask wearers in a setting where social distancing and other public health measures were in effect, mask recommendations were not among those measures, and community use of masks was uncommon. Yet, the findings were inconclusive and cannot definitively exclude a 46% reduction to a 23% increase in infection of mask wearers in such a setting. It is important to emphasize that this trial did not address the effects of masks as source control or as protection in settings where social distancing and other public health measures are not in effect.
Reduction in release of virus from infected persons into the environment may be the mechanism for mitigation of transmission in communities where mask use is common or mandated, as noted in observational studies. Thus, these findings do not provide data on the effectiveness of widespread mask wearing in the community in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infections. They do, however, offer evidence about the degree of protection mask wearers can anticipate in a setting where others are not wearing masks and where other public health measures, including social distancing, are in effect. The findings also suggest that persons should not abandon other COVID-19 safety measures regardless of the use of masks. While we await additional data to inform mask recommendations, communities must balance the seriousness of COVID-19, uncertainty about the degree of source control and protective effect, and the absence of data suggesting serious adverse effects of masks (45).


pamelagellerreport--2020-11-20--‘Pompeo Wine’ to Be Served to Visiting Secretary of State in Binyamin Winery from Judea and Samaria

Fabulous .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just announced that all Israeli products made in the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria , will be labeled as ‘ Made in Israel ’ when exported to the United States .
As such , Pompeo deserves to have his own wine label .
Mike Pompeo is the most pro-Israel Secretary of State ever .
‘ Pompeo Wine ’ to Be Served to Visiting Secretary of State in Binyamin Winery Israelis get a last-time opportunity to raise a glass of Psagot wine in a robust Lechayim to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winery this week .
The brand , “ Pompeo , ” has been sold by this winery for about a year , it is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon , Syrah , and Merlot , with a label bearing the secretary ’ s name – a thank you gift , if you will , for his statement that the settlement enterprise does not violate international law .
This will be the first time ever that a US Secretary of State visits an Israeli settlement in Judea and Samaria , seeing as until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlements actually were in violation of international law .
In addition , Pompeo is expected to visit the Golan Heights , including , possibly , Trump Heights , the town named as a show of gratitude for the administration ’ s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights .
The president already owns a winery – Trump Winery , in Virginia , which is owned and operated by Trump ’ s son Eric , under the name Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC .
The Psagot Winery website posted this note , alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Following the European Court of Justice ruling that products manufactured in Judea and Samaria , East Jerusalem , and the Golan Heights must not say Made in Israel , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a proclamation indicating the legality of Israel ’ s position in these areas .
As a show of gratitude and appreciation , we at Psagot Winery produced a limited edition of wine named Pompeo .
Meanwhile , the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday organized a mass protest against Secretary Pompeo ’ s expected tour of “ a colonial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Pompeo ’ s anticipated visit to the Psagot Winery , part of the Israeli colonial settlement of Psagot , established on stolen Palestinian land.
” We took a look at this picture of the mass protest – we think there were about 50 demonstrators .
So , it ’ s safe to say many PA Arabs didn ’ t give a hoot .

Fabulous. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just announced that all Israeli products made in the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, will be labeled as ‘Made in Israel’ when exported to the United States. As such, Pompeo deserves to have his own wine label. Mike Pompeo is the most pro-Israel Secretary of State ever.
‘Pompeo Wine’ to Be Served to Visiting Secretary of State in Binyamin Winery
By Jewish Press, November 19, 2020
Israelis get a last-time opportunity to raise a glass of Psagot wine in a robust Lechayim to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is paying a visit to the winery this week. The brand, “Pompeo,” has been sold by this winery for about a year, it is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot, with a label bearing the secretary’s name – a thank you gift, if you will, for his statement that the settlement enterprise does not violate international law.
This will be the first time ever that a US Secretary of State visits an Israeli settlement in Judea and Samaria, seeing as until 2019 the US position was that these settlements actually were in violation of international law. In addition, Pompeo is expected to visit the Golan Heights, including, possibly, Trump Heights, the town named as a show of gratitude for the administration’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
The president already owns a winery – Trump Winery, in Virginia, which is owned and operated by Trump’s son Eric, under the name Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC.
The Psagot Winery website posted this note, alongside an image of its Pompeo wine:
Following the European Court of Justice ruling that products manufactured in Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights must not say Made in Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a proclamation indicating the legality of Israel’s position in these areas. As a show of gratitude and appreciation, we at Psagot Winery produced a limited edition of wine named Pompeo.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday organized a mass protest against Secretary Pompeo’s expected tour of “a colonial settlement winery.” The protesters “waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Pompeo’s anticipated visit to the Psagot Winery, part of the Israeli colonial settlement of Psagot, established on stolen Palestinian land.”
We took a look at this picture of the mass protest – we think there were about 50 demonstrators. So, it’s safe to say many PA Arabs didn’t give a hoot.


pamelagellerreport--2020-11-19--Trump campaign lawyer in Philadelphia withdraws from federal election suit because of threats of vio

Trump campaign lawyer in Philadelphia withdraws from federal election suit because of threats of violence

Days after a law firm representing the Trump campaign withdrew from the case following a pressure campaign from the anti-Trump Lincoln Project to ‘ cancel ’ them , another Trump attorney says she ’ s being harassed for her involvement in the case .
Trump campaign lawyer in Philadelphia withdraws from federal election suit Shortly before Donald Trump ’ s legal surrogates took the stage at a press conference to promote the president ’ s still unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud , a Philadelphia lawyer who briefly helmed the campaign ’ s main election lawsuit in Pennsylvania withdrew from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP election lawyer and longtime voter ID proponent , managed a string of legal challenges on behalf of the campaign , and worked on the federal suit seeking to overturn the state ’ s election results .
That suit , filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania , broadly seeks to invalidate Democrat Joe Biden ’ s victory in the Keystone State on procedural grounds .
Kerns sought to withdraw as counsel shortly after Pittsburgh-based firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur abandoned the case last week .
Harrisburg attorney Marc Scaringi and Rudolf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City and Trump ’ s personal lawyer , replaced the firm .
Judge Matthew Brann initially denied Kerns ’ request on the grounds that it was critical to have a plaintiff ’ s attorney that had been present since the suit ’ s initial filing .
This week , Scaringi and Giuliani repeatedly amended the suit , “ inadvertently ” removing and then re-inserting language alleging –– without hard evidence –– pervasive voter fraud .
The attorneys also called for a “ statistical sampling ” of some 1.5 million mail ballots cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irregularities , and rebutted a separate decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that rejected Trump claims alleging that its observers had been obstructed by county election officials .
Lawyer behind Trump ’ s legal campaign to win Pa. has a long history in Philly President Donald Trump ’ s hopes for staying in the White House hinge on a battery of legal complaints filed by a Philadelphia lawyer with a revealing past In a Thursday press conference in Washington D.C. , Giuliani expanded those claims made in the amended suit , declaring without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from New Jersey had voted in Philadelphia .
“ It happens all the time .
It ’ s about as common as people getting beaten up at a Philadelphia Eagles basketball , football game , ” Giuliani said .
Not long after the duo made their mark on the case , Brann granted Kern ’ s request .
Kerns had notably also filed a motion earlier this week calling for sanctions after she received an “ abusive ” voicemail from a lawyer at the Washington D.C. office of a law firm that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but is not involved in this case .
In the campaign ’ s amended complaint , it also states that “ Kerns herself has been the subject of threats of harm , to the point at which the involvement of police and U.S .
Marshals has been necessary to provide for her safety.
” A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department could not immediately provide more details .
Kerns did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The Trump campaign has indicated Kerns will stay on for other state-level court @ @

Democrat criminal syndicate.
Days after a law firm representing the Trump campaign withdrew from the case following a pressure campaign from the anti-Trump Lincoln Project to “cancel” them, another Trump attorney says she’s being harassed for her involvement in the case.
Trump campaign lawyer in Philadelphia withdraws from federal election suit
By: Ryan Briggs, PBS, November 19, 2020
Shortly before Donald Trump’s legal surrogates took the stage at a press conference to promote the president’s still unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, a Philadelphia lawyer who briefly helmed the campaign’s main election lawsuit in Pennsylvania withdrew from the case.
Linda Kerns, a local GOP election lawyer and longtime voter ID proponent, managed a string of legal challenges on behalf of the campaign, and worked on the federal suit seeking to overturn the state’s election results. That suit, filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, broadly seeks to invalidate Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the Keystone State on procedural grounds.
Kerns sought to withdraw as counsel shortly after Pittsburgh-based firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur abandoned the case last week. Harrisburg attorney Marc Scaringi and Rudolf Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and Trump’s personal lawyer, replaced the firm.
Judge Matthew Brann initially denied Kerns’ request on the grounds that it was critical to have a plaintiff’s attorney that had been present since the suit’s initial filing. This week, Scaringi and Giuliani repeatedly amended the suit, “inadvertently” removing and then re-inserting language alleging –– without hard evidence –– pervasive voter fraud.
The attorneys also called for a “statistical sampling” of some 1.5 million mail ballots cast in Democratic-leaning counties in order to detect irregularities, and rebutted a separate decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that rejected Trump claims alleging that its observers had been obstructed by county election officials.
Lawyer behind Trump’s legal campaign to win Pa. has a long history in Philly
President Donald Trump’s hopes for staying in the White House hinge on a battery of legal complaints filed by a Philadelphia lawyer with a revealing past
In a Thursday press conference in Washington D.C., Giuliani expanded those claims made in the amended suit, declaring without evidence that a substantial number of voters from New Jersey had voted in Philadelphia.
“It happens all the time. It’s about as common as people getting beaten up at a Philadelphia Eagles basketball, football game,” Giuliani said.
Not long after the duo made their mark on the case, Brann granted Kern’s request.
Kerns had notably also filed a motion earlier this week calling for sanctions after she received an “abusive” voicemail from a lawyer at the Washington D.C. office of a law firm that is representing Pa. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, but is not involved in this case. In the campaign’s amended complaint, it also states that “Kerns herself has been the subject of threats of harm, to the point at which the involvement of police and U.S. Marshals has been necessary to provide for her safety.”
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department could not immediately provide more details. Kerns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump campaign has indicated Kerns will stay on for other state-level court challenges.


pamelagellerreport--2020-11-19--FOX COLLAPSE: Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon Win Their Respective Hours, MacCallum and Cavuto TANK

McCallum is taking -thank Gd as is the knucklehead Cavuto .
Carlson and Hannity are keeping the Titanic afloat .
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The Truth Must be Told Please take a moment to consider this .
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Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a paywall .
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Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media wo n't .
We can not do our ground-breaking report without your support .
We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left 's war on freedom .
Our readers ’ contributions make that possible .
Geller Report 's independent , investigative journalism takes a lot of time , money and hard work to produce .
But we do it because we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for freedom and because it is your fight , too .

McCallum is taking -thank Gd as is the knucklehead Cavuto. Carlson and Hannity are keeping the Titanic afloat.
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Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more.
Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible.
Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too.


pamelagellerreport--2020-11-19--BREAKING: Michigan state lawmakers have brought articles of impeachment against Governor Whitmer

( WXYZ ) — Three Republican lawmakers in Lansing have introduced articles of impeachment against Governor Gretchen Whitmer .
Reps .
Beau LaFave , Matthew Maddock and Daire Rendon announced the articles as new coronavirus restrictions went into effect across the state Wednesday .
The articles accuse Gov .
Whitmer of “ corrupt conduct in office ” and having “ exceeded her constitutional authority ” during the pandemic .
It reads in part : “ Whereas , in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic , Gretchen E. Whitmer has acted in conflict with her constitutional duties as Governor .
She has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional rights of the people of Michigan , issued orders that are not in the best interests of the people of this state , and used the Pandemic as an opportunity to reward political allies .
These actions are a matter of public record , primarily in the form of executive orders and the enforcement thereof ; now , therefore , be it resolved by the House of Representatives , that Gretchen E. Whitmer , Governor of the state of Michigan , is impeached for corrupt conduct in office and for crimes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports say Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield will not allow an impeachment vote to come to the House floor .
Chatfield told The Associated Press an effort to impeach Whitmer would lack merit and would be every bit as shameful as the impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump .
“ We ’ re not the party that impeaches someone because we ’ re upset with policies that they ’ ve enacted , ” he said .
“ Governor Whitmer doesn ’ t have any time for partisan politics or people who don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe in science , and don ’ t have a plan to fight this virus .
Right now , she is focused on saving lives .
The governor will continue to work hard for all 10 million Michiganders .
This is about Michigan vs. COVID-19 .
Governor Whitmer doesn ’ t care if you ’ re a Trump Republican or a Biden Democrat .
We are all in this together .
”

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1329487944592351232?s=20
(WXYZ) — Three Republican lawmakers in Lansing have introduced articles of impeachment against Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Reps. Beau LaFave, Matthew Maddock and Daire Rendon announced the articles as new coronavirus restrictions went into effect across the state Wednesday. The articles accuse Gov. Whitmer of “corrupt conduct in office” and having “exceeded her constitutional authority” during the pandemic. It reads in part: “Whereas, in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gretchen E. Whitmer has acted in conflict with her constitutional duties as Governor. She has exceeded her constitutional authority, violated the constitutional rights of the people of Michigan, issued orders that are not in the best interests of the people of this state, and used the Pandemic as an opportunity to reward political allies. These actions are a matter of public record, primarily in the form of executive orders and the enforcement thereof; now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives, that Gretchen E. Whitmer, Governor of the state of Michigan, is impeached for corrupt conduct in office and for crimes and misdemeanors.” However, a number of reports say Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield will not allow an impeachment vote to come to the House floor. Chatfield told The Associated Press an effort to impeach Whitmer would lack merit and would be every bit as shameful as the impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump. “We’re not the party that impeaches someone because we’re upset with policies that they’ve enacted,” he said. Today I introduced Articles of Impeachment against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The four articles of impeachment against Gov. Whitmer include failing to respect the separation of powers by exercising power granted to the legislative branch, violating the constitutional pic.twitter.com/tCr2KUZb3E — Beau M. LaFave (@BeauMattLaFave) November 18, 2020 “Governor Whitmer doesn’t have any time for partisan politics or people who don’t wear masks, don’t believe in science, and don’t have a plan to fight this virus. Right now, she is focused on saving lives. The governor will continue to work hard for all 10 million Michiganders. This is about Michigan vs. COVID-19. Governor Whitmer doesn’t care if you’re a Trump Republican or a Biden Democrat. We are all in this together.” View the full resolution here.
The Truth Must be Told Your contribution supports independent journalism Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more. Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible. Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too. Please contribute here. or Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best. $25.00 here
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pamelagellerreport--2020-11-19--Pompeo: US to Recognize  Boycott-the-Jews (BDS) Movement as Antisemitic

The Trump Administration has done it again .
Thank you , President Trump and Secretary Pompeo .
Gd Bless Trump.Make no mistake , the Nazi boycott of the Jews is the direct antecedent of today ’ s boycott , divest and sanction ( BDS ) movement of the Jewish state .
Pompeo : BDS is a ‘ Cancer ’ ; US to Declare Movement ‘ Anti-Semitic ’ WATCH : Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State @ SecPompeo .
Pompeo : US to recognize BDS movement as antisemitic Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu interjected that the policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will withdraw funding from groups boycotting Israel , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday .
“ We will recognize the global BDS campaign as antisemitic , ” Pompeo said .
“ The time is right… We want to join all the other nations that recognize BDS for the cancer that it is.
” Netanyahu interjected that the policy is “ simply wonderful.
” Pompeo later released a statement that the US “ strongly opposes the global discriminatory boycott , divestment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices that facilitate it , such as discriminatory labeling and the publication of databases of companies that operate in Israel or Israeli-controlled areas.
” He added that “ anti-Zionism is antisemitism.
” The secretary of state directed the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to identify organizations that support the BDS movement and whether these organizations are working to penalize or limit commercial relations with Israel or “ any territory controlled by Israel , ” meaning Judea and Samaria .
In addition , the State Department will review its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to entities that support the BDS campaign , including foreign aid funding .
There are currently 30 states that have laws of different kinds banning state funding for affiliates of the anti-Israel Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement .
The BDS movement was started in 2005 by Omar Barghouti , who has been living in Israel for close to 30 years .
Barghouti said in an interview with the Gazan Voice Podcast earlier this year that the ultimate goal of his movement is to eliminate Israel : “ There won ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak about [ presently ] .
” Pompeo listed the many policies related to Israel that he and the Trump administration have promoted in recent years , saying that they ’ ve “ done incredible things.
” “ The simple fact of recognizing the reality of Jerusalem as the rightful , proper , true capital of Israel – it ’ s crazy that the US hadn ’ t done that for decades , ” Pompeo said .
“ Then we moved embassy .
How simple , how right , how just .
”

The Trump Administration has done it again. Thank you, President Trump and Secretary Pompeo.
Gd Bless Trump.Make no mistake, the Nazi boycott of the Jews is the direct antecedent of today’s boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) movement of the Jewish state.
Pompeo: BDS is a ‘Cancer’; US to Declare Movement ‘Anti-Semitic’
WATCH: Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State @SecPompeo. Full remarks >>https://t.co/jEluPY4HmRhttps://t.co/gQvSjLeFYm — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 19, 2020
Pompeo: US to recognize BDS movement as antisemitic Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu interjected that the policy is “simply wonderful.” By Jerusalem Post, November 19, 2020 The US will withdraw funding from groups boycotting Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday. “We will recognize the global BDS campaign as antisemitic,” Pompeo said. “The time is right… We want to join all the other nations that recognize BDS for the cancer that it is.” Netanyahu interjected that the policy is “simply wonderful.” Pompeo later released a statement that the US “strongly opposes the global discriminatory boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign…and practices that facilitate it, such as discriminatory labeling and the publication of databases of companies that operate in Israel or Israeli-controlled areas.” He added that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism.” The secretary of state directed the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to identify organizations that support the BDS movement and whether these organizations are working to penalize or limit commercial relations with Israel or “any territory controlled by Israel,” meaning Judea and Samaria. In addition, the State Department will review its funds to make sure none are going to entities that support the BDS campaign, including foreign aid funding. There are currently 30 states that have laws of different kinds banning state funding for affiliates of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The BDS movement was started in 2005 by Omar Barghouti, who has been living in Israel for close to 30 years. Barghouti said in an interview with the Gazan Voice Podcast earlier this year that the ultimate goal of his movement is to eliminate Israel: “There won’t be any Zionist state like the one we speak about [presently].” Pompeo listed the many policies related to Israel that he and the Trump administration have promoted in recent years, saying that they’ve “done incredible things.” “The simple fact of recognizing the reality of Jerusalem as the rightful, proper, true capital of Israel – it’s crazy that the US hadn’t done that for decades,” Pompeo said. “Then we moved embassy. How simple, how right, how just.”
The Truth Must be Told Your contribution supports independent journalism Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more. Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible. Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too. Please contribute here. or Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best. $25.00 here
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pamelagellerreport--2020-11-19--2020 Election: Invoking the 12th Amendment

“ Congress has the absolute right to reject the submitted Electoral College votes of any state , which we believe has such a shoddy election system that you can ’ t trust the election results that those states are submitting to us , that they ’ re suspect…… ” There has been so much evidence , testimony and statistical analysis as it relates to the integrity of the Presidential election , it would be the ultimate betrayal of our trust in American elections to shrug and surrender without so much as a shot fired .
The GOP better hop to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routed like they did in ’ 18 .
By Jack Phillips and Jan Jekielek , The Epoch Times , November 18 , 2020 : Rep. Mo Brooks ( R-Ala. ) said that the final outcome of the presidential election may be decided according to the 12th Amendment and Article One and Article Two of the U.S. Constitution when Congress convenes in early January .
“ The ultimate say over whether to accept or reject ” Electoral College votes for any state “ is not a court ’ s job , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job under ” the Constitution “ coupled with federal statutes that govern this issue.
” “ Congress has the absolute right to reject the submitted Electoral College votes of any state , which we believe has such a shoddy election system that you can ’ t trust the election results that those states are submitting to us , that they ’ re suspect , ” Brooks told The Epoch Times this week .
“ And I ’ m not going to put my name in support of any state that employs an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence in.
” Brooks noted that he doesn ’ t have confidence in the election results in several states , including Georgia and Pennsylvania , where Democrat Joe Biden is the projected winner by razor-thin margins .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign has filed lawsuits in several states , alleging irregularities , voter fraud , and violations of state election laws .
The Department of Homeland Security ’ s ( DHS ) cybersecurity division said this week that the Nov. 3 election was the “ most secure ” in history , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there isn ’ t enough evidence of voter fraud that would result in overturning the election .
However , Federal Elections Commission Chairman Trey Trainor has said otherwise , claiming he believes “ there is voter fraud ” in several key states that went for Biden .
Brooks , perhaps in laying out a potential GOP strategy , said that “ on January 6th at 1 p.m. Eastern time , the 50 states will report to Congress , the president [ of the ] Senate will preside over this meeting ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contend are their Electoral College results in their state.
” “ If a House member and a senator objects to the submission of Electoral College votes by any state , that immediately triggers a House floor vote and a Senate floor vote on whether to accept or reject those Electoral College votes submitted by that particular state , ” the Alabama Republican said .
“ The amount of debate on the House and Senate floor is limited to two hours under federal law.
” Epoch Times Photo President John Quincy Adams in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Public Domain ) Brooks said Congress will then determine whether to reject certain electoral votes , thereby taking them “ out of the mix.
” His reasoning for removing votes from certain states is because they ’ re “ running a poor election system ” and “ a system so suspect that you can ’ t give credibility to the results that are being reported.
” Brooks said under the 12th Amendment , the House would then determine who the president will be , while the Senate will determine the vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted , it ’ s not a simple majority vote , but “ it is a majority of the states who determine who the president … will be.
” “ Based on the election results we just had , the GOP will control 26 states out of 50 , ” Brooks said .
“ That ’ s a majority , with a possible 27th ” as one election hasn ’ t been called yet , he added .
“ Presumably , the Republican nominee would be favored , because the GOP controls a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House of Representatives.
” He noted that a similar situation unfolded nearly 200 years ago during the contingent election of 1824 , which saw John Quincy Adams—who was the “ second-place finisher ” —elected president , since no candidate won a majority of the electoral vote .
Earlier this week , Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz predicted that Trump might attempt to settle the election in Congress .
“ Let ’ s look at the big picture : The big picture now has shifted , ” Dershowitz told Newsmax .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now trying to get to 270 electoral votes .
I think he thinks that ’ s out of the question .
“ What he ’ s trying to do is to deny Joe Biden 270 votes , by challenging in Pennsylvania , Georgia , in Nevada , in Michigan , in Arizona.
” Dershowitz added that not allowing Biden to reach 270 out of 538 votes would eventually force a vote by House state delegations , where Republicans have an advantage over Democrats .
Currently , the GOP has a 26-23-1 state delegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If he can keep the Biden count below 270 , then the matter goes to the House of Representatives , where , of course , there is a Republican majority among the delegations of states , and you vote by state if it goes to the House , ” Dershowitz said .
“ He ’ s trying to follow the playbook of three elections of the 19th century .
”

“Congress has the absolute right to reject the submitted Electoral College votes of any state, which we believe has such a shoddy election system that you can’t trust the election results that those states are submitting to us, that they’re suspect……”
There has been so much evidence, testimony and statistical analysis as it relates to the integrity of the Presidential election, it would be the ultimate betrayal of our trust in American elections to shrug and surrender without so much as a shot fired.
The GOP better hop to it, or they’ll get routed like they did in ’18.
2020 Election
Rep. Brooks: Congress Has ‘Absolute Right’ to Reject a State’s Electoral College Votes
By Jack Phillips and Jan Jekielek, The Epoch Times, November 18, 2020:
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) said that the final outcome of the presidential election may be decided according to the 12th Amendment and Article One and Article Two of the U.S. Constitution when Congress convenes in early January.
“The ultimate say over whether to accept or reject” Electoral College votes for any state “is not a court’s job,” he said. “It is Congress’s job under” the Constitution “coupled with federal statutes that govern this issue.”
“Congress has the absolute right to reject the submitted Electoral College votes of any state, which we believe has such a shoddy election system that you can’t trust the election results that those states are submitting to us, that they’re suspect,” Brooks told The Epoch Times this week. “And I’m not going to put my name in support of any state that employs an election system that I don’t have confidence in.”
Brooks noted that he doesn’t have confidence in the election results in several states, including Georgia and Pennsylvania, where Democrat Joe Biden is the projected winner by razor-thin margins. President Donald Trump’s campaign has filed lawsuits in several states, alleging irregularities, voter fraud, and violations of state election laws.
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) cybersecurity division said this week that the Nov. 3 election was the “most secure” in history, while several states’ secretaries of state have said there isn’t enough evidence of voter fraud that would result in overturning the election. However, Federal Elections Commission Chairman Trey Trainor has said otherwise, claiming he believes “there is voter fraud” in several key states that went for Biden.
Brooks, perhaps in laying out a potential GOP strategy, said that “on January 6th at 1 p.m. Eastern time, the 50 states will report to Congress, the president [of the] Senate will preside over this meeting” and “will report to Congress what they contend are their Electoral College results in their state.”
“If a House member and a senator objects to the submission of Electoral College votes by any state, that immediately triggers a House floor vote and a Senate floor vote on whether to accept or reject those Electoral College votes submitted by that particular state,” the Alabama Republican said. “The amount of debate on the House and Senate floor is limited to two hours under federal law.”
Epoch Times Photo
President John Quincy Adams in a 1818 portrait by Gilbert Stuart, 1858. (Public Domain)
Brooks said Congress will then determine whether to reject certain electoral votes, thereby taking them “out of the mix.”
His reasoning for removing votes from certain states is because they’re “running a poor election system” and “a system so suspect that you can’t give credibility to the results that are being reported.”
Brooks said under the 12th Amendment, the House would then determine who the president will be, while the Senate will determine the vice president. In the House, he noted, it’s not a simple majority vote, but “it is a majority of the states who determine who the president … will be.”
“Based on the election results we just had, the GOP will control 26 states out of 50,” Brooks said. “That’s a majority, with a possible 27th” as one election hasn’t been called yet, he added.
“Presumably, the Republican nominee would be favored, because the GOP controls a majority of the state delegations in the House of Representatives.”
He noted that a similar situation unfolded nearly 200 years ago during the contingent election of 1824, which saw John Quincy Adams—who was the “second-place finisher”—elected president, since no candidate won a majority of the electoral vote.
Earlier this week, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz predicted that Trump might attempt to settle the election in Congress.
“Let’s look at the big picture: The big picture now has shifted,” Dershowitz told Newsmax. “I do not believe that President Trump is now trying to get to 270 electoral votes. I think he thinks that’s out of the question.
“What he’s trying to do is to deny Joe Biden 270 votes, by challenging in Pennsylvania, Georgia, in Nevada, in Michigan, in Arizona.” Dershowitz added that not allowing Biden to reach 270 out of 538 votes would eventually force a vote by House state delegations, where Republicans have an advantage over Democrats. Currently, the GOP has a 26-23-1 state delegation majority in the House of Representatives.
“If he can keep the Biden count below 270, then the matter goes to the House of Representatives, where, of course, there is a Republican majority among the delegations of states, and you vote by state if it goes to the House,” Dershowitz said. “He’s trying to follow the playbook of three elections of the 19th century.”