Networks call Georgia for Biden as security officials say vote was ‘secure’
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Your support makes all the difference.As Donald Trump continues to refuse conceding the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden, the president-elect was said to have spoken with Senate Republicans who have begun to admit he should at least receive intelligence briefings that have so far been denied.
On Friday afternoon most networks called Georgia for Mr Biden and North Carolina for Mr Trump bringing their respective electoral college vote totals to 306 to 232.
US federal and state cybersecurity officials, meanwhile, have delivered a direct rebuke to Donald Trump, who continues to allege irregularities and widespread fraud without evidence.
Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the 3 November vote was “the most secure in history" in a report published Thursday, and added that Americans should trust the result. His agency had not find any evidence of ballots being lost, deleted or altered, he said.
A ‘blitz’ to push through his agenda: Trump could wreak global havoc over the last 10 weeks of his rule
Unshackled by domestic political considerations and enraged by what he and his adjutants have falsely described as a fraudulent election, the administration of outgoing US President Donald Trump appears set to inflict maximum damage on its perceived enemies and strive to do favours for its friends in the final weeks of its rule, worrying international observers who say his flailing final moves could inflict lasting harm.
Borzou Daragahi reports:
How Trump could wreak global havoc over the last 10 weeks of his rule
Sanctions, arms sales and troop withdrawals could all be announced before January
Trudeau congratulates Biden ‘again’ on US election win
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed on Twitter that he called President-elect Joe Biden on Monday to ‘again’ congratulate him on winning the US presidential election.
“I just spoke with @JoeBiden, and congratulated him again on his election. We’ve worked with each other before, and we’re ready to pick up on that work and tackle the challenges and opportunities facing our two countries - including climate change and COVID-19,” Mr Trudeau wrote.
In the tweet, he included a picture of himself speaking over the phone to the president-elect.
Mr Trudeau previously congratulated Mr Biden over Twitter on Saturday following the announcement that he was projected to win more than 270 electoral votes, the number needed for a presidential candidate to take the White House.
Many world leaders congratulated Mr Biden on the win, but some, including the Mexican president and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, have yet to offer their congratulations amid news President Donald Trump intends to challenge the election results.
British peer sparks outrage after calling Kamala Harris ‘the Indian’
A British peer has sparked outrage after referring to US vice president-elect Kamala Harris as “the Indian”.
Lord John Kilclooney, a former deputy leader of Northern Ireland’s Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), made the racially charged comment on Twitter while musing about the US presidency.
“What happens if Biden moves on and the Indian becomes President. Who then becomes Vice President?” Lord Kilclooney tweeted on Monday morning.
Tom Embury-Dennis reports:
British peer sparks outrage after calling Kamala Harris ‘the Indian’
Lord John Kilclooney has history of insulting people of Asian heritage
Another Republican senator congratulates Biden on election win
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican of Maine, has congratulated Joe Biden on his projected win in the presidential election.
“First, I would offer my congratulations to President-elect Biden on his apparent victory – he loves this country and I wish him success,” she said in a press release. “Presidential elections are important, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect should be given every opportunity to ensure that they are ready to govern on 20 January.”
The senator then addressed President Donald Trump’s claims voter fraud existed in the current election and his refusal to concede.
“I understand that the President and others have questions about the results in certain states,” she added. “There is a process in place to challenge those results and, consistent with the process, the President should be afforded the opportunity to do so.”
Read the senator’s full statement here:
Breaking: NASA boss to step down before Joe Biden becomes president
NASA boss Jim Bridenstine says he will step down before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
Graeme Massie reports:
NASA boss to step down before Joe Biden becomes president
Space agency administrator says president-elect needs own ‘trusted’ pick
As Putin and Xi bide their time, which world leaders have and have not congratulated Biden?
Days after Joe Biden's victory, the diplomatic dance has begun as world leaders rush to congratulate the former vice president on getting the top job.
But what is perhaps more interesting is the radio silence coming from a handful of leaders who so far appear reluctant to offer the president-elect their best wishes.
Matt Mathers has the full list of world leaders who have yet to congratulate Mr Biden.
Which world leaders have and have not congratulated Biden?
President-elect starts work by convening a coronavirus task force
Biden’s lead holds in key battleground states
Joe Biden has grown his lead in Georgia, as news organisations hold off from calling the battleground state in his favour.
His lead over President Donald Trump is now by more than 10,000 votes. In Arizona, Mr Biden leads by more than 16,000 votes and his lead in Nevada has grown to 36,000 votes. Pennsylvania, which was called in Mr Biden’s favour on Saturday, also shows a lead for the president-elect of more than 45,000 votes.
This comes as Republican Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting implementation manager, has said minimal fraud was found in Georgia.
"We are going to find that people did illegally vote," he said. “That will be found. Is it 10,353? Unlikely. But every election ... is imperfect. When the margins are this tight, every little thing matters. We know the system counted properly. We know that. And it's more than likely the president will ask for a recount to affirm that.”
He added that "mistakes will be made" when five million Georgians cast their vote.
Trump should run again in 2024 election, says Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham said that Donald Trump should consider running for president again in 2024 if his legal challenges to the results of this year's election fail to keep him in the White House.
Mr Graham made the comments during an interview on Fox News Radio program "The Brian Kilmeade Show".
Mr Graham would not say that Mr Trump lost the election, but said if the president were to "fall short" that he should continue with a second run and not "let his movement die."
Graig Graziosi reports:
Trump should run again in 2024, says Lindsey Graham
The senator refused to say that Mr Trump lost the election.
Sec. of State Pompeo dodges question about cooperating with Biden transition
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday ignored a reporter’s question about whether he would cooperate with the Biden administration’s transition team, which has begun its work after the Democrat won the presidential election.
The exchange came after a photo op between the US top diplomat and South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha, who was in Washington in part to discuss the ramifications of the 2020 election on relations between the two nations.
Neither the Trump campaign nor the US government agency responsible for the transition has formally recognized Mr Biden’s victory.
John Marcus reports:
Pompeo dodges question about cooperating with Biden transition
The Trump administration has yet to recognize president-elect Biden’s victory, even as he begins work on the presidential transition
Chef reveals Harris’ victory dinner after projected election win
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris celebrated her projected election win with family and friends at Krazy Kat’s Restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday night, the chef revealed.
Executive chef Dan Tagle was asked to create a meal for about 30 people, Fox News reported, but he was not told the guest of honour would be Ms Harris.
“It was very last-minute. We hammered out a menu on a moment's notice,” Mr Tagle told the news organisation, adding he got the call from Ms Harris campaign advisers.
The team request salmon, but the rest of the menu was up to Mr Tagle to decide. He served them a pear burrata salad as an appetiser and halibut, braised short ribs, asparagus, beef tenderloin with a port wine sauce as some of the main courses.
“She took the time to give a little speel about everything and personally thanked me, which blew me away. I said, ‘My daughters are super huge supporters of you. They’re going to lose it when they found out daddy met Kamala Harris,” Mr Tagle said.
He described Ms Harris as “super down-to-earth”.
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