Розділ: Політика
World Leaders Offer Mixed Reactions After Mayhem at US Capitol
Mixed reactions of shock, sadness and sarcasm continue to be heard from around the world over Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump angry over his loss in November’s presidential election.
“What happened today in Washington, D.C., is not America,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video message on Twitter late Wednesday. “We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy.” We believe in democracy.#WeAreOnepic.twitter.com/dj3hs66KKn— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 7, 2021
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “distressed” to see the “rioting and violence” in Washington in a statement issued on his Twitter account. “Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.”
Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 7, 2021Taiwan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed regret over the violence in a statement issued Thursday. The ministry said it had sent out an emergency notice to Taiwanese citizens “to raise their level of alertness and pay attention to safety” in regards to the curfew imposed by local Washington officials.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahid Hafeez Choudhri told reporters Thursday the government is closely following the developments in Washington. “We are hopeful that the situation will soon normalize and would not in any way impact the ongoing transition process,” Choudhri said.
Raoof Hasan, a special assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, told VOA the images of pro-Trump extremists forcing their way into the House of Representatives and Senate chambers as lawmakers were certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory proves the United States “commands little moral legitimacy to be commenting on democratic principles obtaining in other countries. “If the United States saw what the United States is doing in the United States, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States,” Hasan said on Twitter.
Protesters clash with Capitol police during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.Shariman Lockman, a senior foreign policy and security studies analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia, told VOA the riot “doesn’t put America in the best light.” “It just compounds negative thoughts that people already have about America. You know, you can’t get COVID right and you can’t get your elections right. You [the U.S. government] keep telling us how to organize ourselves, but you can’t organize yourselves right.”
In South Korea, senior lawmaker Song Young-gil, a member of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party, said in a Facebook post the incident “revealed the shameful side of the United States.” “This kind of behavior can be exploited by dictatorships who want to justify their behavior,” added Song, who did not elaborate. “I look forward to seeing the United States restore its system.”
“Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 6, 2021
European Union officials indicated their support for Biden on Wednesday, as pro-Trump extremists forced Capitol Hill into lockdown, interrupting the certification of Biden’s presidential victory.
“I believe in the strength of US institutions and democracy. Peaceful transition of power is at the core. @JoeBiden won the election,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter.
I believe in the strength of US institutions and democracy. Peaceful transition of power is at the core. @JoeBiden won the election. I look forward to working with him as the next President of the USA. https://t.co/2G1sUeRH4U— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 6, 2021″The outcome of this democratic election must be respected,” NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected.— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 6, 2021Turkey’s Foreign Ministry released a statement Wednesday urging its citizens in the United States to avoid crowded places and confrontations.
“We invite all parties in the USA to temperance and common sense. We believe that the USA will overcome this domestic political crisis in maturity,” it wrote in a statement.
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021. – Donald Trump’s supporters stormed a session of Congress held today, January 6, to certify Joe Biden’s election win,…The Organization of American States also condemned the mobs.
The exercise of force and vandalism against the institutions constitutes a serious attack against democratic functioning,” the OAS General Secretariat on Incidents wrote in a statement Wednesday, urging a return to “much-needed rationality.” In a televised speech Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said events at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday are evidence Western democracy is fragile and vulnerable to populism. He said, “A populist has arrived, and he has led his country to disaster over these past four years.” Rohani added he hoped “the next occupants of the White House” will “restore the country to a position worthy of the American nation, because the American nation is a great nation.”
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Capitol Has Seen Violence Over 220 Years, But Not Like This
In more than 220 years, the U.S. Capitol had seen nothing like it: a roiling mob, forcing its way past its majestic marble columns, disrupting the passage of power, desecrating the seat of the world’s greatest democracy.
But this was far from the first time the Capitol has been scarred by violence.1814
In 1814, just 14 years after the building opened, British forces in the War of 1812 tried to burn it down. The invaders looted the building first, and then set the southern and northern wings ablaze — incinerating the Library of Congress. A sudden rainstorm prevented its total destruction, but the building was left “a most magnificent ruin,” according to architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
Over the centuries since, events have made a mockery of the inscription on the rostrum of the House chamber — “Union, Justice, Tolerance, Liberty, Peace.” The building has been bombed several times. There have been shootings. One legislator almost killed another.1954
The most famous episode occurred in 1954, when four Puerto Rican nationalists unfurled the island’s flag and, shouting “Freedom for Puerto Rico,” unleashed a barrage of about 30 shots from the visitor’s gallery of the House. Five congressmen were injured, one of them seriously.
“I did not come to kill anyone, I came to die for Puerto Rico!” cried the leader, Lolita Lebron, when she and the others were arrested.
Before and since, the building has been a target. In 1915, a German man planted three sticks of dynamite in the Senate reception room; it went off shortly before midnight, when no one was around.
The bomber — who had previously murdered his pregnant wife by poisoning, and would go on to shoot financier J.P. Morgan Jr,. and bomb a steamship loaded with munitions bound for Britain — killed himself before he could be arrested.1971
More recently, the Weather Underground set off an explosive in 1971 to protest the U.S. bombing of Laos, and the May 19th Communist Movement bombed the Senate in 1983 in response to the invasion of Grenada. Neither caused any deaths or injuries, but both resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and led to tougher security measures.1998
The most deadly attack on the Capitol occurred in 1998, when a mentally ill man fired at a checkpoint and killed two Capitol Police officers. One of the dying officers managed to wound the gunman, who was arrested and later institutionalized. A nearby statue of Vice President John C. Calhoun still bears a bullet mark from the incident.2013
In 2013, a dental hygienist with her 18-month-old daughter in tow tried to drive onto the White House grounds, and was chased to the Capitol, where she was shot to death by police.1835
There have been other, storied attacks. In 1835, a deranged house painter tried to shoot two pistols at President Andrew Jackson outside the building; the guns misfired, and Jackson caned his assailant into submission.1856
And famously, in 1856, Rep. Preston Brooks attacked abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner with his cane on the floor of the Senate after the senator gave a speech criticizing slavery.
Sumner was beaten so badly that three years passed before he had sufficiently recovered to return to Congress. The House failed to expel Brooks, but he resigned — and was immediately reelected.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Lawmakers Demand Investigation of Capitol Security
U.S. lawmakers are calling for an investigation of the police force that protects the Capitol, while also offering praise for their actions, after Wednesday’s storming of the seat of the country’s legislative branch by a mob of pro-Trump supporters.The push for answers was led by two Democrats who in the new Congress will lead the subcommittees that have budget oversight for the U.S. Capitol Police. “There will be many videos, some [will] raise concern, some will show heroism. We need a full investigation on how the Capitol’s security was breached this quickly,” said Senator Chris Murphy.Congressman Tim Ryan pointed to a lack of preparation ahead of Wednesday’s planned rallies where supporters of President Donald Trump gathered to back his continued baseless rejection of his election loss.“I think it’s pretty clear that there’s going to be a number of people who are going to be without employment very, very soon because this is an embarrassment both on behalf of the mob, and the president, and the insurrection, and the attempted coup, but also the lack of professional planning and dealing with what we knew was going to occur,” he said.Congresswoman Ilhan Omar added: “We spend billions of dollars on national security and today failed to protect our Nation’s Capital from a lawless mob. Unacceptable!”Wednesday’s series of events began with Trump speaking at a noon rally on the Ellipse, just south of the White House, urging the crowd to continue fighting the election results as members of Congress were preparing to certify the count two kilometers away.“We’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue … and we’re going to the Capitol … we’re going to try and give our Republicans … the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,” he said. By 1:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police were telling people in a House of Representatives office building and an adjacent Library of Congress building to evacuate. Just after 2 p.m., alerts went out about “an external security threat located on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building,” followed soon by another alert signaling a “security threat inside the building.” Lawmakers and staff were told to find cover, lock doors and stay away from windows. Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, said Capitol Police had at that point already called his department seeking help. In some of the many videos of the mob’s actions shared on social media and by news organizations, Capitol Police officers can be seen being overwhelmed by the vastly larger crowds who stormed through waist-high barricades and evaded officers who were trying to halt their progress. Other rioters scaled walls as members of the crowd smashed windows to get inside. Members of the House and Senate, along with Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification session, were evacuated. The mob spent hours inside the building, including the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leaving behind smashed doors and furniture before exiting with little resistance as officers pushed to secure the site. By 6 p.m. when Capitol Police, helped by local officers as well as the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies, regained control, police had shot dead one woman and three other people were dead from medical emergencies, according to Contee. Metropolitan Police said they arrested 52 people, and 14 of the department’s officers were injured. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a curfew order that went into effect a short time later, set to last all night. Around 9 p.m., lawmakers were back inside the Capitol to resume their session. “I just walked through the Capitol on my way back to the House floor,” Republican Congressman Kelly Armstrong said late Wednesday. “The Capitol Police are still there. Exhausted, bloodied, bandaged, some are on stretchers. They did their job today and they did it well. They are still here. Protecting the United States Capitol so that the House and Senate can convene and fulfill our constitutional duty.” Republican Senator Mitt Romney tweeted his thanks to the Capitol Police, FBI, Secret Service and National Guard, commending their “professionalism and bravery.” “Grateful to you for keeping us safe every day, & especially today,” he posted. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, thanked those he called the Capitol’s “unsung heroes.” “Maintenance workers, cafeteria employees, and support staff didn’t deserve to be terrorized today. I appreciate you all,” he said. As the clocked turned from Wednesday into Thursday, the FBI issued a call for the public to provide any photos, videos or information about the rioters. At 1:13 a.m. came a final U.S. Capitol Police alert: “The USCP has cleared the internal security threat incident. Return to normal operations.” With the west front of the Capitol set to host President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, Bowser said she extended an emergency order for 15 days “to ensure peace and security.” The U.S. Secret Service leads security efforts for the inauguration, but typically gets help from numerous agencies such as the Capitol Police, Metropolitan police, Federal Aviation Administration and National Guard. The U.S. Capitol Police website lists the agency’s annual budget at approximately $460 million with a staff of more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
South Koreans Confused, Disgusted at Election Violence in US
South Korea, whose political development and systems of government have long been influenced in part by the United States, is reacting with bewilderment to this week’s deadly post-election violence in Washington, D.C.People angry at President Donald Trump’s defeat in the recent U.S. election forcibly entered the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, scuffling with police, vandalizing congressional offices, and prompting scenes of chaos, including armed standoffs, which resulted in lawmakers being temporarily evacuated.Capitol Police shot one woman to death after she attempted to break through a barrier inside the building, while three others died from unspecified “medical emergencies,” according to police. Police also say they discovered two pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee.Many in South Korea, formerly ruled by military strongmen but now consistently ranked as one of Asia’s strongest democracies, expressed confusion and disgust about the rocky transfer of power in Washington.“I really don’t understand how this could be happening,” Yang Seung-hyun, a 41-year-old freelance businessman in Seoul’s Sinchon neighborhood, told VOA. “I don’t know how exactly it relates to South Korean politics, but I know it sure doesn’t look good.”South Korea’s government has not commented on the violent intrusion of the Capitol building. But senior lawmaker Song Young-gil, a member of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party, said in a Facebook post the incident “revealed the shameful side of the United States.”“This kind of behavior can be exploited by dictatorships who want to justify their behavior,” added Song, who did not elaborate. “I look forward to seeing the United States restore its system.”Heated political battlesSouth Korea is no stranger to feisty domestic political battles.Most notably, mass protests in 2016-17 led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, who was later convicted in a corruption scandal that could eventually see her jailed for over 20 years.South Korea’s three other living ex-presidents have also been convicted of criminal offenses.At South Korea’s National Assembly, occasional scuffles break out between lawmakers. There have also been instances of South Korean protesters attempting to breach the legislature.But in South Korea, those attempts are not usually successful, points out Lee Sang-sin, who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification (KINU).“Korean riot police are much more formidable than D.C. ones. And Korean mobs are not armed with guns,” Lee said, thanks in part to South Korea’s strict gun ownership laws.Kim Ha-neul, a 29-year-old nurse who lives in Seoul, said she was surprised to see such intense unrest in the United States. “And I don’t understand why police in the U.S. didn’t care about this (storming of the Capitol),” she added.Rocky transfer of powerIt’s not clear how many rioters, if any, possessed firearms when they barged into the Capitol. The rioters were furious about what they claim is election fraud that delivered key swing states to Trump’s opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.Trump’s own Justice Department has denied allegations of serious voter fraud in the Nov. 3 election. Scores of legal challenges by Trump and his allies have failed.Instead, Trump attempted to convince Republican members of Congress, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, to delay or overturn the results of the election using a largely ceremonial parliamentary procedure meant to count the electoral votes.Hours before the vote-counting meeting convened Wednesday, Trump addressed a crowd of supporters on the National Mall, urging them to relocate to the nearby Capitol. A short time later, the chaos ensued, prompting Trump to send follow-up messages encouraging his supporters to be peaceful and then go home.Once the Capitol was secured, lawmakers reconvened and eventually certified the election results, meaning Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.The White House later released a statement insisting Trump would commit to an “orderly transition.”New era?Many in Seoul hope the incoming Biden administration will mark the end of a testy era in U.S.-South Korea relations.As president, Trump regularly complained that Seoul did not pay enough for the approximately 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.Trump often talked about the issue in blunt terms, accusing South Korea of “freeloading,” or taking advantage of U.S. protection. At one point in 2019, Trump suggested South Korea was “rich as hell and probably doesn’t like us too much.”Though the military cost-sharing issue was a constant source of friction, officials from both countries insist the overall relationship remains solid.Biden has promised to bolster the alliance, which has been in place since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War — virtually the entirety of South Korea’s existence.US still a model?Since then, the United States has played a crucial but complicated role in the political development of South Korea.The U.S. for decades supported and armed South Korea’s brutal military rulers, even while supporting civil society and other programs meant to foster democracy and the rule of law.As a result, some aspects of Korean political institutions and civil society now mirror those in the United States.Among the shared features are the presidential system, the separation of powers among three branches of government, and the basic rights outlined in the constitution, said Ben Engel, a doctoral student who researches U.S. policy and influence in South Korea.“The U.S. was definitely a model they looked at, as were other places,” Engel said. “But Koreans have also tried hard to overcome the weaknesses in the U.S. system.”South Korea has now been a democracy since 1987. And although many here still see the U.S. as a model, it’s becoming tricker, said Lee of KINU.”America’s image among Koreans is closely linked with how we view ourselves,” Lee said. “If America can be no longer our role model then we must find our own path.”
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Raphael Warnock Becomes the First Black Senator in Georgia’s History
Democrat Raphael Warnock is the projected winner of one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first African American to be elected to the U.S. Senate in the state’s history. Warnock, who defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, is a pastor of the Atlanta church where American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. preached. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo has this profile of Warnock.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Capitol Siege: Americans See Images They Can’t Believe
It was a scene Americans never expected to see in their own country, as a riotous mob pushed into the U.S. Capitol building. Michelle Quinn reports.
Producer: Matt Dibble
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Facebook, YouTube Pull Trump Video; Twitter Locks Trump Account
Facebook and Alphabet’s YouTube took down a video from President Donald Trump on Wednesday that continued to make the baseless claim the election was fraudulent as he told supporters who had stormed the U.S. Capitol to go home.Twitter restricted users from retweeting the video “due to a risk of violence,” as hundreds of protesters sought to force Congress to undo the president’s election loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. Twitter restricted a later tweet from Trump that again falsely alleged he had won the election.Later Wednesday night, Twitter locked the president’s account for 12 hours over “repeated and severe violations” of the social media platform’s civic integrity rules and threatened permanent suspension.Facebook Vice President of Integrity Guy Rosen tweeted that it believed the video “contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence,” saying the action was part of “appropriate emergency measures.”Google-owned YouTube said the video violated its policy against content that alleges “widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Election.” YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo added the company does allow copies that include additional context.Social media companies have been under pressure to police misinformation on their platforms around the election. Trump and his allies have continuously spread unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that have proliferated online.In a statement on Wednesday, the Anti-Defamation League called for social media companies to suspend Trump’s accounts, saying the events at the Capitol resulted from “fear and disinformation that has been spewed directly from the Oval Office.”Former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos tweeted: “Twitter and Facebook have to cut him off. There are no legitimate equities left and labeling won’t do it.”A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.According to researchers and public postings, violent rhetoric and advice on weaponry ramped up significantly in the past three weeks on many social media platforms as multiple groups planned rallies for Wednesday, including Trump supporters, white nationalists and enthusiasts of the wide-ranging conspiracy theory QAnon.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Lawmakers Recount Chaos on Capitol Hill
U.S. lawmakers recounted Wednesday frantic scenes of evacuations and being ordered to grab gas masks as pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol.The mob forced the Senate into a recess while it was in the process of certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.“I was one of a dozen Representatives in the gallery above the House floor. We pulled out gas masks and had to get down on the ground,” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat, wrote on Twitter.“Capitol police barricaded the doors and had guns drawn,” she recounted. “We were eventually told that we had to quickly exit.”I am safe and sheltering in place.I was one of a dozen Representatives in the gallery above the House floor. We pulled out gas masks and had to get down on the ground. Capitol police barricaded the doors and had guns drawn. We were eventually told that we had to quickly exit.— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 6, 2021“We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks,” tweeted Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat. “Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber.”I am in the House Chambers. We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks. Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber. This is not a protest. This is an attack on America.— Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) January 6, 2021Tear gas was deployed in the Rotunda to deter Trump supporters who breached the Capitol security lines.Speaking to VOA’s Russian Service, Republican Congressman Greg Murphy of North Carolina said that many of his colleagues were concerned for their safety.“A lot of folks were concerned. A lot of folks were worried,” he said. “But we were evacuated in a safe and orderly manner.”As a full lockdown was in effect across Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon, many lawmakers took to social media to assure their constituents and followers that they were safe.I’m in the Capitol. I’m safe, and my team and I are sheltering in place.The President of the United States has incited a riot that has now stormed the Capitol. There are rioters roaming the halls of the Capitol. I saw them with my own eyes.Our country deserves better.— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) January 6, 2021I am safe, but heartbroken about what we are enduring at our nation’s Capitol. Running for our lives as Members of Congress in the United States is really devastating and totally shocking. https://t.co/7pAeikE9TQ— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2021Security officials lifted the lockdown on Capitol Hill on Wednesday evening, with dozens of Trump supporters still outside the Capitol despite a 6 p.m. curfew in Washington.Police were overheard telling lingering Trump supporters and onlookers that they should leave the area voluntarily or risk arrest for violating the curfew.One woman who was shot during the riot inside the Capitol has died, according to media reports. Her identity has not been made public.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Warnock Scores Historic Win in Georgia Senate Race, Ossoff-Perdue Runoff Still Too Close to Call
Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of two close Senate runoff races in the U.S. state of Georgia, putting Senate control within the party’s reach and making Warnock the first Black Democrat to win a Senate seat in a former Confederate state.
Warnock, the pastor of an Atlanta, Georgia, church once led by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler in a race that was called by Edison Research and the Associated Press early Wednesday after the candidates exchanged leads overnight.
In the other Georgia Senate race, Democrat Jon Ossoff maintained a tighter lead over Republican Senator David Perdue, whose six-year term expired on Sunday. Ossoff, a former congressional aide and television documentary producer, claimed victory early Wednesday but the race was too close to declare a winner.
An Ossoff victory would give Democrats full control of Congress, raising the possibility that President-elect Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers can more easily enact their legislative agenda.
Warnock and Ossoff needed heavy turnout from African American voters, as did Biden two months ago, when his popularity with Black voters and other groups allowed him to capture Georgia’s 16 electoral votes by almost 12,000 out of 5 million votes cast.
Warnock’s win also crystalizes a years-long political shift in Georgia, where growing numbers of minorities and college-educated residents have helped turn the state from a longtime Republican stronghold into a swing state.
“Georgia is in such an incredible place when you think of the arc of our history,” Warnock said Wednesday on ABC’s Good Morning America. “This is the reversal of the old Southern strategy that sought to divide people.”
President-elect Biden was quick to commend Warnock and Ossoff on Wednesday, although Ossoff had not been declared the winner.FILE – Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Georgia Jon Ossoff speaks after voting early in Atlanta, Dec. 22, 2020.“I congratulate the people of Georgia, who turned out in record numbers once again, just as they did in November, to elect two new senators, demand action, and call on our elected leaders to end the gridlock and move us forward as a nation,” Biden said in a statement.
Going into Tuesday’s voting, Republicans controlled the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the Georgia contests to keep their majority and act as a bulwark against Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20.
With Warnock’s victory, an Ossoff win would give Democrats a 50-50 split with Republicans and a chance for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be able to preside over Senate proceedings when she chooses, to cast tie-breaking votes in Democrats’ favor.
Democrats already narrowly control the House of Representatives. With Democratic control of both houses of Congress, Biden would likely offer more sweeping proposals to bolster health care in the United States, tighten environmental controls that were eased during the four-year tenure of Trump and try to make it easier for immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.
Conversely, Republican control of the Senate would make Biden’s political life more difficult and likely force protracted negotiations between his administration and Republican lawmakers on contentious issues.
The controlling party in the chamber also sets the legislative calendar, determining which issues are voted on while also holding a majority on each of the Senate’s issue-specific committees where potential laws are first considered.
The Perdue-Ossoff and Loeffler-Warnock contests were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the first round of voting in November. Voters are seen lined up for the U.S. Senate run-off election, at a polling location in Marietta, Georgia, Jan. 5, 2021.Voter turnout was robust on Tuesday, with long lines of voters snaking into polling places, and came after nearly 3.1 million people cast ballots before the official Election Day. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting that included Biden’s race against Trump.
Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he was defrauded out of winning the state, pleading in an extraordinary phone call last weekend with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 more votes – enough to upend the Biden win by a single vote. But Raffensperger, a Republican, rebuffed Trump, saying he was “just plain wrong” in contending he was cheated out of a victory in the state.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.Trump continued to make false claims Wednesday, tweeting that Georgia elections officials “just happened to find 50,000 ballots late last night. The USA is embarrassed by fools. Our Election Process is worse than that of third world countries.”
Georgia election official Gabe Sterling dismissed Trump’s claims, declaring Wednesday there is “no evidence of any irregularities” in Tuesday’s election. “The biggest thing we’ve seen is from the president’s fertile mind of finding fraud where none exists.”
Election Day exit polls conducted by Edison Research indicated about seven in 10 Georgia voters were confident that the votes in Tuesday’s runoff elections would be counted accurately. Democrats were far more confident than Republicans.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Capitol on Lockdown as Trump Protesters Breach Congress
U.S. Capitol Police ordered a lockdown Wednesday across the Capitol Complex, citing an external security threat, as thousands of Trump supporters stormed the building to protest Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.The Senate entered into recess as it was proceeding to certify the electoral college votes for Biden, and Vice President Mike Pence reportedly was ushered out of the building by the Secret Service via underground tunnels.Video footage circulating on social media and American media showed Trump supporters breaching police lines outside of Congress and wandering through the Capitol building. TV news reports said tear gas was deployed as some protesters tried to break down the doors of the House chamber.Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington.In a letter released shortly after these remarks, Pence declined to vote against the electoral college.“It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” he wrote.Trump’s supporters, including some groups that clashed with police, started gathering in Washington Tuesday night. Authorities said they arrested at least six people on charges that included weapons and ammunition possession, assaulting a police officer and possessing a stun gun.Washington’s streets were shut down, and Mayor Muriel Bowser called in the National Guard, fearing a repeat of sometimes-violent confrontations between protest groups the city experienced last year. Downtown shops have been boarded up, and National Guard members assisted District of Columbia and National Park police in controlling crowds Wednesday. Bowser and politicians in neighboring Maryland and Virginia urged residents to stay home Wednesday and avoid counterprotests.
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Democrats Win Key US Senate Race With Second Georgia Runoff Too Close to Call
Control of the U.S. Senate hung in the balance Wednesday with the result of one of two runoff elections in the southern state of Georgia still too close to call.Democrats moved closer to regaining control of the chamber with the Rev. Raphael Warnock’s projected defeat of Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of Tuesday’s elections.U.S. media organizations called the race with Warnock leading Loeffler by more than 40,000 votes and nearly all ballots counted.“We were told that we couldn’t win this election, but tonight we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible,” Warnock said in a message to his supporters late Tuesday.In the second election, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer, led by more than 12,000 votes over Republican David Perdue, who was seeking a second six-year term in office.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 12 MB480p | 17 MB540p | 23 MB720p | 49 MB1080p | 92 MBOriginal | 258 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioGeorgia Voters Determine Prospects for Biden PresidencyGoing into Tuesday’s voting, Republicans controlled the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the Georgia contests to keep their majority and act as a bulwark against Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20.With Warnock’s victory, an Ossoff win would give Democrats a 50-50 split with Republicans and a chance for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be able to preside over Senate proceedings when she chooses, to cast tie-breaking votes in the Democrats’ favor.Democrats already narrowly control the House of Representatives. With Democratic control of both houses of Congress, Biden would likely offer more sweeping proposals to bolster health care in the United States, tighten environmental controls that were eased during the four-year tenure of President Donald Trump and try to make it easier for immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.Conversely, Republican control of the Senate would make Biden’s political life more difficult and likely force protracted negotiations between his administration and Republican lawmakers on contentious issues.The controlling party in the chamber also sets the legislative calendar, determining which issues are voted on while also holding a majority on each of the Senate’s issue-specific committees where potential laws are first considered.The Perdue-Ossoff and Loeffler-Warnock contests were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the first round of voting in November.Understanding US Senate Runoff Elections in GeorgiaEight things you need to know about the elections that will decide who controls the US SenateVoter turnout
Voter turnout was robust on Tuesday, with long lines of voters snaking into polling places, and came after nearly 3.1 million people cast ballots before the official Election Day. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting that included Biden’s race against Trump.The overall vote count in U.S. runoff elections usually lags general elections, but about 100,000 people who did not vote in November in Georgia cast ballots in the Senate runoffs even before the official Election Day.In the November vote, Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in Georgia since 1992.Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he was defrauded out of winning the state, pleading in an extraordinary phone call last weekend with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 more votes – enough to upend the Biden win by a single vote. But Raffensperger, a Republican, rebuffed Trump, saying he was “just plain wrong” in contending he was cheated out of a victory in the state.Loeffler said she would support Trump’s challenge to Biden’s victory in Georgia when a joint session of Congress meets Wednesday to certify Biden’s 306-232 victory in the Electoral College, which determines the outcome of U.S. presidential elections rather than the national popular vote.Election Day exit polls conducted by Edison Research indicated about seven in 10 Georgia voters were confident that the votes in Tuesday’s runoff elections would be counted accurately. Democrats were far more confident than Republicans.Biden, Trump rallies
Both Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters.“The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.”He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said.Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.”“The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.”
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Won’t Attend Biden’s Inauguration
Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. It marks the first time the couple, 96 and 93, will have missed the ceremonies since Carter was sworn in as the 39th president in 1977.
A spokeswoman at The Carter Center in Atlanta said the Carters have sent Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their “best wishes” and “look forward to a successful administration.”
Biden was a young Delaware senator and Carter ally during the Georgian’s term in the White House.
The Carters have spent the coronavirus pandemic mostly at their home in Plains, Georgia, where both were raised and where they returned after leaving the White House in 1981.Bushes will attend
Separately, former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura will attend the inauguration in person. Their spokesman, Freddy Ford, said, “President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris.”
The announcement from Bush, a Republican, came a day before Congress was scheduled to convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Biden. President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the House and Senate plan to object to the election results, a longshot effort that is all but certain to fail.
The Bushes also attended Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Ford added that “witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old.”
Carter, a Democrat, became the longest-lived American president in March 2019, surpassing former President George H.W. Bush, who died the previous November. Carter survived a melanoma diagnosis that spread to his brain in 2015. He has since had several falls and hip replacement surgery. He no longer teaches Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, as he had for decades, but still participates in church activities via video amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carter was the first former president to confirm his plans to attend Trump’s inauguration in 2017. The Carters were seated on the aisle, next to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. The elder Bush was the lone former president at the time who did not attend Trump’s inauguration. The Carters did travel to Washington for the elder Bush’s funeral.
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Democrats Win Key US Senate Runoff With Second Georgia Race Too Close to Call
Control of the U.S. Senate hung in the balance Wednesday with the result of one of two runoff elections in the southern state of Georgia still too close to call.Democrats moved closer to regaining control of the chamber with the Rev. Raphael Warnock’s projected defeat of Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of Tuesday’s elections.U.S. media organizations called the race with Warnock leading Loeffler by more than 40,000 votes and nearly all ballots counted.“We were told that we couldn’t win this election, but tonight we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible,” Warnock said in a message to his supporters late Tuesday.In the second election, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer, led by more than 12,000 votes over Republican David Perdue, who was seeking a second six-year term in office.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 12 MB480p | 17 MB540p | 23 MB720p | 49 MB1080p | 92 MBOriginal | 258 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioGeorgia Voters Determine Prospects for Biden PresidencyGoing into Tuesday’s voting, Republicans controlled the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the Georgia contests to keep their majority and act as a bulwark against Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20.With Warnock’s victory, an Ossoff win would give Democrats a 50-50 split with Republicans and a chance for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be able to preside over Senate proceedings when she chooses, to cast tie-breaking votes in the Democrats’ favor.Democrats already narrowly control the House of Representatives. With Democratic control of both houses of Congress, Biden would likely offer more sweeping proposals to bolster health care in the United States, tighten environmental controls that were eased during the four-year tenure of President Donald Trump and try to make it easier for immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.Conversely, Republican control of the Senate would make Biden’s political life more difficult and likely force protracted negotiations between his administration and Republican lawmakers on contentious issues.The controlling party in the chamber also sets the legislative calendar, determining which issues are voted on while also holding a majority on each of the Senate’s issue-specific committees where potential laws are first considered.The Perdue-Ossoff and Loeffler-Warnock contests were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the first round of voting in November.Understanding US Senate Runoff Elections in GeorgiaEight things you need to know about the elections that will decide who controls the US SenateVoter turnout was robust on Tuesday, with long lines of voters snaking into polling places, and came after nearly 3.1 million people cast ballots before the official Election Day. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting that included Biden’s race against Trump.The overall vote count in U.S. runoff elections usually lags general elections, but about 100,000 people who did not vote in November in Georgia cast ballots in the Senate runoffs even before the official Election Day.In the November vote, Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in Georgia since 1992.Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he was defrauded out of winning the state, pleading in an extraordinary phone call last weekend with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 more votes – enough to upend the Biden win by a single vote. But Raffensperger, a Republican, rebuffed Trump, saying he was “just plain wrong” in contending he was cheated out of a victory in the state.Loeffler said she would support Trump’s challenge to Biden’s victory in Georgia when a joint session of Congress meets Wednesday to certify Biden’s 306-232 victory in the Electoral College, which determines the outcome of U.S. presidential elections rather than the national popular vote.Election Day exit polls conducted by Edison Research indicated about seven in 10 Georgia voters were confident that the votes in Tuesday’s runoff elections would be counted accurately. Democrats were far more confident than Republicans.Both Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters.“The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.”He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said.Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.”“The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.”
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Outcomes Uncertain in Key US Senate Runoff Elections in Georgia
Two pivotal U.S. Senate runoff elections in the Southern state of Georgia were too close to call Tuesday night.The outcomes of the closely watched contests will determine political control in the Senate during the first two years of President-elect Joe Biden’s term in the White House. But with roughly 98% of the vote counted in the two contests, no one was claiming victory or conceding defeat, although the votes left to be counted appeared to be in regions of the state with a heavy Democratic voter turnout. In one contest, Republican Sen. David Perdue, seeking a second six-year term in office, held a slim edge over Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer. In the other election, a Democrat, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Baptist minister, pulled ahead of Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, one of the wealthiest lawmakers in Congress. The vote counts were fluctuating throughout the evening, with the Democrats faring well when the votes were counted in the state’s major cities and the Republicans making substantial gains in smaller communities and rural areas.Currently, Republicans control the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the two Georgia contests to maintain their advantage and act as a bulwark against Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20. WATCH: VOA Reports from GeorgiaSorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
A voter casts a ballot during Georgia’s Senate runoff elections, in Atlanta, Jan. 5, 2021.That was the scenario that played out in November in Georgia and across the country when substantially more Democrats voted early, while more Republicans voted in person on the actual election day. Because the advance votes take longer to count, Trump appeared to be ahead in Georgia on election night before Biden pulled ahead and won the state. An initial vote count and two recounts confirmed Biden’s narrow edge in the state.Both Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters.“The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.”He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said.Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.”“The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.” Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 4 MB480p | 6 MB540p | 7 MB720p | 14 MB1080p | 32 MBOriginal | 46 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioMonday ralliesBoth Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters. “The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.” He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said. Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.” “The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.”
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Georgia Voters Determine Prospects for Biden Presidency
Voting in the Southern U.S. state of Georgia ended Tuesday, where two crucial runoff races will determine which party holds the majority in the U.S. Senate. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from Atlanta, Georgia, where the races are close.
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Vote-Counting Starts in US Senate Runoff Elections in Georgia
Polls closed and vote-counting started Tuesday night in two pivotal U.S. Senate runoff elections in the southern state of Georgia that will determine political control in the Senate during the first two years of President-elect Joe Biden’s term in the White House. Republican Senator David Perdue faced a challenge from Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer, while Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, one of the wealthiest lawmakers in Congress, was opposed by the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Baptist minister. Pre-election polls showed tight contests, with the Democrats holding slight leads. At the moment, Republicans control the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the two Georgia contests to maintain their advantage and act as a bulwark against Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20. Victories for Ossoff and Warnock would give Democrats a 50-50 split with Republicans and a chance for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be able to preside over Senate proceedings when she chooses, to cast tie-breaking votes in the Democrats’ favor. WATCH: VOA Reports from GeorgiaSorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 4 MB480p | 5 MB540p | 7 MB720p | 11 MB1080p | 24 MBOriginal | 33 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioWith Democratic control, Biden would likely offer more sweeping proposals to bolster health care in the U.S., tighten environmental controls that were eased during the four-year tenure of President Donald Trump and try to make it easier for immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship. Conversely, Republican control of the Senate would make Biden’s political life more difficult and likely force protracted negotiations between his administration and Republican lawmakers on contentious issues. The controlling party in the chamber also sets the legislative calendar determining which issues are voted on, and would hold a majority on each of the Senate’s issue-specific committees where potential laws are first considered. The Perdue-Ossoff and Loeffler-Warnock contests were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the first round of voting in November. Voter turnout was robust on Tuesday, with long lines of voters snaking into polling places, and came after nearly 3.1 million people voted before the official Election Day. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting that included Biden’s race against Trump. The overall vote count in U.S. runoff elections usually lags behind general elections, but about 100,000 people who did not vote in November in Georgia cast ballots in the Senate runoffs even before the official Election Day. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
Fraud allegations Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he was defrauded out of winning the state, pleading in an extraordinary phone call last weekend with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 more votes – enough to upend the Biden win by a single vote. But Raffensperger, a Republican, rebuffed Trump, saying Trump was “just plain wrong” in contending he was cheated out of a victory in the state. Loeffler said she would support Trump’s challenge to Biden’s victory in Georgia when a joint session of Congress meets Wednesday to certify Biden’s 306-232 victory in the Electoral College, which determines the outcome of U.S. presidential elections rather than the national popular vote. Election Day exit polls conducted by Edison Research showed that about seven in 10 Georgia voters were confident that the votes in Tuesday’s runoff elections would be counted accurately. Democrats were far more confident than Republicans. The polling showed that more than nine in 10 Democrats said they were at least somewhat confident of an accurate vote count, Edison reported, compared with about half of Republicans and seven in 10 independents. Even with the possible edge Democrats might have piled up in the early voting in Georgia, Republicans said they expected to do much better with in-person voting on Tuesday. That was the scenario that played out in November in Georgia and across the country when substantially more Democrats voted early, while more Republicans voted in person on the actual Election Day. Because the advance votes take longer to count, Trump appeared to be ahead in Georgia on election night before Biden pulled ahead and won the state. An initial vote count and two recounts confirmed Biden’s narrow edge in the state. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 4 MB480p | 6 MB540p | 7 MB720p | 14 MB1080p | 32 MBOriginal | 46 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioMonday ralliesBoth Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters. “The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.” He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said. Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.” “The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.”
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Conflicting Stories Emerge After Protest at Senator’s Home
A self-proclaimed anti-fascist group staged a protest on the Northern Virginia property of a Republican senator Monday night.
It was the latest in a string of protests aimed at politicians’ private homes.
The group Shutdown DC says it was protesting because Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) says he will not vote to certify the Electoral College presidential vote finalizing Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November contest.
On Twitter, Hawley called the group “antifa scumbags” and said they “screamed through bullhorns, shouted down my wife when she asked you to leave, vandalized property, pounded on our door, and terrorized neighbors.”
Hawley’s wife and newborn daughter were reportedly home alone.
In a tweet, Shutdown DC says it “sang songs, chanted and shared our stories. A small group of people delivered a copy of the constitution to his door.”
In a video posted by the group and since deleted by Twitter for violating its terms of service, Shutdown DC members are seen shouting through a megaphone and several can be seen congregating around the front door. The full video was still available on YouTube.
On Jan. 1, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Ca.) San Francisco home was vandalized by protesters who also left a pig’s head outside the garage. “$2K” and “Cancel Rent” were also spray painted on the home. The protesters were angry Congress did not approve payments of $2,000 in pandemic relief for Americans.
On Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) Kentucky home was also vandalized over the same issue, with someone spray painting “WERES MY MONEY” and “MITCH KILLS POOR” on the front of his home.
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Proud Boys Leader Arrested Ahead of Pro-Trump Demonstrations in Washington
The leader of the far-right group the Proud Boys was arrested by Washington police on Monday, two days before supporters of President Donald Trump are scheduled to hold demonstrations in the capital city over Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the November presidential election. The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department said it arrested Henry “Enrique” Tarrio on destruction of property charges for burning a Black Lives Matter sign that was torn down from a historic African American church during protests in Washington last month. The Proud Boys are expected to converge on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, as Congress votes to affirm Biden’s victory, one of several pro-Trump rallies planned in the city. Tarrio, 36, is also facing weapons charges after police found two high-capacity firearm magazines when he was taken into custody. FILE – People identifying themselves as members of the Proud Boys join supporters of President Donald Trump as they march on Nov. 14, 2020, in Washington.City officials warned Trump supporters not to bring guns to the protests. The local government in Washington prohibits people from carrying weapons in the open and possessing a handgun without a local license. The District of Columbia National Guard said 300 troops would support the city government during Wednesday’s planned protests. FILE – Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asks questions during a hearing in Washington, Dec. 16, 2020.Protest at Senator Hawley’s House
Ahead of the rallies, Senator Josh Hawley said that his family was targeted by “Antifa scumbags” who frightened his family at their Washington DC home Monday night. Hawley has said he would challenge the certification of the Electoral College vote that gave Biden his victory. The group involved in the protest outside his home, ShutDown DC, said activists held a “vigil” and delivered a copy of the U.S. Constitution to his door. December rally
In December, violence erupted at a pro-Trump rally in December as Trump supporters, some wearing the Proud Boys colors of black and yellow, instigated confrontations with counter-protesters and activists.FILE – Supporters of President Donald Trump who are wearing attire associated with the Proud Boys attend a rally at Freedom Plaza, , Dec. 12, 2020, in Washington.As Trump supporters tried to enter Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House, counter-protesters tried to block them. By nightfall, pro-Trump demonstrators ripped down a Black Lives Matter banner and sign from two historic Black churches in downtown Washington and set the banner on fire. Tarrio acknowledged to The Washington Post newspaper that he helped with the burning of the banner and said he would plead guilty to destruction of property charges and pay the church for the banner. Police were investigating the events last month as potential hate crimes, a spokesman told The Associated Press. Tarrio has not commented on the charges, but he said recently on the social media app Parler that “record numbers” of the group’s members would protest Trump’s loss beginning Wednesday. Last week, Trump tweeted, “The BIG Protest Rally in Washington, D.C., will take place at 11.00 A.M. on January 6th…. StopTheSteal!”
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Youth Expected to Be Out to Vote in Georgia
Young voters – specifically young Black voters – participating in the Georgia runoff election for two Senate seats are expected to provide significant support for the Democratic candidates.In the Senate race between incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff, 88% of Black youth favored Ossoff, compared with 31% of white youth, in the November election, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.In the Senate special election between incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler and challenger Raphael Warnock, 83% of Black youth preferred Warnock, compared to 32% of white youth, according to the study.“These overwhelming preferences underscore young Black voters’ ability to shape the runoff results,” CIRCLE stated.Nationally, young voters 18 to 29 years old favored President-elect Joe Biden by 25% over Republican President Donald Trump, according to CIRCLE.In Georgia, young voters cast 20% of all votes in the state for the 2020 presidential election, among the highest turnouts in the nation. And the youth vote in that Southern state favored Biden by 19%.CIRCLE said those youth voters were overwhelmingly Black, with 90% of Black youth supporting Biden in Georgia.“Youth of color, and especially Black youth, have extraordinary potential to be a decisive factor in these upcoming Senate races as a result of their population size and their historical support for Democratic candidates,” CIRCLE said on their website on December 22.“As they were in the 2018 and 2020 general elections in the state, youth of color are a major force in the Georgia electorate. There are over 500,000 Black 18- to 29-year-olds registered to vote as of December 17 … currently, the highest number of Black youth registered to vote in any state for which we have data,” CIRCLE reported.“But there are also barriers that particularly affect young people of color in Georgia, who will need to be engaged and mobilized in a type of election that traditionally sees lower turnout,” the report stated.
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By Polityk | 01/05/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Georgia Vote Tuesday Seen as Crucial for Biden Presidency
Voters in the southern U.S. state of Georgia will play a crucial role in determining the balance of power in the U.S. for the next two years when they head to the polls Tuesday. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from Atlanta, Georgia, on the two U.S. Senate runoff elections.
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By Polityk | 01/05/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Urging Calm, DC Mayor Calls in National Guard for Protests
The mayor of Washington, D.C., urged calm Monday as some 340 National Guard troops were being activated while the city prepared for potentially violent protests surrounding Congress’ expected vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. According to a U.S. defense official, Mayor Muriel Bowser put in a request on New Year’s Eve to have Guard members on the streets from January 5 to 7 to help with the protests. The official said D.C. National Guard members will be used for traffic control and other assistance, but they will not be armed or wearing body armor. Congress is meeting this week to certify the Electoral College results, and President Donald Trump has refused to concede while whipping up support for protests. During a press conference on Monday, Bowser asked that people stay away from downtown D.C. and avoid confrontations with anyone who is “looking for a fight.” She warned, “We will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction in our city.” There will be about 115 Guard troops on duty at any one time in the city, said the defense official, who provided details on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The official said Guard members will be used to set up traffic control points around the city and to stand with district police officers at all the city’s Metro stops. Acting Police Chief Robert Contee said Guard troops will also be used for some crowd management. “Some of our intelligence certainly suggests there will be increased crowd sizes,” said Contee, adding, “There are people intent on coming to our city armed.” Because D.C. does not have a governor, the designated commander of the city’s National Guard is Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. Any D.C. requests for Guard deployments have to be approved by him. The defense official said there will be no active-duty military troops in the city, and the U.S. military will not be providing any aircraft or intelligence. The D.C. Guard will provide specialized teams that will be prepared to respond to any chemical or biological incident. But the official said there will be no D.C. Guard members on the National Mall or at the U.S. Capitol.
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By Polityk | 01/05/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Georgia Elections Chief Says Trump ‘Just Plain Wrong’ About Vote Fraud
U.S. President Donald Trump is “just plain wrong” about election irregularities in Georgia, the state’s top elections official said Monday after he rebuffed Trump’s plea over the weekend to find enough ballots to upend his pivotal 11,000-vote loss in the state to President-elect Joe Biden. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the elections official in the southern state, told ABC News’s “Good Morning America” show that when he and Trump had anFILE – In this June 27, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump talks on the telephone in the Oval Office of the White House.“For the last two months, we’ve been fighting the rumor whack-a-mole,” Raffensperger said. “And it was pretty obvious very early on that we debunked every one of those theories that have been out there. But President Trump continues to believe them. … We believe that truth matters.” Trump, who has refused to concede defeat to Biden, continued his attack Monday on the election outcome on Twitter, saying that in the evening, he would reveal “the real numbers,” when he heads to Georgia to campaign for two incumbent Republican senators facing runoff elections against Democratic challengers on Tuesday. “How can you certify an election when the numbers being certified are verifiably WRONG,” Trump said in a comment that Twitter labeled as “disputed.” FILE – Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks with reporters in Washington.Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, a Trump critic, said in a statement that the president’s “disgraceful effort to intimidate an elected official into deliberately changing and misrepresenting the legally confirmed vote totals in his state strikes at the heart of our democracy and merits nothing less than a criminal investigation.” Michael Bromwich, a former Department of Justice inspector general, said on Twitter, “Unless there are portions of the tape that somehow negate criminal intent” in asking Raffensperger to find more votes for him, “his best defense would be insanity.” Trump’s call to Raffensperger came ahead of the scheduled Wednesday vote in Congress to certify Biden’s 306-232 advantage in the Electoral College to make him the country’s 46th president when he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are inaugurated January 20. Ahead of the congressional certification of the election outcome, more than 100 Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives and a dozen senators said they are planning to contest Biden’s narrow victories in battleground states.FILE – President-elect Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, speaks at a news conference to introduce their nominees and appointees to economic policy posts at The Queen theater, Dec. 1, 2020, in Wilmington, Del.Even if Trump were to upend the Georgia vote, Biden would still have more than the 270-vote majority needed to win the presidency in the Electoral College. Trump asked the Georgia officials to recalculate the vote count and said that if Raffensperger refused to overturn the vote, he would be taking “a big risk.” Throughout the call, Raffensperger and Germany rebuffed Trump’s assertions that he had been defrauded of a win in the state. Trump has lost dozens of legal challenges claiming that vote and vote-counting irregularities cost him victories in Georgia and in other political battleground states. Trump rejected the claims by Raffensperger and Germany that the Georgia outcome was legitimate. Throughout the call, he repeated that he had won the state. “There’s no way I lost Georgia,” he said at one point. “There’s no way. We won by hundreds of thousands of votes.” FILE – Cobb County Election officials sort ballots during an audit in Marietta, Ga., Nov. 13, 2020.The president linked his fate in the state to Tuesday’s Senate runoff elections in which incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler respectively face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock in contests that will determine control of the U.S. Senate during the first two years of the Biden presidency. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 8 MB480p | 11 MB540p | 15 MB720p | 29 MB1080p | 58 MBOriginal | 72 MB Embed” />Copy Download Audio“You have a big election coming up,” Trump told Raffensperger, “and because of what you’ve done to the president — you know, the people of Georgia know that this was a scam.” Trump’s call to Raffensperger was his latest effort to pressure state officials and lawmakers to overturn the votes in political battleground states that Biden won or name Trump supporters as electors instead of ones supporting Biden. But none of the state officials have acceded to Trump’s complaints and demands. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 1 MB480p | 1 MB540p | 1 MB1080p | 4 MBOriginal | 8 MB Embed” />Copy Download Audio
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By Polityk | 01/05/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Georgia Runoff Elections Tuesday to Decide Senate Control
Two runoff elections Tuesday in the southern state of Georgia will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control power in the U.S. Senate, dramatically shaping the legislative maneuvering for the first half of President-elect Joe Biden’s four-year term in the White House. With the stakes high, both Biden and outgoing President Donald Trump are staging last-minute campaign rallies in the state on Monday, even as Trump continues his broadsides against Georgia elections officials for refusing to overturn his narrow loss to Biden in the state in the November 3 election. The incoming president is stumping in Atlanta, Georgia’s biggest city, for the two Democrats: Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer, and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Baptist minister. Meanwhile, Trump was set to campaign in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state for Senator David Perdue, a one-time business executive facing Ossoff, and for Senator Kelly Loeffler, one of the wealthiest of U.S. lawmakers, who faces Warnock. Polls show the two Democrats with slight edges in the contests, both of which were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the November balloting. Georgia is a historically Republican state, with Biden the first Democratic presidential candidate to win there since 1992. The eventual voter turnout for the Senate elections is expected to be exceptionally high, with more than 3 million ballots already cast in early voting, two-thirds in person at polling places throughout the state and a third by mail. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting and beforehand, but about 100,000 people who did not vote then have already done so in the Senate runoffs. None of the early ballots is being tabulated until Tuesday, and the official winners, depending on how close the vote counts are, might not be known on election night. Officials say the early voting in the Senate races was particularly heavy in Democratic precincts that Biden won, but Republicans say they expect to do much better with in-person voting on Tuesday’s official Election Day. That was the scenario that played out in November in Georgia and across the country when substantially more Democrats voted early ahead of Election Day while more Republicans voted in person on the actual day.The Senate elections are being closely watched in Washington by the Biden transition team and his Republican opponents as a sign of what leverage the incoming chief executive might have in advancing his legislative agenda once he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are inaugurated at noon January 20 on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. After this past Sunday’s congressional swearing-in ceremonies, Republicans hold a 50-48 advantage in the Senate. A Republican victory in either or both of the Georgia elections would give the party an outright majority and the right to set the Senate agenda and hold a majority on all Senate legislative committees. If both Warnock and Ossoff were to win, there would be a 50-50, Democratic-Republican split in the Senate, giving Harris the opportunity to break tie votes in favor of the Democrats in organizing the committees and controlling the legislative calendar. Republican control would complicate passage of Biden’s legislative agenda over the next two years, likely forcing extensive negotiations on such issues as extending health care benefits, setting immigration controls and establishing climate regulations. The lead-up to the Georgia elections has been marked by Perdue’s absence from the campaign trail, as he quarantines himself after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Trump has promised, when he visits the state Monday night, to again attack the outcome of his Georgia contest against Biden, which he lost by just under 12,000 votes. An initial vote count, and two recounts, all showed Biden won. In a Saturday phone call, Trump pleaded with the state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, to “find” another 11,780 votes to overturn his loss to Biden. Raffensperger rebuffed Trump and told ABC News on Monday morning that the president was “just plain wrong” that there was vote- and vote-counting fraud in Georgia. Despite his claims of fraud in the November voting, Trump is calling for Republicans to turn out to vote for Perdue and Loeffler to maintain the Republican majority in the Senate.
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By Polityk | 01/05/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump, Biden Campaign in Crucial Georgia On Eve of Senate Runoff Elections
U.S. President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden are each appearing in the southern state of Georgia Monday, the final day of campaigning before elections for two seats that will decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
Trump is going to the town of Dalton for an evening rally as he backs Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.
Biden will be in Atlanta to boost Jon Ossoff’s bid to unseat Perdue and the Reverend Raphael Warnock’s challenge of Loeffler.
Both elections went to a runoff after no candidate earned a majority of votes on November 3.
Georgia has been a focus of Trump’s repeated, unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
State election officials, including Republicans, have affirmed the count was accurate, and multiple courts have rejected Trump campaign legal challenges.
The issue gained more prominence Sunday with the Washington Post releasing an audio recording of a Saturday phone call featuring Trump pleading with the state’s top election official to find him enough votes to overturn his loss to Biden in Georgia.
Trump Pleads with Georgia Officials to Overturn His Loss in Phone Call‘I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have’ president is heard sayingIf both Democrats win Tuesday, the party will become the majority in the Senate with the two sides each holding 50 seats and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote.
A Republican win in either race leaves a divided government, with Republicans controlling the Senate and Democrats holding the White House and House of Representatives.
Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 1 MB480p | 1 MB540p | 1 MB1080p | 4 MBOriginal | 8 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioIn the November election, Biden became the first Democrat to win Georgia in a presidential race since 1992.
There were about 5 million votes cast in Georgia for the November vote, with 3.6 million in early ballots. In the runoff, just more than 3 million voters cast their ballot early.
Early voters strongly favored Democrats in November, making the in-person voting Tuesday crucial for the Republicans.
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By Polityk | 01/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Rewards Allies Nunes, Jordan with Medal of Freedom
President Donald Trump is set to present one of the nation’s highest civilian honors to two of his most outspoken congressional allies, California Rep. Devin Nunes and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, as he looks to reward loyalists with just over two weeks left in his term.
A White House official confirmed that Trump would present Nunes with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday. The former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has been an ardent backer of Trump’s during probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the president’s 2019 impeachment by the Democratic-led House.
The award, established by President John F. Kennedy, is meant to recognize those who have made an “especially meritorious contribution” to national security, world peace or “cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
The award comes as Trump has been rewarding supporters with the perks and prestige that come with serving on a host of federal advisory boards and commissions before he leaves office on Jan. 20.FILE – Rep Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speaks during a House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust on Capitol Hill, July 29, 2020, in Washington.Jordan, one of the GOP leaders in trying to undermine confidence in the results of the 2020 presidential election, is expected to receive the award next week. Trump’s intent to present the award to the lawmakers was first reported by The Washington Post.
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By Polityk | 01/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
AP Fact Check: Trump’s Claims of Fake Georgia Votes are Unfounded
President Donald Trump put forth an array of fuzzy accounting and false claims in a phone call to Georgia’s secretary of state seeking a reversal of his election defeat. In the hourlong conversation Saturday with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Trump suggested that the Republican find enough votes to hand Trump the victory. The Associated Press obtained the full audio of Trump’s conversation with Georgia officials from a person on the call. The AP is not publishing the full audio in keeping with its policy of not amplifying disinformation and unproven allegations. A look at Trump’s claims on the call and how they compare with the facts: TRUMP: “If we can go over some of the numbers, I think it’s pretty clear we won, we won very substantially in Georgia.” THE FACTS: Trump lost Georgia in an election the state has certified for Democrat Joe Biden. Republican election officials have affirmed the election was conducted and counted fairly. With ballots counted three times, including once by hand, Georgia’s certified totals show Trump lost to Biden by 11,779 votes out of nearly 5 million cast. Raffensperger certified the totals with officials saying they’ve found no evidence that Trump won. No credible claims of fraud or systemic errors have been sustained. Judges have turned away legal challenges to the results, although at least one is still pending in state court. TRUMP: “People should be happy to have an accurate count. … We have other states I believe will be flipping to us shortly.” THE FACTS: No reversal of the election outcome is in the offing in any states. Biden defeated Trump by about 7 million popular votes nationwide and by a tally of 306-232 in the Electoral College, including winning key states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, found no evidence of widespread election fraud. Trump’s allegations of massive voting fraud have been dismissed by a succession of judges and refuted by state election officials and an arm of his own administration’s Homeland Security Department. A group of Senate Republicans, led by Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, say they plan to object to the election results when Congress meets Wednesday to tally Biden’s Electoral College victory over Trump. The objections will force votes in both the House and Senate, but none are expected to prevail. TRUMP: “We have anywhere from 250 (thousand) to 300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls, much of that had to do with Fulton County, which hasn’t been checked.” THE FACTS: Trump appears to be referring to large numbers of votes that were tabulated in the early hours of Wednesday morning after Election Day and later. The arrival of those votes was expected because many of Georgia’s 159 counties had large stacks of mail-in ballots that had to be tabulated after polls closed and in-person ballots were counted. News organizations and officials had warned in the days leading up to the election that the results would likely come in just as they did: In-person votes, which tend to be counted more quickly, would likely favor the president. And mail-in-ballots, which take longer to count since they must be removed from envelopes and verified before they are counted, would favor Biden. States tend to count mail-in ballots at the end of the process. TRUMP: “We think … if (there is) a real check of signatures going back in Fulton County, you’ll find at least a couple of hundred thousand of forged signatures.” THE FACTS: It would be impossible for anyone to have forged hundreds of thousands of signatures on mail-in ballots in Fulton County because there were only about 147,000 mail-in ballots in Georgia’s most populous county, with about 116,000 of them going to Biden. TRUMP, saying thousands of voters moved out of Georgia, registered in another state, and then improperly cast ballots in Georgia: “They came back in, and they voted. That was a large number.” THE FACTS: Not so. Trump supporters are working from a list of questionable accuracy, according to Ryan Germany, the general counsel for Raffensperger’s office. He told Trump during the call that those claims have been investigated and that in many cases, voters “moved back years ago. It’s not like it happened just before the election. There’s something about that data that it’s just not accurate.” TRUMP: “It doesn’t pass the smell test, because we hear they’re shredding thousands and thousands of ballots and now what they’re saying (is) ‘Oh, we’re just cleaning up the office.'” THE FACTS: The shredding in question was taking place in suburban Cobb County, not in Fulton County as Trump said. Cobb County elections officials said November 24 that none of the items shredded by a contractor were “relevant to the election or the re-tally” and instead were things like old mailing labels, other papers with voter information, old emails and duplicates of absentee ballot applications. TRUMP, about a legal settlement that Georgia signed with the state Democratic Party over how signatures on absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots are verified: “You can’t check signatures, you can’t do that. … You’re allowed to do harvesting, I guess, in that agreement. That agreement is a disaster for this country.” THE FACTS: There is nothing in the March 6 consent decree that prevents Georgia’s election clerks from scrutinizing signatures. The legal settlement addresses accusations about a lack of statewide standards for judging signatures on absentee ballot envelopes. Raffensperger has said that not only is it entirely possible to match signatures, but that the state requires it. Ballot harvesting, the practice of collecting numbers of absentee ballots and delivering them back to elections officials, remains illegal in Georgia. TRUMP, referring to investigations into his baseless claims of voter fraud: “You have your never-Trumper U.S. attorney there.” THE FACTS: The U.S. attorney in Atlanta is a Trump appointee. Byung J. “BJay” Pak is a longtime Republican who also served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2011 until 2017. He was nominated by Trump to become the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia in 2017. In announcing his nomination, the White House said that Pak and five other nominees for U.S. attorney’s posts “share the president’s vision for ‘Making America Safe Again.'” Pak had previously also worked as an assistant U.S. attorney. TRUMP, citing 18,000 “suspicious” votes: “The tape that’s been shown all over the world … they said very clearly there was a major water main break. Everybody fled the area and then they came back … there were no Republican poll watchers … and there was no law enforcement. … It was stuffed with votes. They weren’t in an official voter box; they were in what looked to be in suitcases or trunks. … The minimum number it could be … was 18,000 ballots, all for Biden.” THE FACTS: State and Fulton County election officials say that the surveillance video Trump refers shows no improper behavior, but normal ballot processing using not suitcases, but ballot containers on wheels. Officials said that the entire video showed the same workers had earlier packed the ballot containers with valid, uncounted ballots. Republicans have said that their observers were told to leave Fulton County’s vote counting center, but elections officials said they left after confusion that arose because election workers thought they were done for the night. An independent monitor and an investigator oversaw the vote count, according to state and county officials. Trump also refers to a phony confession attributed by a woman allegedly involved in the incident that was posted on social media. TRUMP: “In other states we think we found tremendous corruption with Dominion machines, but we’ll have to see.” THE FACTS: No such corruption has been found. There’s “no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised,” said the federal agency that oversees election security, in a statement joined by state and electoral-industry officials.
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By Polityk | 01/04/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
