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A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 27 november 2020

They're baaack: Trump and allies still refuse election loss

(AP) — Monday seemed Emily Murphy, the top of-
like the end of President ficial at the General Services
Donald Trump's relentless Administration, declared
challenges to the election, Biden the “apparent win-
after the federal govern- ner” Monday, a procedural
ment acknowledged Pres- yet critical step that allowed
ident-elect Joe Biden was for the transition to begin in
the “apparent winner” earnest.
and Trump cleared the She made the determina-
way for cooperation on a tion after Trump's efforts to
transition of power. subvert the vote failed across
But his baseless claims battleground states. She cited
have a way of coming “recent developments in-
back. And back. And back. volving legal challenges and
certifications of election re-
By Wednesday, Trump was sults.”
phoning into a local Pennsyl- Michigan certified Biden’s
vania Republican lawmakers' 154,000-count victory Mon-
meeting that had been or- day, despite calls by Trump to
chestrated by his campaign to the GOP members to block
assert falsely, again, that the the vote to allow for an audit
election was tainted. of ballots in Wayne Coun-
“This election was rigged ty, where Trump claimed
and we can’t let that happen," he was the victim of fraud.
Trump said by phone, offer- Biden crushed the president
ing no specific evidence. A day after Trump said his of the legal votes have been Trump team's lawsuit seeking by more than 330,000 votes
The 2020 presidential race is administration should be- counted and the illegal votes to throw out the results of the there.
turning into the zombie elec- gin working with Biden's have not been counted in the election. The judge admon- “The board’s duty today is
tion that Trump just won’t let team, three more lawsuits November 3rd election.” ished the Trump campaign very clear,” said Aaron Van
die. Despite dozens of legal were filed by allies attempt- In Pennsylvania, where state in a scathing ruling about its Langevelde, the Republican
and procedural setbacks, his ing to stop the certification Republican lawmakers met lack of evidence. vice chair. “We have a duty to
campaign keeps filing new in two more battleground at Gettysburg on Wednesday The campaign has appealed. certify this election based on
challenges that have little states. In Minnesota, a judge to air grievances about the Trump's allies have private- these returns.”
hope of succeeding and mak- did not rule on the suit and election, Trump lawyer Rudy ly acknowledged their plan Still, the Trump legal team
ing fresh, unfounded claims the state certified the results Giuliani attended in person would never actually over- dismissed the certification as
of fraud. for Biden. Another was filed and Trump dialed in from the turn the results, but rather “simply a procedural step”
But that’s the point. Trump’s in Wisconsin, which doesn't Oval Office. might provide Trump an and insisted it would fight
strategy, his allies concede in certify until Tuesday. Arizo- “We have all the evidence," off-ramp for a loss he wasn't on.
private, wasn’t to change the na Republicans filed a com- Trump asserted. “All we need owning up to and an avenue Trump and his allies have
outcome, but to create a host plaint over ballot inspection; is to have some judge listen to keep his base loyal for brought at least four cases in
of phantom claims about the the state certification is due to it properly without having whatever he does next. Michigan that sought — un-
2020 presidential race that Monday. a political opinion.” “And then our governing and successfully — to block certi-
would infect the nation with And the campaign legal team But the strongest legal rebuke politics will be hellish, be- fication of election results in
doubt and keep his base loyal, said state lawmakers in Arizo- yet came from a conservative cause he will continue doing part or all of the state.
even though the winner was na and Michigan would hold Republican judge in federal what he’s doing from his pri- In Pennsylvania, after Gov.
clear and there has been no meetings on the election “to court in Pennsylvania, who vate own perch,” Mann pre- Tom Wolf certified Biden as
evidence of mass voter fraud. provide confidence that all on Saturday dismissed the dicted. the winner, an appeals court
“Zombies are dead people judge ordered state officials
walking among the living to halt any further steps to-
— this litigation is the same ward certifying election re-
thing,” said Franita Tolson, a sults. The state has appealed
professor at the University of to Pennsylvania's Supreme
Southern California Gould Court.
School of Law. “In terms of In Arizona, just as lawyers
litigation that could change for a woman in the Phoenix
the election, all these cases area dropped a case alleging
are basically dead men walk- that equipment was unable to
ing.” record her ballot because she
It's a strategy tolerated by completed it with a county-
many Republicans, most no- issued Sharpie pen, Trump’s
tably Senate Majority Leader campaign filed its own law-
Mitch McConnell of Ken- suit echoing some of the
tucky, who are clinging to same complaints. As that suit
Trump as they face a test of was about to be dismissed,
retaining their own power in lawyers for the woman filed a
the form of two runoff elec- new case reviving the claims
tions in Georgia in January. and demanding that she be
“This really is our version allowed to recast her ballot.
of a polite coup d’etat,” said All three of the cases have
Thomas Mann, senior resi- now been dismissed.
dent scholar at the Institute “The legal process seems
of Governmental Studies at to be unfolding the way it’s
the University of California supposed to, but the Trump
at Berkeley. “It could end campaign has made clear its
quickly if the Republican desire to throw wrenches in
Party acknowledged what the system wherever it can,”
was going on. But they cower said Lisa Marshall Manheim,
in the face of Trump’s con- a professor at the University
nection with the base.” of Washington School of Law.