A new YouGov poll finds just 15% of Donald Trump voters view Joe Biden as being legitimately elected. The rest, 85%, claim he did not legitimately win.
Gantz Will Force New Israeli Elections
Israeli Blue and White party leader and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that he can no longer support the government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his party will vote Wednesday in support of a preliminary reading of a bill to dissolve the Knesset and call early elections, the Times of Israel reports.
Gantry described Netanyahu as “a serial breaker of promises” in a prime-time televised address.
Biden’s Economic Team Will Write a New Playbook
“Joe Biden’s economic team faces a daunting task helping the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs or otherwise been financially ravaged by the coronavirus. But most of them have first-hand crisis experience, dating back to when Barack Obama inherited a crumbling economy when he took office in 2009,” Axios reports.
“Most of President-elect Biden’s economic nominees served in the Obama administration, and wish that they could have gone bigger to help America recover from the 2008 financial crisis. But it’s not going to be easy for them to push through massive fiscal spending in 2021.”
Washington Post: Biden’s economic team set to prepare ambitious recovery plan, challenging Republicans’ renewed debt worries.
GOP Rivals Think Trump Will Face Hurdles In 2024
President Trump’s 2024 rivals privately tell Axios they assume Trump’s power will fade post-White House, giving them hope they can still run.
Said one Republican close to Trump: “I think he will have more trouble than he can begin to imagine. No one is going to let him have a free pass in the primary.”
He added: “The only question left open is whether the media will give up their addiction to him or not — that will determine a great deal.”
Ivanka Trump’s Political Ambitions Seek New Home
Washington Post: “It’s unclear where exactly Ivanka Trump and her husband – Jared Kushner, who like Ivanka is now a senior White House adviser – will physically land after they are expected to leave Washington in January. Some anticipate the couple will return to their old home of New York, while others speculate they may relocate to a “cottage” at the president’s Bedminster golf course in New Jersey.”
“But former friends, colleagues and associates of the couple believe wherever they live, the first daughter will be contemplating how to maximize her political capital – whether that means an actual run for office, or a gauzier influence in Republican circles in a world where President Trump still holds enormous political sway.”
Biden Plans Nomination Workaround
Politico: “Now that he’s chosen a big chunk of his Cabinet nominees, President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is focusing increasingly on selecting candidates for government positions that do not require Senate confirmation.”
“Concerned about Republicans slow-walking confirmation hearings for Cabinet appointees and hollowed-out federal agencies, Biden and his aides are eager to place mid- to lower-level officials across the federal government, particularly in national security roles, to ensure his administration can begin to enact his agenda immediately, according to three people familiar with the situation.”
“By quickly selecting candidates for slots that don’t require Senate confirmation, such as deputy assistant secretaries, the transition team also can try to ensure that many of those hired can obtain security clearances by the time Biden takes office.”
The Hill: Republican frustration builds over Biden’s cabinet picks.
Biden Treads Lightly Around McConnell
New York Times: “Biden’s top priority, he said, is getting a generous stimulus package through Congress, even before he takes office… But the big question is whether he can get it past McConnell today or tomorrow if the Republicans continue to hold the Senate. A significant number of Republican senators could decide that they want to become deficit hawks again under a President Biden, after four years of uncontrolled spending under Trump that has brought the national debt to record highs.”
“Biden was careful about how he talked about McConnell, who has been careful not to call Biden ‘president-elect.’ Biden obviously wants to keep the prospects of cooperation open — but also make clear that he may have more leverage with the American people than the G.O.P. realizes if Senate Republicans opt for full-on obstruction.”
U.K. Authorizes Covid-19 Vaccines
Wall Street Journal: “The U.K. became the first Western nation to grant emergency-use authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine, clearing a shot developed by Pfizer Inc. of the U.S. and BioNTech SE of Germany to be distributed in limited numbers within days. The two-shot vaccine is also being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., where a similar authorization could come later this month and a rollout before the end of the year.”
“The U.K. green light on Wednesday punctuates a monthslong sprint by the two drugmakers, which teamed up earlier this year and then pulled ahead of two other Western pharmaceutical giants, each with its own promising shot. Vaccines typically take years to bring to market.”
Politico: Trump to FDA: Why is Europe beating us on vaccine?
Trump Threatens to Veto Major Defense Bill
“President Trump on Tuesday threatened to veto an annual defense bill authorizing nearly $1 trillion in military spending unless Congress opens the door for Facebook, Twitter and other social-media sites to be held legally liable for the way they police their platforms,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump delivered his ultimatum — calling for the repeal of a federal law known as Section 230 — in a pair of late-night tweets that transformed a critical national security debate into a political war over his unproven allegations that Silicon Valley’s technology giants exhibit bias against conservatives.”
Half of Small Business Relief Went to Larger Firms
“Despite promises that the Paycheck Protection Program would benefit mainly small businesses, about 600 mostly larger companies, including dozens of national chains, received the maximum amount allowed under the program of $10 million,” a Washington Post analysis shows.
Nevada Governor Slams Trump Over Conspiracy Theory
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) hit back after President Trump retweeted a bizarre conspiracy theory claiming a Reno hospital’s overflow COVID unit was actually a hoax.
Said Sisolak: “His consistent misleading rhetoric on COVID-19 is dangerous and reckless, and today’s implication that Renown’s alternate care site is a ‘fake hospital’ is among the worst examples we’ve seen.”
He added: “It is unconscionable for him to continue to spread lies and sow distrust at a time when all Americans should be united during this historic public health crisis. Enough is enough.”
Trump Publicly Teases 2024 Bid
President Trump teased running again for president in 2024 as he hosted a holiday reception at the White House on Tuesday evening, the AP reports.
Said Trump: “It’s been an amazing four years. We’re trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years.”
Politico: “Trump has been privately telling advisers for weeks that he’s pondering a 2024 campaign, and some close to him think he could announce a bid in the immediate weeks ahead. But Tuesday appears to mark the first time outside those private conversations that he’s spoken about seeking a return to the White House.”
Lawmaker Dines Outside After Voting to Ban It
“Just hours after Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl voted to ban outdoor dining at L.A. County’s 31,000 restaurants over COVID-19 safety concerns, she visited a restaurant in Santa Monica, where she dined outdoors,” Fox 11 Los Angeles reports.
Right Wing Hungarian Politician Suddenly Resigns
A senior conservative Hungarian politician abruptly announced his resignation from the European Parliament after the police broke up a party he attended in Brussels because it violated coronavirus restrictions, the New York Times reports.
The party was described by Belgian media as “an all-male orgy.”
Trump Has Discussed Pardoning His Children
“President Trump has discussed with advisers whether to grant pre-emptive pardons to his children, to his son-in-law and to his personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, and talked with Mr. Giuliani about pardoning him as recently as last week,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump has told others that he is concerned that a Biden Justice Department might seek retribution against the president by targeting the oldest three of his five children — Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — as well as Ms. Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, a White House senior adviser.”
Obama Says ‘Defund the Police’ Loses People
Former President Barack Obama said that “snappy” slogans such as “defund the police” can alienate people, making the statements less effective than intended, Axios reports.
Said Obama: “You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done.”
Biden’s National Lead Now Nearly 7 Million Votes
The Cook Political Report notes the U.S. has surpassed a record-shattering 158 million votes counted.
Joe Biden’s national popular vote lead is now up to 6.94 million votes or 4.4 percentage points.
Feds Investigating Cash for Pardons Scheme
“The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon,” CNN reports.
“The case is the latest legal twist in the waning days of President Trump’s administration after several of his top advisers have been convicted of federal criminal charges and as the possibility rises of Trump giving pardons to those who’ve been loyal to him.”
Renato Mariotti: “Exchanging anything of value for an official act, such as granting a pardon, is a federal crime.”
