Trump lashes out at ‘rigged election’ moments after sharing Christmas video with Melania

After sending several rounds of legal notices to right-wing media and Trump’s attorneys, including Rudy Giuliani, defamation lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems have also sent letters to individuals at Fox News – including Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, and Maria Bartiromo, as well as radio host Rush Limbaugh, Business Insider has reported.

Read more on Dominion’s mounting legal battle at The Independent:

The US Postal Service has agreed to treat ballots in Georgia’s critical US Senate runoff as express mail and expedite delivery ahead of election day on 5 January.

The settlement with the NAACP and Vote Forward with the USPS avoids a court battle as election day nears.

The outcome of that election – with Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue facing Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively – will determine where Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate, shifting the the balance of power in Congress under Joe Biden’s administration.

“Every ballot must be counted, and this agreement with the USPS is a significant step in ensuring that the mail-in voting process for the Georgia runoff election will ensure the timely delivery of ballots,” said Sam Spital, Director of Litigation for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund.

 The statement continued: “The agreement provides for the prioritization of ballot delivery, the timely resolution of any delays in the delivery system, and transparency into the USPS process for ensuring that no voters are disenfranchised. LDF will continue to monitor every aspect of the Georgia election to ensure that all voters – especially Black voters who consistently face suppression and intimidation tactics – can participate via mail, through early voting or in person on Election Day.”

A Black woman who complained about racist treatment from the doctor in charge of her care has died from complications caused by the coronavirus.

Susan Moore, herself a doctor, posted an emotional video earlier this month from hospital, where she was being treated for Covid-19, in which she described being denied pain medication by the doctor.

“I was in so much pain from my neck. My neck hurt so bad. I was crushed. He made me feel like I was a drug addict, and he knew I was a physician. I don’t take narcotics. I was hurting,” the 52-year-old said from her hospital bed, as she fought to hold back tears.

Donald and Melania have shared a video message for Christmas, as the president promises the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine will end the “terrible pandemic” and the First Lady celebrates health workers, police and “the kindness and courage of citizens across this country.”

Well, that didn’t last long. Moments after sharing his Christmas message, Trump is back to falsely claiming Democrats “stole the rigged election."

He has renewed his battle with the GOP, asking why Republicans aren’t “up in arms & fighting” over the election results.

His latest message follows legal notices sent to his attorneys and his allies in right-wing media that have falsely connected Dominion Voting Systems to fraud, central to conspiracies amplified by his supporters.

Defamation attorneys for Dominion Voting Systems have issued legal notices to Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, and Maria Bartiromo, as well as radio host Rush Limbaugh, warning legal action is “imminent” after they’ve aired voter fraud conspiracies. The company has also sent similar letters to Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and the White House.

Ms Bartiromo also was duped on Wednesday into interviewing an animal rights activist posing as the CEO of a major food processing company. She was actually interviewing Matt Johnson with animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere for six whole minutes.

Now Trump appears to be defending them.

Trump has instructed his advisers to keep tabs on potential Republicans to target in the 2022 primaries, as he grows increasingly frustrated with “disloyal” members of the GOP, according to Politico.

With a huge war chest and massive cult-like devotion among the party’s base, Team Trump is strategising how best to put them to use ahead of the 2022 elections, when a number of vulnerable congressional Republicans are up for re-election.

“President Trump has the biggest social media influence and the biggest political war chest in the country, and he’s not going to be afraid to use it in 2022 to elect pro-Trump Republicans — even if that means wading into primaries,” a senior Trump political adviser told the website.

Former acting FBI director calls Trump pardons “remarkably disgusting” 

Former FBI chief Andrew McCabe criticised Donald Trump’s recent spate of pardons - which includes Iraq war criminals and GOP operatives involved in the Ukraine scandal that led to his impeachment - as “undermining the system of justice that he is supposed to protect and defend.” 

The Independent’s staff delves further into Mr McCabe’s thoughts here. 

Trump loses another election lawsuit 

The 7th Circuit Court affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of Wisconsin’s elections. 

The lawsuit challenged the legality of Wisconsin’s selection of electors in the 2020 election. 

Mr Trump has thus far lost 59 lawsuits challenging the results of the election. 

Could Ghislaine Maxwell be the next person to receive a pardon from Trump? 

With his options for overturning the 2020 elections nearly depleted, Donald Trump is spending his final days in power making chaotic decisions, like pardoning Iraq war criminals, derailing the coronavirus relief bill and downplaying a massive cyberattack his own staff have attributed to Russia. 

The Independent’s Andrew Buncome writes that his next move may be among the most shocking; pardoning accused sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Read on for a detailed look at the likelihood of the pardon.