President lauds Operation Warp Speed success but says New York will have to wait for vaccine
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump broke his eight day silence with an update on Operation Warp Speed, the project to distribute a vaccine when it is approved by the Food & Drug Administration.
The Rose Garden briefing comes on the day that most networks finally called Georgia for Joe Biden and North Carolina for the president, putting the electoral college votes at 306 to 232 in favour of the Democrat.
In a slight verbal stumble, the president came close to acknowledging that the administration may be in its last days. No formal statement was made regarding the election result. He did not answer any questions.
Trump is being tipped to announce a fresh presidential run in 2024 as he continues to refuse to acknowledge his election defeat to Mr Biden, now president-elect and preparing for government as Mr Trump fires out conspiracy theories in angry tweets from the Oval Office.
The president has meanwhile been branded an “elixir of racial anxiety” by his predecessor, Barack Obama, in an advanced extract from the latter’s new memoir A Promised Land, reflecting on the toxic political undercurrent the former real estate mogul and reality TV star was able to capitalise on to win the White House in 2016.
Mr Obama has also made his first remarks on the current undemocratic impasse in Washington, telling Scott Pelley on 60 Minutes that the Republican Party is “humouring” the incumbent in his delusional rejection of the outcome and taking the country down “a dangerous path”.
• Read more: Follow live updates in our dedicated election liveblog
Live: Trump holds news conference on Covid vaccine development
Biden releases statement on Covid
While we wait for the president to make a state on the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, Joe Biden has reiterated his call for every American to wear a mask.
"I am the president-elect, but I will not be president until next year. The crisis does not respect dates on the calendar, it is accelerating right now. Urgent action is needed today, now, by the current administration."
President Trump is now making remarks about the response to the coronavirus - calls it an “incredible effort”.
These are his first public remarks since the election was called in favour of Joe Biden.
President Trump says it was an unfortunate mistake that Pfizer said it wasn’t part of Operation Warp Speed and that they got $1.95 billion, but Pfizer says it is part of Operation Warp Speed as a supplier of a potential vaccine.
Trump then says everyone will get the vaccine except for the residents of New York State, until Governor Cuomo authorises it.
"We can't be delivering it to a state that won't be giving it to its people," he said. "It pains me to say that."
“This administration will not go into a lockdown … who knows what will happen in the future.”
This administration will not go into a lockdown…
This is as close as he’s come to acknowledging defeat.
Some background on Trump’s New York comments
Here’s what we wrote at the time when governor Cuomo said that the state would review any vaccine given the politicisation of the process under the Trump administration.
“Once New York’s independent Clinical Advisory Task Force has advised that a Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective, the vaccine will be distributed and administered throughout New York State."
Cuomo says NYC will use independent panel for future Covid-19 vaccine
‘I believe all across the country you’re going to need someone other than this FDA and this CDC saying it’s safe’
Trump ends the press event and did not respond to any questions shouted by the assembled reporters.
Not so much a press conference, more a reading of statements.
After eight days Trump emerges from White House to take credit for vaccine
The president spoke on what became a particularly bad day for his already longshot reelection legal bid.
Washington Bureau Chief John T Bennett reports.
Trump emerges from White House to take credit for vaccine and leaves open door for second term
The president spoke on what became a particularly bad day for his already longshot reelection legal bid
Trump says coronavirus vaccine will not be delivered to New York until governor accepts it
Donald Trump has said that the coronavirus vaccine under Operation Warp Speed will be delivered to all states “within weeks”, except for the state of New York.
In a White House Rose Garden address, Mr Trump targeted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo when updating the public about the future of the coronavirus vaccine amid the pandemic.
Mr Trump accused the governor of not wanting to accept the coronavirus vaccine produced under his administration over “political reasons” and said that the federal government would therefore not send the jab until Mr Cuomo “authorises” for them to do so.
Full details on Mr Trump’s comments and Mr Cuomo’s response here:
Trump says coronavirus vaccine will not be delivered to New York until governor accepts it
‘He doesn’t trust where the vaccine is coming from,’ Mr Trump says
Trump to face ‘subpoenas and seizures’ following presidency, ex-Manhattan prosecutor says
An ex-Manhattan prosecutor has warned that “subpoenas and seizures” await President Donald Trump following his presidency
Daniel R Alonso, who acted as Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s top deputy from 2010 to 2014 and is now in private practice, made the projection to The New York Times.
“There are subpoenas and seizures and documents all over the place, as well as constant meetings with lawyers,” Mr Alonso said, adding, “It would certainly not be pleasant for him.”
Louise Hall reports:
Trump to face ‘subpoenas and seizures’ following presidency, ex-Manhattan prosecutor says
‘It would certainly not be pleasant for him’
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