Networks call Georgia for Biden as security officials say vote was ‘secure’
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As Donald Trump continues to refuse conceding the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden, the president-elect was said to have spoken with Senate Republicans who have begun to admit he should at least receive intelligence briefings that have so far been denied.
On Friday afternoon most networks called Georgia for Mr Biden and North Carolina for Mr Trump bringing their respective electoral college vote totals to 306 to 232.
US federal and state cybersecurity officials, meanwhile, have delivered a direct rebuke to Donald Trump, who continues to allege irregularities and widespread fraud without evidence.
Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the 3 November vote was “the most secure in history" in a report published Thursday, and added that Americans should trust the result. His agency had not find any evidence of ballots being lost, deleted or altered, he said.
In slight stumble, president comes close to acknowledging defeat
After an eight-day silence, Donald Trump gave a press briefing regarding the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine promising that his administration would not put the country in a lockdown.
He wasn’t so sure what would happen next.
Federal prosecutors see no substantial irregularities in elections
The Washington Post reports:
Sixteen assistant US attorneys specially assigned to monitor malfeasance in the 2020 election urged Attorney General William Barr on Friday to rescind his recent memorandum allowing investigators to publicly pursue allegations of “vote tabulation irregularities” in certain cases before results are certified, saying they had not seen evidence of any substantial anomalies.
Here’s what Joe Lockhart, White House Press Secretary from 1998 to 2000, during the Bill Clinton administration, wrote for The Independent earlier this week.
Bill Barr has intervened to try and save Trump from a democratic election | Joe Lockhart
It won’t affect the election result, but the attorney general has provided justification for the 70 million Americans who voted for Trump to believe the Biden presidency is illegitimate
‘306’: Dems tease Trump with projected Biden win which he once called a landslide
Senator Chuck Schumer and Pete Buttigieg mocked Mr Trump on Twitter
Graeme Massie reports.
Dems tease Trump with projected Biden win which he once called a landslide
Senator Chuck Schumer and Pete Buttigieg mocked Mr Trump on Twitter
Biden calls for urgent action on coronavirus, says ‘crisis does not respect dates on calendar’
President-elect Joe Biden has called for urgent action in response to the coronavirus after receiving an alarming briefing from his Covid-19 advisory board, writes Graig Graziosi.
"Our country is experiencing surges in reported infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities all over the country, with virtually nowhere getting spared. Our doctors, nurses, and other health care workers are under enormous -- and growing -- strain," Mr Biden said in a statement. "This week's news on progress toward a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is positive, but it will be many months before there is widespread vaccination in this country."
The president-elect called for "a robust and immediate federal response" which he said has been "woefully lacking."
Biden calls for urgent action on coronavirus
President-elect Joe Biden has called for urgent action in response to the coronavirus after receiving an alarming briefing from his Covid-19 advisory board.
Arizona senator concedes race to Democratic challenger
Republican Senator Martha McSally of Arizona has conceded the race to Democrat Mark Kelly, days after she was projected to lose her seat.
“With nearly all the votes counted, I called Mark Kelly this morning to congratulate him on winning this race,” Ms McSally said in a statement. “I also offered support in his transition to ensure Arizonans are best served during this time. I wish him all the best.”
The race was one to watch leading up to Election Day given the tight race between Ms McSally and Mr Kelly. The Democrat winning the race has become an important pick-up for the political party in their effort to take control of the US Senate.
Arizona, which has gone red in recent elections, was called for President-elect Joe Biden last week. Both of the state’s US senators are now also Democrats.
Trump says he may ‘stop by’ at MAGA rally in Washington DC in tweet immediately flagged by Twitter
Donald Trump on Friday said he might “stop by and say hello” at a MAGA rally in Washington DC on Saturday in a tweet immediately flagged by Twitter for including misinformation about the 2020 Presidential Election.
“Heartwarming to see all of the tremendous support out there, especially the organic Rallies that are spring up all over the County, including a big one on Saturday in D.C. I may even try to stop by and say hello,” Mr Trump tweeted before digressing into unsubstantiated claims about the 3 November election: “This Election was Rigged, from Dominion all the way up & down!”
“Dominion” refers to Dominion Voting Systems, the software provider that local governments around the country use to run elections.
Full report here:
Trump says he may ‘stop by’ at MAGA rally in Washington DC in tweet immediately flagged by Twitter
Since losing the 2020 election, the president has used Twitter almost exclusively to vent baseless allegations of voter fraud
Kayleigh McEnany claims Trump will ‘attend his own inauguration’ on 20 January 2021
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has claimed that President Donald Trump will “attend his own inauguration” in January 2021, writes James Crump.
Ms McEnany, 32, was interviewed on Fox Business on Friday morning in the role of a Trump 2020 campaign adviser, and not in her taxpayer funded position as the White House press secretary.
Host Stuart Vareny asked Ms McEnany if Mr Trump will attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration in Washington, DC, on 20 January 2021.
Trump said he was winning – but he looked every inch like a man who had lost
Andrew Buncombe with his analysis of the sitting president:
Trump said he was winning – but he looked every inch a man who’d lost
President must leave White House in less than 70 days
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