[ad_1]
US President Donald Trump has stepped up his attempts to overturn the outcome of the November presidential election, inviting leaders of Michigan’s Republican-controlled state legislature to the White House on Friday.
Michigan, like other states, must certify its election results by December 14, when the electoral college meets. Democrat Joe Biden won the state in the November 3 vote. But there are signs that Republican officials in party-controlled states are coming under pressure from Trump to declare him the winner in states where Biden won.
The new focus on the certification process as states move to officially declare their results comes as the Trump campaign’s legal challenges in response to the elections have failed in courts across the country. On Thursday, Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, announced that the campaign was withdrawing its lawsuit in Michigan. At a press conference in Washington, Giuliani alleged that there had been “massive fraud” in the elections, stating that he had “hundreds” of affidavits from Americans claiming to have witnessed electoral fraud. Sydney Powell, another attorney for Trump’s campaign, claimed that Trump “won outright.” “We are going to prove it. And we are going to claim the United States of America for the people who vote for freedom, ”he said. They did not present proof of their claims.
Speaking in Delaware after a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors about the coronavirus pandemic, Biden criticized Trump’s refusal to accept the election result, accusing the president of “incredible irresponsibility.”
An “incredibly damaging message is being sent to the rest of the world about how democracy works,” he said, describing Trump as “one of the most irresponsible presidents in American history.” His behavior, Biden said, “is not within the norm at all.”
When asked about the president’s decision to invite members of the Michigan state legislature to the White House, Biden said: “We have won Michigan. It will be certified. “
“It is difficult to understand how this man thinks. It’s difficult to understand, ”he continued. “I’m sure you know that you haven’t won. . . But far from me to question his motives. . . What he’s doing is outrageous. “
Legal action
Biden also did not rule out taking legal action against the General Services Administration, the federal agency that has yet to certify Biden as the likely winner of the election, a decision that would give the incoming president access to resources and information.
“There is no excuse for not sharing the data and let’s start planning,” Biden said, warning that the situation will delay his work for a month or more. “I can’t tell you how many lives will be lost as a result of that.”
His comments came as the White House coronavirus task force held its first briefing in months. Vice President Mike Pence thanked the American people for the sacrifices they have made in the battle against the coronavirus and declared that “America has never been more prepared to fight the virus than we are today.”
Describing the work done by the Trump administration in this regard, he said: “We continue in the same mission that we have been [on] in everything – to save American lives. “
After highlighting the increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, he said that “we are approaching this moment with the confidence of experience.”
Pence spoke as the number of coronavirus deaths in the US surpassed the 250,000 mark, the highest death toll of any country in the world.
Members of the task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, also provided updates at the briefing.
On Thursday, the main US public health body, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urged Americans not to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday next week. He also recommended that those traveling should limit the number of people dining and meeting outdoors whenever possible.
[ad_2]