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Tag: trump

  • US election: Trump lists condition to vacate White House

    US election: Trump lists condition to vacate White House

    United States President Donald Trump says he will relinquish power if the Electoral College affirms Democrat Joe Biden’s win but he signals he may never formally concede defeat.

    The 74-year-old Republican candidate, who lost his re-election bid, also declined to say if he would attend Biden’s inauguration next year, as is the custom for an outgoing president. “I’ll be honest, I know the answer, but I just don’t want to say it yet,” he said, adding that it is “not right” that Biden has begun picking a cabinet.

    Trump fielded questions from reporters on Thursday for the first time since his election defeat, speaking at the White House after a Thanksgiving teleconference with members of the military.

    When asked by reporter gathered at the White House’s diplomatic room if he would physically leave the building should the Electoral College affirms Biden’s victory, Trump replied, “certainly I will, and you know that.” But he swiftly maintained that there was “massive fraud and massive rigging” in the election, insisting that the court cases challenging the election outcome will continue.

    Trump was further pressed on whether he would ever acknowledge defeat, but said it would “be a very hard thing to concede,” even if the Electoral College confirms Biden’s victory. “If they do, they’ve made a mistake,” he said. “This election was a fraud.”

    The Electoral College electors in each state are due to vote on December 14. Certificates recording the electoral vote results in each state must be received by the president of the Senate no later than December 23. Biden is certified as the winner, or leading, in states totaling 306 electoral votes, well above the victory threshold of 270, while Trump got 232 electoral votes.

    Trump noted that he was running out of time to present evidence of the massive fraud he was sketching out – a signal that the evidence may never come.

    He also acknowledged that the whole world is watching what becomes the fate of American democracy. “The whole world is watching and the whole world is laughing at our electoral process,” he said.

    Trump also declined to say if he would seek the presidency again in 2024, as has been widely rumoured. “I don’t want to talk about 2024 yet,” he replied.

  • White evangelicals aggressive support for Trump had nothing to do with Christian values, but rather white fragility – Hamilton Odunze

    White evangelicals aggressive support for Trump had nothing to do with Christian values, but rather white fragility – Hamilton Odunze

    By Hamilton Odunze

    When Joseph R. Biden, the president-elect of the United States, announced that he would be running for office, he told the world that the battle would be for the soul of America. On November 3, the world watched as the American people brought that battle to its climax. They elected Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Just like the rest of the world, Nigerians watched keenly. However, unlike the rest of the world, Nigeria has a significant stake in American democracy and the outcome of the American election. While other countries are looking for an outcome that will guarantee favorable strategic military and trade alliances, many assumed Nigeria would be looking for a cue on how to restructure its failed democracy.
    The appeal of the American system to Nigeria’s failed democracy is a classic example of the big brother syndrome. This admiration is rooted in the perceived idea of freedom and prosperity that the US has enjoyed over the past two-and-a-half centuries. It is further rooted in the belief that the US has built strong democratic infrastructures that have stood the test of time and have ensured quality governance for more than two hundred and forty-four years.

    How can Nigeria ensure quality governance rooted in strong democratic values just as the United States? This is what many anticipated was the reason for the increased Nigerian interest in the American election. We were wrong. The strong interest was because Nigerians have developed the propensity to be more interested in other people’s affairs than in their own environment. Whether it is with soccer in Europe or politics in the United States, Nigerians are increasingly becoming more fanatical than local citizens.
    It is easier to ignore this collective drift into fanaticism when it is isolated to sports. However, when Nigerian people march in the streets in support of a political candidate in the United States, it is time to give more attention to this fanaticism. This also deserves attention because of the narrative pushed on Nigerians by white evangelicals. Following the election, Nigerians have set social media ablaze with opinions based on half-truths, propaganda, and outright lies.

    Consider, for example, the narrative that Christian evangelicals should support Donald Trump because he is the anti-abortion and anti-gay rights candidate. The basic premise of evangelical support for Trump is that he is a sinner who hates other people’s sins. Otherwise, how does anyone explain evangelical support for a man who has told a record 20,000 lies as President of the United States? The opposing side of the evangelical argument is that Joe Biden and the Democrats support abortion and gay rights, and thus must be condemned and not voted in. Joe Biden is a better man, but he does not hate other people’s sins as much as Donald Trump does. Abortion and gay rights are perennial arguments in American politics. When explained thoroughly, there are grey areas and holes on both sides of the arguments that could make anyone switch positions. However, white evangelicals have shaped the narrative to seem as if the only thing that qualifies a good Christian is being against abortion and gay rights. This is what they have sold to Nigerians.

    It begs the question: to what extent have the narratives from white evangelicals shaped the beliefs of Christians in Nigeria? I raise this question because, in a country such as Nigeria, where young girls and women do not have legitimate means of livelihood, a focus on what they do with their own bodies is wrong and hypocritical. It is a shallow approach to a deeper problem. When I made this point in a gathering of die-hard Trump supporters, they argued that providing employment is not a religious obligation. This is true.
    The Nigerian government has failed. However, the church not should assume the responsibility of condemnation. The church can do more in Nigeria. For example, it can discourage abortion by building and supporting homes for motherless babies where these young girls can place their children without disparagement. This is not only a spiritual gesture, but is also rehabilitative. The efforts of white evangelicals to push against abortion in a country such as Nigeria makes it evident that they do not understand the prevailing circumstances and hardship. On the other hand, Nigerians who are supporting Trump based on abortion or other white evangelical values do not understand the true dynamics of American politics.
    Make no mistake about it; the aggressive support for Donald Trump from white evangelicals in this past election had nothing to do with Christian values, but rather with white fragility. This is why the Proud Boys and other white supremacist groups supported Trump. Unlike Joe Biden, Donald Trump used phrases and words that captured their fears about a changing American demography. White America went into an extinction burst because the minorities refused to continue reinforcing their idea of white supremacy. This started with the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

    It is depressing; the narrative white evangelicals sold to Nigerians is that support for Donald Trump is based on Christian values. While Nigerians in the United States overwhelmingly support Joe Biden, calls were coming from Nigeria in support of Donald Trump—a man who, in many occasions, used ugly terms to deride Nigerians. Now that the election is over, the lesson to be learned is that the divide-and-conquer strategy used on Africans many decades ago is still effective today.

    Hamilton Odunze is founder and editor-in-chief, Nigerian Parents Magazine
    He can be reached at www.nigerianparents.com

  • BREAKING: Trump bows to pressure, signals commencement of power transition to Biden

    BREAKING: Trump bows to pressure, signals commencement of power transition to Biden

    After two weeks of grandstanding, U.S. President Donald Trump has finally accepted to allow a transition of power to his potential successor, Joe Biden.

    In a Monday evening tweet, Trump said he had recommended that the General Services Administration (GSA) “do what needs to be done” in that regard.

    The president’s tweet came amid reports by local media that the GSA has determined Biden to be the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

    GSA Administrator, Emily Murphy, sent Biden a letter earlier on Monday to inform him that his transition could now begin.

    ABC News quoted an unnamed official of the Biden transition team as confirming that the former Vice President had received the letter.

    With this, the president-elect’s transition team can now access government resources, including funds, for a smooth transition of power.

    The GSA is a federal agency responsible for enabling the transition of power from one administration to another, and it controls the funds for the process.

    By law, the head of the agency must first “ascertain” the winner of a presidential election before setting the transition ball rolling.

    But with Trump’s refusal to concede, the GSA administrator, who was appointed by the president in 2017, had held back from starting the process.

    Murphy had come under fire from Democrats and other critics, who accused her of allowing political influence to interfere in the agency’s independence.

    Defending her decision in the letter to Biden, the GSA head denied being influenced by the White House or official of the executive branch of government

    “I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right.

    “Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts.

    “I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision,” she said.

    In his tweet, Trump said he advised the agency to start the process because he did not want Murphy, her family and employees of the GSA to continue to suffer harassment and abuse.

    “I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country.

    “She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA”, Trump said.

    The president, who is in court challenging the election results in key battleground states, said his case would continue.

    “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!”

  • Onitsha Christians for Trump and matters arising, By Chido Nwakanma

    Onitsha Christians for Trump and matters arising, By Chido Nwakanma

    THE PUBLIC SPHERE with Chido Nwakanma

    The intrepidity of Onitsha came to the fore on 25 October as the city inserted itself forcefully into the 3 November general elections a world away in the United States of America. Most Reverend Professor Daddy Hezekiah led his flock in a rally and march around Onitsha city, hailing and praying for a Donald Trump victory. It reverberated globally.

    Their lack of what lawyers call locus standi was not a barrier to the Onitsha Trump supporters: they had no direct stake, no membership of the Republican party nor registration to vote. For their efforts, they got the acknowledgment of the Donald, a notable narcissist. He tweeted: A parade for me in Nigeria, a great honor! pic.twitter.com/EHiSQMFvSZ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2020

    The parade by the Living Christ Mission Inc was against the backdrop of anti-Nigeria words and actions by Donald Trump. He called Nigeria a shithole, reduced opportunities for immigration for settlement or study, and has fought against Nigerians seeking high profile jobs at AfDB and WTO. Many have made memes and jokes out of the Onitsha Christians and their escapade.

    However, it is not a laughing matter nor for ridicule. We deal here with a context of two issues with a high toxicity quotient: religion and politics. Handle with discretion. Yet, we must break eggs to make this omelette.

    The religious element has inflamed the discourse for and against. Christians of a certain persuasion have brought various narratives to bear on the matter. Touchy. Friends, family, colleagues, and classmates are falling apart over differences on the issues. Caution: please do not tear each other over Donald Trump.

    The Trumpian Christians have shared all manner of narratives. One was very loud and forceful in its claims and many falsehoods.

    “IN CASE YOU DONT UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR THE BATTLES AND THE UNENDING CONFRONTATIONS: Trump vs New world order; Trump vs The Abortion Law; Trump vs The Anti-Christ Agenda; Trump vs Vaccine producers; Trump vs Homosexual/ Lesbian/Gay; Trump vs Terrorists Beneficiaries; Trump vs Pope? (You won’t understand); Trump vs Mainstream media (MSN); Trump vs Social Media Owners; Trump vs Bad leadership promoters in Africa; Trump vs killers of Christians in Africa; Trump vs Injustice; Trump vs The Illuminating (Illuminati) Members); Trump vs One World Government; Trump vs The Cancellation Of Prayers; Trump vs The Haters Of Humanity; Trump vs Anti God’s Laws; Trump vs Election Riggers; Trump vs vs vs….Victory Is Sure in God Name”.

    A school mate shared this in our class platform. He took umbrage at my calling him out publicly. “We all have our perspectives at looking at things. You have yours with your reasons; I have mine. The least you can do is respect that.”

    I responded: “The Christian community seeks so much drama. Even in the days of our Lord Jesus Christ. For that reason, He warned them against a fixation on signs. He said that of the hour and time no man knows. Only the Creator can tell. As an 11-year old, I was a victim of the Christian end-time hoax when Jehovah’s Witnesses frightened my young soul with their false claim that the world was ending in 1975. It was a massive deception. Many End-Time followers see all manner of spiritual significance in everything, ascribing to poor Donald Trump matters of which he has absolutely no ken”.

    He came around, we shared the Word, and I apologised for calling him out in public. Childhood friends.

    There is no surprise in Onitsha boldly stepping out on the trending topic of certain Christians for Donald Trump. Onitsha intrigues. Onitsha confounds. Onitsha excites.

    Onitsha is the birth city of Christianity in Eastern Nigeria and is responsible for the growth of the faith and literacy in the land. Who can forget the images of the throngs that witnessed the visit of the Pope to Onitsha? Or the miniwars between the Anglicans and Catholics?

    It is the Onitsha Spirit. Audacious. Onitsha represents the best and worst of the Igbo. So much energy. Drive. Innovation. Onitsha is the city that gave the world a genre of literature with its name: Onitsha Market Literature. It is the main distribution point that ensured Nollywood became a global phenomenon.

    Onitsha has its distinctive brand of gospel music. It is high decibel, vociferous and calls down angels while lifting the spirits of men up to dance. Increasingly, women lead the most successful bands:

    I love Onitsha. It also irritates. I love it for what it represents and for my people who live in it.

    A beloved cousin has lived in Onitsha 40 years. He trained the old-fashioned way in mechanical engineering and how to fix crankshafts and engines. It was for an era when industrialisation was top priority in Nigeria. Over the years, the economic changes have buffeted him but not his spirit.

    My cousin is not the tallest of men. Many years ago, when it was time, he showed the Onitsha and Igbo spirit. He went for the tallest girl in the hood, all 6.2” of her, and brought her home as wife. She had the same pluck, serving as apprentice trader in selling wrappers and stuff and graduating to an importer who regularly travelled to China to “tu ahia container”. Covid19 has only slowed but cannot stop them.

    Scholars of religion in Igboland and Nigeria need to step up. I call on Chukwu Ogbajie, C.O. Okeke, F. Anyika, J.C. Nwaka, F.K. Ekechi, P.E. Nmah and T. Adamolekun.

    Is the phenomenon of Trump Christians an inflection point for Christianity in Africa and the world? Or does it just replicate what has happened over the years at times of crisis when men seek answers in end-time messaging and decode the signs for themselves with varied meanings? This story is unfolding.

    https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/11/22/onitsha-christians-for-trump-and-matters-arising/

  • Biden begs Americans for ‘transition funds’ as Trump refuses to concede, cooperate

    Biden begs Americans for ‘transition funds’ as Trump refuses to concede, cooperate

    President-elect Joe Biden’s team is making a fundraising push for its transition operations as the General Services Administration has yet to ascertain Biden as the election winner — a move that would open up millions of dollars in federal money for the President-elect’s transition work.

    The Biden transition team sent a grassroots fundraising plea to its supporter list on Friday, with the email stating, “Without ascertainment, we need to fund the transition ourselves, and that’s why we’re reaching out to you today.”
    Congressionally appropriated transition funding is one of several key resources the Biden transition team is unable to tap into without ascertainment. The money allows for the incoming administration to fund its transition efforts, including paying for its staff and agency review teams.
    Biden and his advisers have mounted a public pressure campaign for GSA Administrator Emily Murphy to formally recognize the election results and allow full transition planning to get underway, including access to classified intelligence briefings and coordination on distribution of an upcoming vaccine.
    The transition team started its private fundraising efforts in June and has raised more than $10 million for the process so far, a source familiar with the fundraising efforts said. But the email sent Friday represents a new phase in the team’s fundraising process as it is now turning to grassroots donors in their push.
    “Grassroots supporters like you made a Joe Biden presidency possible,” the fundraising email read. “And now we are counting on you once again to power us through this critical moment.”
    Three Democratic bundlers also said they have recently received requests to raise more money for the transition operation as the GSA’s ascertainment is stalled. The maximum contribution to the transition is $5,000, significantly smaller than the $360,600 donation limits for the Biden Victory Fund in the general election.
    “We need everyone to once again step up to help the Transition Team raise the resources it needs,” one fundraising email from Chris Korge, the national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee, reads.
    The President-elect has said his team has not ruled out legal options but argued waging a legal fight may not considerably speed up the formal transition process.
    “The Biden-Harris transition has been planning for months for all possible scenarios. While we wait for the GSA Administrator to uphold the will of the people and be a proper steward of taxpayer resources, we will execute on contingency plans, including continuing to solicit private funds to support transition planning,” a transition official said. “The nation faces too many challenges to not have a fully funded and smooth transition to prepare the President-elect and Vice President-elect to govern on Day One.”
    Biden and his advisers have publicly pushed for the GSA to ascertain the election, saying it complicates their planning efforts as the President-elect looks to take office on January 20th.
    “This isn’t a game of who gets to talk to whom. Our inability to start the informal agency review process has the potential to have real impacts across the country,” said Yohannes Abraham, a Biden transition adviser. “There’s no replacing the real-time information that can only come from the post-ascertainment environment that we should be in right now.”
    After the 2000 election, the GSA held up transition funding and office space for George W. Bush until then-Vice President Al Gore conceded in December. At a news conference in November of that year, Dick Cheney, who led Bush’s transition before becoming vice president, said they would raise private money to fund their operations.
  • Biden wins in Georgia after recount, calls Trump ‘most irresponsible president in American history’

    Biden wins in Georgia after recount, calls Trump ‘most irresponsible president in American history’

    The recount of ballots in the US state of Georgia offered no electoral redemption for President Donald Trump.

    President elect Joe Biden has won again and Trump has lost.

    In a much expected announcement, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said a hand audit of ballots in the state had confirmed Joe Biden as the winner of the Nov. 3 election.

    An audit was launched after unofficial results showed Biden leading President Donald Trump by about 14,000 votes.

    Raffensperger said there was “no doubt” that the state would certify Biden’s victory on Friday.

    “The audit has aligned very close to what we had in election night reporting,” Raffensperger told local station WSB-TV.

    “It’s so close, it’s not a thimble full of difference.”

    Meanwhile, Biden has denounced Trump as one of the “most irresponsible presidents in American history,” calling the incumbent president’s challenges against the results of the November election “incredibly damaging”.

    Speaking after a call with state governors on Thursday, Biden said he was not concerned that Trump’s refusal to concede the election would prevent a transfer of power, but said it “sends a horrible message about who we are as a country.”

    “What the president’s doing now … it’s going to be another incident where he will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents in American history,” Biden told reporters in Wilmington. “It’s just not within the norm at all, and there’s a question as to whether it’s even legal.”

  • Trump fires head of security agency that vouched for credibility of US Poll

    Trump fires head of security agency that vouched for credibility of US Poll

    United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump yesterday fired, Director of Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Christopher Krebs, the federal agency that vouched for the reliability of the 2020 election.

    Trump fired Krebs in a tweet, saying his recent statement defending the security of the election was “highly inaccurate”.

    The firing of Krebs, a Trump appointee, comes as the president is refusing to recognise the victory of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden and removing high-level officials seen as insufficiently loyal.

    He fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper on November 9 – part of a broader shakeup that put Trump loyalists in senior Pentagon positions.

    Krebs, a former Microsoft executive, ran the agency known as CISA from its creation in the wake of Russian interference with the 2016 U.S. election through the November election.

    He won bipartisan praise as CISA coordinates federal state and local efforts to defend electoral systems from foreign or domestic interference.

    He kept a low profile even as he voiced confidence ahead of the November vote and, afterwards, knocked down allegations that the count was tainted by fraud.

    At times, he seemed to be directly repudiating Trump, a surprising move from a component of the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that has drawn criticism for seeming to be too closely allied with the president’s political goals.

    CISA issued statements dismissing claims that large numbers of dead people could vote or that someone could change results without detection.

    Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court yesterday overturned an order requiring that election observers be allowed within six feet of ballot-counting operations.

    In its decision, the court said state law only requires that observers be allowed “in the room” where ballots are counted and does not mandate a minimum distance, NBC News said.

    The 5-2 majority opinion also found that the Philadelphia Board of Elections “did not act contrary to the law in fashioning its regulations governing the positioning of candidate representatives,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

    “Critically, we find the board’s regulations … were reasonable,” Justice Debra Todd wrote.

    The ruling reverses a Nov. 5 order in which Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon sided with the Trump campaign and agreed to reduce the 25-foot distance from which “candidates, watchers or candidate representatives” could watch the votes being counted.

    It also undercuts allegations by President Trump’s campaign that his supporters were illegally prevented from observing the tabulation process that’s projected to have helped Joe Biden capture the White House.

  • Michelle Obama to Trump, “This isn’t a game”

    Michelle Obama to Trump, “This isn’t a game”

    Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday evening took aim at President Donald Trump for his refusal to concede after losing the Nov. 3, presidential election.

    In an Instagram post, Mrs Obama said the love of country required everyone to respect election results even when unfavorable.

    She wrote: “The presidency doesn’t belong to any one individual or any one party.

    “To pretend that it does, to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories, whether for personal or political gain, is to put our country’s health and security in danger.

    “This isn’t a game.

    “So I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation’s leaders, regardless of party, to honour the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history.”

    The former First Lady recalled her struggle after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton “by a far closer margin” in the 2016 presidential election.

    Mrs Obama said although she and her husband were hurt and disappointed, they listened to the voice of the people and immediately set the transition ball rolling.

    “The American people had spoken. And one of the great responsibilities of the presidency is to listen when they do.

    “So, my husband and I instructed our staff members to do what George and Laura Bush had done for us: run a respectful, seamless transition of power – one of the hallmarks of American democracy.

    “We invited the folks from the president-elect’s team into our offices and prepared detailed memos for them, offering what we’d learned over the past eight years.

    “I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me,” she said.

    Mrs Obama further wrote that Trump had “spread racist lies” about her husband that had exposed her family to danger.

    It was not something she was ready to forgive, according to her, but she mustered the strength and maturity to let go for the sake of the country.

    “So, I welcomed Melania Trump into the White House and talked with her about my experience, answering every question she had, from the heightened scrutiny that comes with being First Lady to what it’s like to raise kids in the White House.

    “I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do, because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego,” she disclosed.

    The 2020 election was called in favour of former Vice President Joe Biden on Nov. 7, after crossing the 270 electoral college votes required to win the race.

    But Trump, who has refused to concede, is claiming that the votes were rigged against him.

    The president, who is challenging the election in court in key battleground states, is impeding a smooth transition of power to Biden.

  • BREAKING: After admitting Biden won, Trump makes U-Turn, declares self winner of US presidential poll

    BREAKING: After admitting Biden won, Trump makes U-Turn, declares self winner of US presidential poll

    Few hours after admitting his main challenger, Joe Bidden won the election (allegedly by rigging), U.S. President Donald Trump in a new tweet has declared himself the winner of the 3 November election.

    “I won the election”, Trump declared in all-caps tweet on Monday morning.

    Twitter responded moments later by tagging the tweet with a link that says: Official sources call this election differently’.

    Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were projected winners of the election on 10 November.

    Trump’s tweet was a continuation of his Twitter rants since Sunday, when he first acknowledged Joe Biden was the winner of the election.

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

    He then later tweeted that he was not going to concede as he planned to file ‘big cases’ soon.

    He continued the theme of election rigging in three other tweets flagged by Twitter as ‘disputed claims’.

  • JUST IN: Trump finally acknowledges Biden won, no concession speech yet

    U.S. President Donald Trump is gradually embracing reality about his 3 November election thrashing by Democrat Joe Biden.

    In a tweet on Sunday, the outgoing president seemingly acknowledged Biden’s victory, by using the words, ‘he won’.

    The tweet however embodied his unending sulking that the Democrats rigged him out.

    “He won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more!” Trump tweeted in response to a clip from Fox News’s Jesse Watters.

    Watters had said on Fox News: “There’s something that just doesn’t feel right about this. Joe Biden didn’t earn it, he didn’t really even campaign. He thought was going to lose, you could see it. He ran a losing campaign. So 10 days after the election, how’s he ahead? #WattersWords”.

    Trump in another tweet doubled down on his fraud claim, writing:
    “All of the mechanical “glitches” that took place on Election Night were really THEM getting caught trying to steal votes.

    “They succeeded plenty, however, without getting caught. Mail-in elections are a sick joke!”.

    Meanwhile, Trump has continued his legal bids to cancel the vote in several battleground states.

    On Saturday, he asked his lawyer Rudy W. Giuliani, to lead his renewed legal assault, after many setbacks.