Don Jr tests positive, as his father dodges media questions

Here’s the latest on the US present’s Wednesday morning Twitter meltdown, which has so far included at least two tweet in ALL CAPS, claims of election “fraud all over the country", and calling election officials “sad” and a “joke”.  

In Georgia, which the US president said was a “joke” as it neared completion of a statewide recount on Wednesday, election officials had earlier suggested that Mr Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about the vulnerability of mail-in voting likely suppressed about 24,500 Republicans from casting their ballots. 

The state’s leading election official, Brad Raffensperger, told WSB TV on Tuesday that “He would have won by 10,000 votes [but] he actually suppressed, depressed his own voting base.”

Joe Biden is expected to win the state by around 13,000 when final results are announced this week. 

Shewta Sharman reports: 

According to an anonymous US official, president Donald Trump plans on taking part in Friday’s online APEC summit, in which he is expected to come virtually face-to-face with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. 

Mr Trump, who has only ever participated in one meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, will participate while his campaign pushes legal challenges in US courts over the outcome of the 3 November election, which he has so far refused to concede.

While the US president has become increasingly hostile towards China since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s government has already congratulated his election opponent and president-elect, Joe Biden, on his victory. 

Here’s the latest:

Hours before a deadline to submit a recount request in Wisconsin, Donald Trump’s legal team formally requested a recount in several counties in the state on Wednesday. 

It is the latest in a series of legal manoeuvres designed to - at best - delay the president’s concession to Joe Biden, who won the 3 Nonmember election. 

On current tallies, Joe Biden has defeated Mr Trump in the state by less than 21,000 votes, which is similar to Mr Trump’s margin over Hillary Clinton in 2016. 

And that lead is unlikely to be changed dramatically by a recount. 

Andrew Naughtie has the latest:

Death threats sent to Georgia secretary of state and wife

Georgia’s secretary of state has reportedly received death threats along with his wife as the state conducts a recount of the presidential election, amid pressure from his fellow Republicans to find ways to exclude ballots.

Brad Raffensperger’s wife was sent several threatening text messages after he announced the state would conduct a hand recount of the presidential race, as President Donald Trump and some Georgia Republicans promoted unfounded claims of voting irregularities and mismanagement.

One message sent to Mr Raffensperger’s wife read: “Your husband deserves to face a firing squad.”

“You better not botch this recount,” another message read. “Your life depends on it.”

Chris Riotta reports.

Former chief of staff ‘a little concerned’ about use of Giuliani

In an appearance on Fox Business News, former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said he was "a little concerned about the use of Rudy Giuliani" in the challenges to election results.

He said: “They’re not using the most well-noted election lawyers," following that with “this is not a television program, this is the real thing.”

Pompeo mocked for cheering ‘free and fair elections’ abroad as Trump questions US results

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is being ridiculed for comments celebrating electoral integrity abroad even as Donald Trump spreads misinformation to insist that he has in fact won re-election — and sues in various states to have votes thrown out altogether.

Mr Pompeo made the remarks while visiting the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, where he met with prime minister Giorgi Gakharia, a key US ally in the region.

During his visit, the secretary tweeted that it was “great” to “discuss the importance of holding free, fair, and transparent elections in Georgia”, while affirming the US’s support for the country’s sovereignty “in the face of Russian occupation”.

The Independent’s Andrew Naughtie has more.

White House refusing to answer questions

CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins notes that it has been two weeks since the president answered any questions from the press, and that national security advisers refused to comment on the announcement of major troop movements yesterday.

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany twice today declined to take questions from the press, but on the second attempt told them: “Maybe later on."

Could the final power moves of the Trump presidency change our planet forever?

On Independent Voices, senior climate correspondent Louise Boyle examines the shocking opening up of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling leases, and how the Trump administration is speeding it all up before Joe Biden takes office.

Trump campaign paid $3m for recount of two heavily Democratic Wisconsin counties

Donald Trump’s campaign has paid $3m for a recount of two heavily Democratic Wisconsin counties, saying on Wednesday that they were the site of the “worst irregularities” although no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented and state elections officials have said there was none.

Trump paid for the recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties overnight Tuesday and plans to submit the required paperwork to trigger the recount on Wednesday, the campaign said in a statement.

In the two counties Trump chose for the recount, Democrat Joe Biden received 577,455 votes compared with 213,157 for Trump. Biden won statewide by 20,608 votes, based on canvassed results submitted by the counties.

Recounts in Wisconsin and across the country have historically resulted in very few vote changes. A 2016 presidential recount in Wisconsin netted Trump an additional 131 votes.

Reporting from The Associated Press