Trump news: Just 10% of Republicans in Congress acknowledge Biden win as president heads to Georgia
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Donald Trump's refusal to admit his defeat to Joe Biden in November’s presidential election has trickled down to Republicans in Congress, 90 per cent of whom have failed to publicly acknowledge the loss.
In a survey of all 249 Congressional Republicans by The Washington Post, just 25 recognised Mr Biden as the President-elect. The vast majority failed to respond to the newspaper, while two falsely claimed Mr Trump had won.
It comes as Mr Trump prepares to head to Georgia to deliver his first rally since his election defeat.
The president is due to appear alongside Republican senate candidates David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are in run-off elections against their Democratic opponents.
What the president will say during the rally remains unknown, but it comes after he tweeted against the governor and secretary of state, both of whom are Republicans, for Georgia. Mr Trump implored the pair to do a full audit of absentee ballot signatures, claiming this would prove his victory in the state.
Georgia already certified its election results, giving the win to President-elect Biden. But Mr Trump refuses to accept those results.
The goal of his evening rally tonight is to boost support for Mr Purdue and Ms Loeffler as they face off against Democratic challengers for their US Senate seats. Both races are important because they will determine which party has control of the US Senate come January.
But Mr Trump could make matters worse for the Republican Party if he chooses to attack the US election process instead of boosting enthusiasm among GOP voters at the upcoming rally.
Key stories:
Trump resorts to posting own baseless quotes of election fraud to Instagram
Instagram has been forced to attach a warning label to Donald Trump’s latest post there, which features just a two-word false claim by the US president, “Rigged election!”
As the social media platform notes, Joe Biden is the projected winner of November’s election, and there has been no evidence suggesting there has been any widespread fraud.
In fact, Mr Trump’s own government has said the election was the “most secure” in history.
Loeffler campaign staffer dies in Georgia car accident
A campaign staffer for Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler has died killed after a road traffic accident.
Harrison Deal, 20, died after a three-car crash on the I-16 near Savannah Georgia, where Ms Loeffler had been due to attend a rally with vice president Mike Pence.
The senator and Governor Brian Kemp, a Deal family friend, cancelled their appearances at the Friday rally after the news broke.
Deal was also a former intern for Senator David Perdue, according to reports.
Read more:
Loeffler campaign staffer dies in Georgia car accident
Senator and governor cancelled appearances with Mike Pence after fatal crash
Trump campaign continuing to solicit supporters for money
Emails such as the below - one of the latest to supporters - by the Trump campaign have contributed to it and the Republican National Committee raising at least $207.5 million since election day,
The fine print in their "Official Election Defense Fund" campaign makes clear most of the money would go to other priorities through Donald Trump's new political action committee, which could fuel his future political endeavours.
California on the brink: Virus rages and closures imminent
Much of California is on the brink of sweeping new restrictions on businesses and activities a desperate attempt to slow the frighteningly rapid escalation of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm hospitals.
Five San Francisco Bay Area counties imposed a new stay-at-home order for their residents that will take effect Sunday. Southern California and a large swath of the central portion of the state could join this weekend.
Read more here:
California on the brink: Virus rages and closures imminent
Much of California is on the brink of sweeping new restrictions on businesses and activities in a desperate attempt to slow a frightening coronavirus surge threatening to overwhelm hospitals
Trump decision to withdraw US troops concerns Somalis
President Donald Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Somalia in the waning days of his presidency triggered dismay on Saturday from some Somalis, who appealed to the incoming president to reverse the decision.
"The U.S. decision to pull troops out of Somalia at this critical stage in the successful fight against al-Shabaab and their global terrorist network is extremely regrettable," Senator Ayub Ismail Yusuf told Reuters in a statement, referring to the al Qaida-linked al Shabaab insurgency.
"U.S. troops have made a huge contribution and had great impact on the training and operational effectiveness of Somali soldiers," said Yusuf, a member of Somalia's Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
He tagged U.S. President-elect Joe Biden in a tweet criticising the decision.
The Somali government could not immediately be reached for comment early on Saturday to Friday's decision to withdraw almost all the roughly 700 U.S. troops by Jan. 15.
Somalia's fragile internationally backed government is due to hold parliamentary elections this month and national elections in early February, a precursor to the planned drawdown of the 17,000-strong African Union peacekeeping force.
Reuters
Trump administration blocked Biden transition team from meeting intelligence agencies, say officials
The Trump administration has blocked Joe Biden’s transition team from meeting with officials at US intelligence agencies controlled by the Pentagon, current and former US officials have said.
Read the full report here by Gino Spocchia:
Trump administration blocked Biden transition team from meeting intelligence agencies, say officials
Delays to intelligence meetings labelled ‘a big f*** you’ to Biden transition team by former official
Judge orders Trump to reinstate Obama’s ‘Dreamers’ programme
A federal judge on Friday ordered the outgoing Trump administration to fully reinstate the Obama-era 'Dreamers' programme.
US district judge Nicholas Garaufis ordered the government to begin advertising the scheme within days, a decision that is likely to rile the outgoing president as he heads for the White House exit door.
Read it all here by Matt Mathers:
Judge orders Trump to reinstate Obama’s ‘Dreamers’ programme
'Dreamers have fought so hard for justice. It's time to do the right thing,' says Biden campaign
Judge calls Trump request in Wisconsin lawsuit ‘bizarre’
A judge hearing President Donald Trump's federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's win in Wisconsin said Friday that the president's request to "remand" the case to the GOP-controlled Legislature to pick new electors was "bizarre."
The federal case is one of two Mr Trump has in Wisconsin making similar arguments. He filed another one in state court, which the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear before it first goes through lower courts.
Hearings on both lawsuits were scheduled for Thursday, with the judges noting the importance of resolving the legal battles before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14.
Mr Trump, who argues that hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots cast in accordance with state guidelines were illegal, wants a federal judge to give the Republican-controlled Legislature the power to determine who won the election.
"It's a request for pretty remarkable declaratory relief," said U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig during a conference call to set deadlines and a hearing date. Ludwig, who said it was "an unusual case, obviously," also cast doubt on whether a federal court should be considering it at all.
"I have a very, very hard time seeing how this is justiciable in the federal court," Judge Ludwig, a Trump appointee, said. "The request to remand this case to the Legislature almost strikes me as bizarre."
AP
Jim Jordan mocked over Fauci tweet
Jim Jordan has been widely mocked for questioning Anthony Fauci’s call for Americans to avoid travelling over the Christmas.
Dr Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, made the recommendation due to a raging coronavirus pandemic which is killing record numbers of people in the US at the moment.
Mr Jordan, an unfailing ally of Donald Trump, asked derisively if Dr Fauci would also “cancel” saying Merry Christmas.
It’s fair to say the internet didn’t take kindly to Mr Jordan’s comments.
Trump to stump for Republican senators in Georgia today
Donald Trump will stump on Saturday for Republican US senators in Georgia facing January runoffs, but some in his party worry he may do more harm than good if he stays focused on personal grievances over his loss in the November 3 election.
Mr Trump has repeatedly and without evidence asserted widespread fraud in the November election, a claim rejected by state and federal officials, including in Georgia, which Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry in a generation.
The outgoing president has also attacked Republicans who have refused to endorse his claims, such as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Statewide recounts, including a painstaking review by hand of some 5 million ballots, turned up no significant irregularities.
Mr Trump's penchant for making his political rallies all about him - and now, about his false claims the US electoral system is rigged - has raised concerns among some Republicans that his appearance in southern Georgia could end up turning voters away.
Reuters
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