Don Jr tests positive, as his father dodges media questions
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Donald Trump held a press conference on Friday to discuss prescription drug prices, but the moment also included him falsely claiming “he won” the 2020 election while accusing Moderna and Pfizer of working to stop his re-election efforts. The two pharmaceutical companies announced their coronavirus vaccines were 90 per cent or more effective against the novel virus following the election.
The press conference was actually not a press conference because the president took no questions. His decision not to take questions potentially came after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany held her press briefing since 1 October on Friday.
Ms McEnany, who defended Mr Trump’s refusal to concede the election, was heckled by one reporter during the briefing over her inability to accept the election results. She also entered into a verbal spat with a CNN reporter, whom she called an “activist”, after refusing to answer more questions.
This comes after Mr Trump was told to to move aside by Republican senator Lamar Alexander, who said on Friday that the US president should allow the transition to a Biden administration to take place after more than two weeks of delay. Sources close to the president suggested that his refusal to concede was, in part, an act of revenge on Democrats who investigated Russian interference in his 2016 win over Hillary Clinton.
And later in the day it was confirmed that the president’s son, Don Jr, had tested positive for coronavirus and was quarantining.
Trump reportedly delaying concession in revenge on Democrats
Donald Trump could actually be aware that he lost the 2020 presidential election, but is delaying the transition process and alleging widespread fraud in public, to destabilise the integrity of the outcome in revenge for Democrats who questioned his 2016 win.
A source close to the president told CNN that he specifically wanted revenge for those who took part the Russia investigation, and questioned the role of Russian interference in his win four years ago.
The president has continued to push claims that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him, without any basis, and refused to concede.
Republican senator tells Trump to start transition
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee has called on the president to allow for the transition process to the Biden administration to begin, specifically to assist in coronavirus vaccine distribution.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr Alexander said there was a “very good chance” Joe Biden would assume the presidency on 20 January, therefore Donald Trump should assist in the transition.
Mr Alexander, who is chairman of the Senate’s HELP committee, added that he hoped “the loser of this presidential election” - or Mr Trump - would still make a gracious exit with a concession speech like Al Gore’s in 2000, which came 37 days after the election day and a legal battle against George W. Bush.
Senior GOP senator urges Trump to begin Biden transition
Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee has called on the president to allow for the transition process to the Biden administration to begin, specifically to assist in coronavirus vaccine distribution.
George Conway says Mike Pence should ‘speak up against this madness’
George Conway has attacked Mike Pence for following the president’s refusal to accept the election results, saying his “silence will not be forgotten”.
The attack came in the form of a tweet shared by the Republican and husband of former White House aide, Kellyanne Conway, on Thursday.
“Question for the sitting Vice President of the United States: Do you have any capacity for shame?” Mr Conway wrote, adding: “Because if you still do, this is the time to show it by speaking up against this madness. If you don't, your silence will never be forgotten.”
George Conway attacks ‘shameless’ Mike Pence for not accepting election results
'Question for the sitting Vice President of the United States: Do you have any capacity for shame,” Mr Conway writes
Senator Rick Scott tests positive for coronavirus
Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida revealed on Friday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Mr Scott entered into a self-quarantine about one week ago, and said in a statement that after a serious of negative tests he tested positive on Friday.
“After several negative tests, I learned I was positive this morning. I am feeling good and experiencing very mild symptoms. I will be working from home in Naples until it is safe for me to return to Washington DC," he said in a statement.
His announcement comes just a few days after Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the oldest Republican member of Congress at the age of 87, revealed he also tested positive for the coronavirus this week.
In total, it was known that seven senators have tested positive for the novel virus including Mr Scott and Mr Grassley. The other five senators are Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
‘Totally mystifying’: Pelosi slams ‘Trumpian’ federal office blocking Biden’s transition
Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed an obscure federal government office that has yet to unlock authorities that would allow President-elect Joe Biden access to reams of classified and other plans as part of a normal transition process.
The California Democrat was referring to the Government Services Administration (GSA), which is following a Donald Trump order to block the Biden transition team from all of the typical abilities and incoming president would be granted to be as ready as possible to take over after being sworn in. Mr Trump is claiming, despite a slew of federal courts through out his lawsuits, that there was a coordinated plot in key swing states by Democrats to “steal” what he calls a “rigged” election.
John T Bennett has the full report:
Pelosi slams ‘Trumpian’ federal office blocking Biden’s transition
Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed an obscure federal government office that has yet to unlock authorities that would allow President-elect Joe Biden access to reams of classified and other plans as part of a normal transition process.
Rudy Giuliani suggests cutting heads of Democrats in Fox interview after disastrous press conference
Rudy Giuliani followed his hair-raising press conference with an even more peculiar, but less leaky, Fox News interview suggesting the decapitation of the "corrupt Democrat" establishment, writes Justin Vallejo.
In an interview with Sean Hannity, Mr Giuliani made a throat chopping gesture as he spoke about the Democratic party leadership since the Clinton administration.
He prefaced that he wasn't talking about ordinary Democrats before commenting: "Somehow the Democrat party was hijacked by Clinton and since then has gotten more corrupt and more corrupt and more corrupt. Somebody better cut their head off."
‘Cut their head off’: Rudy Giuliani says in Fox interview
The former mayor made more headlines for his leaking hair dye and My Cousin Vinny impression than his evidence of election impropriety
White House press secretary heckled about accepting election results
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, held her first briefing in seven weeks and the first one since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election.
During the briefing, reporter Brian Karem heckled at Ms McEnany and asked why should has yet to accept the election results.
Ms McEnany ignored the reporter.
Breaking: Trump’s spokeswoman denies he plans to press Michigan state officials to overrule voters
Donald Trump’s top spokeswoman denied the president plans to try convincing two top Michigan state lawmakers to overrule voters there by sending pro-Trump delegagtes to the final Electoral College vote.
He is slated to meet with the two state lawmakers on Friday afternoon.
John T Bennett has the story:
Trump’s spokeswoman denies he plans to press Michigan state officials to overrule voters
Donald Trump’s top spokeswoman denied the president plans to try convincing two top Michigan state lawmakers to overrule voters there by sending pro-Trump delegagtes to the final Electoral College vote.
Kayleigh McEnany says she doesn’t take questions from ‘activists’ in testy exhange
The White House press secretary held nothing back when addressing reporters in her first briefing since 1 October.
She only took about five questions from outlets of her choosing.
When she was preparing to leave the room, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins called Ms McEnany out for not taking more questions from reporters. To that, Ms McEnany responded: “I don’t call on activists."
Ms Collins responded: "That's not doing your job, your taxpayer-funded job."
Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany heckled in briefing: ‘When will you admit you lost?’
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was heckled to concede the president’s defeat during her first briefing in seven weeks.
Donald Trump’s spokesperson was shouted at by Playboy reporter Brian Karem as she took questions on the coronavirus.
“When will you admit you lost?” heckled Mr Karem loudly from the back of the briefing room.
Mr Karem is not stranger to controversy when it comes to the Trump administration and the White House.
Graeme Massie has more on the interaction:
Kayleigh McEnany heckled in White House briefing
Trump aide also branded CNN reporter an ‘activist’ in confrontation
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