Jumat, 06 November 2020
Trump and Biden's catch-up rates – will more battlegrounds flip? | THE BIG STORY - The Straits Times
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2020-11-06 11:27:15Z
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Biden edges closer to White House after overtaking Trump in Georgia, gaining ground in Pennsylvania - The Straits Times
WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden edged closer to the White House on Friday (Nov 6), overtaking Mr Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia hours after the US President falsely claimed the election was being "stolen" from him.
Mr Biden had a 917-vote lead in Georgia, which has 16 electoral votes, against Mr Trump as counting continued with 99 per cent of votes tabulated, CNN and Edison Research reported.
In Pennsylvania, which has 20 electoral votes, Mr Biden cut Mr Trump's lead to just over 18,000 by the early hours of Friday.
Mr Biden had a lead of 253 (or 264 with Arizona called by Associated Press and Fox) to 214 in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to most major television networks, and was inching towards securing the 270 votes needed to win the state-by-state Electoral College in four undecided swing states.
Mr Biden, 77, would become the next president by winning Pennsylvania, or by winning two out of the trio of Georgia, Nevada and Arizona.
Mr Trump's likeliest path appeared narrower - he needed to hang onto both Pennsylvania and Georgia, and also to overtake Mr Biden in either Nevada or Arizona.
Those numbers were expected to continue to move in Mr Biden's favour, with many of the outstanding ballots from areas that typically vote Democratic, including the cities of Philadelphia and Atlanta.
The race to win Georgia, however, wasn't over. About 10,000 more absentee ballots were set to be counted on Friday, in addition to a few thousand military, overseas and provisional ballots. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has emphasised that every legal ballot must be counted before a Nov 13 deadline for county election offices to certify their results.
Mr Biden, meanwhile, saw his lead in Arizona shrink to around 47,000 by early on Friday; he was still ahead in Nevada by only 12,000 votes.
As the country held its breath three days after Tuesday's Election Day, Georgia and Pennsylvania officials expressed optimism they would finish counting on Friday, while Arizona and Nevada were still expected to take days to finalise their vote totals.
Mr Trump, 74, has sought to portray as fraudulent the slow counting of mail-in ballots, which surged in popularity due to fears of exposure to the coronavirus through in-person voting.
As counts from those ballots have been tallied, they have eroded the initial strong leads the President had in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania.
States have historically taken time after Election Day to tally all votes.
Mr Trump fired off several tweets in the early morning hours on Friday, reiterating the complaints he aired earlier at the White House.
"I easily WIN the Presidency of the United States with LEGAL VOTES CAST," he said on Twitter, without offering any evidence that any illegal votes have been cast.
Twitter flagged the post as possibly misleading, something it has done to numerous posts by Mr Trump since Election Day.
'Rig an election'
In an extraordinary assault on the democratic process, Mr Trump appeared in the White House briefing room on Thursday evening and baselessly alleged the election was being "stolen" from him.
Offering no evidence, Mr Trump lambasted election workers and sharply criticised polling before the election that he said was designed to suppress the vote because it favoured Mr Biden.
"They're trying to rig an election, and we can't let that happen," said Mr Trump, who spoke for about 15 minutes in the White House briefing room before leaving without taking questions.
Several TV networks cut away during his remarks, with anchors saying they needed to correct his statements.
Mr Biden, who earlier in the day urged patience as votes were counted, responded on Twitter: "No one is going to take our democracy away from us. Not now, not ever."
If Mr Biden did win Georgia, he would be the first Democratic presidential candidate to do so since Mr Bill Clinton won the White House in 1992.
Mr Trump's incendiary remarks followed a series of Twitter posts from him earlier in the day that called for vote counting to stop, even though if voting were to stop right now, he currently trails Mr Biden in enough states to hand the Democrat the presidency.
Mr Trump's campaign, meanwhile, pursued a flurry of lawsuits in several states, though judges in Georgia and Michigan quickly rejected challenges there.
Legal experts said the cases had little chance of affecting the electoral outcome, and Biden campaign senior legal adviser Bob Bauer call them part of a "broader misinformation campaign".
The close election underscored the nation's deep political divides, while the slow count of millions of mail-in ballots served as a reminder of the coronavirus still sweeping America.
Mr Biden, if he prevails, will nevertheless have failed to deliver the sweeping repudiation to Mr Trump that Democrats had hoped for, reflecting the deep support the President enjoys despite his tumultuous four years in office.
Mr Trump's influence on the Republican Party will remain strong, even if he ultimately loses a tight election.
The winner will face a pandemic that has killed more than 234,000 Americans and left millions more out of work, even as the country still grapples with the aftermath of months of unrest over race relations and police brutality.
Mr Biden's lead in the national popular vote broke four million on Thursday night, though that plays no role in deciding the winner.
Mr Trump lost the popular vote by about three million to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, when he secured an upset victory by winning key states in the Electoral College.
He is trying to avoid becoming the first incumbent US president to lose a re-election bid since fellow Republican George H.W. Bush in 1992.
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2020-11-06 09:15:20Z
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US networks break from live Trump address due to 'lies' - TODAYonline
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- US networks break from live Trump address due to 'lies' TODAYonline
- Trump says he 'easily' wins US election by the 'legal votes' CNA
- Some in GOP break with Trump over baseless vote-fraud claims Yahoo Singapore News
- Commentary: US elections – why polls so often seem to get it wrong CNA
- Will Mitch McConnell's Senate Make America Ungovernable? The New York Times
- View Full coverage on Google News
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2020-11-06 04:40:30Z
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US networks break from live Trump address due to 'lies' - The Straits Times
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Several US TV networks late on Thursday (Nov 5) halted live coverage of Mr Donald Trump's first public appearance since election night after concluding that the President was spreading disinformation.
Mr Trump unleashed a flood of incendiary and unsubstantiated claims in a 17-minute address, insisting that Democrats were using "illegal votes" to "steal the election from us".
The President spoke as late vote counting in battleground states showed Democrat Joe Biden steadily closing in on victory.
"OK, here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the President of the United States, but correcting the President of the United States," said MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, as the network quickly ended its live coverage.
NBC and ABC News also pulled the plug on their live coverage of Mr Trump.
"What a sad night for the United States of America to hear their president say that, to falsely accuse people of trying to steal the election," said CNN's Jake Tapper.
He described it as "lie after lie after lie about the election being stolen", with no evidence, "just smears".
For live updates and results, follow our US election live coverage.
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2020-11-06 04:27:38Z
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Kamis, 05 November 2020
Republicans break with Trump over baseless vote-fraud claims - CNA
WASHINGTON: Some Republicans are breaking with President Donald Trump’s attempts to falsely declare victory in the election and claim without evidence that Democrats are trying to “steal” it from him. Trump escalated those allegations late on Thursday (Nov 5), telling reporters at the White House that the ballot-counting process is unfair and corrupt.
Trump did not back up his claims with any details or evidence, and state and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who spoke at a recent Trump campaign rally, did not address Trump directly, but said in a tweet on Thursday night that if any candidate believes “a state is violating election laws they have a right to challenge it in court & produce evidence in support of their claims”.
Rubio said earlier: “Taking days to count legally cast votes is NOT fraud. And court challenges to votes cast after the legal voting deadline is NOT suppression.”
READ: Trump alleges 'surprise ballot dumps' in states where he was leading
From retirement, former GOP Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, was more direct: “No Republican should be okay with the President’s statements just now. Unacceptable. Period.”
Maryland GOP Governor Larry Hogan, a potential 2024 presidential hopeful who has often criticised Trump, said unequivocally: “There is no defence for the President’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process. America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before.”
“No election or person is more important than our Democracy,” Hogan said on Twitter.
Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney did not address Trump's remarks directly, but sought to provide a reassuring note. Counting votes is often “long” and “frustrating”, Romney said.
If any irregularities are alleged, “they will be investigated and ultimately resolved in the courts”, Romney tweeted. “Have faith in democracy, our Constitution and the American people.”
Before Trump’s speech in the White House briefing room, several Republicans challenged his attempts to halt vote-counting in Pennsylvania and other battleground states. The comments left Trump without key voices of support as he continues to trail Democrat Joe Biden in his bid for re-election.
READ: Trump tweets his outrage in all caps as votes are counted
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Trump ally who won re-election on Tuesday in Kentucky, told reporters that “claiming you’ve won the election is different from finishing the counting”. His office declined to comment after Trump’s address on Thursday.
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski urged “everyone to be patient” as results come in. “It is critical that we give election officials time to complete their jobs, and that we ensure all lawfully cast ballots are allowed and counted,” she said in a statement.
Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, addressed Trump directly on Twitter: “Stop. Full stop,” he wrote on Wednesday in response to Trump’s claim that Democrats were trying to “steal” the election.
“The votes will be counted and you will either win or lose,” Kinzinger told Trump. “And America will accept that. Patience is a virtue.”
The comments by the Republican lawmakers and other GOP leaders were rare public rebukes of Trump, who has demanded – and generally received – loyalty from fellow Republicans throughout his four-year term. Most in the GOP take pains to avoid directly criticising Trump, even when they find his conduct unhelpful or offensive to their values and goals.
Trump's tweets declaring victory and calling for officials to “STOP THE COUNT” were an early test of how strongly he can keep Republicans in line as he tries to challenge the voting process in court.
READ: Trump backers converge on vote centres in Michigan, Arizona
One Democrat, Senator Chris Murphy, told the Associated Press earlier on Thursday he hopes Republicans step up. “I think Republicans will likely want to give him a day or two to, you know, sort of make his arguments.“
But, Murphy said, when it becomes clear that there’s no path for Trump’s disputes, “My hope is that Republicans will put public and private pressure on him.”
While Biden was close on Thursday to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, it was unclear when a national winner would be determined after a long, bitter campaign dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on Americans and the national economy.
In remarks on Wednesday at the White House, Trump baselessly claimed victory and alleged “major fraud on our nation” as state election officials continued counting ballots amid a huge increase in voter turnout.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Trump ally who is an analyst for ABC News, said there was no basis for Trump’s argument. Christie called Trump’s attack on the integrity of the election “a bad strategic decision” and “a bad political decision, and it’s not the kind of decision you would expect someone to make ... who holds the position he holds”.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, said Wednesday on Fox News that while he supports Trump, “if it ends up being Biden, all of us will accept that”.
As elected officials, Republicans and Democrats “believe in the rule of law”, DeWine said. “Every vote has to be counted. We as a country accept election results.”
Trump’s family, never shy about expressing their support, took to Twitter to question why GOP lawmakers were not rushing to the president’s defence. “Where are Republicans! Have some backbone. Fight against this fraud. Our voters will never forget you if your sheep!” Trump’s son Eric tweeted.
Ohio Senator Rob Portman, a Republican, said states administer US elections, not the federal government. “We should respect that process and ensure that all ballots cast in accordance with state laws are counted. It’s that simple,” Portman said in a statement.
“It’s best for everyone to step back from the spin and allow the vote counters to do their job,” added Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee.
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2020-11-06 02:07:48Z
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Trump falsely claims fraud as Biden eyes victory - The Straits Times
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2020-11-06 02:15:16Z
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Trump says he 'easily' wins US election by the 'legal votes' - CNA
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said without evidence on Thursday night (Nov 5) that if "legal" votes were counted he would "easily" win the presidential election, in a signal he is in no mood to concede to Joe Biden.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us if you count the votes that came in late," said Trump in his first televised appearance since election night.
"We're looking at them very strongly, but a lot of votes came in late."
He also said that he had "already decisively won many critical states, including massive victories" in Florida, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio.
"We won these and many other victories despite historic election interference in big money, big media and big tech," said Trump at the White House briefing room.
Live updates: US election nears tipping point as race narrows in key states
READ: Trump lawsuits unlikely to impact outcome of US election, but might slow defeat - experts
Trump added his team had launched a "tremendous amount of litigation" to counter what he called the "corruption" of Democrats, even as several officials in battleground states yet to be called have defended the integrity of the vote.
SPEECH CUT SHORT BY US TV NETWORKS
Beyond the rhetoric, Trump's complaints were specifically targeting the integrity of the huge number of ballots mailed in, rather than cast in person on election day.
The big shift to postal ballots this year reflected the desire of voters to avoid risking exposure to COVID-19 in crowded polling stations during a pandemic that has already killed more than 230,000 Americans.
However, because Trump often denied the seriousness of the virus and told his supporters not to support mail-in ballots, far fewer Republicans took advantage of the option, compared to Democrats.
Several major US television networks cut away from live coverage of Trump's event soon after it started, with MSNBC citing the need to correct false claims by the president.
TRUMP SONS STAND BY ELECTION CLAIMS
Donald Trump Jr, the eldest, called on his father in a tweet to wage "total war" against the cheating that he believes is tainting the presidential election.
The inflammatory tweet was framed by some, including the New York Post, as a clear sign of growing panic in the Trump camp over Joe Biden's chances of winning the White House.
"The best thing for America's future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long," Don Jr wrote on his Twitter account, where he regularly retweets conspiracy theories.
He did not provide any evidence of the cheating he alleged was going on.
"It's time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!" he added, before deriding the "total lack of action" from Republicans, naming some - such as South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, usually a staunch Trump ally.
His younger brother Eric also targeted the party that his father theoretically heads.
"Where are Republicans! Have some backbone. Fight against this fraud. Our voters will never forget you if your sheep!" he wrote.
Few, however, appeared to answer his grammatically incorrect call.
Trump's eldest daughter and one of his senior advisers, Ivanka, tweeted Thursday that her father "will always go to the mat fighting for the hardworking men & women of this great Country!"
But she has not tweeted or retweeted any of the fraud allegations championed by her brothers since Election Day.
PATHS TO VICTORY
Joe Biden appears to be in the lead following wins in Michigan and Wisconsin. With 264 electoral college votes projected to go to the Democrat, he is one battleground state away from becoming president-elect.
Trump, with 214 electoral votes, faces a much higher hurdle. To reach 270, he needs to claim all four remaining battlegrounds: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada.
Earlier Biden told reporters in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware that he had "no doubt" he would defeat Trump and be declared winner of the US election. He urged voters to remain calm and said that the result would be known "very soon".
Meanwhile, Trump's campaign has lost court rulings in the closely contested states of Georgia and Michigan, and has vowed to bring a new lawsuit challenging what it called voting irregularities in Nevada.
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2020-11-06 01:41:55Z
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