Tag Archives: Donald Trump

North America - United States

US Election: Donald Trump’s election defiance in new havoc

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Giuliani and other Trump lawyers have seen baseless challenges to the vote counts thrown out by courts across the country.

President Donald Trumpโ€™s unprecedented attempt to defy the results of the US election were thrown into fresh disarray Wednesday when he abruptly canceled a trip reportedly meant to showcase his grievances with an appearance at the epic Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg.

Officially, Trump had nothing on his schedule but US media reports quoted officials saying that he planned an impromptu trip there โ€” his first outside the Washington area since losing his reelection to Democrat Joe Biden.

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Secret Service agents had reportedly shut down a hotel in the small Pennsylvania town, the site of a turning point in the Civil War where President Abraham Lincolnโ€™s North defeated the secessionist Southern forces.

A pool of journalists was gathered to accompany Trump from the White House to Pennsylvania but was told at the last minute that their trip was off.

According to CNN and other NoRM‘s known media reports, Trump planned to join his controversial lawyer Rudy Giuliani and state Republicans who were holding an unofficial โ€œhearingโ€ on their fraud claims in Gettysburg.

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Trumpโ€™s lawyers have so far not produced any substantive evidence of fraud and national election officials say there was none.

Biden won Pennsylvania by a margin of 80,000 votes on November 3, helping him assemble a convincing nationwide victory and making Trump a one-term president.

โ€“ Trumpโ€™s next presidential run? โ€“
Trump, who tore up countless norms during his four years in power, is carving out new territory with his refusal to concede to Biden, while supporters suggest he is already eying an announcement of running for president again in 2024.

Building his brand ahead of a new campaign might be one explanation for the real estate tycoonโ€™s dogged pursuit of such a lost cause.

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And while Trump is alleging โ€” among other evidence-free conspiracy theories โ€” that voting machines deliberately deleted millions of his votes, the government election security agency declared this โ€œthe most secureโ€ election in US history.

After coming under pressure from a slowly building trickle of senior Republicans, Trump on Monday ended his blockade of government assistance to ease Bidenโ€™s preparation for assuming the presidency on January 20.

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But Trump has yet to take even the simplest steps in the normal post-election protocol, starting with a phone call to Biden.

โ€œNo, I have not heard anything from President Trump,โ€ Biden told NoRM‘s known Media.

Given Trumpโ€™s threats before the election not to recognize the results, Biden told NoRM‘s known Media he is โ€œnot surprised by the response of the president.โ€

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Since the election, Trump has largely disappeared from his usual work schedule and has not once taken questions from journalists.

However, adding to the sense that he is focused on preparing his next political act, he continues to raise money from supporters contributing to an โ€œOfficial Election Defense Fund.โ€

Much of that money does not go to the lawyers promoting his fraud allegations but is instead being funneled into paying off 2020 campaign debts and building a future war chest with Trumpโ€™s political action committee.

Kate Bedingfield, a Biden spokeswoman, said the outgoing president was now the last person to accept the reality of the election.

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โ€œVirtually everyone on Earth has accepted that truth except for Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani,โ€ she said.

โ€œThe Trump campaign has been laughed out of every courtroom, with their meritless and baseless lawsuits meant to undermine the will of the American people. This is a sideshow.โ€

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#Newsworthy

North America - United States

US Election: Xi Jinping congratulates Joe Biden

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Xiโ€™s message came more than two weeks after several other major countries had congratulated Biden.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday congratulated Joe Biden on his US election victory, state media reported.

In his telegram, Xi said both countries should โ€œstick to no conflict or confrontation, mutual respect, (and) the spirit of win-win cooperationโ€ in order to promote the โ€œnoble causeโ€ of world peace and development.

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US-China relations have hit historic lows in recent months, as the two superpowers have traded barbs over a variety of issues including the trade war, espionage allegations, human rights, media freedoms and tech rivalry.

Both countries have repeatedly attacked each otherโ€™s handling of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, with Washington blaming Chinaโ€™s lack of transparency during the initial outbreak in Wuhan late last year.

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Xi added that the โ€œhealthy and stable development of US-China relations accords with the fundamental interests of both peoplesโ€.

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan also sent a congratulatory message to Kamala Harris on her election as US vice president, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Beijing had previously offered low-key congratulations to Biden and Harris on November 13, well after several major countries had congratulated the president-elect on his victory after days of turmoil and anticipation as votes in key states were finalised.

โ€œWe understand the US election results will be confirmed based on US law and procedure,โ€said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin during a routine briefing at the time.

Chinese mediaโ€™s response to Bidenโ€™s victory since the result was confirmed earlier this month has been similarly muted.

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#Newsworthy

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Cooperate with Biden’s transition – Trump asks Administration

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The decision frees up millions of dollars in financing to support the transition, as well as formally allows Biden to coordinate with current government officials.

President Donald Trump said Monday he no longer opposes government aid for Joe Bidenโ€™s transition team in his closest statement yet to finally conceding he lost the US election.

Trumpโ€™s tweet that the General Services Administration should โ€œdo what needs to be doneโ€ came after the agencyโ€™s head, Emily Murphy, said she was releasing the long-delayed assistance.

Trump has spent the last three weeks since the November 3 election claiming without any evidence that Bidenโ€™s convincing victory was the result of fraud.

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Murphy, who denies acting under political pressure, has refused until now to release the standard package of aid that her agency manages to Bidenโ€™s incoming team.

Bidenโ€™s team welcomed the decision, saying in a statement it will provide the incoming administration โ€œwith the resources and support necessary to carry out a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.โ€

โ€œTodayโ€™s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track. This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies.โ€

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Murphy, who had faced harsh criticism over her previous refusal to act, said in her letter to Biden obtained by various US news outlets that โ€œcontrary to media reports and insinuations, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism.โ€

The step by her GSA is usually a routine one following a US presidential election, but Trumpโ€™s continuing efforts to overturn the results of the vote and refusal to concede have complicated the process.

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President Donald Trump came his closest yet to admitting election defeat Monday after the government agency meant to ease Joe Bidenโ€™s transition into the White House said it was finally lifting its unprecedented block on assistance.
 Trump acknowledged it was time for the General Services Administration to โ€œdo what needs to be done.โ€
 In the same tweet he insisted that he was still refusing to concede, saying: โ€œOur case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!โ€
 But for the Republican to sign off on the GSAโ€™s decision to work with the Biden transition team signaled that even he sees the writing on the wall after three weeks of evidence-free claims that the November 3 election was stolen from him.
 This means that Bidenโ€™s team will now have access to funds, office space and the ability to meet with federal officials.
 Bidenโ€™s office, which hours earlier announced a highly experienced group to be nominated for top US foreign policy and security posts, said the GSA would now allow โ€œsupport necessary to carry out a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.โ€
 โ€œIn the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administrationโ€™s efforts to hollow out government agencies,โ€ Bidenโ€™s transition director Yohannes Abraham said in a statement.
 The sudden break in Trumpโ€™s dogged attempt to deny Bidenโ€™s win came after Michigan became the latest state to certify its results and more powerful Trump supporters came out demanding that the impasse end.
 Biden To Shift Diplomacy
 Earlier, Biden announced a foreign policy and national security team crammed with veterans from the Barack Obama years, teeing up an end to the upheaval under Trump and a return to traditional US diplomacy.
 Top of the list was former State Department number two Antony Blinken, tapped for secretary of state.
 Biden also named the first female head of intelligence, the first Latino chief of Homeland Security, the first woman as treasury secretary, and a heavyweight pointman on climate issues โ€” Obama-era top diplomat John Kerry.
 The list put out by Bidenโ€™s team ahead of a formal announcement Tuesday demonstrated a push to bring back the US role of leader in multilateral alliances, in contrast to Trumpโ€™s โ€œAmerica firstโ€ regime.
 โ€œThey will rally the world to take on our challenges like no other โ€” challenges that no one nation can face alone,โ€ Biden tweeted. โ€œItโ€™s time to restore American leadership.โ€
 Blinken, a longtime advisor to Biden, will spearhead a fast-paced dismantling of Trumpโ€™s go-it-alone policies, including rejoining the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization and resurrecting the Obama-crafted Iran nuclear deal.
 Biden named the first woman, Avril Haines, as director of national intelligence, and Cuban-born Alejandro Mayorkas to head the Department of Homeland Security, the agency whose policing of tough immigration restrictions under Trump was a frequent source of controversy.
 Signaling the Democratic president-electโ€™s campaign promise to raise the profile of global warming threats, he named Kerry as a new special envoy on climate issues.
 And in a further message of US reengagement with the international community, Biden named career diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield for UN ambassador.
 Jake Sullivan, who also advised Biden when he was vice president under Obama, was named national security advisor.
 Picked to manage the worldโ€™s biggest economy as Treasury secretary was Janet Yellen, who will make history as the first woman in the job if confirmed. The 74-year-old was confirmed as Federal Reserve chairwoman under Obama in 2014 and replaced by Trump four years later.
 The picks underline an emphasis on professionals whom Biden already knows well, in contrast to the Trump White House where officials were often picked without having traditional background for the job or proved incompatible and departed in acrimony.
 Dwindling Options
 The president, meanwhile, has largely halted at least his public work duties, while heading out to a golf course he owns in Virginia half a dozen times since the election.
 He has also not taken questions from reporters since the election โ€” a previously unimaginable silence from a president who for most of his time in office sparred near daily with the press.
 His options for overturning the election, however, are dwindling rapidly in the face of repeated court defeats.
 With Biden having won a comfortable victory, Trumpโ€™s last card is to disrupt the normally routine process of state-by-state certification of results, followed by the formal December 14 vote by the Electoral College. However, that too is bearing little fruit.
 More cracks appeared in the facade of Republican unity on Monday when Senator Rob Portman said it was โ€œtime to expeditiously resolve any outstanding questions and move forward.โ€
 Senator Lamar Alexander, a senior Republican and close ally of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said โ€œit seems apparent that Joe Biden will be the president-elect.โ€
 โ€œMy hope is that President Trump will take pride in his considerable accomplishments, put the country first and have a prompt and orderly transition to help the new administration succeed,โ€ he said after having issued a similar if less forthright statement a few days earlier.
 There was also a push from Trumpโ€™s highest profile Wall Street backer, Stephen Schwarzman, head of the Blackstone private equity group, who told Axios โ€œthe country should move on.โ€
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#Newsworthy

North America - United States

US Election: Trump isn’t ready to accept defeat – see what he did this time

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Then simultaneously, he claimed the victory was because the election was rigged.

United States President Donald Trump in a new tweet has declared himself the winner of the 3 November election.

โ€œI won the electionโ€, Trump declared in all-caps tweet on Monday morning.

The tweet was a continuation of his Twitter rants since Sunday, when he first acknowledged Joe Biden won the election.

He then later tweeted that he was not going to concede as he planned to file โ€˜big casesโ€™ soon.

He continued the theme of election rigging in three other tweets flagged by Twitter as โ€˜disputed claimsโ€™.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: “I’m honored!” – Biden’s first statement after his election.

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Biden who said yesterday that Trump was not his enemy but simply his opponent, opined that he would be a president for everyone including those who did not vote for him.

Hours after defeating Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden, has said that he was honored that Americans chose him as their leader.

Note however, that Biden has not been officially declared winner, but based on data and information gathered by CNN, NBC News and CBS News, Biden is likely going to become the next U.S President.

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However, excited with the news Biden took to his twitter handle and addressed himself as President Elect, husband to @DrBiden, proud father and grandfather, who is ready to build back better for all Americans.

Below are his words: โ€œAmerica, Iโ€™m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.

โ€œThe work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans โ€” whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.โ€

Trump is still maintaining his stance that he won the election legally. A visit to his twitter handle, the loquacious president averred: โ€œI WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!

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โ€œPeople were screaming STOP THE COUNT & WE DEMAND TRANSPARENCY (As Legal Observers were refused admittance to count rooms)!

โ€œTens of thousands of votes were illegally received after 8 P.M. on Tuesday, Election Day, totally and easily changing the results in Pennsylvania and certain other razor thin states. As a separate matter, hundreds of thousands of Votes were illegally not allowed to be OBSERVEDโ€ฆ

โ€œThis would ALSO change the Election result in numerous States, including Pennsylvania, which everyone thought was easily won on Election Night, only to see a massive lead disappear, without anyone being allowed to OBSERVE, for long intervals of time, what the happenedโ€ฆ

โ€œBad things took place during those hours where LEGAL TRANSPARENCY was viciously & crudely not allowed. Tractors blocked doors & windows were covered with thick cardboard so that observers could not see into the count rooms. BAD THINGS HAPPENED INSIDE. BIG CHANGES TOOK PLACE!โ€.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: Buhari congratulate President-elect, Joe Biden

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On international affairs, President Buhari urged Mr. Biden to โ€œdeploy your vast experience in tackling the negative consequences of nationalist politics on world affairs which have created divisions, conflicts and uncertainties.โ€

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated former Vice President Joe Biden on his election as new President elect of the United States โ€œat a time of uncertainty and fear in world affairs.โ€

The Presidentโ€™s message was made public in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Saturday evening.

Buhari said; โ€œyour election is a significant reminder that democracy is the best form of government because it offers the people the opportunity to change their government by peaceful means.โ€

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According to President Buhari, โ€œthe most powerful group are not the politicians, but voters who can decide the fate of the politicians at the polling booth.โ€

He noted that โ€œthe main fascination of democracy is the freedom of choice and the supremacy of the will of the people.โ€

The President added that โ€œrespect for the will of the people is the very reason why democracy remains the best form of government, despite its limitations from one polity to another, and from one society to another.โ€

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According to him, โ€œI am thrilled by the fact that you are an experienced politician who had served as Congressman for 40 years and a Vice President for eight years. This is a remarkable track record that gives us hope that you will add value to the presidency and world affairs.โ€

President Buhari also noted that, โ€œwith your election, we look forward to greater cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, especially at economic, diplomatic and political levels, including the war against terrorism.โ€

He also called on Mr. Biden โ€œto introduce greater engagement with Africa on the basis of reciprocal respects and shared interests.โ€

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: Joe Biden speaks, impresses muslims. [More topics..]

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Supporters take to street across the US as Biden passes 270 electoral votes needed for victory.

Muslims hail Joe Biden after promising to end Muslim ban in United States

The Council on American-Islamic Relations National and the No Muslim Ban Ever grassroots coalition have congratulated Biden, while urging him to follow through on his pledge to end the Trump-era Muslim travel ban.

โ€œPresident-elect Biden has pledged to end the Muslim Ban on his first day in office, include Muslims at every level of his administration and address issues of racial and religious discrimination,โ€ CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad

โ€œWe plan to join other American Muslim leaders and organizations in ensuring that the Biden administration fulfills these promises. We also plan to continue holding our government accountable when it errs,โ€ he said.

In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld a Trump policy that banned travelers from several Muslim majority countries, saying it was allowed if done for national security. Trumpโ€™s initial 2017 order separated families and left travelers stranded around the world, and has been derided as Islamophobic.

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Biden to name COVID-19 task force on Monday

Biden plans to name a 12-member task force to combat and contain the spread of the coronavirus, Axios has reported.

The task force will be led by three co-chairs: former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith from Yale University, according to the news site.

The plan, which comes before Biden has appointed his cabinet or White House staff, is an apparent attempt to signal the pandemic will be histop priority.

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New viral trend of Twitter: “You’re Fired”

โ€œYouโ€™re firedโ€ โ€“ Trumpโ€™s catch phrase from his days on the reality show The Apprentice trended on social media shortly after news organisations projected Bidenโ€™s victory on Saturday.

The phrase had been tweeted 384,000 times.

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Reactions from the Globe amid Biden’s win

World reacts to Biden projected victory
From Canada to Iran, world leaders have reacted to Trumpโ€™s victory.

In Canada, Justin Trudeau tweeted to Harris and Biden: โ€œIโ€™m really looking forward to working together and building on that with you bothโ€.

In Iran, Hesameddin Ashena, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, tweeted that Iranians โ€œstood their ground bravely until that coward leftโ€ in an apparent reference to Trump.

Relations between Iran and the US have taken a turn for the worse since Trump in 2018 pulled Washington out of a major nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.

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“America Detrumped” – PLO leader tweets

Palestinian Liberation Organization member and leader Hanan Ashrawi tweeted โ€œAmerica Detrumpedโ€ following the declaration.

โ€œThe world also needs to be able to breathe,โ€ she added.

โ€œTrumpism must be carefully scrutinized and remedied to restore the human, moral & legal equilibrium within and beyond the USโ€.

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Sultan of Oman felicitate with President-elect, Joe Biden

Omanโ€™s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said has congratulated Biden on winning the election, the state news agency reported on Saturday.

Haitham bin Tariq sent a letter to Biden expressing โ€œhis sincere congratulations for winning the confidence of the American people and for his election as President of the upcoming presidential termโ€, the state news agency added.

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India leader congratulate Biden, Kamala

Indiaโ€™s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Joe Biden on his White House victory, and called his Indian-American running mate Kamala Harris a source of โ€œimmense pride.โ€

โ€œCongratulations @JoeBiden on your spectacular victory!โ€ Modi tweeted.

In a separate tweet to Harris, the prime minister wrote: โ€œYour success is pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all Indian-Americans.โ€

โ€œChittiโ€ is a Tamil term of endearment for the younger sisters of oneโ€™s mother, which Harris used in her acceptance of the Democratic nomination for vice president. She is the first woman of color elected to the US vice presidency.

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Emir of Qatar congratulate Joe Biden on his win

Qatarโ€™s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has congratulated Biden and Harris for winning the US election.

โ€œCongratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. My best wishes to the people of the United States and I look forward to working together to continue strengthening the friendship between our countries,โ€ Qatarโ€™s Emir tweeted on Saturday.

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Republican, Mitt Romney congratulate Joe Biden

Republican Senator Mitt Romney, one of the few Senate Republicans who has publicly criticised Trump, has congratulated Biden.

Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump during a Senate trial after the president was impeached by the House.

โ€œAnn and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead,โ€ Romney wrote.

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European list expectation, cheers with Biden

European Union leaders Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen hailed Bidenโ€™s election as president of the US on Saturday and called for stronger trans-Atlantic ties.

โ€œI warmly congratulate Mr Joe Biden on his victory in the US presidential election and look forward to meeting him at the earliest possible opportunity,โ€ European Commission president von der Leyen said. โ€œThe European Union and the United States are friends and allies, our citizens share the deepest of links.โ€

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Jubilation in Biden’s hometown, Wilmington Delaware

Writing from Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden is set to address the nation at 20:00 ET (01:00 GMT) on Saturday, NRM said the scene was joyful and celebratory.

โ€œPeople have begun to celebrate. It is still a small crowd, but it occasionally lets its voice be heard with celebrationsโ€ฆ and cheers whenever more people join in,โ€ he said.

โ€œAs much as this is a victory for Joe Biden and a defeat for Donald Trump, it is also a victory for Kamala Harris, a victory for the diversity and opportunity that the US has always prided itself in,โ€ he added. โ€œThat being said, there are huge challenges that exist, there is discrimination that is endemic and institutionalised, as Biden himself has described it.โ€

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German, France leaders reacts to Biden’s win

The leaders of Germany and France have congratulated Biden on his projected victory. Both leaders have had tumultuous relationships with Trump, who has taken an adversarial approach to NATO, while pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Accord and the Iranian nuclear deal.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tweeted: โ€œI look forward to future cooperation with President Biden,โ€ she said in a statement posted on Twitter. โ€œOur transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.โ€

Tweeted French President Emmanuel Macron: โ€œThe Americans have chosen their President. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome todayโ€™s challenges. Letโ€™s work together!โ€

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Barrack Obama Speaks

Obama has tweeted his congratulations to Biden, noting that the election results show the country is โ€œdeeply and bitterly dividedโ€.

Obama urged all citizens to give Biden a chance, adding: โ€œIt will be up to not just Joe and Kamala, but each of us, to do our part โ€“ to reach beyond our comfort zone, to listen to others, to lower the temperature and find some common ground from which to move forwardโ€.

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Bernie Sanders, Alexandria tweets CONGRATULATIONS

Influential progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, who was the last Democrat to drop out the presidential primary, has tweeted his congratulations to Biden and Harris.

Sanders endorsed Biden, and advocated for his progressive base to embrace the more centrist candidate.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an influential progessive in the House of Representatives, also tweeted her congratulations:

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Omar, Pelosi Warren sends message to Biden

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said Bidenโ€™s victory over Trump is a โ€œmandate for actionโ€.

The Democratic leader said in a statement Saturday: โ€œToday marks the dawning of a new day of hope for Americaโ€.

Meanwhile, progressive primary challenger Elizabeth Warren tweeted: โ€œAmericans chose Joe and Kamala to lead us forward with purpose and moral clarity.โ€

Progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who represents Minnesota, tweeted: โ€œWe have not only voted out the most corrupt, dangerous president in modern history but have the opportunity to carry out the most progressive agenda our country has ever seen. Letโ€™s get to work!โ€

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Donald Trump’s Campaign reacts to Joe Biden’s win

A Trump supporter who attended Giuliani news conference reacted to the news of Bidenโ€™s projected victory to Noble Reporters Media

โ€œItโ€™s not done yet. Investigations are going to have to take place. Thereโ€™s too many examples of tampering with the ballots, that kind of stuff,โ€ Daren Sutter said. โ€œIn Philly especially. And Trump knew all this, Trump knew this was going to happen.โ€

#Newsworthy…

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North America - United States

US Election: Joe Biden becomes 46th President of United States.

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Mr Bidenโ€™s victory is based on the official results from states that have already finished counting their votes, and the expected results from states like Wisconsin where the count is continuing.

Joe Biden has won the race to become the next US president, defeating Donald Trump following a cliff-hanger vote count after Tuesdayโ€™s election.

His vice, Kamala Harris will be the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Asian-American to be the vice president of the United States.

Mr Biden won the key battleground of Pennsylvania, propelling him over the 270 electoral college vote threshold required to clinch the White House.

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The Trump campaign has indicated their candidate does not plan to concede.

The result makes Mr Trump the first one-term president since the 1990s.

The election has seen the highest turnout since 1900. Mr Biden has won more than 73 million votes so far, the most ever for a US presidential candidate. Mr Trump has drawn almost 70 million, the second-highest tally in history.

#Newsworthy..

North America - United States

US Election: Joe Biden hijack ‘White House’ from Donald Trump

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In US elections, it is common practice for news organisations, after determining that a candidate no longer has a path to victory, to project a winner in the race.

Joe Biden is now projected to have 284 Electoral College votes, the Associated Press (AP) news agency said on Saturday, above the threshold needed to clinch the hard-fought United States presidential election.

The president-elect was projected to have surpassed the 270 electoral vote-threshold after the AP called Pennsylvania in his favour.

US President Donald Trump did not immediately acknowledge the APโ€™s projection and his campaign has vowed to challenge the result, particularly in the states of Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Michigan.

The Republican leaderโ€™s campaign announced plans to seek a recount in Wisconsin and filed lawsuits to suspend the vote counts in several states.

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Separately, Georgia also announced a recount of votes.

Ballot counting continues in a number of key battleground states where the margins are razor thin.

In a statement by his campaign, Trump said Biden is โ€œrushing to falsely pose as the winnerโ€ of the US election, while Biden had not yet commented on the projection.

โ€œThe simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,โ€ the statement said.

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The Trump campaign has said they will challenge the results in several states. Biden flipped battlegrounds Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona, all states Trump won in 2016, according to the Associated Press.

โ€œBeginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated,โ€ the statement by by Trumpโ€™s campaign wrote. โ€œThe American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots.โ€

With Bidenโ€™s projected win, Kamala Harris will be heading to the White House as his vice-president, and is set to create new records along the way.

Harris has had a trailblazing career, and will now be the first African-American, first woman and first person of Asian descent to serve as vice president.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: Trump vows to sue states won by Biden.

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Trump has demanded the nation stop counting votes in the presidential election as his campaign launched a lawsuit in Nevada, which could hand Biden the presidency should he win its six electoral votes.

Winner of United States presidential election may likely emerge today as Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden maintains lead.

Ahead of the announcement of the winner, President Donald Trump early yesterday morning launched a furious tweet demanding that the count be stopped, then said his campaign would sue in any state where former Vice President Joe Biden had already been declared a winner.

As at press time, the election outcome hinged on four battleground states: Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Trump expressed confidence he will win the election but said his campaign will sue in the battleground states Joe Biden won, a sign his team is not confident the vote tallies will come out in his favour.

Additionally, Trump has demanded the nation stop counting votes in the presidential election as his campaign launched a lawsuit in Nevada, which could hand Biden the presidency should he win its six electoral votes.

The Nevada lawsuit matches legal action the Trump campaign has launched in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia as Biden approaches the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. In Wisconsin, a state called for Biden, the campaign has requested a recount.

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โ€˜All of the recent Biden claimed States will be legally challenged by us for Voter Fraud and State Election Fraud. Plenty of proof โ€“ just check out the Media. WE WILL WIN! America First!,โ€™ Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning.

The Trump campaign had a brief legal victory in Pennsylvania on Thursday when a judge ruled ballot observers can watch officials count ballots within six feet. Representatives of both campaigns were in the room to watch the counts but at a further distance because of the coronavirus. A county judge agreed with the Trump campaign, but the state Supreme Court rejected it.

Meanwhile, American legal experts have said though Trump wants the United States Supreme Court to weigh in on a presidential race, it may not be the final arbiter in this election,.

Legal experts said that while there could be objections to particular ballots or voting and counting procedures, it was unclear if such disputes would determine the final outcome.

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Ned Foley, an election law expert at Ohio State University, said the current election does not have the ingredients that would create a situation like in the 2000 presidential race, when the Supreme Court ended a recount in George W. Bushโ€™s favor against Democrat Al Gore.

โ€œItโ€™s extremely early on but at the moment it doesnโ€™t seem apparent how this would end up where the U.S. Supreme Court would be decisive,โ€ Foley said.

If Biden secures 270 electoral votes without needing Pennsylvania, the likelihood of a legal fight in that state diminishes in any case, legal experts said. And any challenge would also need to make its way through the usual court hierarchy.

โ€œI think the Court would summarily turn away any effort by the President or his campaign to short-circuit the ordinary legal process,โ€ said Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. โ€œEven Bush v. Gore went through the Florida state courts first.โ€

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Both Republicans and Democrats have amassed armies of lawyers ready to go to the mat in a close race. Bidenโ€™s team includes Marc Elias, a top election attorney at the firm Perkins Coie, and former Solicitors General Donald Verrilli and Walter Dellinger. Trumpโ€™s lawyers include Matt Morgan, the presidentโ€™s campaign general counsel, Supreme Court litigator William Consovoy, and Justin Clark, senior counsel to the campaign.

Trump attorney Jenna Ellis has defended Trumpโ€™s bid to challenge the vote count and evaluate his legal options. โ€œIf we have to go through these legal challenges, thatโ€™s not unprecedented,โ€ Ellis told Fox Business Network in an interview. โ€œHe wants to make sure that the election is not stolen.โ€

Meanwhile, some of Trumpโ€™s aides yesterday privately acknowledged the chances of the President winning are now slim and were contemplating their next career steps. In public, the team remains insistent his path to victory is possible and even likely. โ€œDonald Trump is alive and well,โ€ campaign manager Bill Stepien told reporters on a morning conference call.

But that reality hasnโ€™t appeared to have set in for the candidate himself. Trump made a series of phone calls overnight, stung that his lead in some states had vanished and convinced Biden is stealing the presidency. As at press time, Trump does retain a chance of winning, though has fewer roads to 270 electoral votes than his rival Biden.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: Police arrest over 50 Anti-Trump protesters in L.A, Manhattan

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The protest, which was organised by the group Refuse Fascism, was held nationwide against Trumpโ€™s response to the election results.

About 63 protesters taking part in a march against President Donald Trump have been arrested in Manhattan and Los Angeles as the nation waits a second night for an outcome to the presidential election.

According to the New York Police Department spokesperson, 60 of the protesters were arrested around 8:00pm as protesters made their way through streets in the boroughโ€™s West Village neighborhood in Manhattan.

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Three protesters were also arrested in downtown Los Angelesโ€™ Pershing Square Wednesday evening for an unlawful assembly.

โ€œ(Trump) claims victory demanding that the counting be stopped immediately โ€” with millions of ballots yet to be counted, overwhelmingly from the urban cores where Black and Latino voters are concentrated,โ€ Refuse Fascism said in a news release on Wednesday.

The protest began at around 3:30pm as police called the crowd โ€œlarge and unruly,โ€ and at around 7:30pm, an unlawful assembly was declared at Fifth and Hill streets and Los Angeles police officers surrounded the protesters.

โ€œYou have five minutes to disperse,โ€ one LAPD officer was heard telling the protesters over a megaphone.

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Officers cleared the scene by 9:00pm, police said.

Police arrested three people, two for failure to disperse and one for assault on an officer.

There were no injuries.

Trump had on Wednesday morning falsely asserted election fraud, pledged to mount a legal challenge to official state results and made a premature claim of victory in a bitterly contested race that may take days to resolve.

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In remarks at the White House, Trump claimed that he won several states that were still counting ballots including in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

On Wednesday, his main challenger and candidate of Democratic Party in the US election, Joe Biden, said he was confident that his party will secure the required electoral votes to win the race while thanking Americans for their support.

He currently has 264 electoral college votes while President Donald Trump, his rival, has 214 electoral votes.

A minimum of 270 votes are needed to win the election.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: He abused his office – Observers accuses Trump

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Trump, 74, has claimed victory unilaterally before counting in key battleground states has concluded.

The head of an international observer mission to the US elections accused Donald Trump on Thursday of a โ€œgross abuse of officeโ€ after the president alleged he was being cheated and demanded that vote counting be halted.

โ€œThe most disturbing thing was that with presidential fanfare of the White House, that is, with all the insignia of power, the American commander-in-chief called for an end to the count because of his purported victory,โ€ Michael Link from the told the German daily Stuttgarter Zeitung.

โ€œThat was a gross abuse of office,โ€ he said, adding that Trumpโ€™s โ€œclaims of manipulation are baselessโ€.

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Link, who works for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, warned that Trumpโ€™s repeated false allegations of fraud could have far-reaching consequences.

โ€œThe major concern is that the US will not be able to put back into the bottle the genie that Trump has let out.

โ€œEven if he were to admit defeat and hand over office properly, his supporters, incited by rhetoric, may see violence as a legitimate tool because they no longer feel democratically represented,โ€ said Link.

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And that is โ€œa danger that goes far beyond election day,โ€ added the mission chief of the OSCE, which monitors elections throughout Western nations and the former Soviet Union.

On Wednesday, the mission already released a statement saying that there was no basis to Trumpโ€™s claims of cheating and that Tuesdayโ€™s vote was โ€œcompetitive and well managed.โ€

He has also made clear he would not accept the reported results, issuing unprecedented complaints โ€” unsupported by any evidence โ€” of fraud.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: Anti-Trump protest begins in Oregon.

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The protesters had earlier attended a peaceful rally in a downtown park hosted by a coalition of far-left, anti-capitalist groups featuring lectures and music.

Hundreds of state police and left-wing protesters were locked in a tense standoff in downtown Portland late Wednesday after rampaging anti-Trump groups smashed shop windows a day after the election, prompting the state governor to activate the National Guard.

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The Multnomah County Sheriffโ€™s office declared a riot and made at least nine arrests, citing โ€œwidespread violenceโ€ in the cityโ€™s downtown area and repeatedly warning it could deploy munitions and tear gas.

Armed police advanced on demonstrators in unison but there were no clashes, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

โ€œThe mass gathering in downtown Portland is still declared a riot. Leave the area now,โ€ the sheriffโ€™s office posted on Twitter just before 8:30 pm ( 0430 GMT). It earlier said officers were being targeted with projectiles, such as glass bottles.

โ€œIn the interest of public safety, Governor Kate Brown, under advice of the Unified Command, has activated the use of the Oregon National Guard to assist local law enforcement,โ€ it said.

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Portland has been the scene of months of clashes between police and protesters, angered at the repeated killings of Black Americans by law enforcement officers across the country.

Protesters who had gathered by Portlandโ€™s river vowed to โ€œprotect the resultsโ€ of Tuesdayโ€™s close-run election and held banners proclaiming โ€œCount Every Voteโ€ and โ€œThe Vote is Over. The Fight Goes On.โ€

โ€œWe want Trump out of office, thatโ€™s the main focus,โ€ one protest leader told the crowd, to loud cheers.

But several of the demonstrators were openly carrying firearms, including rifles, and one anti-racism and anti-imperialism banner showed an image of an assault rifle, with the slogan โ€œWe Donโ€™t Want Biden. We Want Revenge.โ€

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: My win is vivid – Joe Biden says.

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Biden, who spoke from his home state of Delaware, was joined by Harris Kamala, his running mate.

Joe Biden, candidate of the Democratic Party in the US 2020 presidential election, says it is clear that his party has won the election.

In an address on Wednesday, Biden thanked Americans for supporting him.

He said although he campaigned as a Democrat, he would govern as an American.

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The former US vice-president said the event of the last few days has shown that democracy is alive in America.

He praised the people for turning out en masse, saying over 150 million people voted in the election.

Shortly after his speech, he was projected winner of Michigan, pushing his electoral votes to 53.

#Newsworthy..

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US Election: I hope Trump wins – Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil

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The far-right leader, who has been dubbed a โ€œTropical Trump,โ€ has cultivated a close relationship with the Republican president, and has not been shy about endorsing his bid for reelection.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday he hoped Donald Trump would come out ahead in the down-to-the-wire US election, lashing out at Democratic contender Joe Bidenโ€™s comments on protecting the Amazon rainforest.

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โ€œYou know where I stand, Iโ€™ve been clear. I have a good relationship with Trump. I hope heโ€™ll be reelected,โ€ Bolsonaro told supporters outside the presidential palace in Brasilia.

He denied backing Trump amounted to โ€œinterferenceโ€ in US affairs, saying, โ€œWho are we to interfere anyway?โ€

โ€œHow do you want me to interfere? Economically? Militarily? A cyber attack?โ€ he joked.

Turning to Biden, who is locked in a tight race with Trump that could stretch Tuesdayโ€™s election into hours or days of vote-counting, Bolsonaro attacked the former vice president for urging Brazil to better preserve the Amazon.

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โ€œThe Democratic candidate has spoken twice about the Amazon. Is that what you want for Brazil? Now thatโ€™s what I call interference,โ€ he said.

The Amazon has been a touchy subject for Bolsonaro since Biden said in September in his first debate against Trump that he planned to raise funds from the international community to offer Brazil $20 billion to โ€œstop tearing down the forest.โ€

โ€œIf you donโ€™t, then youโ€™re going to have significant economic consequences,โ€ Biden said.

Bolsonaro, who has faced international condemnation for presiding over a surge in deforestation and wildfires since taking office in 2019, called the statement โ€œdisastrous and unnecessaryโ€ the following day.

#Newsworthy…

North America - United States

US Election: Trump campaign seeks recount.

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The AP calls Maineโ€™s 2nd Congressional district for Trump, giving him 1 more electoral seat.

โ€ข DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO REQUEST WISCONSIN RECOUNT โ€ข

Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien has said they will request a recount in the state.

โ€œDespite ridiculous public polling used as a voter suppression tactic, Wisconsin has been a razor thin race as we always knew that it would be,โ€ Stepien said in a statement. โ€œThere have been reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results. The President is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will immediately do so.โ€

โ€ข TRUMP, REPUBLICAN FILES LAWSUIT TO HALT VOTE COUNTING IN MICHIGAN โ€ข

The Trump campaign has filed a lawsuit to halt ballot counting in Michigan.

โ€œAs votes in Michigan continue to be counted, the presidential race in the state remains extremely tight as we always knew it would be,โ€ campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement. โ€œPresident Trumpโ€™s campaign has not been provided with meaningful access to numerous counting locations to observe the opening of ballots and the counting process, as guaranteed by Michigan law.โ€

โ€œWe have filed suit today in the Michigan Court of Claims to halt counting until meaningful access has been granted. We also demand to review those ballots which were opened and counted while we did not have meaningful access. President Trump is committed to ensuring that all legal votes are counted in Michigan and everywhere else,โ€ the statement said.

#Newsworthy…