Outgoing US President Donald Trump has offered the clearest signal yet that he would voluntarily leave office on January 20, pledging there would be an "orderly transition" to Joe Biden's presidency.

Trump's remarks came minutes after a joint session of the US Congress formally certified the electoral college victory of Biden as the next US president and Kamala Harris as the vice-president in the November 3 election.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-trump-concedes-defeat-finally-355480/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The formal certification&nbsp;came in the wee hours of Thursday. The Joint Session which resumed its meeting late Wednesday night after it was disrupted by hundreds of supporters of Trump who violently stormed the Capitol Hill.

"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement minutes after the US Congress formally certified Biden's victory.

"While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," he added, hinting at a potential 2024 run.

The counting of Electoral College votes and its subsequent certification came after an ugly episode of violence inside the US Capitol, resulting in four deaths, wherein Capitol Hill was brought under a lockdown, with lawmakers being taken to safe places, shots were fired inside the Congress and tear gas was used.

Biden described the riots in the US Capitol as an "unprecedented assault" on American democracy, and has his task cut out to spend the next four years on his administration to heal and unite a deeply polarised country after the fiercely-fought election.

Presidential election was held on November 3. Biden and Harris won a record number of popular votes, more than 80 millions and earned as many as 306 Electoral College votes.

Biden and Harris are now scheduled to be sworn in as the president and vice-president of the country on January 20. The inauguration is going to be a low-key affair given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outgoing US President Donald Trump has offered the clearest signal yet that he would voluntarily leave office on January 20, pledging there would be an "orderly transition" to Joe Biden's presidency.

Outgoing US President Donald Trump has offered the clearest signal yet that he would voluntarily leave office on January 20, pledging there would be an "orderly transition" to Joe Biden's presidency. Trump's remarks came minutes after a joint session of the US Congress formally certified the electoral college victory of Biden as the next US president and Kamala Harris as the vice-president in the November 3 election. The formal certification came in the wee hours of Thursday. The Joint Session which resumed its meeting late Wednesday night after it was disrupted by hundreds of supporters of Trump who violently stormed the Capitol Hill. "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement minutes after the US Congress formally certified Biden's victory. "While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," he added, hinting at a potential 2024 run. The counting of Electoral College votes and its subsequent certification came after an ugly episode of violence inside the US Capitol, resulting in four deaths, wherein Capitol Hill was brought under a lockdown, with lawmakers being taken to safe places, shots were fired inside the Congress and tear gas was used. Biden described the riots in the US Capitol as an "unprecedented assault" on American democracy, and has his task cut out to spend the next four years on his administration to heal and unite a deeply polarised country after the fiercely-fought election. Presidential election was held on November 3. Biden and Harris won a record number of popular votes, more than 80 millions and earned as many as 306 Electoral College votes. Biden and Harris are now scheduled to be sworn in as the president and vice-president of the country on January 20. The inauguration is going to be a low-key affair given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump finally concedes defeat, pledges 'orderly transition' after Congress affirms Biden win

US President-elect Joe Biden has assured more economic relief for the coronavirus pandemic now, adding he would deliver a plan costing "trillions" of dollars next week.

Biden, introducing several members of his economic team, spoke on Friday after data showed the US economy lost jobs for the first time in eight months in December as a resurgent Covid pandemic shuttered restaurants and other businesses.

Speaking to reporters as he announced his nominees to head the Commerce and Labour departments, the president-elect said action was needed to help Americans get to the other side of the health and economic crisis, and to "avoid a broader economic cost that exists out there, that will happen due to long term unemployment, hunger, homelessness and business failings."

He also called for raising the minimum wage to $15, a campaign promise, and for sending out $2,000 in direct cash payments. Democrats sought those cash payouts in the last relief bill, passed in December, but only were able to get Republicans to agree to $600.

Biden said the proposal includes relief for state and local governments grappling with the pandemic, as well as new support for people who lost their jobs or cannot afford rent.

"We need more direct relief flowing to families, small businesses, including finishing the job of getting people that $2,000 relief direct payment. $600 is simply not enough," he said. 
Biden said he would unveil the plan on Thursday.

The Democrat, who takes office on January 20, emerged emboldened from a pair of Senate elections this week in Georgia that handed Democrats a majority in that chamber to complement control of the House of Representatives. The majorities could allow Biden to pass larger spending bills.

Biden's initial plan was for a bill under $1 trillion but he said on Friday that "economic research confirms that with conditions like the crisis today, especially with such low interest rates, taking immediate action - even with deficit financing - is going to help the economy."

(with inputs)

US President-elect Joe Biden has assured more economic relief for the coronavirus pandemic now, adding he would deliver a plan costing "trillions" of dollars next week.

US President-elect Joe Biden has assured more economic relief for the coronavirus pandemic now, adding he would deliver a plan costing "trillions" of dollars next week. Biden, introducing several members of his economic team, spoke on Friday after data showed the US economy lost jobs for the first time in eight months in December as a resurgent Covid pandemic shuttered restaurants and other businesses. Speaking to reporters as he announced his nominees to head the Commerce and Labour departments, the president-elect said action was needed to help Americans get to the other side of the health and economic crisis, and to "avoid a broader economic cost that exists out there, that will happen due to long term unemployment, hunger, homelessness and business failings." He also called for raising the minimum wage to $15, a campaign promise, and for sending out $2,000 in direct cash payments. Democrats sought those cash payouts in the last relief bill, passed in December, but only were able to get Republicans to agree to $600. Biden said the proposal includes relief for state and local governments grappling with the pandemic, as well as new support for people who lost their jobs or cannot afford rent. "We need more direct relief flowing to families, small businesses, including finishing the job of getting people that $2,000 relief direct payment. $600 is simply not enough," he said. Biden said he would unveil the plan on Thursday. The Democrat, who takes office on January 20, emerged emboldened from a pair of Senate elections this week in Georgia that handed Democrats a majority in that chamber to complement control of the House of Representatives. The majorities could allow Biden to pass larger spending bills. Biden's initial plan was for a bill under $1 trillion but he said on Friday that "economic research confirms that with conditions like the crisis today, especially with such low interest rates, taking immediate action - even with deficit financing - is going to help the economy." (with inputs)

Biden to unveil trillions in pandemic economic relief spending next week

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as his Commerce Department secretary and former union official and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor secretary, his transition team said late on Thursday.

The two Democrats will head sprawling agencies that will shape Biden`s agenda on climate change, technology, investment, the minimum wage and other workforce rules and policies.

Together with other top officials, they will "usher in a new wave of worker power, help struggling small businesses recover and re-open, and put Americans back to work by creating millions of good-paying union jobs," the transition team said.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will announce the nominations in Wilmington on Friday.

They also will nominate Isabel Guzman, a California state economic development official and small business advocate, to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Don Graves, a former KeyBank executive and economic adviser to Biden when he was vice president, as deputy commerce secretary.

The SBA has played a key role in distributing hundreds of billions of dollars in coronavirus aid to small businesses over the past year.

As Rhode Island`s first woman governor, Raimondo has pushed for a $15-an-hour minimum wage in her state, but told the Providence Journal in a recent interview that she was reluctant to raise taxes on big earners to cover a state budget deficit.

Raimondo, 49, also said in the interview https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/15/where-raimondo-stands-taxes-nursing-home-staffing-marijuana/6549015002 she would push for state-operated stores to sell marijuana.

A Harvard- and Yale-educated lawyer with a background in venture capital, Raimondo has launched successful workforce training programs in Rhode Island, which a source familiar with her selection said was in line with Biden`s plans to boost education and worker training for 21st-century skills.

Christine Bliss, president of the Coalition of Services Industries, welcomed Biden`s selection of a woman for the key economic role, adding Raimondo`s experience as a governor and her business acumen would serve her well.

The Commerce Department is the official face of American business overseas but also runs such key federal departments as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The department has also played a major role in Republican President Donald Trump`s "America First" trade agenda, imposing national security tariffs on steel and aluminum and banning numerous Chinese companies from acquiring U.S. technology, including telecommunications equipment giant Huawei.

UNION FAVORITE

Walsh, 53, now serving a second four-year term as mayor of Boston, has focused on rebuilding the middle class while advocating for workers in his hometown, a source familiar with his choice said, adding that Walsh backed both a $15 minimum wage and paid family leave.

Walsh, who served from 1997 to 2014 in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, was elected Boston mayor in 2013. He is a past president of the Laborers` Union Local 223, which he joined at 21, and later headed the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council.

Union leaders applauded his choice.

"Walsh knows that collective bargaining is essential to building back better by combating inequality, beating COVID-19 and expanding opportunities for immigrants, women and people of color," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement.

"He will have the ear of the White House, the Cabinet and Congress as we work to increase union density and create a stronger, fairer America."

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the largest U.S. private sector union, gave Walsh and Biden both good marks for standing with UFCW grocery workers during a strike in Boston in 2019.

"With Marty Walsh serving as Labor Secretary, American workers will know they have a champion who will hold corporations accountable and support the good-paying union jobs our country needs," he said.

Guzman currently heads California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate and helped coordinate the state`s economic recovery response amid the COVID-19 crisis.

A former senior SBA official during the Obama administration and small business entrepreneur, Guzman learned about entrepreneurship while working in her father’s chain of veterinary hospitals.

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as his Commerce Department secretary and former union official and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor secretary, his transition team said late on Thursday.

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as his Commerce Department secretary and former union official and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as Labor secretary, his transition team said late on Thursday. The two Democrats will head sprawling agencies that will shape Biden`s agenda on climate change, technology, investment, the minimum wage and other workforce rules and policies. Together with other top officials, they will "usher in a new wave of worker power, help struggling small businesses recover and re-open, and put Americans back to work by creating millions of good-paying union jobs," the transition team said. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will announce the nominations in Wilmington on Friday. They also will nominate Isabel Guzman, a California state economic development official and small business advocate, to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Don Graves, a former KeyBank executive and economic adviser to Biden when he was vice president, as deputy commerce secretary. The SBA has played a key role in distributing hundreds of billions of dollars in coronavirus aid to small businesses over the past year. As Rhode Island`s first woman governor, Raimondo has pushed for a $15-an-hour minimum wage in her state, but told the Providence Journal in a recent interview that she was reluctant to raise taxes on big earners to cover a state budget deficit. Raimondo, 49, also said in the interview https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/15/where-raimondo-stands-taxes-nursing-home-staffing-marijuana/6549015002 she would push for state-operated stores to sell marijuana. A Harvard- and Yale-educated lawyer with a background in venture capital, Raimondo has launched successful workforce training programs in Rhode Island, which a source familiar with her selection said was in line with Biden`s plans to boost education and worker training for 21st-century skills. Christine Bliss, president of the Coalition of Services Industries, welcomed Biden`s selection of a woman for the key economic role, adding Raimondo`s experience as a governor and her business acumen would serve her well. The Commerce Department is the official face of American business overseas but also runs such key federal departments as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The department has also played a major role in Republican President Donald Trump`s "America First" trade agenda, imposing national security tariffs on steel and aluminum and banning numerous Chinese companies from acquiring U.S. technology, including telecommunications equipment giant Huawei. UNION FAVORITE Walsh, 53, now serving a second four-year term as mayor of Boston, has focused on rebuilding the middle class while advocating for workers in his hometown, a source familiar with his choice said, adding that Walsh backed both a $15 minimum wage and paid family leave. Walsh, who served from 1997 to 2014 in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, was elected Boston mayor in 2013. He is a past president of the Laborers` Union Local 223, which he joined at 21, and later headed the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council. Union leaders applauded his choice. "Walsh knows that collective bargaining is essential to building back better by combating inequality, beating COVID-19 and expanding opportunities for immigrants, women and people of color," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement. "He will have the ear of the White House, the Cabinet and Congress as we work to increase union density and create a stronger, fairer America." Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the largest U.S. private sector union, gave Walsh and Biden both good marks for standing with UFCW grocery workers during a strike in Boston in 2019. "With Marty Walsh serving as Labor Secretary, American workers will know they have a champion who will hold corporations accountable and support the good-paying union jobs our country needs," he said. Guzman currently heads California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate and helped coordinate the state`s economic recovery response amid the COVID-19 crisis. A former senior SBA official during the Obama administration and small business entrepreneur, Guzman learned about entrepreneurship while working in her father’s chain of veterinary hospitals.

Biden to nominate Rhode Island governor for Commerce, Boston mayor for Labor

After an eventful day in the US, the outgoing President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has now made a comeback on his favourite social media platform Twitter — merely after 12 hours of facing a ban.

Trump was banned from social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook after being accused of promoting and inciting violence through his posts.

However, this time when Trump made a comeback on Twitter condemning the rioters and the protestors who took over the Capitol creating chaos. Trump also, for the first time, openly acknowledged his rival President-elect Joe Biden's win in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections 2020</a>.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-condemns-capitol-hill-violence-says-rioters-defiled-seat-of-democracy-355246">Trump condemns Capitol Hill violence, says rioters defiled seat of democracy</a>

"Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and the mayhem. I immediately deploy the national guard and the federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders," he can be heard saying in the video message.

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Finally calling out the rioters, he warned that these people who infiltrated the Capitol are not a true representation of the United States of America and those who broke the law "will pay".

"We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high. But now, tempers must be cooled and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America," he requested the rioters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/your-story-national-guardsmen-pour-into-dc-to-respond-to-capitol-hill-rioters-355243">WATCH|</a>

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He also sent out a message hinting that he has finally conceded, and requested his supporters to stop rioting and face the truth of his defeat. "My campaign rigorously to contest the election results. My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in future all elections," he admitted.

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-lawmakers-confirm-bidens-win-after-mayhem-on-us-capitol-355239">Now Congress has certified the results</a>. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation," he said for the first time, months after the election result&nbsp;was made clear.

He also called on to his supporters to recall the pain and loss they and their fellow citizens have been through in the pandemic year of 2020 and now come together as one nation.&nbsp;

"Serving as your president has been the honour of my lifetime," he said, thanking his supporters for standing by him all through the election drama. "And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning."

After an eventful day in the US, the outgoing President Donald Trump has now made a comeback on his favourite social media platform Twitter — merely after 12 hours of facing a ban.

After an eventful day in the US, the outgoing President Donald Trump has now made a comeback on his favourite social media platform Twitter — merely after 12 hours of facing a ban. Trump was banned from social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook after being accused of promoting and inciting violence through his posts. However, this time when Trump made a comeback on Twitter condemning the rioters and the protestors who took over the Capitol creating chaos. Trump also, for the first time, openly acknowledged his rival President-elect Joe Biden's win in the recently concluded US elections 2020. Also read| Trump condemns Capitol Hill violence, says rioters defiled seat of democracy "Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and the mayhem. I immediately deploy the national guard and the federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders," he can be heard saying in the video message. pic.twitter.com/csX07ZVWGe — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021 × Finally calling out the rioters, he warned that these people who infiltrated the Capitol are not a true representation of the United States of America and those who broke the law "will pay". "We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high. But now, tempers must be cooled and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America," he requested the rioters. WATCH| × He also sent out a message hinting that he has finally conceded, and requested his supporters to stop rioting and face the truth of his defeat. "My campaign rigorously to contest the election results. My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in future all elections," he admitted. "Now Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation," he said for the first time, months after the election result was made clear. He also called on to his supporters to recall the pain and loss they and their fellow citizens have been through in the pandemic year of 2020 and now come together as one nation. "Serving as your president has been the honour of my lifetime," he said, thanking his supporters for standing by him all through the election drama. "And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning."

After various bans, Donald Trump makes a comeback on Twitter

US President Donald Trump has -- for the first time -- openly acknowledged&nbsp;that Joe Biden will be the next president. This came a day after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in a stunning assault on American democracy as Congress was certifying Biden's victory.

Trump, who as recently as Thursday morning had continued to claim falsely that the election had been stolen from him, said his focus would now turn to ensuring a smooth transition to a Biden administration in a video released in the evening.&nbsp;

In the video, the president can be seen condemning Wednesday's violence, saying rioters had defiled the seat of American democracy.

"Serving as your president has been the honour of my lifetime," Trump, a Republican, said.&nbsp;

"And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning."

The statement was a stark reversal for Trump, who faced growing calls for his resignation or ouster following Wednesday's assault. Trump has spent months insisting he prevailed in the November 3 election due to widespread fraud, despite no evidence.

His exhortation on Wednesday to thousands of supporters that they march to the Capitol to protest the election results whipped up a mob that overran police officers and invaded the Capitol building, forcing members of Congress into hiding for their own safety.

To this end, the threat of a second impeachment loomed over Trump.

The 25th Amendment allows a majority of the Cabinet to remove a president from power if he is unable to discharge the duties of the office.

But Vice-President Mike Pence, who would have to lead any such effort, was opposed to using the amendment to oust Trump from the White House.

If Pence fails to act, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signalled she would likely reconvene the House to initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump for his role in Wednesday's violence, which claimed five lives, including that of a Capitol Police officer, whose death was confirmed on Twitter by US Representative Dean Phillips.

Earlier in the wee hours of Thursday, Trump hinted at a potential 2024 run.

"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement minutes after the US Congress formally certified Biden's victory.

"While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," he added.

The presidential election was held on November 3. Biden and Harris won a record number of popular votes, more than 80 million and earned as many as 306 Electoral College votes.

Biden and Harris are now scheduled to be sworn in as the president and vice-president of the country on January 20. The inauguration is going to be a low-key affair given the COVID-19 pandemic.

US President Donald Trump has -- for the first time -- openly acknowledged that Joe Biden will be the next president. This came a day after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in a stunning assault on American democracy as Congress was certifying Biden's victory.

US President Donald Trump has -- for the first time -- openly acknowledged that Joe Biden will be the next president. This came a day after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in a stunning assault on American democracy as Congress was certifying Biden's victory. Trump, who as recently as Thursday morning had continued to claim falsely that the election had been stolen from him, said his focus would now turn to ensuring a smooth transition to a Biden administration in a video released in the evening. In the video, the president can be seen condemning Wednesday's violence, saying rioters had defiled the seat of American democracy. "Serving as your president has been the honour of my lifetime," Trump, a Republican, said. "And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning." The statement was a stark reversal for Trump, who faced growing calls for his resignation or ouster following Wednesday's assault. Trump has spent months insisting he prevailed in the November 3 election due to widespread fraud, despite no evidence. His exhortation on Wednesday to thousands of supporters that they march to the Capitol to protest the election results whipped up a mob that overran police officers and invaded the Capitol building, forcing members of Congress into hiding for their own safety. To this end, the threat of a second impeachment loomed over Trump. The 25th Amendment allows a majority of the Cabinet to remove a president from power if he is unable to discharge the duties of the office. But Vice-President Mike Pence, who would have to lead any such effort, was opposed to using the amendment to oust Trump from the White House. If Pence fails to act, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signalled she would likely reconvene the House to initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump for his role in Wednesday's violence, which claimed five lives, including that of a Capitol Police officer, whose death was confirmed on Twitter by US Representative Dean Phillips. Earlier in the wee hours of Thursday, Trump hinted at a potential 2024 run. "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th," Trump said in a statement minutes after the US Congress formally certified Biden's victory. "While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," he added. The presidential election was held on November 3. Biden and Harris won a record number of popular votes, more than 80 million and earned as many as 306 Electoral College votes. Biden and Harris are now scheduled to be sworn in as the president and vice-president of the country on January 20. The inauguration is going to be a low-key affair given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump condemns Capitol Hill violence, says rioters defiled seat of democracy

President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has suggested to aides he wants to pardon himself in the final days of his presidency, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would mark one of the most extraordinary and untested uses of presidential power in American history.

In several conversations since Election Day, Trump has told advisers that he is considering giving himself a pardon and, in other instances, asked whether he should and what the effect would be on him legally and politically, according to the two people. It was not clear whether he has broached the topic since he incited his supporters on Wednesday to storm the Capitol in a mob attack.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/rappers-lil-wayne-kodak-black-in-line-for-donald-trumps-pardons-for-these-crimes-355311" hreflang="en">Rappers Lil Wayne, Kodak Black in line for Trump's pardons for these crimes</a>

Trump has shown signs that his level of interest in pardoning himself goes beyond idle musings. He has long maintained he has the power to pardon himself and his polling of aides’ views is typically a sign that he is preparing to follow through on his aims. He has also become increasingly convinced that his perceived enemies will use the levers of law enforcement to target him after he leaves office.

No president has pardoned himself, so the legitimacy of prospective self-clemency has never been tested in the justice system and legal scholars are divided about whether the courts would recognize it. But they agree a presidential self-pardon could create a dangerous new precedent for presidents to unilaterally declare they are above the law and to insulate themselves from being held accountable for any crimes they committed in office.

A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-hurt-for-our-country-michelle-obama-reacts-after-capitol-riots-355301">'I hurt for our country': Michelle Obama, reacts after Capitol riots</a>

Trump has considered a range of pre-emptive pardons for family, including his three oldest children — Donald Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — Ivanka Trump’s husband, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, and for close associates like the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Trump has expressed concerns to advisers that a Biden Justice Department might investigate all of them.

Trump, who has told advisers how much he likes having the power to issue clemency, has for weeks solicited aides and allies for suggestions on whom to pardon. He has also offered pre-emptive pardons to advisers and administration officials. Many were taken aback because they did not believe they were in legal jeopardy and that accepting his offer would be seen as an admission of guilt, according to the two people.

Presidential pardons apply only to federal law and provide no protection against state crimes. They would not apply to charges that could be brought by prosecutors in Manhattan investigating the Trump Organization’s finances.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-an-assault-on-all-democratic-institutions-donald-trump-attempts-coup-detat-355240" hreflang="en">After an assault on all democratic institutions, Trump attempts coup d'etat</a>

The discussions between Trump and his aides about a self-pardon came before his pressure over the weekend on Georgia officials to help him try to overturn the elections results or his incitement of the riots at the Capitol. Trump allies believe that both episodes increased Trump’s criminal exposure.

As aides urged Trump to issue a strong condemnation on Wednesday and he rejected that advice, the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, warned Trump that he could face legal exposure for the riot given that he had urged his supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight” beforehand, according to people briefed on the discussion. Trump had appeared to White House aides to be enjoying watching the scenes play out on television.

Beyond that, the extent of Trump’s criminal exposure is unclear. Special counsel Robert Mueller outlined 10 instances in which Trump may have obstructed justice but declined to say whether Trump broke the law, citing legal and factual constraints of prosecuting a sitting president. Former Justice Department officials and legal experts said that several of the acts should be prosecuted.

In 2018, federal prosecutors in New York named Trump as a conspirator in an illegal campaign finance scheme.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-capitol-siege-sends-shockwaves-across-the-world-heres-a-timeline-of-how-it-unfolded-355224" hreflang="en">As Capitol siege sends shockwaves across world, a timeline of how it unfolded</a>

Pardons can be broad or narrowly tailored. White-collar defense lawyers said that Trump would be best served by citing specific crimes if he pardons himself, but such details could be politically damaging by suggesting that he was acknowledging he had committed those crimes.

A self-pardon would complicate the already fraught question for the Biden Justice Department about whether to investigate and ultimately prosecute Trump. Democrats and former Justice Department officials contend that if Trump pardons himself and the Justice Department declined to prosecute Trump, it will send a troubling message to Americans about the rule of law and for future presidents about their ability to flout the law.

“The Biden Justice Department will not want to acquiesce in a Trump self-pardon, which implies that the president is literally above federal law,” said Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard law professor and former top Justice Department official in the George W. Bush administration.

A self-pardon would align with Trump’s unprecedented use of the pardon power. The framers of the Constitution gave the president almost total authority to grant clemency for federal crimes, positioning the head of the executive branch as a check on the judicial branch and as someone who could dip into the justice system to show grace and mercy on the downtrodden.

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But Trump has eschewed the formal Justice Department process set up to ensure pardons are handed out fairly. Instead, he has used his pardon power unlike any other president to help allies, undermine rivals and push his own political agenda. Of the 94 pardons and commutations Trump has granted, 89% were issued to people who had a personal tie to Trump, helped him politically or whose case resonated with him, according to a tabulation by Goldsmith.

The only president to receive a pardon was Richard Nixon. A month after Nixon left office, his former vice president, Gerald Ford, pardoned him for all crimes he committed in office. The move was widely criticized at the time as allowing the presidency to hover above the law. Ford supporters later blamed the pardon for his election loss two years later, though ultimately the pardon came to be seen as a move that helped the country move on from Watergate.

Trump has maintained throughout his presidency that he has the authority to pardon himself and first discussed the possibility with aides as early as his first year in office. Those discussions began when his campaign’s ties to Russia were being scrutinized and investigators were examining whether he had obstructed justice.

Legal scholars are less certain about Trump’s declaration that he has an “absolute right” to pardon himself.

The Justice Department said in a short August 1974 opinion, just four days before Nixon resigned, that “it would seem” that presidents cannot pardon themselves “under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case.”

But the president is not bound by those opinions, and there is nothing stopping Trump from signing a pardon for himself. The questions would be whether the Justice Department under another president would honor the pardon and set aside any potential prosecution of Trump and, if he were prosecuted, whether the judicial system would ultimately decide whether the pardon insulates Trump from facing charges.

“Only a court can invalidate a self-pardon, and it can only do so if the Biden administration brings a case against Trump,” Goldsmith said. “A Trump self-pardon would thus make it more likely the Biden team prosecutes Trump for crimes committed in office.”

Throughout Trump’s presidency, he and allies have looked to pardons as a way of helping the president protect himself in criminal investigations. During the Russia investigation, Trump and his personal lawyer John M. Dowd dangled pardons to former aides. One, his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, flouted a plea deal to work with prosecutors.

President Donald Trump has suggested to aides he wants to pardon himself in the final days of his presidency, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would mark one of the most extraordinary and untested uses of presidential power in American history.

President Donald Trump has suggested to aides he wants to pardon himself in the final days of his presidency, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions, a move that would mark one of the most extraordinary and untested uses of presidential power in American history. In several conversations since Election Day, Trump has told advisers that he is considering giving himself a pardon and, in other instances, asked whether he should and what the effect would be on him legally and politically, according to the two people. It was not clear whether he has broached the topic since he incited his supporters on Wednesday to storm the Capitol in a mob attack. Also read| Rappers Lil Wayne, Kodak Black in line for Trump's pardons for these crimes Trump has shown signs that his level of interest in pardoning himself goes beyond idle musings. He has long maintained he has the power to pardon himself and his polling of aides’ views is typically a sign that he is preparing to follow through on his aims. He has also become increasingly convinced that his perceived enemies will use the levers of law enforcement to target him after he leaves office. No president has pardoned himself, so the legitimacy of prospective self-clemency has never been tested in the justice system and legal scholars are divided about whether the courts would recognize it. But they agree a presidential self-pardon could create a dangerous new precedent for presidents to unilaterally declare they are above the law and to insulate themselves from being held accountable for any crimes they committed in office. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Also read| 'I hurt for our country': Michelle Obama, reacts after Capitol riots Trump has considered a range of pre-emptive pardons for family, including his three oldest children — Donald Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — Ivanka Trump’s husband, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, and for close associates like the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Trump has expressed concerns to advisers that a Biden Justice Department might investigate all of them. Trump, who has told advisers how much he likes having the power to issue clemency, has for weeks solicited aides and allies for suggestions on whom to pardon. He has also offered pre-emptive pardons to advisers and administration officials. Many were taken aback because they did not believe they were in legal jeopardy and that accepting his offer would be seen as an admission of guilt, according to the two people. Presidential pardons apply only to federal law and provide no protection against state crimes. They would not apply to charges that could be brought by prosecutors in Manhattan investigating the Trump Organization’s finances. Also read| After an assault on all democratic institutions, Trump attempts coup d'etat The discussions between Trump and his aides about a self-pardon came before his pressure over the weekend on Georgia officials to help him try to overturn the elections results or his incitement of the riots at the Capitol. Trump allies believe that both episodes increased Trump’s criminal exposure. As aides urged Trump to issue a strong condemnation on Wednesday and he rejected that advice, the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, warned Trump that he could face legal exposure for the riot given that he had urged his supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight” beforehand, according to people briefed on the discussion. Trump had appeared to White House aides to be enjoying watching the scenes play out on television. Beyond that, the extent of Trump’s criminal exposure is unclear. Special counsel Robert Mueller outlined 10 instances in which Trump may have obstructed justice but declined to say whether Trump broke the law, citing legal and factual constraints of prosecuting a sitting president. Former Justice Department officials and legal experts said that several of the acts should be prosecuted. In 2018, federal prosecutors in New York named Trump as a conspirator in an illegal campaign finance scheme. Also read| As Capitol siege sends shockwaves across world, a timeline of how it unfolded Pardons can be broad or narrowly tailored. White-collar defense lawyers said that Trump would be best served by citing specific crimes if he pardons himself, but such details could be politically damaging by suggesting that he was acknowledging he had committed those crimes. A self-pardon would complicate the already fraught question for the Biden Justice Department about whether to investigate and ultimately prosecute Trump. Democrats and former Justice Department officials contend that if Trump pardons himself and the Justice Department declined to prosecute Trump, it will send a troubling message to Americans about the rule of law and for future presidents about their ability to flout the law. “The Biden Justice Department will not want to acquiesce in a Trump self-pardon, which implies that the president is literally above federal law,” said Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard law professor and former top Justice Department official in the George W. Bush administration. A self-pardon would align with Trump’s unprecedented use of the pardon power. The framers of the Constitution gave the president almost total authority to grant clemency for federal crimes, positioning the head of the executive branch as a check on the judicial branch and as someone who could dip into the justice system to show grace and mercy on the downtrodden. Also read| After various bans, Donald Trump makes a comeback on Twitter But Trump has eschewed the formal Justice Department process set up to ensure pardons are handed out fairly. Instead, he has used his pardon power unlike any other president to help allies, undermine rivals and push his own political agenda. Of the 94 pardons and commutations Trump has granted, 89% were issued to people who had a personal tie to Trump, helped him politically or whose case resonated with him, according to a tabulation by Goldsmith. The only president to receive a pardon was Richard Nixon. A month after Nixon left office, his former vice president, Gerald Ford, pardoned him for all crimes he committed in office. The move was widely criticized at the time as allowing the presidency to hover above the law. Ford supporters later blamed the pardon for his election loss two years later, though ultimately the pardon came to be seen as a move that helped the country move on from Watergate. Trump has maintained throughout his presidency that he has the authority to pardon himself and first discussed the possibility with aides as early as his first year in office. Those discussions began when his campaign’s ties to Russia were being scrutinized and investigators were examining whether he had obstructed justice. Legal scholars are less certain about Trump’s declaration that he has an “absolute right” to pardon himself. The Justice Department said in a short August 1974 opinion, just four days before Nixon resigned, that “it would seem” that presidents cannot pardon themselves “under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case.” But the president is not bound by those opinions, and there is nothing stopping Trump from signing a pardon for himself. The questions would be whether the Justice Department under another president would honor the pardon and set aside any potential prosecution of Trump and, if he were prosecuted, whether the judicial system would ultimately decide whether the pardon insulates Trump from facing charges. “Only a court can invalidate a self-pardon, and it can only do so if the Biden administration brings a case against Trump,” Goldsmith said. “A Trump self-pardon would thus make it more likely the Biden team prosecutes Trump for crimes committed in office.” Throughout Trump’s presidency, he and allies have looked to pardons as a way of helping the president protect himself in criminal investigations. During the Russia investigation, Trump and his personal lawyer John M. Dowd dangled pardons to former aides. One, his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, flouted a plea deal to work with prosecutors.

Trump is said to have discussed pardoning himself

n the aftermath of a violent mob invading the Capitol building on Wednesday, calls in Congress are growing for President Donald Trump to be stripped of the power of his office under the disability clause of the 25th Amendment.

The amendment provides a complex, difficult process for wresting power from a sitting president. Here is a brief history of the 25th Amendment and an explanation of how it operates.

What is the 25th Amendment?

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution is primarily designed to clarify the presidential order of succession. The first three sections deal with when a president resigns, dies or becomes ill or temporarily incapacitated.

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The fourth section provides a multistep process for the vice president and a majority of the officials who lead executive agencies — commonly thought of as the Cabinet — to declare that the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” That process ultimately requires a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.

How did the 25th Amendment come about?

In the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, there was some confusion about how to choose a new vice president after Lyndon B. Johnson became president. And there was concern about what might happen if Johnson fell ill or was incapacitated before his replacement was found. Congress formally proposed the 25th Amendment in 1965, and the amendment became part of the Constitution in 1967, after 38 states ratified it.

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How would it actually work, if invoked now?

The first step would be for Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to provide a written declaration to the president pro tempore of the Senate (currently Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa) and the speaker of the House (currently Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.) that Trump “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” That would immediately strip Trump of the powers of his office and make Pence the acting president.

But the 25th Amendment would allow Trump to immediately send a written declaration of his own to Grassley and Pelosi saying that he is in fact able to perform his duties. That would immediately allow him to resume his duties, unless Pence and the Cabinet send another declaration to the congressional leaders within four days restating their concerns. Pence would take over again as acting president.

That declaration would require Congress to assemble within 48 hours and to vote within 21 days. If two-thirds of members of both the House and the Senate agreed that Trump was unable to continue as president, he would be stripped permanently of the position and Pence would continue serving as acting president. If the vote in Congress fell short, Trump would resume his duties.

Would that ever happen?

The authors of the 25th Amendment intended it to be a difficult process that would make it exceedingly rare. They succeeded.

To put it in context, it is even more difficult to strip a president of power under the 25th Amendment than it is under the impeachment process. A president can be impeached by a simple majority in the House and removed from office by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Stripping a president of power under the 25th Amendment requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

n the aftermath of a violent mob invading the Capitol building on Wednesday, calls in Congress are growing for President Donald Trump to be stripped of the power of his office under the disability clause of the 25th Amendment.

n the aftermath of a violent mob invading the Capitol building on Wednesday, calls in Congress are growing for President Donald Trump to be stripped of the power of his office under the disability clause of the 25th Amendment. The amendment provides a complex, difficult process for wresting power from a sitting president. Here is a brief history of the 25th Amendment and an explanation of how it operates. What is the 25th Amendment? The 25th Amendment to the Constitution is primarily designed to clarify the presidential order of succession. The first three sections deal with when a president resigns, dies or becomes ill or temporarily incapacitated. Also read| 'I hurt for our country': Michelle Obama, reacts after Capitol riots The fourth section provides a multistep process for the vice president and a majority of the officials who lead executive agencies — commonly thought of as the Cabinet — to declare that the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” That process ultimately requires a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress. How did the 25th Amendment come about? In the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, there was some confusion about how to choose a new vice president after Lyndon B. Johnson became president. And there was concern about what might happen if Johnson fell ill or was incapacitated before his replacement was found. Congress formally proposed the 25th Amendment in 1965, and the amendment became part of the Constitution in 1967, after 38 states ratified it. Also read| After various bans, Donald Trump makes a comeback on Twitter How would it actually work, if invoked now? The first step would be for Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to provide a written declaration to the president pro tempore of the Senate (currently Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa) and the speaker of the House (currently Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.) that Trump “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” That would immediately strip Trump of the powers of his office and make Pence the acting president. But the 25th Amendment would allow Trump to immediately send a written declaration of his own to Grassley and Pelosi saying that he is in fact able to perform his duties. That would immediately allow him to resume his duties, unless Pence and the Cabinet send another declaration to the congressional leaders within four days restating their concerns. Pence would take over again as acting president. That declaration would require Congress to assemble within 48 hours and to vote within 21 days. If two-thirds of members of both the House and the Senate agreed that Trump was unable to continue as president, he would be stripped permanently of the position and Pence would continue serving as acting president. If the vote in Congress fell short, Trump would resume his duties. Would that ever happen? The authors of the 25th Amendment intended it to be a difficult process that would make it exceedingly rare. They succeeded. To put it in context, it is even more difficult to strip a president of power under the 25th Amendment than it is under the impeachment process. A president can be impeached by a simple majority in the House and removed from office by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Stripping a president of power under the 25th Amendment requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

What is the 25th Amendment, and how does it work?

Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup.

Egged on in an extraordinary rally across town by an aggrieved Trump, a flag-waving mob broke down barricades outside the Capitol and swarmed inside, rampaging through offices and onto the usually solemn legislative floors.

It was being said that the on-duty policemen just let the mob take over the premises without showing any resistance. And now there's enough proof to substantiate this.

A user on Twitter posted a yet-unverified clip of how the cops let the agitators enter the Capitol Hill.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Well, confirmation that the cops literally just let them through <a href="https://t.co/kqhLn4swjq">pic.twitter.com/kqhLn4swjq</a>
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1346931235176783873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

And then, there were more daring protesters who -- and in real -- clicked selfies with these policemen.

There's proof for this as well.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Cops are taking selfies with the terrorists. <a href="https://t.co/EjkQ83h1p2">pic.twitter.com/EjkQ83h1p2</a>
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) <a href="https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status/1346920198461419520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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The more responsible security personnel, however, later fired tear gas in a four-hour operation to clear the Capitol. Police said that one woman, reportedly a female Trump partisan from southern California, was shot and killed and that three other people died in the area in circumstances that were unclear.

One Trump backer in jeans and a baseball cap was pictured propping a leg up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk, where a threatening note had been left, as throngs of others climbed onto risers set up for Biden's inauguration on January 20, holding a banner that read: "We the people will bring DC to its knees/We have the power."

Biden called the violence an "insurrection" and demanded that Trump immediately go on national television to tell the rioters to stand down.

Trump soon afterward released a video in which he called on the mob to leave but repeated his unfounded claims of election fraud.

In a major step, social media companies pulled down Trump's video on charges it aggravated violence and Twitter temporarily suspended his account, warning the tweet-loving tycoon of a permanent ban if he does not conform to rules on civic integrity.

Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world.

The chaos at the Capitol came a day after Biden enjoyed a new triumph, with his Democrats&nbsp;projected to win two Senate seats in runoffs in Georgia -- handing the party full control of Congress and dramatically increasing Biden's ability to pass legislation, starting with new Covid-19 relief.&nbsp;

Historians said it was the first time that the Capitol had been taken over since 1814 when the British burned it during the War of 1812.

Former president Barack Obama called the violence "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation."

"But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," Obama said, adding that it was "incited" by Trump, "who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election."

Former president George W Bush also did not mince words, denouncing lawmakers' "reckless behavior" and saying: "This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic -- not our democratic republic."

US allies also voiced shock, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denouncing the "disgraceful scenes" and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urging Trump backers to "stop trampling on democracy."

Biden won in excess of seven million votes more than Trump in the November 3 election and leads him 306-232 in the state-by-state Electoral College count that determines elections, with Republicans unable to prove in court a single allegation of fraud.

Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup.

Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup. Egged on in an extraordinary rally across town by an aggrieved Trump, a flag-waving mob broke down barricades outside the Capitol and swarmed inside, rampaging through offices and onto the usually solemn legislative floors. It was being said that the on-duty policemen just let the mob take over the premises without showing any resistance. And now there's enough proof to substantiate this. A user on Twitter posted a yet-unverified clip of how the cops let the agitators enter the Capitol Hill. Well, confirmation that the cops literally just let them through pic.twitter.com/kqhLn4swjq — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 6, 2021 × And then, there were more daring protesters who -- and in real -- clicked selfies with these policemen. There's proof for this as well. Cops are taking selfies with the terrorists. pic.twitter.com/EjkQ83h1p2 — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 6, 2021 × The more responsible security personnel, however, later fired tear gas in a four-hour operation to clear the Capitol. Police said that one woman, reportedly a female Trump partisan from southern California, was shot and killed and that three other people died in the area in circumstances that were unclear. One Trump backer in jeans and a baseball cap was pictured propping a leg up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk, where a threatening note had been left, as throngs of others climbed onto risers set up for Biden's inauguration on January 20, holding a banner that read: "We the people will bring DC to its knees/We have the power." Biden called the violence an "insurrection" and demanded that Trump immediately go on national television to tell the rioters to stand down. Trump soon afterward released a video in which he called on the mob to leave but repeated his unfounded claims of election fraud. In a major step, social media companies pulled down Trump's video on charges it aggravated violence and Twitter temporarily suspended his account, warning the tweet-loving tycoon of a permanent ban if he does not conform to rules on civic integrity. Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world. The chaos at the Capitol came a day after Biden enjoyed a new triumph, with his Democrats projected to win two Senate seats in runoffs in Georgia -- handing the party full control of Congress and dramatically increasing Biden's ability to pass legislation, starting with new Covid-19 relief. Historians said it was the first time that the Capitol had been taken over since 1814 when the British burned it during the War of 1812. Former president Barack Obama called the violence "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation." "But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," Obama said, adding that it was "incited" by Trump, "who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election." Former president George W Bush also did not mince words, denouncing lawmakers' "reckless behavior" and saying: "This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic -- not our democratic republic." US allies also voiced shock, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denouncing the "disgraceful scenes" and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urging Trump backers to "stop trampling on democracy." Biden won in excess of seven million votes more than Trump in the November 3 election and leads him 306-232 in the state-by-state Electoral College count that determines elections, with Republicans unable to prove in court a single allegation of fraud. Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world.

Cops had let the mob storm US Capitol without any resistance. And there's proof

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Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-blocks-trump-from-posting-for-24-hours-over-policy-violations-354963"> READ MORE</a>

US Senate rejects first objection to Biden certification after pro-Trump mob invades Capitol The United States Senate on Wednesday rejected the first objection for certifying Joe Biden's presidential election victory after hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol | READ MORE Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police SEE PICS Twitter blocks Trump, threatens permanent ban over inciting violence Microblogging site Twitter has locked US president Trump’s account for 12 hours and threatened to permanently ban him from the platform for flouting its civic integrity rules, ordering him to remove three rule-breaking tweets | READ MORE Woman shot during riot inside the US Capitol building has died: Police A woman who was shot inside of the US Capitol on Wednesday has died, the Washington DC Police has confirmed.

US Senate rejects first objection to Biden certification after pro-Trump mob invades Capitol The United States Senate on Wednesday rejected the first objection for certifying Joe Biden's presidential election victory after hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol | READ MORE Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police SEE PICS Twitter blocks Trump, threatens permanent ban over inciting violence Microblogging site Twitter has locked US president Trump’s account for 12 hours and threatened to permanently ban him from the platform for flouting its civic integrity rules, ordering him to remove three rule-breaking tweets | READ MORE Woman shot during riot inside the US Capitol building has died: Police A woman who was shot inside of the US Capitol on Wednesday has died, the Washington DC Police has confirmed. This comes after pro-Trump protesters charged the building as Congress began counting the Electoral College votes | READ MORE US considering adding Alibaba, Tencent to China stock ban The Trump administration is considering adding Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd to a blacklist of Chinese companies that are allegedly owned or controlled by the Chinese military | READ MORE NYSE to delist three Chinese telecoms in a surprising about-face The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has finally decided to delist three Chinese telecom companies, confirming its latest U-turn on the matter a day after US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told the NYSE chief he disagreed with an earlier decision to reverse the delistings | READ MORE Ivanka Trump faces criticism for calling pro-Trump mob 'patriots' White House advisor and President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka is facing criticism for calling pro-Trump rioters that stormed the US Capitol as ''patriots'' on social networking platform Twitter | READ MORE Can Trump be removed from office before his term ends on January 20? The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20 | READ MORE Indian PM Modi, world leaders condemn rioting and violence at US Capitol Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump | READ MORE Facebook blocks Trump from posting for 24 hours over policy violations Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol | READ MORE

Morning news brief: Anarchy in the US, its aftermath and world reactions

Supporters of President Donald Trump staged rallies at statehouses across the United States on Wednesday, remaining more subdued than protesters in Washington who stormed the US Capitol to demand that Trump's election loss be overturned.

From Atlanta to Salem, Oregon, and points in between, Trump backers repeated the outgoing president's false claims that his victory was stolen by massive voter fraud.

Demonstrators posted signs on the Capitol building reading "Stop the steal!" and "Trump won!" the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Several hundred Trump supporters also staged a "Stop the Steal" rally at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix, cheering and jeering while exhibiting a guillotine.

In Georgia, a major courthouse complex and two other government buildings in Atlanta were ordered closed due to protests near the statehouse. Among those disrupted were aides to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Republican election official pressured by Trump in a weekend telephone call to "find" enough additional votes for Trump to win the state.

Georgia is among the states won by Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office in two weeks. 
Staff left their offices early out of an abundance of caution, but Raffensperger was not there, spokesman Walter Jones.

In Oregon's capital, where crowds protesting in favour of Trump and against state COVID-19 restrictions burned an effigy of the Democratic governor, Kate Brown, police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered protesters to disperse. Oregon state police reported at least one person was arrested in Salem on suspicion of harassment and disorderly conduct.

Protesters entered the Kansas statehouse in Topeka and assembled inside the first floor of the Capitol rotunda, though they remained orderly, television station KSNT reported. State police later said the demonstrators had obtained a permit in advance.

In Denver, the Colorado capital, Mayor Michael Hancock instructed city agencies to close early "out of an abundance of caution" after about 700 demonstrators gathered at the statehouse.

Some state workers also went home early in Salt Lake City, in part because of the demonstration of about 400 people outside, Lieutenant Nick Street of the Utah Highway Patrol said. The event was mostly peaceful but for the assault on the news photographer, Street said.

Media reported rallies in other state capitals including Little Rock, Arkansas; Tallahassee, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; Columbia, South Carolina; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Supporters of President Donald Trump staged rallies at statehouses across the United States on Wednesday, remaining more subdued than protesters in Washington who stormed the US Capitol to demand that Trump's election loss be overturned.

Supporters of President Donald Trump staged rallies at statehouses across the United States on Wednesday, remaining more subdued than protesters in Washington who stormed the US Capitol to demand that Trump's election loss be overturned. From Atlanta to Salem, Oregon, and points in between, Trump backers repeated the outgoing president's false claims that his victory was stolen by massive voter fraud. Demonstrators posted signs on the Capitol building reading "Stop the steal!" and "Trump won!" the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Several hundred Trump supporters also staged a "Stop the Steal" rally at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix, cheering and jeering while exhibiting a guillotine. In Georgia, a major courthouse complex and two other government buildings in Atlanta were ordered closed due to protests near the statehouse. Among those disrupted were aides to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Republican election official pressured by Trump in a weekend telephone call to "find" enough additional votes for Trump to win the state. Georgia is among the states won by Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office in two weeks. Staff left their offices early out of an abundance of caution, but Raffensperger was not there, spokesman Walter Jones. In Oregon's capital, where crowds protesting in favour of Trump and against state COVID-19 restrictions burned an effigy of the Democratic governor, Kate Brown, police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered protesters to disperse. Oregon state police reported at least one person was arrested in Salem on suspicion of harassment and disorderly conduct. Protesters entered the Kansas statehouse in Topeka and assembled inside the first floor of the Capitol rotunda, though they remained orderly, television station KSNT reported. State police later said the demonstrators had obtained a permit in advance. In Denver, the Colorado capital, Mayor Michael Hancock instructed city agencies to close early "out of an abundance of caution" after about 700 demonstrators gathered at the statehouse. Some state workers also went home early in Salt Lake City, in part because of the demonstration of about 400 people outside, Lieutenant Nick Street of the Utah Highway Patrol said. The event was mostly peaceful but for the assault on the news photographer, Street said. Media reported rallies in other state capitals including Little Rock, Arkansas; Tallahassee, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; Columbia, South Carolina; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Trump supporters stage protests at statehouses across US

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.

The chaotic scenes unfolded after Republican Trump, who has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, addressed thousands of protesters and repeated unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him.

There are two ways to remove a president from office: impeachment and the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In either scenario, Vice President Mike Pence would take over until Biden`s inauguration.

Can Trump be impeached and removed?

Yes.

A misconception about “impeachment” is that it refers to the removal of a president from office. In fact, impeachment refers only to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, bringing charges that a president engaged in a "high crime or misdemeanor" - similar to an indictment in a criminal case.

If a simple majority of the House’s 435 members approves bringing charges, known as “articles of impeachment,” the process moves to the Senate, the upper chamber, which holds a trial to determine the president’s guilt. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict and remove a president.

Trump was previously impeached by the Democratic-led U.S. House in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump was acquitted by the Republican-led Senate in February 2020.

What "high crime and misdemeanor" could Trump be accused of?

Frank Bowman, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Missouri, said Trump "arguably fomented sedition," or an attempted overthrowing of the U.S. government.

But Bowman said Trump could also be impeached for a more general offense: disloyalty to the U.S. Constitution and failing to uphold his oath of office. Congress has discretion in defining a high crime and misdemeanor and is not limited to actual criminal offenses.

"The essential offense would be one against the Constitution - one of essentially trying to undermine the lawful results of a lawfully conducted election," Bowman said.

How quickly can a president be impeached and removed from office?

Theoretically, it could be done in a day, said Bowman, adding that the House and Senate have wide latitude to set impeachment rules as they see fit.

"They could decide to impeach him tomorrow by noon and walk it over the Capitol rotunda to the Senate and make a rule to start a trial tomorrow afternoon," Bowman said. "There is no constitutional bar to that."

What`s the purpose of the 25th Amendment?

The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967 and adopted in the wake of President John F. Kennedy`s assassination in 1963, deals with presidential succession and disability.

Section 4, which has gotten the most attention during Trump`s presidency, addresses situations where a president is unable to do the job but does not step down voluntarily.

For this to happen, Pence and the majority of Trump`s Cabinet would need to declare Trump unable to perform the duties of the presidency and remove him.

Trump could subsequently at any time declare that he was no longer disabled. After four days, if Pence and the majority of the Cabinet do not contest

Trump`s determination, Trump regains power. If they dispute the president`s declaration, the issue is decided by Congress. If both chambers determine by a two-thirds majority that Trump is incapacitated, Pence would continue to discharge the duties of the presidency.

Bowman of the University of Missouri said the history of the 25th Amendment makes clear it was intended for instances in which a president is incapacitated and unable to serve, such as physical or mental illness.

Bowman said that, as a political matter, there is little to no chance of the amendment being invoked because Pence would be reluctant to do so and because there are strong arguments that Trump is not incapacitated so much as unfit for office.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday has prompted calls by some Congressional Democrats to remove him from office before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. The chaotic scenes unfolded after Republican Trump, who has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, addressed thousands of protesters and repeated unfounded claims that the election was stolen from him. There are two ways to remove a president from office: impeachment and the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In either scenario, Vice President Mike Pence would take over until Biden`s inauguration. Can Trump be impeached and removed? Yes. A misconception about “impeachment” is that it refers to the removal of a president from office. In fact, impeachment refers only to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, bringing charges that a president engaged in a "high crime or misdemeanor" - similar to an indictment in a criminal case. If a simple majority of the House’s 435 members approves bringing charges, known as “articles of impeachment,” the process moves to the Senate, the upper chamber, which holds a trial to determine the president’s guilt. The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict and remove a president. Trump was previously impeached by the Democratic-led U.S. House in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump was acquitted by the Republican-led Senate in February 2020. What "high crime and misdemeanor" could Trump be accused of? Frank Bowman, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Missouri, said Trump "arguably fomented sedition," or an attempted overthrowing of the U.S. government. But Bowman said Trump could also be impeached for a more general offense: disloyalty to the U.S. Constitution and failing to uphold his oath of office. Congress has discretion in defining a high crime and misdemeanor and is not limited to actual criminal offenses. "The essential offense would be one against the Constitution - one of essentially trying to undermine the lawful results of a lawfully conducted election," Bowman said. How quickly can a president be impeached and removed from office? Theoretically, it could be done in a day, said Bowman, adding that the House and Senate have wide latitude to set impeachment rules as they see fit. "They could decide to impeach him tomorrow by noon and walk it over the Capitol rotunda to the Senate and make a rule to start a trial tomorrow afternoon," Bowman said. "There is no constitutional bar to that." What`s the purpose of the 25th Amendment? The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967 and adopted in the wake of President John F. Kennedy`s assassination in 1963, deals with presidential succession and disability. Section 4, which has gotten the most attention during Trump`s presidency, addresses situations where a president is unable to do the job but does not step down voluntarily. For this to happen, Pence and the majority of Trump`s Cabinet would need to declare Trump unable to perform the duties of the presidency and remove him. Trump could subsequently at any time declare that he was no longer disabled. After four days, if Pence and the majority of the Cabinet do not contest Trump`s determination, Trump regains power. If they dispute the president`s declaration, the issue is decided by Congress. If both chambers determine by a two-thirds majority that Trump is incapacitated, Pence would continue to discharge the duties of the presidency. Bowman of the University of Missouri said the history of the 25th Amendment makes clear it was intended for instances in which a president is incapacitated and unable to serve, such as physical or mental illness. Bowman said that, as a political matter, there is little to no chance of the amendment being invoked because Pence would be reluctant to do so and because there are strong arguments that Trump is not incapacitated so much as unfit for office.

Can Trump be removed from office before his term ends on January 20?

Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol -- following a similar stand taken by Twitter.

The sanctions came after the president took to social media to issue a series of false claims -- including in a short video -- about the election he lost to Joe Biden having been stolen from him.

"We made the decision that on balance these posts contribute to, rather than diminish, the risk of ongoing violence," Facebook said.

The California-based social media giant said it was handing Trump "a 24-hour feature block" preventing him from posting.

Twitter also locked Trump's account for 12 hours and threatened its permanent suspension, as tech giants scrambled to crack down on his baseless claims about the US presidential election.

The social media platform hid and required the removal of three of Trump's tweets "as a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C."

If the tweets are not removed, the account would remain locked, Twitter said, meaning the president would be unable to tweet from @realDonaldTrump.

Facebook Inc and YouTube, owned by Alphabet's Google, also removed a video in which Trump continued to allege the presidential election was fraudulent even as he urged protesters, who had stormed the Capitol to force Congress to undo his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, to go home.

Both Facebook and Twitter had originally added labels and measures to slow the video's spread.

Tech companies have been under pressure to police misinformation on their platforms around the US election, including through calls by users on Wednesday for major platforms to suspend Trump's accounts.

The president and his allies have continuously spread unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that have proliferated online. Trump on Wednesday blamed Vice President Mike Pence for lacking "courage" to pursue those claims in a tweet that Twitter later took down.

Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol -- following a similar stand taken by Twitter.

Facebook barred US President Donald Trump from posting Wednesday over messages it said were promoting violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol -- following a similar stand taken by Twitter. The sanctions came after the president took to social media to issue a series of false claims -- including in a short video -- about the election he lost to Joe Biden having been stolen from him. "We made the decision that on balance these posts contribute to, rather than diminish, the risk of ongoing violence," Facebook said. The California-based social media giant said it was handing Trump "a 24-hour feature block" preventing him from posting. Twitter also locked Trump's account for 12 hours and threatened its permanent suspension, as tech giants scrambled to crack down on his baseless claims about the US presidential election. The social media platform hid and required the removal of three of Trump's tweets "as a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C." If the tweets are not removed, the account would remain locked, Twitter said, meaning the president would be unable to tweet from @realDonaldTrump. Facebook Inc and YouTube, owned by Alphabet's Google, also removed a video in which Trump continued to allege the presidential election was fraudulent even as he urged protesters, who had stormed the Capitol to force Congress to undo his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, to go home. Both Facebook and Twitter had originally added labels and measures to slow the video's spread. Tech companies have been under pressure to police misinformation on their platforms around the US election, including through calls by users on Wednesday for major platforms to suspend Trump's accounts. The president and his allies have continuously spread unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that have proliferated online. Trump on Wednesday blamed Vice President Mike Pence for lacking "courage" to pursue those claims in a tweet that Twitter later took down.

Facebook blocks Trump from posting for 24 hours over policy violations

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Modi, who is believed to have been good friends with Trump, posted on Twitter: "Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests."

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Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1347009724789653508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Other world leaders also condemned the disgraceful scenes at the&nbsp;US Congress.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power".

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added in his own tweet: "The US rightly takes great pride in its democracy, and there can be no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power."

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Disappointed to hear of delays in arrival to China of the independent WHO team investigating COVID-19 origins. International community including China agreed to this scientific investigation. It must be open, robust &amp; the WHO team must be able to travel as soon as possible
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) <a href="https://twitter.com/DominicRaab/status/1346912068939743236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The EU's foreign policy chief condemned an "assault on US democracy".

"In the eyes of the world, American democracy tonight appears under siege," Josep Borrell tweeted.

Calling the action an "assault on US democracy, its institutions and the rule of law", he added: "This is not America. The election results of 3 November must be fully respected."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned "a serious attack on democracy".

"The violence against American institutions are a serious attack on democracy. I condemn it," Le Drian tweeted. "The will and the votes of the American people must be respected."

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Trump supporters to "stop trampling on democracy".

"Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of American voters and stop trampling on democracy," Maas tweeted.

"The enemies of democracy will be pleased to see these incredible images from Washington DC," he added. "Inflammatory words turn into violent actions."

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is also the vice chancellor, likewise condemned the "disturbing images" from Washington.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the scenes at the US Capitol were an "attack on democracy.

"Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour," he said.

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Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1346959061862912004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Australian PM Scott Morrison condemned the "very distressing scenes" in the US.

"We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition," he tweeted.

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Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottMorrisonMP/status/1346949911237914625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern tweeted: "Democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob."

The PM added her country's thoughts were with everyone "devastated" by today's events, adding: "what is happening is wrong."

"Extremely troubled by the violence and horrible events taking place in Washington D.C. American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis&nbsp;said in a tweet.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed shock and outrage at the storming of the US Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump. Modi, who is believed to have been good friends with Trump, posted on Twitter: "Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests." Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 7, 2021 × Other world leaders also condemned the disgraceful scenes at the US Congress. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power". British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added in his own tweet: "The US rightly takes great pride in its democracy, and there can be no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power." Disappointed to hear of delays in arrival to China of the independent WHO team investigating COVID-19 origins. International community including China agreed to this scientific investigation. It must be open, robust & the WHO team must be able to travel as soon as possible — Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) January 6, 2021 × The EU's foreign policy chief condemned an "assault on US democracy". "In the eyes of the world, American democracy tonight appears under siege," Josep Borrell tweeted. Calling the action an "assault on US democracy, its institutions and the rule of law", he added: "This is not America. The election results of 3 November must be fully respected." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned "a serious attack on democracy". "The violence against American institutions are a serious attack on democracy. I condemn it," Le Drian tweeted. "The will and the votes of the American people must be respected." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Trump supporters to "stop trampling on democracy". "Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of American voters and stop trampling on democracy," Maas tweeted. "The enemies of democracy will be pleased to see these incredible images from Washington DC," he added. "Inflammatory words turn into violent actions." German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is also the vice chancellor, likewise condemned the "disturbing images" from Washington. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the scenes at the US Capitol were an "attack on democracy. "Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour," he said. Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 6, 2021 × Australian PM Scott Morrison condemned the "very distressing scenes" in the US. "We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition," he tweeted. Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition. — Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 6, 2021 × New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern tweeted: "Democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob." The PM added her country's thoughts were with everyone "devastated" by today's events, adding: "what is happening is wrong." "Extremely troubled by the violence and horrible events taking place in Washington D.C. American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a tweet.

Indian PM Modi, world leaders condemn rioting and violence at US Capitol

“If the Democratic Party wants to stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag burners, that is up to them. But I as your president will not be part of it. The Republican Party will remain the voice of the patriotic heroes who keep America safe.”

— Donald Trump, Aug. 28, 2020

Wednesday was a horrifying and shameful moment in American history. I’ve covered attempted coups in many countries around the world, and now I’m finally covering one in the United States.

Trump and his enablers talk a good game about patriotism. They denounced President Barack Obama for sometimes not wearing a flag lapel pin. They criticized Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality by taking a knee rather than standing during the national anthem — and then Trump incited a mob on Wednesday to invade the United States Capitol. The rioters encountered a minimal police response, not the kind that Black Lives Matter protesters received.

Many of those pro-Trump rioters probably dispute the idea of white privilege. But the fact that they were allowed to overrun the police and invade the Senate and House chambers was evidence of that privilege.

“We are witnessing absolute banana republic crap in the United States Capitol right now,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., tweeted, adding an appeal to Trump: “You need to call this off.”

What the pro-Trump rioters attacked was not only a building but also the Constitution, the electoral system, our democratic process. They humiliated the United States before the world and left America’s enemies chortling. They will be remembered as Benedict Arnolds.

“Our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we have seen in modern times,” President-elect Joe Biden said. He described it as “an assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself.”

“Our Constitution was the product of centuries of tradition, wisdom and experience. … A radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. Left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our founders, desecrated our memorials.”

— Trump, Sept. 17, 2020

Patriotism is not about words. It is not about waving flags or singing “America the Beautiful.” It is about struggling, imperfectly and inadequately, to make this country we love a better one.

It is not about a president supporting an illegal insurrection or trying to win another term despite having lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College.

Whatever a president’s rhetoric, he betrays the Constitution when he oversees a campaign to overturn a free election guaranteed by that Constitution, and when he galvanizes rioters to overpower our democratic process.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, isn’t someone I usually agree with. But he was right when he finally stood up to Trump and warned the Senate that legislative moves to overrule voters by excluding some states in the Electoral College count “would damage our republic forever.”

The bankruptcy of the extremist GOP position was evident as Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia joined in sabotaging the election by trying to negate the Arizona vote. Having just been rejected by voters, she in turn rejected voters.

“President Trump is promoting national unity through renewing understanding of and commitment to America’s shared founding principles.”

— White House “fact sheet,” Nov. 2, 2020

After a year in which Trump presented himself as the law-and-order president and denounced protesters as rioters, he summoned supporters to Washington and unleashed them as rioters on the Capitol as votes were counted. “Be there, will be wild,” he tweeted.

“Let’s have trial by combat,” his lawyer Rudy Giuliani told a rally of Trump supporters shortly before the attack on the Capitol.

So pro-Trump crowds dismantled security fences and invaded the Capitol. You can call them rioters or terrorists or coup plotters, but they were not Making America Great Again.

In Portland, Oregon, last summer, I saw federal authorities periodically use tear gas even against protesters who were peaceful and outside — so it was astonishing to see waves of protesters invade the Capitol with almost no response. Leftist protests sometimes did become violent and destructive in Portland and other cities, and when that happened Joe Biden repeatedly denounced them; he stood up to his base. Trump in contrast incited violence by his base and on Wednesday morning encouraged his supporters to head to the Capitol.

There have been whispers that Trump might try to take advantage of disorder at home or a crisis abroad by invoking the Insurrection Act and deploy military forces to interrupt the presidential transition. We should all be on alert and remember the warning of every living former U.S. defense secretary that the military should stay out of such a crisis.

Trump’s assaults on truth are not as visible as assaults on the Capitol, but they are also damaging. Some 62% of Republicans say they do not accept Biden’s election, and that is toxic for democracy and lays the groundwork for this kind of violence.

Trump and other Republicans talk about personal responsibility and obeying the law. So Tanya McDowell, a homeless African American mom, was imprisoned after misleading school officials about where she lived so that she could send her young son to a better school district and give him a better life. But, hypocritically, Trump fails to take any responsibility after a term in which he has lost the House, the presidency and the Senate — and then unleashes mobs to terrorize the Capitol.

As I said, I’ve covered other attempted coups, and history usually catches up to autocrats and thugs — eventually. They end up in prison, exile or disgrace, whining about the unfairness of it all, monuments to the perils of demagoguery and authoritarianism.

“If the Democratic Party wants to stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag burners, that is up to them. But I as your president will not be part of it.

“If the Democratic Party wants to stand with anarchists, agitators, rioters, looters and flag burners, that is up to them. But I as your president will not be part of it. The Republican Party will remain the voice of the patriotic heroes who keep America safe.” — Donald Trump, Aug. 28, 2020 Wednesday was a horrifying and shameful moment in American history. I’ve covered attempted coups in many countries around the world, and now I’m finally covering one in the United States. Trump and his enablers talk a good game about patriotism. They denounced President Barack Obama for sometimes not wearing a flag lapel pin. They criticized Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality by taking a knee rather than standing during the national anthem — and then Trump incited a mob on Wednesday to invade the United States Capitol. The rioters encountered a minimal police response, not the kind that Black Lives Matter protesters received. Many of those pro-Trump rioters probably dispute the idea of white privilege. But the fact that they were allowed to overrun the police and invade the Senate and House chambers was evidence of that privilege. “We are witnessing absolute banana republic crap in the United States Capitol right now,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., tweeted, adding an appeal to Trump: “You need to call this off.” What the pro-Trump rioters attacked was not only a building but also the Constitution, the electoral system, our democratic process. They humiliated the United States before the world and left America’s enemies chortling. They will be remembered as Benedict Arnolds. “Our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we have seen in modern times,” President-elect Joe Biden said. He described it as “an assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself.” “Our Constitution was the product of centuries of tradition, wisdom and experience. … A radical movement is attempting to demolish this treasured and precious inheritance. Left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our founders, desecrated our memorials.” — Trump, Sept. 17, 2020 Patriotism is not about words. It is not about waving flags or singing “America the Beautiful.” It is about struggling, imperfectly and inadequately, to make this country we love a better one. It is not about a president supporting an illegal insurrection or trying to win another term despite having lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Whatever a president’s rhetoric, he betrays the Constitution when he oversees a campaign to overturn a free election guaranteed by that Constitution, and when he galvanizes rioters to overpower our democratic process. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, isn’t someone I usually agree with. But he was right when he finally stood up to Trump and warned the Senate that legislative moves to overrule voters by excluding some states in the Electoral College count “would damage our republic forever.” The bankruptcy of the extremist GOP position was evident as Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia joined in sabotaging the election by trying to negate the Arizona vote. Having just been rejected by voters, she in turn rejected voters. “President Trump is promoting national unity through renewing understanding of and commitment to America’s shared founding principles.” — White House “fact sheet,” Nov. 2, 2020 After a year in which Trump presented himself as the law-and-order president and denounced protesters as rioters, he summoned supporters to Washington and unleashed them as rioters on the Capitol as votes were counted. “Be there, will be wild,” he tweeted. “Let’s have trial by combat,” his lawyer Rudy Giuliani told a rally of Trump supporters shortly before the attack on the Capitol. So pro-Trump crowds dismantled security fences and invaded the Capitol. You can call them rioters or terrorists or coup plotters, but they were not Making America Great Again. In Portland, Oregon, last summer, I saw federal authorities periodically use tear gas even against protesters who were peaceful and outside — so it was astonishing to see waves of protesters invade the Capitol with almost no response. Leftist protests sometimes did become violent and destructive in Portland and other cities, and when that happened Joe Biden repeatedly denounced them; he stood up to his base. Trump in contrast incited violence by his base and on Wednesday morning encouraged his supporters to head to the Capitol. There have been whispers that Trump might try to take advantage of disorder at home or a crisis abroad by invoking the Insurrection Act and deploy military forces to interrupt the presidential transition. We should all be on alert and remember the warning of every living former U.S. defense secretary that the military should stay out of such a crisis. Trump’s assaults on truth are not as visible as assaults on the Capitol, but they are also damaging. Some 62% of Republicans say they do not accept Biden’s election, and that is toxic for democracy and lays the groundwork for this kind of violence. Trump and other Republicans talk about personal responsibility and obeying the law. So Tanya McDowell, a homeless African American mom, was imprisoned after misleading school officials about where she lived so that she could send her young son to a better school district and give him a better life. But, hypocritically, Trump fails to take any responsibility after a term in which he has lost the House, the presidency and the Senate — and then unleashes mobs to terrorize the Capitol. As I said, I’ve covered other attempted coups, and history usually catches up to autocrats and thugs — eventually. They end up in prison, exile or disgrace, whining about the unfairness of it all, monuments to the perils of demagoguery and authoritarianism.

Trump incites rioters

WASHINGTON — So this is how it ends. The presidency of Donald John Trump, rooted from the beginning in anger, division and conspiracy-mongering, comes to a close with a violent mob storming the Capitol at the instigation of a defeated leader trying to hang onto power as if America were just another authoritarian nation.

The scenes in Washington would have once been unimaginable: A rampage through the citadel of American democracy. Police officers brandishing guns in an armed standoff to defend the House chamber. Tear gas deployed in the Rotunda. Lawmakers in hiding. Extremists standing in the vice president’s spot on the Senate dais and sitting at the desk of the speaker of the House.

The words used to describe it were equally alarming: Coup. Insurrection. Sedition. Suddenly the United States was being compared to a “banana republic” and receiving messages of concern from other capitals. “American carnage,” it turned out, was not what Trump would stop, as he promised upon taking office, but what he wound up delivering four years later to the very building where he took the oath.

The convulsion in Washington capped 1,448 days of Twitter storms, provocations, race-baiting, busted norms, shock-jock governance and truth-bending from the Oval Office that have left the country more polarized than in generations. Those who warned of worst-case scenarios only to be dismissed as alarmists found some of their darkest fears realized. By day’s end, even some Republicans discussed removing Trump under the 25th Amendment rather than wait two weeks for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The extraordinary invasion of the Capitol was a last-ditch act of desperation from a camp facing political eviction. Even before the mob set foot in the building on Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s presidency was slipping away. Democrats were taking control of the Senate with a pair of Georgia runoff election victories that Republicans angrily blamed on the president’s erratic behavior.

Two of his most loyal allies, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, broke with Trump as never before, refusing to go along with his bid to overturn a democratic election after remaining behind him or standing quiet through four years of toxic conflict, scandal and capriciousness.

And following the attack on the Capitol, even more Republicans abandoned him. While most Republicans in the House stuck with him, he lost more than half of the Republican senators who started the day on his side of the battle, leaving him just six on the first Senate vote when deliberations resumed after the rioters were removed.

“What we have seen today is unlawful and unacceptable,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who reversed plans to join Trump’s effort. “I have decided I will vote to uphold the Electoral College results, and I encourage Donald Trump to condemn and put an end to this madness.”

Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said Trump was responsible for the violence. “There’s no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob,” she told Fox News in comments she then posted online. “He lit the flames. This is what America is not.”

Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, another senior Republican, said he had no more interest in what Trump had to say after the events that forced lawmakers to flee their own chambers. “I don’t want to hear anything,” he told reporters. “It was a tragic day and I think he was part of it.”

The cascade of criticism came even from within Trump’s circle, as advisers expressed deepening concern about how far he has been willing to go to undo an election he lost. At least three aides, Stephanie Grisham, Sarah Matthews and Rickie Niceta, resigned, with more expected to follow. After he initially offered only mild statements calling on the mob in the Capitol to be peaceful, several members of Trump’s team publicly implored him to do more.

“The best thing @realDonaldTrump could do right now is to address the nation from the Oval Office and condemn the riots,” Mick Mulvaney, who served as his chief of staff and still served as a special envoy, wrote on Twitter. “A peaceful transition of power is essential to the country and needs to take place on 1/20.”

Others debunked their own former boss’s brazenly false fraud allegations. “Dear MAGA- I am one of you,” wrote Alyssa Farah, who just stepped down as Trump’s communications director last month, noting that she has worked not just for Trump but also the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House. “I campaigned w/ Trump &amp;amp; voted for him. But I need you to hear me: the Election was NOT stolen. We lost.”

Moments after Biden went on live television to deplore the “insurrection” at the Capitol and call on Trump to go before cameras, the president posted a recorded video online that offered mixed messages. Even as he told supporters it was time to withdraw, he praised them rather than condemning their actions and repeated his grievances against people who were “so bad and so evil.”

“I know you’re hurt,” he told the rioters. “We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now.” He added: “We love you. You’re very special.” Rather than calming the waters, the video was seen as further roiling them — so much so that Facebook and Twitter took it down and temporarily suspended Trump’s accounts.

Tom Bossert, the president’s former homeland security adviser, called out his former boss. “This is beyond wrong and illegal,” he said on Twitter. “It’s un-American. The President undermined American democracy baselessly for months. As a result, he’s culpable for this siege, and an utter disgrace.”

While Washington has seen many protests over the years, including some that turned violent, the uprising on Wednesday was unlike anything that the capital has seen during a transition of power in modern times, literally interrupting the constitutional acceptance of Biden’s election victory.

The assault on the Capitol was the first by a large, hostile group of invaders since the British sacked the building in 1814, according to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Four Puerto Rican nationalists entered peacefully in 1954 and sat in the House visitors gallery, at which point they pulled out guns and opened fire, injuring five lawmakers. In 1998, a gunman walked into the Capitol and killed two members of the Capitol Police.

But none of them was egged on by an American president the way that Trump seemed to do on Wednesday during a “Save America March” on the Ellipse south of the White House just as Congress was convening to validate Biden’s election.

“We will never give up,” Trump had declared. “We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that’s what this is all about."

As the crowd on the Ellipse chanted, “Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!” the president lashed out at members of his own party for not doing more to help him cling to power. “There are so many weak Republicans,” he growled and then vowed to take revenge against those he deemed insufficiently loyal. “You primary them,” he said.

He singled out Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican who angered him by not intervening in the election, calling him “one of the dumbest governors in the United States.” And he went after William Barr, the attorney general who debunked his false election complaints. “All of a sudden, Bill Barr changed,” he groused.

Other speakers, including his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, castigated Republican lawmakers for not standing up for the president. “Let’s have trial by combat,” exhorted Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has served as the president’s personal lawyer.

“The people who did nothing to stop the steal — this gathering should send a message to them,” Donald Trump Jr. said. “This isn’t their Republican Party anymore. This is Donald Trump’s Republican Party.”

But the question is for how long. Trump faced the end of his reign much as he began it, with a fervent hard-core base but without the support of most Americans. He won in 2016 through the Electoral College with nearly 3 million fewer votes in the popular tally than his opponent and lost by 7 million in November. He did not earn the approval of a majority of Americans in major surveys for a single day of his tenure, unlike any of his predecessors in the history of polling.

Had it not been for the attack on the Capitol, the break by Pence and McConnell would have been a political earthquake by itself. Pence rebuffed the president’s demand that he use his role as presiding officer over the Electoral College count to reject electors for Biden. And McConnell gave a forceful speech repudiating Trump’s effort to nullify the election.

“If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral,” McConnell said before the Capitol was overrun.

Pence released a letter saying he did not have the power to do what the president wanted him to do. “Vesting the vice president with unilateral authority to decide presidential contests would be entirely antithetical” to the constitutional design, he wrote.

He added: “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”

With Pence unwilling and unable to stop the count, the president’s supporters made it their mission to do it themselves. And for several hours, they succeeded. But after they were finally cleared out of the ransacked Capitol, lawmakers resumed the process of ending the Trump presidency.

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of his strongest allies, essentially declared the Trump era done as he opposed the attempt to override the election results. “Enough’s enough,” he said on the floor. “It is over.”

WASHINGTON — So this is how it ends. The presidency of Donald John Trump, rooted from the beginning in anger, division and conspiracy-mongering, comes to a close with a violent mob storming the Capitol at the instigation of a defeated leader trying to hang onto power as if America were just another authoritarian nation.

WASHINGTON — So this is how it ends. The presidency of Donald John Trump, rooted from the beginning in anger, division and conspiracy-mongering, comes to a close with a violent mob storming the Capitol at the instigation of a defeated leader trying to hang onto power as if America were just another authoritarian nation. The scenes in Washington would have once been unimaginable: A rampage through the citadel of American democracy. Police officers brandishing guns in an armed standoff to defend the House chamber. Tear gas deployed in the Rotunda. Lawmakers in hiding. Extremists standing in the vice president’s spot on the Senate dais and sitting at the desk of the speaker of the House. The words used to describe it were equally alarming: Coup. Insurrection. Sedition. Suddenly the United States was being compared to a “banana republic” and receiving messages of concern from other capitals. “American carnage,” it turned out, was not what Trump would stop, as he promised upon taking office, but what he wound up delivering four years later to the very building where he took the oath. The convulsion in Washington capped 1,448 days of Twitter storms, provocations, race-baiting, busted norms, shock-jock governance and truth-bending from the Oval Office that have left the country more polarized than in generations. Those who warned of worst-case scenarios only to be dismissed as alarmists found some of their darkest fears realized. By day’s end, even some Republicans discussed removing Trump under the 25th Amendment rather than wait two weeks for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The extraordinary invasion of the Capitol was a last-ditch act of desperation from a camp facing political eviction. Even before the mob set foot in the building on Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s presidency was slipping away. Democrats were taking control of the Senate with a pair of Georgia runoff election victories that Republicans angrily blamed on the president’s erratic behavior. Two of his most loyal allies, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, broke with Trump as never before, refusing to go along with his bid to overturn a democratic election after remaining behind him or standing quiet through four years of toxic conflict, scandal and capriciousness. And following the attack on the Capitol, even more Republicans abandoned him. While most Republicans in the House stuck with him, he lost more than half of the Republican senators who started the day on his side of the battle, leaving him just six on the first Senate vote when deliberations resumed after the rioters were removed. “What we have seen today is unlawful and unacceptable,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who reversed plans to join Trump’s effort. “I have decided I will vote to uphold the Electoral College results, and I encourage Donald Trump to condemn and put an end to this madness.” Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said Trump was responsible for the violence. “There’s no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob,” she told Fox News in comments she then posted online. “He lit the flames. This is what America is not.” Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, another senior Republican, said he had no more interest in what Trump had to say after the events that forced lawmakers to flee their own chambers. “I don’t want to hear anything,” he told reporters. “It was a tragic day and I think he was part of it.” The cascade of criticism came even from within Trump’s circle, as advisers expressed deepening concern about how far he has been willing to go to undo an election he lost. At least three aides, Stephanie Grisham, Sarah Matthews and Rickie Niceta, resigned, with more expected to follow. After he initially offered only mild statements calling on the mob in the Capitol to be peaceful, several members of Trump’s team publicly implored him to do more. “The best thing @realDonaldTrump could do right now is to address the nation from the Oval Office and condemn the riots,” Mick Mulvaney, who served as his chief of staff and still served as a special envoy, wrote on Twitter. “A peaceful transition of power is essential to the country and needs to take place on 1/20.” Others debunked their own former boss’s brazenly false fraud allegations. “Dear MAGA- I am one of you,” wrote Alyssa Farah, who just stepped down as Trump’s communications director last month, noting that she has worked not just for Trump but also the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House. “I campaigned w/ Trump &amp; voted for him. But I need you to hear me: the Election was NOT stolen. We lost.” Moments after Biden went on live television to deplore the “insurrection” at the Capitol and call on Trump to go before cameras, the president posted a recorded video online that offered mixed messages. Even as he told supporters it was time to withdraw, he praised them rather than condemning their actions and repeated his grievances against people who were “so bad and so evil.” “I know you’re hurt,” he told the rioters. “We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now.” He added: “We love you. You’re very special.” Rather than calming the waters, the video was seen as further roiling them — so much so that Facebook and Twitter took it down and temporarily suspended Trump’s accounts. Tom Bossert, the president’s former homeland security adviser, called out his former boss. “This is beyond wrong and illegal,” he said on Twitter. “It’s un-American. The President undermined American democracy baselessly for months. As a result, he’s culpable for this siege, and an utter disgrace.” While Washington has seen many protests over the years, including some that turned violent, the uprising on Wednesday was unlike anything that the capital has seen during a transition of power in modern times, literally interrupting the constitutional acceptance of Biden’s election victory. The assault on the Capitol was the first by a large, hostile group of invaders since the British sacked the building in 1814, according to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Four Puerto Rican nationalists entered peacefully in 1954 and sat in the House visitors gallery, at which point they pulled out guns and opened fire, injuring five lawmakers. In 1998, a gunman walked into the Capitol and killed two members of the Capitol Police. But none of them was egged on by an American president the way that Trump seemed to do on Wednesday during a “Save America March” on the Ellipse south of the White House just as Congress was convening to validate Biden’s election. “We will never give up,” Trump had declared. “We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that’s what this is all about." As the crowd on the Ellipse chanted, “Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!” the president lashed out at members of his own party for not doing more to help him cling to power. “There are so many weak Republicans,” he growled and then vowed to take revenge against those he deemed insufficiently loyal. “You primary them,” he said. He singled out Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican who angered him by not intervening in the election, calling him “one of the dumbest governors in the United States.” And he went after William Barr, the attorney general who debunked his false election complaints. “All of a sudden, Bill Barr changed,” he groused. Other speakers, including his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, castigated Republican lawmakers for not standing up for the president. “Let’s have trial by combat,” exhorted Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has served as the president’s personal lawyer. “The people who did nothing to stop the steal — this gathering should send a message to them,” Donald Trump Jr. said. “This isn’t their Republican Party anymore. This is Donald Trump’s Republican Party.” But the question is for how long. Trump faced the end of his reign much as he began it, with a fervent hard-core base but without the support of most Americans. He won in 2016 through the Electoral College with nearly 3 million fewer votes in the popular tally than his opponent and lost by 7 million in November. He did not earn the approval of a majority of Americans in major surveys for a single day of his tenure, unlike any of his predecessors in the history of polling. Had it not been for the attack on the Capitol, the break by Pence and McConnell would have been a political earthquake by itself. Pence rebuffed the president’s demand that he use his role as presiding officer over the Electoral College count to reject electors for Biden. And McConnell gave a forceful speech repudiating Trump’s effort to nullify the election. “If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral,” McConnell said before the Capitol was overrun. Pence released a letter saying he did not have the power to do what the president wanted him to do. “Vesting the vice president with unilateral authority to decide presidential contests would be entirely antithetical” to the constitutional design, he wrote. He added: “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.” With Pence unwilling and unable to stop the count, the president’s supporters made it their mission to do it themselves. And for several hours, they succeeded. But after they were finally cleared out of the ransacked Capitol, lawmakers resumed the process of ending the Trump presidency. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of his strongest allies, essentially declared the Trump era done as he opposed the attempt to override the election results. “Enough’s enough,” he said on the floor. “It is over.”

A mob and the breach of democracy: The violent end of the Trump era

Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs -- becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach.

Warnock defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler. It was a stinging rebuke of outgoing President Donald Trump, who made one of his final trips in office to Georgia to rally his loyal base behind Loeffler and the Republican running for the other seat, David Perdue.

The focus now shifts to the second race between Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff.

If Ossoff wins, Democrats will have complete control of Congress, strengthening President-elect Joe Biden’s standing as he prepares to take office on January 20.

The showdown on the two seats will decide whether President-elect Joe Biden enjoys control of Congress or faces stiff Republican opposition to his reform plans.

"Georgia, I am honoured by the faith that you have shown in me," Warnock, a Black pastor, said in a televised address shortly after midnight as he claimed victory.

"And I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia."

An Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters found half had voted for Trump in November and half for Biden.&nbsp;

The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate.

The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polls-close-in-georgias-critical-senate-runoffs-candidates-in-close-call-354707">Also read |&nbsp;Polls close in Georgia's critical Senate runoffs, candidates in close call</a>

Democrats must win both contests in Georgia to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January 20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

If Republicans hold even one of the two seats, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden`s political and judicial appointees as well as many of his legislative initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice.

(with inputs)

Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs -- becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach.

Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs -- becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the Democrats’ reach. Warnock defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler. It was a stinging rebuke of outgoing President Donald Trump, who made one of his final trips in office to Georgia to rally his loyal base behind Loeffler and the Republican running for the other seat, David Perdue. The focus now shifts to the second race between Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. If Ossoff wins, Democrats will have complete control of Congress, strengthening President-elect Joe Biden’s standing as he prepares to take office on January 20. The showdown on the two seats will decide whether President-elect Joe Biden enjoys control of Congress or faces stiff Republican opposition to his reform plans. "Georgia, I am honoured by the faith that you have shown in me," Warnock, a Black pastor, said in a televised address shortly after midnight as he claimed victory. "And I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia." An Edison exit poll of more than 5,200 voters found half had voted for Trump in November and half for Biden. The voters were also evenly split on whether Democrats or Republicans should control the Senate. The survey included both early voters and voters who cast ballots on Tuesday. Also read | Polls close in Georgia's critical Senate runoffs, candidates in close call Democrats must win both contests in Georgia to take control of the Senate. A double Democratic win would create a 50-50 split in the Senate and give Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote after she and Biden take office on January 20. The party already has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. If Republicans hold even one of the two seats, they would effectively wield veto power over Biden`s political and judicial appointees as well as many of his legislative initiatives in areas such as economic relief, climate change, healthcare and criminal justice. (with inputs)

Democrat Raphael Warnock wins one of two crunch US Senate runoffs

Republican former US president George W Bush will attend the inauguration of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington on January 20.

"President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris," Freddy Ford tweeted.&nbsp;

"Witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old," he added, in a seeming jab at President Donald Trump who refuses to concede defeat and has not confirmed if he will attend Biden's inauguration.

It will be the eighth swearing-in ceremony the Bushs have attended.

The statement from Bush, the only living former Republican president, came during a week of high political tensions in the United States, with Trump desperately scheming to reverse his election loss.

On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence is to preside over a joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Biden as the winner of the White House.

Trump is planning to address a rally called in protest at the certification, and he urged Pence to "reject fraudulently chosen electors" -- a move the vice president has no legal authority to make.

Bush called Biden on November 8, the day after US media called the election for the Democrat, to offer his "warm congratulations."

Republican former US president George W Bush will attend the inauguration of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington on January 20. "President and Mrs.

Republican former US president George W Bush will attend the inauguration of Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington on January 20. "President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris," Freddy Ford tweeted. "Witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old," he added, in a seeming jab at President Donald Trump who refuses to concede defeat and has not confirmed if he will attend Biden's inauguration. It will be the eighth swearing-in ceremony the Bushs have attended. The statement from Bush, the only living former Republican president, came during a week of high political tensions in the United States, with Trump desperately scheming to reverse his election loss. On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence is to preside over a joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Biden as the winner of the White House. Trump is planning to address a rally called in protest at the certification, and he urged Pence to "reject fraudulently chosen electors" -- a move the vice president has no legal authority to make. Bush called Biden on November 8, the day after US media called the election for the Democrat, to offer his "warm congratulations."

George W Bush, wife to attend Joe Biden inauguration on Jan 20

Despite growing pressure from President Donald Trump to help overturn his election loss, Vice President Mike Pence plans to stick to his ceremonial duties and not interfere with the election certification when presiding in Congress on Wednesday, advisers said.

Trump ramped up pressure on Pence on Tuesday to block Congress` certification of the November election results in an ongoing attempt to stay in power, after dozens of lawsuits by his campaign challenging election results failed in U.S. courts.

But the vice president, a loyal lieutenant during the four years of Trump`s often chaotic presidency, has no plans to attempt to do so, even as he seeks to show support for the Republican president`s quest.

Pence is set to preside over a joint session of Congress on Wednesday as it receives the results of the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the winner of presidential elections.

President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, beat Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College and, in the popular vote, by more than 7 million ballots. Trump has declined to concede the election.

U.S. states have already certified the results, and Pence`s role on Wednesday as president of the Senate is to "open all the certificates," in the presence of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the U.S. Constitution says.

Trump has suggested Pence could do more than that.

"The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," Trump wrote in a tweet on Tuesday, his latest unfounded suggestion that the election was marred by widespread fraud.

Pence told Trump on Tuesday he did not believe he had the power to block the certification, according to a source familiar with the subject.

Trump`s tweet came after pointed remarks at a campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate incumbents in Georgia on Monday night, in which he expressed hope that Pence would intervene.

"If he doesn`t come through, I won`t like him quite as much," Trump said.

About a dozen Republican senators, as well as dozens of Republicans in the House, plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College results in Congress on Wednesday. The move has virtually no chance of overturning Biden`s victory.

`WILL UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION`

Current and former White House aides said the vice president planned to perform his ceremonial duties.

"He will be very supportive of the president, but again he`ll stick to the Constitution," one former White House official who has regular contact with Pence`s team told Reuters.

The vice president would make clear in his statements that he backs Trump, while sticking to the constraints of the role, the former official said.

"It is a ceremonial role. It is opening up envelopes and reading the contents of it," he said. "That`s it."

Pence`s chief of staff, Marc Short, told Reuters on Monday that the vice president "will uphold the Constitution and follow the statutory law."

On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge rejected a lawsuit brought by Republican members of Congress asking Pence to reject Electoral College results, saying they had no standing for such a suit.

One Trump adviser said the president had told others he would like Pence to fight harder for him.

The vice president has sought, so far, to express his support without repeating the president`s false claims about the election. On Monday, during his own trip to Georgia, Pence said that Republican objections to the election would be heard, but he did not commit to taking action on them.

"I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities.&nbsp;And I promise you, come&nbsp;this Wednesday, we`ll have our day in Congress.&nbsp;We’ll hear the objections.&nbsp;We`ll hear the evidence," he said.

Following a pattern throughout their partnership, Pence has kept Trump informed about his thinking. The former adviser said Pence likely walked the president through the restrictions of his role, informed by a weekend meeting with a congressional parliamentarian.

Despite growing pressure from President Donald Trump to help overturn his election loss, Vice President Mike Pence plans to stick to his ceremonial duties and not interfere with the election certification when presiding in Congress on Wednesday, advisers said.

Despite growing pressure from President Donald Trump to help overturn his election loss, Vice President Mike Pence plans to stick to his ceremonial duties and not interfere with the election certification when presiding in Congress on Wednesday, advisers said. Trump ramped up pressure on Pence on Tuesday to block Congress` certification of the November election results in an ongoing attempt to stay in power, after dozens of lawsuits by his campaign challenging election results failed in U.S. courts. But the vice president, a loyal lieutenant during the four years of Trump`s often chaotic presidency, has no plans to attempt to do so, even as he seeks to show support for the Republican president`s quest. Pence is set to preside over a joint session of Congress on Wednesday as it receives the results of the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the winner of presidential elections. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, beat Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College and, in the popular vote, by more than 7 million ballots. Trump has declined to concede the election. U.S. states have already certified the results, and Pence`s role on Wednesday as president of the Senate is to "open all the certificates," in the presence of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the U.S. Constitution says. Trump has suggested Pence could do more than that. "The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," Trump wrote in a tweet on Tuesday, his latest unfounded suggestion that the election was marred by widespread fraud. Pence told Trump on Tuesday he did not believe he had the power to block the certification, according to a source familiar with the subject. Trump`s tweet came after pointed remarks at a campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate incumbents in Georgia on Monday night, in which he expressed hope that Pence would intervene. "If he doesn`t come through, I won`t like him quite as much," Trump said. About a dozen Republican senators, as well as dozens of Republicans in the House, plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College results in Congress on Wednesday. The move has virtually no chance of overturning Biden`s victory. `WILL UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION` Current and former White House aides said the vice president planned to perform his ceremonial duties. "He will be very supportive of the president, but again he`ll stick to the Constitution," one former White House official who has regular contact with Pence`s team told Reuters. The vice president would make clear in his statements that he backs Trump, while sticking to the constraints of the role, the former official said. "It is a ceremonial role. It is opening up envelopes and reading the contents of it," he said. "That`s it." Pence`s chief of staff, Marc Short, told Reuters on Monday that the vice president "will uphold the Constitution and follow the statutory law." On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge rejected a lawsuit brought by Republican members of Congress asking Pence to reject Electoral College results, saying they had no standing for such a suit. One Trump adviser said the president had told others he would like Pence to fight harder for him. The vice president has sought, so far, to express his support without repeating the president`s false claims about the election. On Monday, during his own trip to Georgia, Pence said that Republican objections to the election would be heard, but he did not commit to taking action on them. "I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities. And I promise you, come this Wednesday, we`ll have our day in Congress. We’ll hear the objections. We`ll hear the evidence," he said. Following a pattern throughout their partnership, Pence has kept Trump informed about his thinking. The former adviser said Pence likely walked the president through the restrictions of his role, informed by a weekend meeting with a congressional parliamentarian.

Despite pressure from Trump, Pence will not interfere in election count

Terming US Presidential Election 2020 as a 'rigged election' Donald Trump said on Monday night that he would “fight like hell” to hold on to the presidency.

President Donald Trump is urging Republican voters in north Georgia to turn out and vote in Tuesday’s special election that will determine which party controls the Senate.

Speaking at a rally in Dalton, Trump said “the stakes in this election could not be higher” as he warned a boisterous crowd of several thousand supporters about Democrats winning control of the Senate.

Trump also repeated the false assertion that he won the presidential race in Georgia. Election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities.

The president said he’s had two elections in Georgia and claims he "won both.”

Trump said Democrats won't be "taking this White House. We're gonna fight like hell, I'll tell you right now."

Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are “not gonna take this White House!” he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally in Georgia. Trump’s announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday’s runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss — which he insists he won “by a lot.”

Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Biden’s victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Biden’s nationwide victory November 3.

(With inputs from agencies)

Terming US Presidential Election 2020 as a 'rigged election' Donald Trump said on Monday night that he would “fight like hell” to hold on to the presidency. President Donald Trump is urging Republican voters in north Georgia to turn out and vote in Tuesday’s special election that will determine which party controls the Senate.

Terming US Presidential Election 2020 as a 'rigged election' Donald Trump said on Monday night that he would “fight like hell” to hold on to the presidency. President Donald Trump is urging Republican voters in north Georgia to turn out and vote in Tuesday’s special election that will determine which party controls the Senate. Speaking at a rally in Dalton, Trump said “the stakes in this election could not be higher” as he warned a boisterous crowd of several thousand supporters about Democrats winning control of the Senate. Trump also repeated the false assertion that he won the presidential race in Georgia. Election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities. The president said he’s had two elections in Georgia and claims he "won both.” Trump said Democrats won't be "taking this White House. We're gonna fight like hell, I'll tell you right now." Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are “not gonna take this White House!” he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally in Georgia. Trump’s announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday’s runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss — which he insists he won “by a lot.” Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Biden’s victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Biden’s nationwide victory November 3. (With inputs from agencies)

I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump

Two months after the presidential election, Georgia voters will decide in two runoff elections on Tuesday which party controls the Senate, determining how much President-elect Joe Biden can accomplish during his first two years in the White House.

Because of a fluke of scheduling and the 2019 retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, both Senate seats in Georgia were on the 2020 ballot. If the Democratic candidates, Jon Ossoff, a documentary film executive, and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a minister, win, Democrats will hold sway over the Senate by a single vote. If either of the Republican incumbents, Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, prevail, Republicans will retain their Senate majority.

Georgia law requires candidates to capture at least 50% of the vote to be declared a winner — a vestige of segregation-era policies designed to prevent Black candidates from sneaking through a crowded field of white opponents.

Neither of the state’s Senate races reached that threshold in November, forcing both into runoffs. Perdue is facing Ossoff in a regularly scheduled contest, and Loeffler, who was appointed to Isakson’s seat in December 2019, is vying against Warnock, who leads the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, in a special election.

About 3 million voters have already cast their ballots in the races. Here’s what we’re watching for as more voters head to the polls on Election Day.

Both Jon Ossoff and David Perdue want to nationalize their contest.

Perhaps no Republican in Congress has co-opted the Trump political ethos more fully than Perdue, a former corporate executive who made millions of dollars by outsourcing American jobs overseas and has now fully adopted President Donald Trump’s America First message.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-will-fight-like-hell-to-hold-on-to-presidency-donald-trump-354509">&nbsp;I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump</a>

And few Democrats are as representative of the party’s Trump-era resistance than Ossoff, a 33-year-old with a short resume who has proved to be a strong candidate and able fundraiser by emphasizing his commitment to a standard-issue multiracial progressive agenda.

Each man has sought to nationalize the stakes of the campaign. Ossoff has campaigned with former President Barack Obama, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Perdue has promised to “fight for Trump” and has called for Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to resign after Biden won the state.

Both of the candidates have framed the race in terms of its national implications, with Ossoff arguing that only if Georgia elects Democratic senators can Biden enact his legislative agenda — starting with increasing stimulus checks to $2,000 from $600. Perdue has said that he and Loeffler are the last bulwarks against a liberal takeover of Washington.

In November, Perdue won about 88,000 more votes than Ossoff, out of roughly 4.95 million cast. But the general election votes don’t carry over to the runoffs, and there is some evidence in the data for the early voting period that Democratic voters turned out in stronger numbers than Republicans did.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-leaked-audio-tape-reveals-he-wanted-to-find-votes-to-win-us-election-354264">Donald Trump's leaked audio tape reveals he wanted to 'find' votes to win US election</a>

Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock are political novices with very different styles.

Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman and political newcomer, was Gov. Brian Kemp’s controversial choice last year to step in for Isakson.

Conservative Republicans as well as Trump had backed another candidate. As if to prove them both wrong, Loeffler has embraced a conservative platform and become one of the president’s staunchest loyalists.

During a year in office, she has not become wildly popular among Georgians. In a field of 20 candidates in the November election, she garnered only 26% of the vote.

She has spent much of the past eight weeks in attack mode against Warnock, claiming that he would serve as a “rubber stamp” for socialism while she stands as a bulwark upholding American democracy. But on Monday evening, she aligned herself with Trump’s push to overturn the election results, announcing that she would vote against certifying Biden’s victory in the Electoral College.

She made the announcement after the end of the early voting period — which Democrats are expected to have dominated — and on the eve of Election Day and a rally with Trump as she seeks to gin up Republican turnout.

Warnock has also never run for public office, but he has been politically involved as an advocate for voting rights.

A seasoned orator, Warnock’s campaign stump speech resembles a Sunday morning church service. He shies from outright attacks on his opponent, instead emphasizing his childhood in a Savannah housing project and the influence of his hardworking father.

One exception is the Warnock campaign’s advertising that focused on the swirling controversy over Loeffler’s trades last year of millions of dollars of stock in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The Justice Department conducted an investigation into whether Loeffler had traded on insider information gleaned during a Senate coronavirus briefing last January. Investigators notified her in May, however, that the government would not pursue charges.

These are the two most expensive Senate races ever.

The twin contests in Georgia have obliterated past spending records for Senate races, even after a year in which most of the previous marks had already been felled.

The Perdue-Ossoff race, including the spending before the runoff, is the priciest ever, with nearly $470 million in spending, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The No. 2 slot goes to the Loeffler-Warnock contest, which has shelled out more than $362 million so far. And both totals will rise when the final spending figures are reported.

For some perspective, only one Senate race before 2020 had ever topped $200 million.

The spending has meant waves and waves of negative advertisements in recent weeks, with Republicans casting both Democrats, but especially Warnock, as “radical” and too liberal for Georgia. The Democrats have framed the incumbents as out-of-touch rich senators who have traded on their positions to increase their personal wealth while ignoring the needs of Georgians.

In the runoffs alone, nearly $500 million in advertising has been run, most of it negative, according to data from AdImpact, which tracks television and digital buys. There is so much spending that the campaigns are buying tens of millions of dollars in ads in the media markets of neighboring states that spill over into Georgia.

The Democratic candidates themselves have been outraising the Republican incumbents. Each Democrat raised more than $100 million from mid-October to mid-December. But a flood of money into conservative super PACs has meant that the Republicans are outspending the Democrats overall on the airwaves, though some of that advantage is offset by the fact that television stations can charge higher prices for ads to super PACs.

One thing is certain: This election will break turnout records.

Even before the Election Day polls open, these high-stakes races have drawn unprecedented interest.

Already, more than 3 million people have voted, both by absentee ballot and at early voting sites around the state. That breaks the record for a Georgia Senate runoff election that was set in 2008, when 2.1 million people voted.

The early turnout data suggests high participation among Black voters, who make up a large part of Georgia’s Democratic electorate — a good sign for the party. A website that tracks voting shows that 31% of those who have voted so far are Black.

Another positive sign for Democrats is that 100,000 absentee ballots were requested by voters who did not participate in the November election. Many of them are believed to have registered to vote recently.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the two Democrats will win. One fact that bodes well for Republicans is the preference among Georgia Republicans to vote on Election Day. Another is that Democrats traditionally haven’t done well in Georgia runoff elections, which historically appeal to voters who are older, whiter and more Republican.

How will Trump’s core supporters respond to an election he says is illegal?

The Georgia contests come 15 days before Biden is to be sworn in, but Perdue and Loeffler have not been able to use their strongest argument — that they and a Republican Senate majority would serve as a check on the incoming Democratic president.

Trump’s repeated efforts to overturn the election results — the latest being a call on Saturday to Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, urging him to “find” more than 11,000 votes — have left the incumbents pledging to fight for the president rather than legislate in a post-Trump political era.

The political far right’s refusal to acknowledge Biden’s victory has led to high-profile calls for conservatives to boycott Georgia’s runoff contests and tweets from the president that the runoff system, embedded in Georgia elections for generations, is itself illegal.

What’s not known is how many core Trump supporters will be so put off by the president’s defeat, and angered by right-wing conspiracy theories about it, that they will abstain from voting in the runoffs.

Republicans have never lost a statewide runoff election in modern Georgia, since Democratic turnout has traditionally fallen from the level of general elections. But for the first time, Democrats have a mature and robust get-out-the-vote operation, and Republicans are the ones worried about their voters’ enthusiasm.

At a rally on Monday night in Dalton, Georgia, Trump again falsely claimed that he won Georgia and vowed to get involved in 2022 primary challenges to sitting Republicans who he said had not been sufficiently loyal to his efforts to overturn the result of the election.

“I’m going to be here in a year and a half,” he said. “And I’m going to be campaigning against your governor and your crazy secretary of state.”

Two months after the presidential election, Georgia voters will decide in two runoff elections on Tuesday which party controls the Senate, determining how much President-elect Joe Biden can accomplish during his first two years in the White House.

Two months after the presidential election, Georgia voters will decide in two runoff elections on Tuesday which party controls the Senate, determining how much President-elect Joe Biden can accomplish during his first two years in the White House. Because of a fluke of scheduling and the 2019 retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, both Senate seats in Georgia were on the 2020 ballot. If the Democratic candidates, Jon Ossoff, a documentary film executive, and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a minister, win, Democrats will hold sway over the Senate by a single vote. If either of the Republican incumbents, Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, prevail, Republicans will retain their Senate majority. Georgia law requires candidates to capture at least 50% of the vote to be declared a winner — a vestige of segregation-era policies designed to prevent Black candidates from sneaking through a crowded field of white opponents. Neither of the state’s Senate races reached that threshold in November, forcing both into runoffs. Perdue is facing Ossoff in a regularly scheduled contest, and Loeffler, who was appointed to Isakson’s seat in December 2019, is vying against Warnock, who leads the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, in a special election. About 3 million voters have already cast their ballots in the races. Here’s what we’re watching for as more voters head to the polls on Election Day. Both Jon Ossoff and David Perdue want to nationalize their contest. Perhaps no Republican in Congress has co-opted the Trump political ethos more fully than Perdue, a former corporate executive who made millions of dollars by outsourcing American jobs overseas and has now fully adopted President Donald Trump’s America First message. Also read| I will 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency: Donald Trump And few Democrats are as representative of the party’s Trump-era resistance than Ossoff, a 33-year-old with a short resume who has proved to be a strong candidate and able fundraiser by emphasizing his commitment to a standard-issue multiracial progressive agenda. Each man has sought to nationalize the stakes of the campaign. Ossoff has campaigned with former President Barack Obama, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Perdue has promised to “fight for Trump” and has called for Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to resign after Biden won the state. Both of the candidates have framed the race in terms of its national implications, with Ossoff arguing that only if Georgia elects Democratic senators can Biden enact his legislative agenda — starting with increasing stimulus checks to $2,000 from $600. Perdue has said that he and Loeffler are the last bulwarks against a liberal takeover of Washington. In November, Perdue won about 88,000 more votes than Ossoff, out of roughly 4.95 million cast. But the general election votes don’t carry over to the runoffs, and there is some evidence in the data for the early voting period that Democratic voters turned out in stronger numbers than Republicans did. Also read| Donald Trump's leaked audio tape reveals he wanted to 'find' votes to win US election Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock are political novices with very different styles. Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman and political newcomer, was Gov. Brian Kemp’s controversial choice last year to step in for Isakson. Conservative Republicans as well as Trump had backed another candidate. As if to prove them both wrong, Loeffler has embraced a conservative platform and become one of the president’s staunchest loyalists. During a year in office, she has not become wildly popular among Georgians. In a field of 20 candidates in the November election, she garnered only 26% of the vote. She has spent much of the past eight weeks in attack mode against Warnock, claiming that he would serve as a “rubber stamp” for socialism while she stands as a bulwark upholding American democracy. But on Monday evening, she aligned herself with Trump’s push to overturn the election results, announcing that she would vote against certifying Biden’s victory in the Electoral College. She made the announcement after the end of the early voting period — which Democrats are expected to have dominated — and on the eve of Election Day and a rally with Trump as she seeks to gin up Republican turnout. Warnock has also never run for public office, but he has been politically involved as an advocate for voting rights. A seasoned orator, Warnock’s campaign stump speech resembles a Sunday morning church service. He shies from outright attacks on his opponent, instead emphasizing his childhood in a Savannah housing project and the influence of his hardworking father. One exception is the Warnock campaign’s advertising that focused on the swirling controversy over Loeffler’s trades last year of millions of dollars of stock in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The Justice Department conducted an investigation into whether Loeffler had traded on insider information gleaned during a Senate coronavirus briefing last January. Investigators notified her in May, however, that the government would not pursue charges. These are the two most expensive Senate races ever. The twin contests in Georgia have obliterated past spending records for Senate races, even after a year in which most of the previous marks had already been felled. The Perdue-Ossoff race, including the spending before the runoff, is the priciest ever, with nearly $470 million in spending, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The No. 2 slot goes to the Loeffler-Warnock contest, which has shelled out more than $362 million so far. And both totals will rise when the final spending figures are reported. For some perspective, only one Senate race before 2020 had ever topped $200 million. The spending has meant waves and waves of negative advertisements in recent weeks, with Republicans casting both Democrats, but especially Warnock, as “radical” and too liberal for Georgia. The Democrats have framed the incumbents as out-of-touch rich senators who have traded on their positions to increase their personal wealth while ignoring the needs of Georgians. In the runoffs alone, nearly $500 million in advertising has been run, most of it negative, according to data from AdImpact, which tracks television and digital buys. There is so much spending that the campaigns are buying tens of millions of dollars in ads in the media markets of neighboring states that spill over into Georgia. The Democratic candidates themselves have been outraising the Republican incumbents. Each Democrat raised more than $100 million from mid-October to mid-December. But a flood of money into conservative super PACs has meant that the Republicans are outspending the Democrats overall on the airwaves, though some of that advantage is offset by the fact that television stations can charge higher prices for ads to super PACs. One thing is certain: This election will break turnout records. Even before the Election Day polls open, these high-stakes races have drawn unprecedented interest. Already, more than 3 million people have voted, both by absentee ballot and at early voting sites around the state. That breaks the record for a Georgia Senate runoff election that was set in 2008, when 2.1 million people voted. The early turnout data suggests high participation among Black voters, who make up a large part of Georgia’s Democratic electorate — a good sign for the party. A website that tracks voting shows that 31% of those who have voted so far are Black. Another positive sign for Democrats is that 100,000 absentee ballots were requested by voters who did not participate in the November election. Many of them are believed to have registered to vote recently. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the two Democrats will win. One fact that bodes well for Republicans is the preference among Georgia Republicans to vote on Election Day. Another is that Democrats traditionally haven’t done well in Georgia runoff elections, which historically appeal to voters who are older, whiter and more Republican. How will Trump’s core supporters respond to an election he says is illegal? The Georgia contests come 15 days before Biden is to be sworn in, but Perdue and Loeffler have not been able to use their strongest argument — that they and a Republican Senate majority would serve as a check on the incoming Democratic president. Trump’s repeated efforts to overturn the election results — the latest being a call on Saturday to Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, urging him to “find” more than 11,000 votes — have left the incumbents pledging to fight for the president rather than legislate in a post-Trump political era. The political far right’s refusal to acknowledge Biden’s victory has led to high-profile calls for conservatives to boycott Georgia’s runoff contests and tweets from the president that the runoff system, embedded in Georgia elections for generations, is itself illegal. What’s not known is how many core Trump supporters will be so put off by the president’s defeat, and angered by right-wing conspiracy theories about it, that they will abstain from voting in the runoffs. Republicans have never lost a statewide runoff election in modern Georgia, since Democratic turnout has traditionally fallen from the level of general elections. But for the first time, Democrats have a mature and robust get-out-the-vote operation, and Republicans are the ones worried about their voters’ enthusiasm. At a rally on Monday night in Dalton, Georgia, Trump again falsely claimed that he won Georgia and vowed to get involved in 2022 primary challenges to sitting Republicans who he said had not been sufficiently loyal to his efforts to overturn the result of the election. “I’m going to be here in a year and a half,” he said. “And I’m going to be campaigning against your governor and your crazy secretary of state.”

Georgia senate runoffs: What to watch for

US President-Elect Joe Biden and outgoing President Donald Trump held rival rallies in the state of Georgia to ensure that there are supporters to close the US Senate Elections that would determine the balance of power in Washington.

United States: Joe Biden & Donald Trump hold rival rallies in Georgia state

The outgoing US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has only a few days left in the White House, but it looks like scandals are not ready to give up on him. This time, Trump is back in news for a leaked audio tape in which he can be heard asking his aides to "find votes" for him in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election 2020</a>.

Local US media has released an audio tape on Sunday in which Trump can be heard pressurising the Georgia's secretary of state to "find" enough votes for him to overturn his dreaded defeat in the elections against the President-elect Joe Biden.

"There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've recalculated (the vote tally)," Trump can be heard saying on the tape. "You're off by hundreds of thousands of votes."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-lambasts-trumps-georgia-phone-call-as-abuse-of-power-354263" hreflang="en">Kamala Harris lambasts Trump's Georgia phone call as 'abuse of power'</a>

Much to Trump's disappointment, the other person present in the room can be geard replying "Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong."

Trump's audio tape also points towards his threats towards&nbsp;Republican Brad Raffensperger, telling him that they face "a big risk" if his state fails to take steps to flip the election result in favour of Trump.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Trouble has further mounted for <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>, as in a new audio recording that has come to light, he can be heard pressurising Georgia's top election officials to help overturn the election result. <a href="https://twitter.com/PriyankaSh25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PriyankaSh25</a> speaks to <a href="https://twitter.com/Jags_Dave?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jags_Dave</a> for more <a href="https://t.co/VsvJcg9h3W">pic.twitter.com/VsvJcg9h3W</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1345963166035918849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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His disappointment and much-desperate attempt of finding votes came as Biden created history by winning the Republican-majority state. "The current margin is only 11,779. Brad, I think you agree with that, right?"&nbsp;Trump says. "So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes."

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I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345731043861659650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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After the release of the tape, Trump, expectedly, took to Twitter to say that he had a conversation with the Raffensperger who was unwilling to answer questions about voter scam. "I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!," Trump tweeted.

However, the Georgia leader tweeted back denying these accusations. "Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out," he said.

The interesting thing to note in this controversy is that even if Georgia would have been successfull in this&nbsp;hypothetical reversal, Biden would have secured the win by&nbsp;a margin of 306 to 232.

The outgoing US President Donald Trump has only a few days left in the White House, but it looks like scandals are not ready to give up on him. This time, Trump is back in news for a leaked audio tape in which he can be heard asking his aides to "find votes" for him in the recently concluded US election 2020.

The outgoing US President Donald Trump has only a few days left in the White House, but it looks like scandals are not ready to give up on him. This time, Trump is back in news for a leaked audio tape in which he can be heard asking his aides to "find votes" for him in the recently concluded US election 2020. Local US media has released an audio tape on Sunday in which Trump can be heard pressurising the Georgia's secretary of state to "find" enough votes for him to overturn his dreaded defeat in the elections against the President-elect Joe Biden. "There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've recalculated (the vote tally)," Trump can be heard saying on the tape. "You're off by hundreds of thousands of votes." Also read| Kamala Harris lambasts Trump's Georgia phone call as 'abuse of power' Much to Trump's disappointment, the other person present in the room can be geard replying "Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong." Trump's audio tape also points towards his threats towards Republican Brad Raffensperger, telling him that they face "a big risk" if his state fails to take steps to flip the election result in favour of Trump. Trouble has further mounted for @realDonaldTrump, as in a new audio recording that has come to light, he can be heard pressurising Georgia's top election officials to help overturn the election result. @PriyankaSh25 speaks to @Jags_Dave for more pic.twitter.com/VsvJcg9h3W — WION (@WIONews) January 4, 2021 × His disappointment and much-desperate attempt of finding votes came as Biden created history by winning the Republican-majority state. "The current margin is only 11,779. Brad, I think you agree with that, right?" Trump says. "So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes." I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 × After the release of the tape, Trump, expectedly, took to Twitter to say that he had a conversation with the Raffensperger who was unwilling to answer questions about voter scam. "I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!," Trump tweeted. However, the Georgia leader tweeted back denying these accusations. "Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out," he said. The interesting thing to note in this controversy is that even if Georgia would have been successfull in this hypothetical reversal, Biden would have secured the win by a margin of 306 to 232.

Donald Trump's leaked audio tape reveals he wanted to 'find' votes to win US election

The veteran US lawmaker Ted Cruz and a few others have declared they would not be willing to vote next week to certify the President-elect Joe Biden's US election 2020 win, which is being considered one last try by the Republican party to&nbsp;make the outgoing President Donald Trump spin the election result.

This is being studied as one last and desperate move by the Republican Party, which experts believe will surely lead to another failed attempt.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sets-a-new-record-marks-277000-covid-cases-in-24-hours-354101" hreflang="en">US sets a new record, marks 277,000 Covid cases in 24 hours</a>

Signed by Ted Cruz and six others, the statement accuses that all the court rulings which have concluded the elections were fair have been given a wrong decision and asserts that all "allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes".

The lawmakers are planning to demand the creation of a special commission to carry an "emergency 10-day audit" of the results. They plan to protest the Pro-forma certification of Biden's victory o Wednesday when the Congress convenes in a joint session.

This can then later be revised for total votes by individual states by convening special legislative sessions.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/be-careful-of-trap-israel-may-provoke-war-with-attacks-on-us-forces-iran-to-trump-354076" hreflang="en">Be careful of trap, Israel may provoke war with attacks on US forces: Iran to Trump</a>

Cruz's legal protest has, predictably, gained support from the defeated US President Donald Trump who took to Twitter, to express his support to Cruz. "An attempt to steal a landslide win. Can't let it happen!," he tweeted.

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An attempt to steal a landslide win. Can’t let it happen! <a href="https://t.co/sKn4iTjUy0">https://t.co/sKn4iTjUy0</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345508977031974918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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He also tweeted a list of 11 senators and assured, "And after they see the facts, plenty more to come...Our Country will love them for it!".

This opposition has come weeks after the electoral college has ruled in favour of Democratic candidate Joe Biden. This has been labelled as yet another defeat as the House is majorly controlled by the Democrats.&nbsp;

The veteran US lawmaker Ted Cruz and a few others have declared they would not be willing to vote next week to certify the President-elect Joe Biden's US election 2020 win, which is being considered one last try by the Republican party to make the outgoing President Donald Trump spin the election result.

The veteran US lawmaker Ted Cruz and a few others have declared they would not be willing to vote next week to certify the President-elect Joe Biden's US election 2020 win, which is being considered one last try by the Republican party to make the outgoing President Donald Trump spin the election result. This is being studied as one last and desperate move by the Republican Party, which experts believe will surely lead to another failed attempt. Also read| US sets a new record, marks 277,000 Covid cases in 24 hours Signed by Ted Cruz and six others, the statement accuses that all the court rulings which have concluded the elections were fair have been given a wrong decision and asserts that all "allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes". The lawmakers are planning to demand the creation of a special commission to carry an "emergency 10-day audit" of the results. They plan to protest the Pro-forma certification of Biden's victory o Wednesday when the Congress convenes in a joint session. This can then later be revised for total votes by individual states by convening special legislative sessions. Also read| Be careful of trap, Israel may provoke war with attacks on US forces: Iran to Trump Cruz's legal protest has, predictably, gained support from the defeated US President Donald Trump who took to Twitter, to express his support to Cruz. "An attempt to steal a landslide win. Can't let it happen!," he tweeted. An attempt to steal a landslide win. Can’t let it happen! https://t.co/sKn4iTjUy0 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2021 × He also tweeted a list of 11 senators and assured, "And after they see the facts, plenty more to come...Our Country will love them for it!". This opposition has come weeks after the electoral college has ruled in favour of Democratic candidate Joe Biden. This has been labelled as yet another defeat as the House is majorly controlled by the Democrats.

Ted Cruz and other US senators plan to oppose Joe Biden's certification

On Election Day, Gen. Paul Nakasone, the nation’s top cyberwarrior, reported that the battle against Russian interference in the presidential campaign had posted major successes and exposed the other side’s online weapons, tools and tradecraft.

“We’ve broadened our operations and feel very good where we’re at right now,” he told journalists.

Eight weeks later, Nakasone and other U.S. officials responsible for cybersecurity are now consumed by what they missed for at least nine months: a hacking, now believed to have affected upward of 250 federal agencies and businesses, that Russia aimed not at the election system but at the rest of the U.S. government and many large American corporations.

Three weeks after the intrusion came to light, U.S. officials are still trying to understand whether what the Russians pulled off was simply an espionage operation inside the systems of the American bureaucracy or something more sinister, inserting “backdoor” access into government agencies, major corporations, the electric grid and laboratories developing and transporting new generations of nuclear weapons.

At a minimum it has set off alarms about the vulnerability of government and private-sector networks in the United States to attack and raised questions about how and why the nation’s cyberdefenses failed so spectacularly.

Those questions have taken on particular urgency given that the breach was not detected by any of the government agencies that share responsibility for cyberdefense — the military’s Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, both of which are run by Nakasone, and the Department of Homeland Security — but by a private cybersecurity company, FireEye.

“This is looking much, much worse than I first feared,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The size of it keeps expanding. It’s clear the United States government missed it.”

“And if FireEye had not come forward,” he added, “I’m not sure we would be fully aware of it to this day.”

Interviews with key players investigating what intelligence agencies believe to be an operation by Russia’s SVR intelligence service revealed these points:

— The breach is far broader than first believed. Initial estimates were that Russia sent its probes only into a few dozen of the 18,000 government and private networks it gained access to when it inserted code into network management software made by a Texas company named SolarWinds. But as businesses like Amazon and Microsoft that provide cloud services dig deeper for evidence, it now appears Russia exploited multiple layers of the supply chain to gain access to as many as 250 networks.

— The hackers managed their intrusion from servers inside the United States, exploiting legal prohibitions on the National Security Agency from engaging in domestic surveillance and eluding cyberdefenses deployed by the Department of Homeland Security.

— “Early warning” sensors placed by Cyber Command and the National Security Agency deep inside foreign networks to detect brewing attacks clearly failed. There is also no indication yet that any human intelligence alerted the United States to the hacking.

— The government’s emphasis on election defense, while critical in 2020, may have diverted resources and attention from long-brewing problems like protecting the “supply chain” of software. In the private sector, too, companies that were focused on election security, like FireEye and Microsoft, are now revealing that they were breached as part of the larger supply chain attack.

— SolarWinds, the company that the hackers used as a conduit for their attacks, had a history of lackluster security for its products, making it an easy target, according to current and former employees and government investigators. Its chief executive, Kevin Thompson, who is leaving his job after 11 years, has sidestepped the question of whether his company should have detected the intrusion.

— Some of the compromised SolarWinds software was engineered in Eastern Europe, and American investigators are now examining whether the incursion originated there, where Russian intelligence operatives are deeply rooted.

The intentions behind the attack remain shrouded. But with a new administration taking office in three weeks, some analysts say the Russians may be trying to shake Washington’s confidence in the security of its communications and to demonstrate their cyberarsenal to gain leverage against President-elect Joe Biden before nuclear arms talks.

“We still don’t know what Russia’s strategic objectives were,” said Suzanne Spaulding, who was the senior cyberofficial at the Homeland Security Department during the Obama administration. “But we should be concerned that part of this may go beyond reconnaissance. Their goal may be to put themselves in a position to have leverage over the new administration, like holding a gun to our head to deter us from acting to counter Putin.”

Growing Hit List

The U.S. government was clearly the main focus of the attack, with the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Energy Department and parts of the Defense Department among the agencies confirmed to have been infiltrated. (The &nbsp;Pentagon insists the attacks on its systems were unsuccessful, though it has offered no evidence.)

But the hacking also breached large numbers of corporations, many of which have yet to step forward. SolarWinds is believed to be one of several supply chain vendors Russia used in the hacking. Microsoft, which had tallied 40 victims as of Dec. 17, initially said that it had not been breached, only to discover this week that it had been — and that resellers of its software had been, too. A previously unreported assessment by Amazon’s intelligence team found the number of victims may have been five times greater, though officials warn some of those may be double-counted.

Publicly, officials have said they do not believe the hackers from Russia’s SVR pierced classified systems containing sensitive communications and plans. But privately, officials say they still do not have a clear picture of what might have been stolen.

They said they worried about delicate but unclassified data the hackers might have taken from victims like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including Black Start, the detailed technical blueprints for how the United States plans to restore power in the event of a cataclysmic blackout.

The plans would give Russia a hit list of systems to target to keep power from being restored in an attack like the one it pulled off in Ukraine in 2015, shutting off power for six hours in the dead of winter. Moscow long ago implanted malware in the U.S. electric grid, and the United States has done the same to Russia as a deterrent.

A Supply Chain Compromised

One main focus of the investigation so far has been SolarWinds, the company based in Austin, Texas, whose software updates the hackers compromised.

But the cybersecurity arm of the Department of Homeland Security concluded the hackers worked through other channels, too. And last week, CrowdStrike, another security company, revealed that it was also targeted, unsuccessfully, by the same hackers, but through a company that resells Microsoft software.

Because resellers are often entrusted to set up clients’ software, they — like SolarWinds — have broad access to Microsoft customers’ networks. As a result, they can be an ideal Trojan horse for Russia’s hackers. Intelligence officials have expressed anger that Microsoft did not detect the attack earlier; the company, which said Thursday that the hackers viewed its source code, has not disclosed which of its products were affected or for how long hackers were inside its network.

“They targeted the weakest points in the supply chain and through our most trusted relationships,” said Glenn Chisholm, a founder of Obsidian Security.

Interviews with current and former employees of SolarWinds suggest it was slow to make security a priority, even as its software was adopted by America’s premier cybersecurity company and federal agencies.

Employees say that under Thompson, an accountant by training and a former chief financial officer, every part of the business was examined for cost savings, and common security practices were eschewed because of their expense. His approach helped almost triple SolarWinds’ annual profit margins to more than $453 million in 2019 from $152 million in 2010.

But some of those measures may have put the company and its customers at greater risk for attack. SolarWinds moved much of its engineering to satellite offices in the Czech Republic, Poland and Belarus, where engineers had broad access to the Orion network management software that Russia’s agents compromised.

The company has said only that the manipulation of its software was the work of human hackers rather than of a computer program. It has not publicly addressed the possibility of an insider being involved in the breach.

None of the SolarWinds customers contacted by The New York Times in recent weeks were aware they were reliant on software that was maintained in Eastern Europe. Many said they did not even know they were using SolarWinds software until recently.

Even with its software installed throughout federal networks, employees said SolarWinds tacked on security only in 2017, under threat of penalty from a new European privacy law. Only then, employees say, did SolarWinds hire its first chief information officer and install a vice president of “security architecture.”

Ian Thornton-Trump, a former cybersecurity adviser at SolarWinds, said he warned management that year that unless it took a more proactive approach to its internal security, a cybersecurity episode would be “catastrophic.” After his basic recommendations were ignored, Thornton-Trump left the company.

SolarWinds declined to address questions about the adequacy of its security. In a statement, it said it was a “victim of a highly sophisticated, complex and targeted cyberattack” and was collaborating closely with law enforcement, intelligence agencies and security experts to investigate.

But security experts note that it took days after the Russian attack was discovered before SolarWinds’ websites stopped offering clients compromised code.

Offense Over Defense

Billions of dollars in cybersecurity budgets have flowed in recent years to offensive espionage and preemptive action programs, what Nakasone calls the need to “defend forward” by hacking into adversaries’ networks to get an early look at their operations and to counteract them inside their own networks before they can attack, if required.

But that approach, while hailed as a long-overdue strategy to preempt attacks, missed the Russian breach.

By staging their attacks from servers inside the United States, in some cases using computers in the same town or city as their victims, according to FireEye, the Russians took advantage of limits on the National Security Agency’s authority. Congress has not given the agency or homeland security any authority to enter or defend private-sector networks. It was on these networks that SVR operatives were less careful, leaving clues about their intrusions that FireEye was ultimately able to find.

By inserting themselves into the SolarWinds’ Orion update and using custom tools, they also avoided tripping the alarms of the “Einstein” detection system that homeland security deployed across government agencies to catch known malware, and of the so-called CDM program that was explicitly devised to alert agencies to suspicious activity.

Some intelligence officials are questioning whether the government was so focused on election interference that it created openings elsewhere.

Intelligence agencies concluded months ago that Russia had determined it could not infiltrate enough election systems to affect the outcome of elections and instead shifted its attention to deflecting ransomware attacks that could disenfranchise voters and influence operations aimed at sowing discord, stoking doubt about the system’s integrity and changing voters’ minds.

The SolarWinds hacking, which began as early as October 2019, and the intrusion into Microsoft’s resellers gave Russia a chance to attack the most vulnerable, least defended networks across multiple federal agencies.

Nakasone declined to be interviewed. But a spokesperson for the National Security Agency, Charles Stadtlander, said, “We don't consider this as an ‘either/or’ trade-off. The actions, insights and new frameworks constructed during election security efforts have broad positive impacts for the cybersecurity posture of the nation and the U.S. government.”

In fact, the United States appears to have succeeded in persuading Russia that an attack aimed at changing votes would prompt a costly retaliation. But as the scale of the intrusion comes into focus, it is clear the U.S. government failed to convince Russia there would be a comparable consequence to executing a broad hacking on federal government and corporate networks.

Getting the Hackers Out

Intelligence officials say it could be months, years even, before they have a full understanding of the hacking.

Since the extraction of a top Kremlin informant in 2017, the CIA’s knowledge of Russian operations has been diminished. And the SVR has remained one of the world’s most capable intelligence services by avoiding electronic communications that could expose its secrets to the National Security Agency, intelligence officials say.

The best assessments of the SVR have come from the Dutch. In 2014, hackers working for the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service pierced the computers used by the group, watching them for at least a year and at one point catching them on camera.

It was the Dutch who helped alert the White House and State Department to an SVR hacking of their systems in 2014 and 2015, and last month, they caught and expelled from the Netherlands two SVR operatives accused of infiltrating technology companies there. While the group is not known to be destructive, it is notoriously difficult to evict from computer systems it has infiltrated.

When the SVR broke into the unclassified systems at the State Department and White House, Richard Ledgett, then the deputy director of the National Security Agency, said the agency engaged in the digital equivalent of “hand-to-hand combat.” At one point, the SVR gained access to the NetWitness Investigator tool that investigators use to uproot Russian back doors, manipulating it in such a way that the hackers continued to evade detection.

Investigators said they would assume they had kicked out the SVR, only to discover the group had crawled in through another door.

Some security experts said that ridding so many sprawling federal agencies of the SVR may be futile and that the only way forward may be to shut systems down and start anew. Others said doing so in the middle of a pandemic would be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, and the new administration would have to work to identify and contain every compromised system before it could calibrate a response.

“The SVR is deliberate, they are sophisticated, and they don’t have the same legal restraints as we do here in the West,” said Adam Darrah, a former government intelligence analyst who is now director of intelligence at Vigilante, a security firm.

Sanctions, indictments and other measures, he added, have failed to deter the SVR, which has shown it can adapt quickly.

“They are watching us very closely right now,” Darrah said. “And they will pivot accordingly.”

On Election Day, Gen. Paul Nakasone, the nation’s top cyberwarrior, reported that the battle against Russian interference in the presidential campaign had posted major successes and exposed the other side’s online weapons, tools and tradecraft.

On Election Day, Gen. Paul Nakasone, the nation’s top cyberwarrior, reported that the battle against Russian interference in the presidential campaign had posted major successes and exposed the other side’s online weapons, tools and tradecraft. “We’ve broadened our operations and feel very good where we’re at right now,” he told journalists. Eight weeks later, Nakasone and other U.S. officials responsible for cybersecurity are now consumed by what they missed for at least nine months: a hacking, now believed to have affected upward of 250 federal agencies and businesses, that Russia aimed not at the election system but at the rest of the U.S. government and many large American corporations. Three weeks after the intrusion came to light, U.S. officials are still trying to understand whether what the Russians pulled off was simply an espionage operation inside the systems of the American bureaucracy or something more sinister, inserting “backdoor” access into government agencies, major corporations, the electric grid and laboratories developing and transporting new generations of nuclear weapons. At a minimum it has set off alarms about the vulnerability of government and private-sector networks in the United States to attack and raised questions about how and why the nation’s cyberdefenses failed so spectacularly. Those questions have taken on particular urgency given that the breach was not detected by any of the government agencies that share responsibility for cyberdefense — the military’s Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, both of which are run by Nakasone, and the Department of Homeland Security — but by a private cybersecurity company, FireEye. “This is looking much, much worse than I first feared,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “The size of it keeps expanding. It’s clear the United States government missed it.” “And if FireEye had not come forward,” he added, “I’m not sure we would be fully aware of it to this day.” Interviews with key players investigating what intelligence agencies believe to be an operation by Russia’s SVR intelligence service revealed these points: — The breach is far broader than first believed. Initial estimates were that Russia sent its probes only into a few dozen of the 18,000 government and private networks it gained access to when it inserted code into network management software made by a Texas company named SolarWinds. But as businesses like Amazon and Microsoft that provide cloud services dig deeper for evidence, it now appears Russia exploited multiple layers of the supply chain to gain access to as many as 250 networks. — The hackers managed their intrusion from servers inside the United States, exploiting legal prohibitions on the National Security Agency from engaging in domestic surveillance and eluding cyberdefenses deployed by the Department of Homeland Security. — “Early warning” sensors placed by Cyber Command and the National Security Agency deep inside foreign networks to detect brewing attacks clearly failed. There is also no indication yet that any human intelligence alerted the United States to the hacking. — The government’s emphasis on election defense, while critical in 2020, may have diverted resources and attention from long-brewing problems like protecting the “supply chain” of software. In the private sector, too, companies that were focused on election security, like FireEye and Microsoft, are now revealing that they were breached as part of the larger supply chain attack. — SolarWinds, the company that the hackers used as a conduit for their attacks, had a history of lackluster security for its products, making it an easy target, according to current and former employees and government investigators. Its chief executive, Kevin Thompson, who is leaving his job after 11 years, has sidestepped the question of whether his company should have detected the intrusion. — Some of the compromised SolarWinds software was engineered in Eastern Europe, and American investigators are now examining whether the incursion originated there, where Russian intelligence operatives are deeply rooted. The intentions behind the attack remain shrouded. But with a new administration taking office in three weeks, some analysts say the Russians may be trying to shake Washington’s confidence in the security of its communications and to demonstrate their cyberarsenal to gain leverage against President-elect Joe Biden before nuclear arms talks. “We still don’t know what Russia’s strategic objectives were,” said Suzanne Spaulding, who was the senior cyberofficial at the Homeland Security Department during the Obama administration. “But we should be concerned that part of this may go beyond reconnaissance. Their goal may be to put themselves in a position to have leverage over the new administration, like holding a gun to our head to deter us from acting to counter Putin.” Growing Hit List The U.S. government was clearly the main focus of the attack, with the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Energy Department and parts of the Defense Department among the agencies confirmed to have been infiltrated. (The Pentagon insists the attacks on its systems were unsuccessful, though it has offered no evidence.) But the hacking also breached large numbers of corporations, many of which have yet to step forward. SolarWinds is believed to be one of several supply chain vendors Russia used in the hacking. Microsoft, which had tallied 40 victims as of Dec. 17, initially said that it had not been breached, only to discover this week that it had been — and that resellers of its software had been, too. A previously unreported assessment by Amazon’s intelligence team found the number of victims may have been five times greater, though officials warn some of those may be double-counted. Publicly, officials have said they do not believe the hackers from Russia’s SVR pierced classified systems containing sensitive communications and plans. But privately, officials say they still do not have a clear picture of what might have been stolen. They said they worried about delicate but unclassified data the hackers might have taken from victims like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including Black Start, the detailed technical blueprints for how the United States plans to restore power in the event of a cataclysmic blackout. The plans would give Russia a hit list of systems to target to keep power from being restored in an attack like the one it pulled off in Ukraine in 2015, shutting off power for six hours in the dead of winter. Moscow long ago implanted malware in the U.S. electric grid, and the United States has done the same to Russia as a deterrent. A Supply Chain Compromised One main focus of the investigation so far has been SolarWinds, the company based in Austin, Texas, whose software updates the hackers compromised. But the cybersecurity arm of the Department of Homeland Security concluded the hackers worked through other channels, too. And last week, CrowdStrike, another security company, revealed that it was also targeted, unsuccessfully, by the same hackers, but through a company that resells Microsoft software. Because resellers are often entrusted to set up clients’ software, they — like SolarWinds — have broad access to Microsoft customers’ networks. As a result, they can be an ideal Trojan horse for Russia’s hackers. Intelligence officials have expressed anger that Microsoft did not detect the attack earlier; the company, which said Thursday that the hackers viewed its source code, has not disclosed which of its products were affected or for how long hackers were inside its network. “They targeted the weakest points in the supply chain and through our most trusted relationships,” said Glenn Chisholm, a founder of Obsidian Security. Interviews with current and former employees of SolarWinds suggest it was slow to make security a priority, even as its software was adopted by America’s premier cybersecurity company and federal agencies. Employees say that under Thompson, an accountant by training and a former chief financial officer, every part of the business was examined for cost savings, and common security practices were eschewed because of their expense. His approach helped almost triple SolarWinds’ annual profit margins to more than $453 million in 2019 from $152 million in 2010. But some of those measures may have put the company and its customers at greater risk for attack. SolarWinds moved much of its engineering to satellite offices in the Czech Republic, Poland and Belarus, where engineers had broad access to the Orion network management software that Russia’s agents compromised. The company has said only that the manipulation of its software was the work of human hackers rather than of a computer program. It has not publicly addressed the possibility of an insider being involved in the breach. None of the SolarWinds customers contacted by The New York Times in recent weeks were aware they were reliant on software that was maintained in Eastern Europe. Many said they did not even know they were using SolarWinds software until recently. Even with its software installed throughout federal networks, employees said SolarWinds tacked on security only in 2017, under threat of penalty from a new European privacy law. Only then, employees say, did SolarWinds hire its first chief information officer and install a vice president of “security architecture.” Ian Thornton-Trump, a former cybersecurity adviser at SolarWinds, said he warned management that year that unless it took a more proactive approach to its internal security, a cybersecurity episode would be “catastrophic.” After his basic recommendations were ignored, Thornton-Trump left the company. SolarWinds declined to address questions about the adequacy of its security. In a statement, it said it was a “victim of a highly sophisticated, complex and targeted cyberattack” and was collaborating closely with law enforcement, intelligence agencies and security experts to investigate. But security experts note that it took days after the Russian attack was discovered before SolarWinds’ websites stopped offering clients compromised code. Offense Over Defense Billions of dollars in cybersecurity budgets have flowed in recent years to offensive espionage and preemptive action programs, what Nakasone calls the need to “defend forward” by hacking into adversaries’ networks to get an early look at their operations and to counteract them inside their own networks before they can attack, if required. But that approach, while hailed as a long-overdue strategy to preempt attacks, missed the Russian breach. By staging their attacks from servers inside the United States, in some cases using computers in the same town or city as their victims, according to FireEye, the Russians took advantage of limits on the National Security Agency’s authority. Congress has not given the agency or homeland security any authority to enter or defend private-sector networks. It was on these networks that SVR operatives were less careful, leaving clues about their intrusions that FireEye was ultimately able to find. By inserting themselves into the SolarWinds’ Orion update and using custom tools, they also avoided tripping the alarms of the “Einstein” detection system that homeland security deployed across government agencies to catch known malware, and of the so-called CDM program that was explicitly devised to alert agencies to suspicious activity. Some intelligence officials are questioning whether the government was so focused on election interference that it created openings elsewhere. Intelligence agencies concluded months ago that Russia had determined it could not infiltrate enough election systems to affect the outcome of elections and instead shifted its attention to deflecting ransomware attacks that could disenfranchise voters and influence operations aimed at sowing discord, stoking doubt about the system’s integrity and changing voters’ minds. The SolarWinds hacking, which began as early as October 2019, and the intrusion into Microsoft’s resellers gave Russia a chance to attack the most vulnerable, least defended networks across multiple federal agencies. Nakasone declined to be interviewed. But a spokesperson for the National Security Agency, Charles Stadtlander, said, “We don't consider this as an ‘either/or’ trade-off. The actions, insights and new frameworks constructed during election security efforts have broad positive impacts for the cybersecurity posture of the nation and the U.S. government.” In fact, the United States appears to have succeeded in persuading Russia that an attack aimed at changing votes would prompt a costly retaliation. But as the scale of the intrusion comes into focus, it is clear the U.S. government failed to convince Russia there would be a comparable consequence to executing a broad hacking on federal government and corporate networks. Getting the Hackers Out Intelligence officials say it could be months, years even, before they have a full understanding of the hacking. Since the extraction of a top Kremlin informant in 2017, the CIA’s knowledge of Russian operations has been diminished. And the SVR has remained one of the world’s most capable intelligence services by avoiding electronic communications that could expose its secrets to the National Security Agency, intelligence officials say. The best assessments of the SVR have come from the Dutch. In 2014, hackers working for the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service pierced the computers used by the group, watching them for at least a year and at one point catching them on camera. It was the Dutch who helped alert the White House and State Department to an SVR hacking of their systems in 2014 and 2015, and last month, they caught and expelled from the Netherlands two SVR operatives accused of infiltrating technology companies there. While the group is not known to be destructive, it is notoriously difficult to evict from computer systems it has infiltrated. When the SVR broke into the unclassified systems at the State Department and White House, Richard Ledgett, then the deputy director of the National Security Agency, said the agency engaged in the digital equivalent of “hand-to-hand combat.” At one point, the SVR gained access to the NetWitness Investigator tool that investigators use to uproot Russian back doors, manipulating it in such a way that the hackers continued to evade detection. Investigators said they would assume they had kicked out the SVR, only to discover the group had crawled in through another door. Some security experts said that ridding so many sprawling federal agencies of the SVR may be futile and that the only way forward may be to shut systems down and start anew. Others said doing so in the middle of a pandemic would be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, and the new administration would have to work to identify and contain every compromised system before it could calibrate a response. “The SVR is deliberate, they are sophisticated, and they don’t have the same legal restraints as we do here in the West,” said Adam Darrah, a former government intelligence analyst who is now director of intelligence at Vigilante, a security firm. Sanctions, indictments and other measures, he added, have failed to deter the SVR, which has shown it can adapt quickly. “They are watching us very closely right now,” Darrah said. “And they will pivot accordingly.”

As understanding of Russian hacking grows, so does alarm

A federal judge on Friday rejected a lawsuit from a Republican congressman that sought to allow Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes for Joe Biden when Congress meets on Jan. 6 to certify his victory over President Donald Trump.

The latest long-shot attempt by Trump`s Republican allies to overturn the Nov. 3 election was dismissed by one of Trump`s own appointees to the federal bench, Jeremy Kernodle. He ruled that U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas and a slate of Republican electors from Arizona could not show they suffered any personal harm "fairly traceable" to Pence`s allegedly unlawful conduct and, therefore, lacked legal standing to bring the case.

The standing requirement "helps enforce the limited role of federal courts in our constitutional system. The problem for plaintiffs here is that they lack standing," Kernodle wrote.

A spokesman for Trump referred questions to Pence`s office. A spokesman for Pence declined to comment.

A spokeswoman for Gohmert did not immediately comment.

Trump has refused to concede defeat to Democrat Biden and has repeatedly falsely claimed the election was tainted by widespread fraud. He and his allies have lost dozens of court efforts seeking to reverse the election results.

Biden beat President Donald Trump by a 306-232 margin in the Electoral College and is set to be sworn in on Jan. 20.

Under the Electoral College system, "electoral votes" are allotted to states and the District of Columbia based on their congressional representation.

Gohmert`s suit argued that Pence had discretion to decide what votes should count. They also asked the judge to bar Pence from following the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which lays out how objections to votes are handled by Congress.

Some Republicans have said they plan to object to the count of presidential electors next week in Congress. Reuters reported this week the effort could trigger a lengthy debate in the Senate but has virtually no chance of overturning the results.

A Justice Department lawyer representing Pence on Thursday urged Kernodle to dismiss the lawsuit saying they had sued the wrong person as they raised "a host of weighty legal issues about the manner in which the electoral votes for president are to be counted."

"The Senate and the House, not the Vice President, have legal interests that are sufficiently adverse to plaintiffs to ground a case or controversy," Pence`s filing said.

A federal judge on Friday rejected a lawsuit from a Republican congressman that sought to allow Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes for Joe Biden when Congress meets on Jan.

A federal judge on Friday rejected a lawsuit from a Republican congressman that sought to allow Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes for Joe Biden when Congress meets on Jan. 6 to certify his victory over President Donald Trump. The latest long-shot attempt by Trump`s Republican allies to overturn the Nov. 3 election was dismissed by one of Trump`s own appointees to the federal bench, Jeremy Kernodle. He ruled that U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas and a slate of Republican electors from Arizona could not show they suffered any personal harm "fairly traceable" to Pence`s allegedly unlawful conduct and, therefore, lacked legal standing to bring the case. The standing requirement "helps enforce the limited role of federal courts in our constitutional system. The problem for plaintiffs here is that they lack standing," Kernodle wrote. A spokesman for Trump referred questions to Pence`s office. A spokesman for Pence declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Gohmert did not immediately comment. Trump has refused to concede defeat to Democrat Biden and has repeatedly falsely claimed the election was tainted by widespread fraud. He and his allies have lost dozens of court efforts seeking to reverse the election results. Biden beat President Donald Trump by a 306-232 margin in the Electoral College and is set to be sworn in on Jan. 20. Under the Electoral College system, "electoral votes" are allotted to states and the District of Columbia based on their congressional representation. Gohmert`s suit argued that Pence had discretion to decide what votes should count. They also asked the judge to bar Pence from following the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which lays out how objections to votes are handled by Congress. Some Republicans have said they plan to object to the count of presidential electors next week in Congress. Reuters reported this week the effort could trigger a lengthy debate in the Senate but has virtually no chance of overturning the results. A Justice Department lawyer representing Pence on Thursday urged Kernodle to dismiss the lawsuit saying they had sued the wrong person as they raised "a host of weighty legal issues about the manner in which the electoral votes for president are to be counted." "The Senate and the House, not the Vice President, have legal interests that are sufficiently adverse to plaintiffs to ground a case or controversy," Pence`s filing said.

US judge dismisses lawmaker lawsuit against Pence over electoral count

The outgoing president of the United States, Donald Trump, has issued a video, looking back on what he called "historic victories" and said, "We have to be remembered for what's been done."

Trump, who has yet to formally concede his November election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, posted the message on Twitter after returning to Washington early from his Florida resort amid a fight with Congress over a defence bill and coronavirus aid checks.

Trump praised his administration's accomplishments, which he said included its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding the economy.

Trump said the United States has produced a COVID-19 vaccine in record time and he had correctly predicted this would come before the year ended. The president has frequently played down the severity of the pandemic and overseen a response many health experts have criticised as disorganised, cavalier and sometimes ignored the science behind virus transmission.

The United States has been one of the countries worst-hit by COVID-19 and leads the world in fatalities, with more than 340,000 deaths officially attributed to the virus.

Trump was originally scheduled to attend a New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

The White House has given no reason for why he returned to Washington early, but it coincides with Trump's fight with Congress over his veto of a major defense bill and his demand for increased COVID-19 stimulus checks, as well as a spike in tensions with Iran.

Trump ignored shouted questions from reporters about Iran and whether he would attend Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration when he arrived back at the White House.

President-elect Biden is expected to see in the New Year at his beach house in Delaware, although he is due to appear on the long-running ABC special "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the chamber, dealt a likely death blow on Wednesday to Trump's bid to boost coronavirus aid to Americans, declining to schedule a swift vote on a bill to raise relief checks to $2,000 from the $600 included in a $892 billion relief package passed by Congress earlier this month.

Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress have largely stuck with him through four turbulent years, but he lashed out at them in recent days for not fully backing his unsupported claims of election fraud, rejecting his demand for bigger checks and for moving toward the veto override.

The House voted to overturn Trump's veto on Monday. The Senate will convene again on Friday at noon EST (1700 GMT) for a rare New Year's Day session in which lawmakers are expected to cast the first of two procedural votes aimed at overriding the veto. If that succeeds, the Senate is expected to hold a second procedural vote on Saturday followed by a final vote on passage.

The outgoing president of the United States, Donald Trump, has issued a video, looking back on what he called "historic victories" and said, "We have to be remembered for what's been done.

The outgoing president of the United States, Donald Trump, has issued a video, looking back on what he called "historic victories" and said, "We have to be remembered for what's been done." Trump, who has yet to formally concede his November election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, posted the message on Twitter after returning to Washington early from his Florida resort amid a fight with Congress over a defence bill and coronavirus aid checks. Trump praised his administration's accomplishments, which he said included its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding the economy. Trump said the United States has produced a COVID-19 vaccine in record time and he had correctly predicted this would come before the year ended. The president has frequently played down the severity of the pandemic and overseen a response many health experts have criticised as disorganised, cavalier and sometimes ignored the science behind virus transmission. The United States has been one of the countries worst-hit by COVID-19 and leads the world in fatalities, with more than 340,000 deaths officially attributed to the virus. Trump was originally scheduled to attend a New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The White House has given no reason for why he returned to Washington early, but it coincides with Trump's fight with Congress over his veto of a major defense bill and his demand for increased COVID-19 stimulus checks, as well as a spike in tensions with Iran. Trump ignored shouted questions from reporters about Iran and whether he would attend Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration when he arrived back at the White House. President-elect Biden is expected to see in the New Year at his beach house in Delaware, although he is due to appear on the long-running ABC special "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the chamber, dealt a likely death blow on Wednesday to Trump's bid to boost coronavirus aid to Americans, declining to schedule a swift vote on a bill to raise relief checks to $2,000 from the $600 included in a $892 billion relief package passed by Congress earlier this month. Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress have largely stuck with him through four turbulent years, but he lashed out at them in recent days for not fully backing his unsupported claims of election fraud, rejecting his demand for bigger checks and for moving toward the veto override. The House voted to overturn Trump's veto on Monday. The Senate will convene again on Friday at noon EST (1700 GMT) for a rare New Year's Day session in which lawmakers are expected to cast the first of two procedural votes aimed at overriding the veto. If that succeeds, the Senate is expected to hold a second procedural vote on Saturday followed by a final vote on passage.

Trump looks back at his 'historic victories' in the pandemic year

Nearly 2.1 million people have cast ballots in the U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia that will determine whether Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the fate of Biden’s agenda.

U.S. judge orders two Georgia counties to halt voter purge

Maybe it was the visuals that did it. It’s hard to know what aspects of reality make it into Donald Trump’s ever-shrinking bubble — and I’m happy to say that after Jan. 20 we won’t have to care about what goes on in his not-at-all beautiful mind — but it’s possible that he became aware of how he looked, playing golf as millions of desperate families lost their unemployment benefits.

Whatever the reason, on Sunday he finally signed an economic relief bill that will, among other things, extend those benefits for a few months. And it wasn’t just the unemployed who breathed a sigh of relief. Stock market futures — which are not&nbsp;a measure of economic success, but still — rose. Goldman Sachs marked up its forecast of economic growth in 2021.

So this year is closing out with a second demonstration of the lesson we should have learned in the spring: In times of crisis, government aid to people in distress is a good thing, not just for those getting help, but for the nation as a whole. Or to put it a bit differently, 2020 was the year Reaganism died.

What I mean by Reaganism goes beyond voodoo economics, the claim that tax cuts have magical power and can solve all problems. After all, nobody believes in that claim aside from a handful of charlatans and cranks, plus the entire Republican Party.

No, I mean something broader — the belief that aid to those in need always backfires, that the only way to improve ordinary people’s lives is to make the rich richer and wait for the benefits to trickle down. This belief was encapsulated in Ronald Reagan’s famous dictum that the most terrifying words in English are “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

Well, in 2020 the government was there to help — and help it did.

True, there were some people who advocated trickle-down policies even in the face of a pandemic. Trump repeatedly pushed for payroll tax cuts, which by definition would do nothing to directly help the jobless, even attempting (unsuccessfully) to slash tax collections through executive action.

Oh, and the new recovery package does include a multibillion-dollar tax break for business meals, as if three-martini lunches were the answer to a pandemic depression.

Reagan-style hostility to helping people in need also persisted. There were some politicians and economists who kept insisting, in the teeth of the evidence, that aid to unemployed workers was actually causing unemployment, by making workers unwilling to accept job offers.

Overall, however — and somewhat shockingly — U.S. economic policy actually responded fairly well to the real needs of a nation forced into lockdown by a deadly virus. Aid to the unemployed and business loans that were forgiven if they were used to maintain payrolls limited the suffering. Direct checks sent to most adults weren’t the best targeted policy ever, but they boosted personal incomes.

All this big-government intervention worked. Despite a lockdown that temporarily eliminated 22 million jobs, poverty actually fell while the assistance lasted.

And there was no visible downside. As I’ve already suggested, there was no indication that helping the unemployed deterred workers from taking jobs when they became available. Most notably, the employment surge from April to July, in which 9 million Americans went back to work, took place while enhanced benefits were still in effect.

Nor did huge government borrowing have the dire consequences deficit scolds always predict. Interest rates stayed low, while inflation remained quiescent.

So the government was there to help, and it really did. The only problem was that it cut off help too soon. Extraordinary aid should have continued as long as the coronavirus was still rampant — a fact implicitly acknowledged by bipartisan willingness to enact a second rescue package, and Trump’s grudging eventual willingness to sign that legislation.

Indeed, some of the aid we provided in 2020 should continue even after we have widespread vaccination. What we should have learned last spring is that adequately funded government programs can greatly reduce poverty. Why forget that lesson as soon as the pandemic is over?

Now, when I say that Reaganism died in 2020 I don’t mean that the usual suspects will stop making the usual arguments. Voodoo economics is too deeply embedded in the modern GOP — and too useful to billionaire donors seeking tax cuts — to be banished by inconvenient facts.

Opposition to helping the unemployed and the poor was never evidence-based; it was always rooted in a mix of elitism and racial hostility. So we’ll still keep hearing about the miraculous power of tax cuts and the evils of the welfare state.

But while Reaganism will still be out there, it will now, even more than before, be zombie Reaganism — a doctrine that should have been killed by its encounter with reality, even if it’s still shambling along, eating politicians’ brains.

For the lesson of 2020 is that in a crisis, and to some extent even in calmer times, the government can do a lot to improve people’s lives. And what we should fear most is a government that refuses to do its job.

Maybe it was the visuals that did it. It’s hard to know what aspects of reality make it into Donald Trump’s ever-shrinking bubble — and I’m happy to say that after Jan.

Maybe it was the visuals that did it. It’s hard to know what aspects of reality make it into Donald Trump’s ever-shrinking bubble — and I’m happy to say that after Jan. 20 we won’t have to care about what goes on in his not-at-all beautiful mind — but it’s possible that he became aware of how he looked, playing golf as millions of desperate families lost their unemployment benefits. Whatever the reason, on Sunday he finally signed an economic relief bill that will, among other things, extend those benefits for a few months. And it wasn’t just the unemployed who breathed a sigh of relief. Stock market futures — which are not a measure of economic success, but still — rose. Goldman Sachs marked up its forecast of economic growth in 2021. So this year is closing out with a second demonstration of the lesson we should have learned in the spring: In times of crisis, government aid to people in distress is a good thing, not just for those getting help, but for the nation as a whole. Or to put it a bit differently, 2020 was the year Reaganism died. What I mean by Reaganism goes beyond voodoo economics, the claim that tax cuts have magical power and can solve all problems. After all, nobody believes in that claim aside from a handful of charlatans and cranks, plus the entire Republican Party. No, I mean something broader — the belief that aid to those in need always backfires, that the only way to improve ordinary people’s lives is to make the rich richer and wait for the benefits to trickle down. This belief was encapsulated in Ronald Reagan’s famous dictum that the most terrifying words in English are “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Well, in 2020 the government was there to help — and help it did. True, there were some people who advocated trickle-down policies even in the face of a pandemic. Trump repeatedly pushed for payroll tax cuts, which by definition would do nothing to directly help the jobless, even attempting (unsuccessfully) to slash tax collections through executive action. Oh, and the new recovery package does include a multibillion-dollar tax break for business meals, as if three-martini lunches were the answer to a pandemic depression. Reagan-style hostility to helping people in need also persisted. There were some politicians and economists who kept insisting, in the teeth of the evidence, that aid to unemployed workers was actually causing unemployment, by making workers unwilling to accept job offers. Overall, however — and somewhat shockingly — U.S. economic policy actually responded fairly well to the real needs of a nation forced into lockdown by a deadly virus. Aid to the unemployed and business loans that were forgiven if they were used to maintain payrolls limited the suffering. Direct checks sent to most adults weren’t the best targeted policy ever, but they boosted personal incomes. All this big-government intervention worked. Despite a lockdown that temporarily eliminated 22 million jobs, poverty actually fell while the assistance lasted. And there was no visible downside. As I’ve already suggested, there was no indication that helping the unemployed deterred workers from taking jobs when they became available. Most notably, the employment surge from April to July, in which 9 million Americans went back to work, took place while enhanced benefits were still in effect. Nor did huge government borrowing have the dire consequences deficit scolds always predict. Interest rates stayed low, while inflation remained quiescent. So the government was there to help, and it really did. The only problem was that it cut off help too soon. Extraordinary aid should have continued as long as the coronavirus was still rampant — a fact implicitly acknowledged by bipartisan willingness to enact a second rescue package, and Trump’s grudging eventual willingness to sign that legislation. Indeed, some of the aid we provided in 2020 should continue even after we have widespread vaccination. What we should have learned last spring is that adequately funded government programs can greatly reduce poverty. Why forget that lesson as soon as the pandemic is over? Now, when I say that Reaganism died in 2020 I don’t mean that the usual suspects will stop making the usual arguments. Voodoo economics is too deeply embedded in the modern GOP — and too useful to billionaire donors seeking tax cuts — to be banished by inconvenient facts. Opposition to helping the unemployed and the poor was never evidence-based; it was always rooted in a mix of elitism and racial hostility. So we’ll still keep hearing about the miraculous power of tax cuts and the evils of the welfare state. But while Reaganism will still be out there, it will now, even more than before, be zombie Reaganism — a doctrine that should have been killed by its encounter with reality, even if it’s still shambling along, eating politicians’ brains. For the lesson of 2020 is that in a crisis, and to some extent even in calmer times, the government can do a lot to improve people’s lives. And what we should fear most is a government that refuses to do its job.

2020 was the year Reaganism died

US House of Representatives which is led by Democrats on Monday voted 275-134 to meet Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus relief cheques. The measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate.&nbsp; 
 
Even though Democrats pushed forward to approve Republican stimulus payments, just earlier they vetoed a separate $740 billion defense policy bill. This marks the first veto of his policy if the Senate approves it later this week. 
&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-signs-covid-19-relief-and-spending-bill-352807/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Last week, Trump had threatened to block a pandemic aid stimulus package, while asking Congress to boost payments from $600 to $2,000 and to cut other spending.&nbsp;

As another government shutdown loomed, Trump backed down and signed the aid relief. 
 
In this rare agreement with Trump, Democrats approved the proposal in the House, hoping to bring larger relief cheques to Americans. Trump is leaving office in less than a month from now when President-elect Joe Biden will officially take over presidential duties.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-security-agencies-incurred-enormous-damage-during-trump-administration-biden-353040" hreflang="en">US security agencies incurred 'enormous damage' during Trump administration: Biden</a>

130 Republicans, two independents, and two Democrats opposed increasing the stimulus relief for people.

Even though Trump has signed the $2.3 trillion relief package into law on Sunday, he continued to demand $2,000 cheques. The $2.3 trillion fund includes $1.4 trillion for government agencies and $892 billion for coronavirus relief.

Republican lawmakers have said how a higher amount would add hundreds of billions to the relief bill, and as per the Joint Committee on Taxation, the increase would cost $464 billion.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/in-blow-to-trump-house-votes-to-override-veto-of-defense-bill-353039" hreflang="en">In blow to Trump, house votes to override veto of defense bill</a>

It is not clear how the measure to increase aid checks will fare in the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers have complained that the higher amount would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the latest relief bill.

On Tuesday, the Senate will convene to approve or reject the suggested increase in the stimulus. Donald Trump has continued to demand more money for Americans, attacking Democrats for approving the current bill.

US House of Representatives which is led by Democrats on Monday voted 275-134 to meet Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus relief cheques. The measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate.

US House of Representatives which is led by Democrats on Monday voted 275-134 to meet Donald Trump's demand for $2,000 coronavirus relief cheques. The measure will now be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate. Even though Democrats pushed forward to approve Republican stimulus payments, just earlier they vetoed a separate $740 billion defense policy bill. This marks the first veto of his policy if the Senate approves it later this week. Last week, Trump had threatened to block a pandemic aid stimulus package, while asking Congress to boost payments from $600 to $2,000 and to cut other spending. As another government shutdown loomed, Trump backed down and signed the aid relief. In this rare agreement with Trump, Democrats approved the proposal in the House, hoping to bring larger relief cheques to Americans. Trump is leaving office in less than a month from now when President-elect Joe Biden will officially take over presidential duties. Also read: US security agencies incurred 'enormous damage' during Trump administration: Biden 130 Republicans, two independents, and two Democrats opposed increasing the stimulus relief for people. Even though Trump has signed the $2.3 trillion relief package into law on Sunday, he continued to demand $2,000 cheques. The $2.3 trillion fund includes $1.4 trillion for government agencies and $892 billion for coronavirus relief. Republican lawmakers have said how a higher amount would add hundreds of billions to the relief bill, and as per the Joint Committee on Taxation, the increase would cost $464 billion. Also read: In blow to Trump, house votes to override veto of defense bill It is not clear how the measure to increase aid checks will fare in the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers have complained that the higher amount would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the latest relief bill. On Tuesday, the Senate will convene to approve or reject the suggested increase in the stimulus. Donald Trump has continued to demand more money for Americans, attacking Democrats for approving the current bill.

In rare agreement with Trump, Democrat-led US House approves demand for increasing coronavirus relief amount

US President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it did not do enough to help everyday people.

Due to this, millions of Americans are about to see their jobless benefits expire on Saturday.

Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on December 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending.

Without Trump's signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labour Department data.&nbsp;

After months of wrangling, Republicans and Democrats agreed to the package last weekend, with the support of the White House. Trump, who hands over power to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, did not object to terms of the deal before Congress voted it through on Monday night.

But since then he has complained that the bill gives too much money to special interests, cultural projects and foreign aid, while its one-time $600 stimulus checks to millions of struggling Americans were too small. He has demanded that be raised to $2,000.

Americans face an unprecedented holiday season amid a pandemic that has killed nearly 330,000 people in the United States, with a daily death toll now repeatedly well over 3,000 people, the highest since the pandemic began.

Trump spent much of Thursday and Christmas Day golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The bill has been sent to Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence.

On Saturday, Trump remained at his Mar-a-Lago club, with minimal staff but with members of his family, including senior advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. He has been sending tweets repeating his baseless claims about election fraud and accusing his fellow Republicans of abandoning him in his bid to overturn the election result, already shot down multiple times by US courts. He is yet to acknowledge Biden's November 3 victory.

Trump has also repeated his discontent over a $740 billion bill authorising the nation's defense programs, a legislation he vetoed last week.

On Monday, the House is scheduled to vote on overriding Trump's veto. If the House vote succeeds, the Senate could hold its vote as early as Tuesday.

Also, a partial government shutdown will now begin on Tuesday unless Congress can agree a stop-gap government funding bill before then.

 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it did not do enough to help everyday people.

US President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it did not do enough to help everyday people. Due to this, millions of Americans are about to see their jobless benefits expire on Saturday. Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on December 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending. Without Trump's signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labour Department data. After months of wrangling, Republicans and Democrats agreed to the package last weekend, with the support of the White House. Trump, who hands over power to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, did not object to terms of the deal before Congress voted it through on Monday night. But since then he has complained that the bill gives too much money to special interests, cultural projects and foreign aid, while its one-time $600 stimulus checks to millions of struggling Americans were too small. He has demanded that be raised to $2,000. Americans face an unprecedented holiday season amid a pandemic that has killed nearly 330,000 people in the United States, with a daily death toll now repeatedly well over 3,000 people, the highest since the pandemic began. Trump spent much of Thursday and Christmas Day golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The bill has been sent to Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence. On Saturday, Trump remained at his Mar-a-Lago club, with minimal staff but with members of his family, including senior advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. He has been sending tweets repeating his baseless claims about election fraud and accusing his fellow Republicans of abandoning him in his bid to overturn the election result, already shot down multiple times by US courts. He is yet to acknowledge Biden's November 3 victory. Trump has also repeated his discontent over a $740 billion bill authorising the nation's defense programs, a legislation he vetoed last week. On Monday, the House is scheduled to vote on overriding Trump's veto. If the House vote succeeds, the Senate could hold its vote as early as Tuesday. Also, a partial government shutdown will now begin on Tuesday unless Congress can agree a stop-gap government funding bill before then.

Trump refuses to budge over aid bill, millions risk losing jobless benefits

The year will turn, Joe Biden will take the oath of office, and we’ll heal.

That was the fundamental promise of his campaign, no? That was the hope.

But I’m struggling mightily to hold on to even a sliver of it.

Like President-elect Biden, I believe in common ground, in comity, in identifying where we intersect rather than where we diverge. I was drawn to him, as were a critical mass of other Americans, because he represented the calm after the storm, the sense after the sensation.

But is calm a mirage? Is normalcy obsolete? In the many weeks since it became clear that he lost the election, Donald Trump has successfully marketed an outrageous alternate reality, so that 70% of registered Republican voters, according to a Quinnipiac poll this month, believe that Biden’s victory was illegitimate. Trump has taken his refusal to concede to historic, previously unthinkable lengths. And an overwhelming majority of Republican members of Congress have played along, actively or passively, many of them knowing better, all of them traitors to democracy and profiles in cowardice.

To this crew Biden is supposed to extend an olive branch?

From this bunch he’s expected to wring droplets of decency?

Wishing for that may be like looking for leprechauns. The new year will let us know.

The current one, at long last ending, just about finished us. America was a frayed tapestry in the grip of some cosmic hands that kept pulling it apart, harder and harder. The most wickedly divisive, wantonly self-serving president in the country’s modern history went full-bore nihilist. A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that should have given us shared purpose turned us against one another.

But that president is packing. The advent of effective vaccines promises a far side to all the death and fear. We have an opportunity to discover what measure of cooperation, integrity and plain old practicality we have left in us.

That’s going to be the political story of 2021, the one that overarches any specific confirmation hearing, any particular scandal, the fading thunder of Trump’s henchmen and the cruel aftershocks of social lockdowns and economic slowdown.

We’ll either seize this fresh chance — maybe our best chance — to get along, just a little, and get something done. Or we’ll blow it.

We’ll either take baby steps back toward a chapter of American government less savagely partisan than the past few years — and decades — have been, or we’ll accept polarization and paralysis as the country’s default setting for the foreseeable future. The stakes feel exactly that big to me.

“I think it’s very hard to get back to the way things were,” said Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Senate Republican who voted to convict Trump at the end of his impeachment trial. We spoke the day after the electors in the Electoral College formalized Biden’s victory.

One of the obstacles, Romney said, is a media environment in which different Americans now consume entirely different facts. “If you have 70% of Republicans thinking that Biden stole the election, that’s a hard hole to dig out of,” he said.

But if any president can make headway in this era of gall and grievance, it’s Biden. He was elected to soothe rather than stir, plod rather than strut, and by all appearances so far, he understands that.

Just look at his preternatural reticence in the face of Trump’s and other Republicans’ postelection provocations. Across much of November and December, reporters sought from Biden some howl of anguish, some fiery denunciation, and got oratorical oatmeal instead. He murmured metronomically that Republicans would eventually come around. It was unsatisfying but right. What would be accomplished by screaming the opposite?

Even when he finally took Trump and his Republican enablers to task in a speech Dec. 14, he did so with an appeal for unity and a renewed pledge to work as hard for the Americans who hadn’t voted for him as for the Americans who had. His recriminations were measured and sandwiched between feel-good reflections on democracy.

Three days later, when he and Jill Biden were interviewed by Stephen Colbert, he remained impossibly placid and insistently positive as Colbert wondered about the ferocity with which Republicans were going after Biden’s son, Hunter. “It is what it is,” Biden said, assuring Colbert that no matter how unfair or overzealous Republicans’ effort, he would always try to work with them when Americans’ welfare was in the balance.

That’s not just public posturing. The Washington Post reported that in a recent meeting with supporters of his, he was upbeat about opportunities for bipartisanship, telling them: “I may eat these words, but I predict to you: As Donald Trump’s shadow fades away, you’re going to see an awful lot change.”

Jack Markell, the Democratic former governor of Delaware, told me that Biden “has demonstrated an incredible amount of maturity by taking this long game and not getting in any spats in the meantime. His tone has been perfect, and that will serve him well.”

So will his 36 years in the Senate and eight as vice president. He has dealt extensively with many powerful Republicans in Congress, and they have dealt with him, enough to appreciate, at least privately, that he’s neither an ideologue nor a grandstander.

“Republican senators from Mitch McConnell on down know his intentions,” Pete Buttigieg, whose campaign for the presidency emphasized the need to end the ceaseless warfare in Washington, told me in an interview more than a week before he emerged as Biden’s nominee for transportation secretary. “They know that he’s a good person. They know that he has good will.” Buttigieg added that he wasn’t speaking “as a kind of partisan defender of Joe Biden” but as someone familiar with what Republican lawmakers say about the president-elect when they’re away from microphones and television cameras.

Obviously, Biden’s interactions with McConnell will be shaped by the outcome of the two Senate runoffs in Georgia and whether Democrats or Republicans control the chamber. Either way, though, McConnell will play a major role in the fate of Biden’s agenda, and the faint, flickering possibility that the two might not end up as mortal enemies locked in perpetual combat was captured in the media’s fascination, following Election Day, with whether they had begun talking.

It was as if all the political journalists in Washington were packed onto some widow’s walk craning their necks for the first sign of bipartisanship’s mast. There! On the horizon! An across-the-aisle phone call!

“I feel like I’m on a roller-coaster ride, running between hopeful and hopeless,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. We spoke just hours before the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit from her state’s Republican attorney general that asked the justices to throw out the results in four states, Texas not among them, that voted for Biden. Seventeen other Republican state attorneys general supported the suit. So did 126 of her Republican colleagues in the House, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader.

“Initially,” Escobar said, “I was so furious and disgusted. There are lawyers on that list. There are veterans on that list. I was on the airplane, reading those names, shaking my head, saying, ‘My God, what is going on here?’ But then there was the hopeful me that looked for the names of certain colleagues and was relieved that they were not on that list.” Indeed, 70 House Republicans took a pass.

“That’s where I found my hope,” Escobar said. “Maybe they’re the path forward.”

There are additional places to find hope. The vaccination campaign that just began casts government as a constructive, even lifesaving force. And once enough of us have been vaccinated, we can — and may yearn to — come together, both literally and figuratively. Buttigieg envisioned “this return, I hope, to a different kind of social and physical life by summertime.”

“That just changes what it feels like to be an American,” he said. “That’s not a policy thing, but it’s a dynamic that’ll be happening all around us.”

Although House Republicans continued, even after the Electoral College had spoken, to cower before and coddle Trump, Senate Republicans began to sing a more melodious tune, with McConnell as their unlikely choirmaster.

He not only declared on the Senate floor that “the Electoral College has spoken” and publicly congratulated Biden; he also privately instructed Republican senators not to indulge Trump’s attack on those results.

Biden, ever affable, called and thanked McConnell. Can this marriage indeed be saved?

Romney’s answer was especially interesting, as he’s among the small but consequential contingent of Republican lawmakers from whom the Biden administration would seek cooperation. And he said that the fate of comity hinged on key variables, some of which are outside Biden’s control:

“What is Trump going to do?” he wondered aloud. “Will he get tired of the prospect of being on TV every day and battling? I don’t think so. Will people move on or will they continue to want to be entertained by a particularly skilled showman?”

If they remain rapt and his show is the usual pageant of paranoia and self-pity, it’s hard to see how Washington changes.

Also, Romney said, “Where does my party go? That will affect the nature of the dialogue. There are two roads we can take. One road is: We need to get the youth, we need to do better with minorities, we need to regain the suburbs that we lost. I don’t see a lot of people arguing for that.”

He meant in terms of future party leaders and Republicans who might be looking at the 2024 presidential race. “Ben Sasse, Chris Christie,” he said, referring to the Nebraska senator and the former New Jersey governor. “That’s about all that I can come up with.”

But, he added, “the other lane” of politicians trying to appropriate Trump’s populism is crowded. He mentioned Sens. Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who served as Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations. If they drive the Republican conversation, he said, “that would represent a challenging environment for a Biden administration.”

“On the other hand,” he said, “there are a number of us who feel a responsibility to work on a bipartisan basis.” Romney was in a small group of Republicans and Democrats who proposed a stimulus deal that seemed to move the pandemic-relief legislation forward, and the House’s and Senate’s later passage of a sweeping $900 billion relief package, no matter how seriously flawed, “showed the ascendance of moderates as a new force in a divided Senate” and validated Biden’s “belief that it is still possible to make deals on Capitol Hill,” Carl Hulse wrote in The Times on Monday.

Biden could be helped by the care he has taken not to seem too partisan himself. “I haven’t evaluated the Cabinet terribly closely, but they have not yet been alarming,” Romney said. “They’re adults. They’re Democrats and they’re more liberal than I am, but that’s what the nation has chosen.”

It’s crucial, he said, for Biden “to recognize that while he won by 7 million votes, President Trump got a record number of votes as well. And part of that is because people were very fearful of things that they thought he might do.” He gave the Green New Deal as an example. “Don’t prove the fearmongers right. Don’t go out with a bevy of cultural actions that will terrify and energize the most extreme voices in my party.”

And don’t pin all of the pain caused by the pandemic on Trump. That was the plea of Rep. Susan Brooks, an Indiana Republican who is retiring from Congress after four terms in the House. “This is not one person’s, one administration’s, one party’s fault, and yet I can already see that beginning: to place all of this death and destruction at the feet of President Trump,” she told me. “And that’s not fair.”

More to the point, it’s not a remedy, it’s not forward-looking, and it plays into Republicans’ fervent and comity-thwarting belief that Democrats and the media never, from the very beginning, gave Trump the benefit of the doubt.

You know who gets that? Biden.

Even as Trump’s irrationally furious supporters threatened election officials, even as they took violently to the streets, even as Trump and many Republican lawmakers encouraged them with unsubstantiated claims about fraudulent votes and even as Biden correctly called this out as “unconscionable” in that Dec. 14 speech, he emphasized Americans’ goodness and America’s greatness. It wasn’t just an oratorical feat. It was a spiritual and emotional one.

“We need to work together to give each other a chance to lower the temperature,” he said. “We may come from different places, hold different beliefs, but we share in common a love for this country.”

That’s another conviction that I struggle with. But it’s essential — it’s everything — that Joe Biden embraces it.

The year will turn, Joe Biden will take the oath of office, and we’ll heal. That was the fundamental promise of his campaign, no? That was the hope. But I’m struggling mightily to hold on to even a sliver of it.

The year will turn, Joe Biden will take the oath of office, and we’ll heal. That was the fundamental promise of his campaign, no? That was the hope. But I’m struggling mightily to hold on to even a sliver of it. Like President-elect Biden, I believe in common ground, in comity, in identifying where we intersect rather than where we diverge. I was drawn to him, as were a critical mass of other Americans, because he represented the calm after the storm, the sense after the sensation. But is calm a mirage? Is normalcy obsolete? In the many weeks since it became clear that he lost the election, Donald Trump has successfully marketed an outrageous alternate reality, so that 70% of registered Republican voters, according to a Quinnipiac poll this month, believe that Biden’s victory was illegitimate. Trump has taken his refusal to concede to historic, previously unthinkable lengths. And an overwhelming majority of Republican members of Congress have played along, actively or passively, many of them knowing better, all of them traitors to democracy and profiles in cowardice. To this crew Biden is supposed to extend an olive branch? From this bunch he’s expected to wring droplets of decency? Wishing for that may be like looking for leprechauns. The new year will let us know. The current one, at long last ending, just about finished us. America was a frayed tapestry in the grip of some cosmic hands that kept pulling it apart, harder and harder. The most wickedly divisive, wantonly self-serving president in the country’s modern history went full-bore nihilist. A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that should have given us shared purpose turned us against one another. But that president is packing. The advent of effective vaccines promises a far side to all the death and fear. We have an opportunity to discover what measure of cooperation, integrity and plain old practicality we have left in us. That’s going to be the political story of 2021, the one that overarches any specific confirmation hearing, any particular scandal, the fading thunder of Trump’s henchmen and the cruel aftershocks of social lockdowns and economic slowdown. We’ll either seize this fresh chance — maybe our best chance — to get along, just a little, and get something done. Or we’ll blow it. We’ll either take baby steps back toward a chapter of American government less savagely partisan than the past few years — and decades — have been, or we’ll accept polarization and paralysis as the country’s default setting for the foreseeable future. The stakes feel exactly that big to me. “I think it’s very hard to get back to the way things were,” said Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Senate Republican who voted to convict Trump at the end of his impeachment trial. We spoke the day after the electors in the Electoral College formalized Biden’s victory. One of the obstacles, Romney said, is a media environment in which different Americans now consume entirely different facts. “If you have 70% of Republicans thinking that Biden stole the election, that’s a hard hole to dig out of,” he said. But if any president can make headway in this era of gall and grievance, it’s Biden. He was elected to soothe rather than stir, plod rather than strut, and by all appearances so far, he understands that. Just look at his preternatural reticence in the face of Trump’s and other Republicans’ postelection provocations. Across much of November and December, reporters sought from Biden some howl of anguish, some fiery denunciation, and got oratorical oatmeal instead. He murmured metronomically that Republicans would eventually come around. It was unsatisfying but right. What would be accomplished by screaming the opposite? Even when he finally took Trump and his Republican enablers to task in a speech Dec. 14, he did so with an appeal for unity and a renewed pledge to work as hard for the Americans who hadn’t voted for him as for the Americans who had. His recriminations were measured and sandwiched between feel-good reflections on democracy. Three days later, when he and Jill Biden were interviewed by Stephen Colbert, he remained impossibly placid and insistently positive as Colbert wondered about the ferocity with which Republicans were going after Biden’s son, Hunter. “It is what it is,” Biden said, assuring Colbert that no matter how unfair or overzealous Republicans’ effort, he would always try to work with them when Americans’ welfare was in the balance. That’s not just public posturing. The Washington Post reported that in a recent meeting with supporters of his, he was upbeat about opportunities for bipartisanship, telling them: “I may eat these words, but I predict to you: As Donald Trump’s shadow fades away, you’re going to see an awful lot change.” Jack Markell, the Democratic former governor of Delaware, told me that Biden “has demonstrated an incredible amount of maturity by taking this long game and not getting in any spats in the meantime. His tone has been perfect, and that will serve him well.” So will his 36 years in the Senate and eight as vice president. He has dealt extensively with many powerful Republicans in Congress, and they have dealt with him, enough to appreciate, at least privately, that he’s neither an ideologue nor a grandstander. “Republican senators from Mitch McConnell on down know his intentions,” Pete Buttigieg, whose campaign for the presidency emphasized the need to end the ceaseless warfare in Washington, told me in an interview more than a week before he emerged as Biden’s nominee for transportation secretary. “They know that he’s a good person. They know that he has good will.” Buttigieg added that he wasn’t speaking “as a kind of partisan defender of Joe Biden” but as someone familiar with what Republican lawmakers say about the president-elect when they’re away from microphones and television cameras. Obviously, Biden’s interactions with McConnell will be shaped by the outcome of the two Senate runoffs in Georgia and whether Democrats or Republicans control the chamber. Either way, though, McConnell will play a major role in the fate of Biden’s agenda, and the faint, flickering possibility that the two might not end up as mortal enemies locked in perpetual combat was captured in the media’s fascination, following Election Day, with whether they had begun talking. It was as if all the political journalists in Washington were packed onto some widow’s walk craning their necks for the first sign of bipartisanship’s mast. There! On the horizon! An across-the-aisle phone call! “I feel like I’m on a roller-coaster ride, running between hopeful and hopeless,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. We spoke just hours before the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit from her state’s Republican attorney general that asked the justices to throw out the results in four states, Texas not among them, that voted for Biden. Seventeen other Republican state attorneys general supported the suit. So did 126 of her Republican colleagues in the House, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader. “Initially,” Escobar said, “I was so furious and disgusted. There are lawyers on that list. There are veterans on that list. I was on the airplane, reading those names, shaking my head, saying, ‘My God, what is going on here?’ But then there was the hopeful me that looked for the names of certain colleagues and was relieved that they were not on that list.” Indeed, 70 House Republicans took a pass. “That’s where I found my hope,” Escobar said. “Maybe they’re the path forward.” There are additional places to find hope. The vaccination campaign that just began casts government as a constructive, even lifesaving force. And once enough of us have been vaccinated, we can — and may yearn to — come together, both literally and figuratively. Buttigieg envisioned “this return, I hope, to a different kind of social and physical life by summertime.” “That just changes what it feels like to be an American,” he said. “That’s not a policy thing, but it’s a dynamic that’ll be happening all around us.” Although House Republicans continued, even after the Electoral College had spoken, to cower before and coddle Trump, Senate Republicans began to sing a more melodious tune, with McConnell as their unlikely choirmaster. He not only declared on the Senate floor that “the Electoral College has spoken” and publicly congratulated Biden; he also privately instructed Republican senators not to indulge Trump’s attack on those results. Biden, ever affable, called and thanked McConnell. Can this marriage indeed be saved? Romney’s answer was especially interesting, as he’s among the small but consequential contingent of Republican lawmakers from whom the Biden administration would seek cooperation. And he said that the fate of comity hinged on key variables, some of which are outside Biden’s control: “What is Trump going to do?” he wondered aloud. “Will he get tired of the prospect of being on TV every day and battling? I don’t think so. Will people move on or will they continue to want to be entertained by a particularly skilled showman?” If they remain rapt and his show is the usual pageant of paranoia and self-pity, it’s hard to see how Washington changes. Also, Romney said, “Where does my party go? That will affect the nature of the dialogue. There are two roads we can take. One road is: We need to get the youth, we need to do better with minorities, we need to regain the suburbs that we lost. I don’t see a lot of people arguing for that.” He meant in terms of future party leaders and Republicans who might be looking at the 2024 presidential race. “Ben Sasse, Chris Christie,” he said, referring to the Nebraska senator and the former New Jersey governor. “That’s about all that I can come up with.” But, he added, “the other lane” of politicians trying to appropriate Trump’s populism is crowded. He mentioned Sens. Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, along with Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who served as Trump’s first ambassador to the United Nations. If they drive the Republican conversation, he said, “that would represent a challenging environment for a Biden administration.” “On the other hand,” he said, “there are a number of us who feel a responsibility to work on a bipartisan basis.” Romney was in a small group of Republicans and Democrats who proposed a stimulus deal that seemed to move the pandemic-relief legislation forward, and the House’s and Senate’s later passage of a sweeping $900 billion relief package, no matter how seriously flawed, “showed the ascendance of moderates as a new force in a divided Senate” and validated Biden’s “belief that it is still possible to make deals on Capitol Hill,” Carl Hulse wrote in The Times on Monday. Biden could be helped by the care he has taken not to seem too partisan himself. “I haven’t evaluated the Cabinet terribly closely, but they have not yet been alarming,” Romney said. “They’re adults. They’re Democrats and they’re more liberal than I am, but that’s what the nation has chosen.” It’s crucial, he said, for Biden “to recognize that while he won by 7 million votes, President Trump got a record number of votes as well. And part of that is because people were very fearful of things that they thought he might do.” He gave the Green New Deal as an example. “Don’t prove the fearmongers right. Don’t go out with a bevy of cultural actions that will terrify and energize the most extreme voices in my party.” And don’t pin all of the pain caused by the pandemic on Trump. That was the plea of Rep. Susan Brooks, an Indiana Republican who is retiring from Congress after four terms in the House. “This is not one person’s, one administration’s, one party’s fault, and yet I can already see that beginning: to place all of this death and destruction at the feet of President Trump,” she told me. “And that’s not fair.” More to the point, it’s not a remedy, it’s not forward-looking, and it plays into Republicans’ fervent and comity-thwarting belief that Democrats and the media never, from the very beginning, gave Trump the benefit of the doubt. You know who gets that? Biden. Even as Trump’s irrationally furious supporters threatened election officials, even as they took violently to the streets, even as Trump and many Republican lawmakers encouraged them with unsubstantiated claims about fraudulent votes and even as Biden correctly called this out as “unconscionable” in that Dec. 14 speech, he emphasized Americans’ goodness and America’s greatness. It wasn’t just an oratorical feat. It was a spiritual and emotional one. “We need to work together to give each other a chance to lower the temperature,” he said. “We may come from different places, hold different beliefs, but we share in common a love for this country.” That’s another conviction that I struggle with. But it’s essential — it’s everything — that Joe Biden embraces it.

Biden’s withering olive branch

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