USA TODAY International Edition
Ga. begins recount; Biden talks with pope
Georgia’s hand recount and audit of the presidential race will begin at 9 a. m. Friday, state election officials said. The recount will conclude at midnight on Wednesday, said Gabe Sterling, voting implementation manager.
“This will be the largest hand recount and audit in United States history,” Sterling said.
He added that the biggest concern going in will be the potential for human error during the hand recount. Sterling said most of the changes usually come on the hand- marked paper ballots, with the absentee ballots being “the most problematic” because of the amount of human interaction with them.
Addressing claims that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is performing a hand recount and audit at the request of President Donald Trump or other Georgia Republican leaders, such as Sens. David Perdue or Kelly Loeffler, Sterling said those claims are the “farthest from the truth.”
“If it was 14,000 votes the other way, we would be doing the exact same thing,” he said.
Sterling added that whatever came from the hand recount and audit would be the certified results for the election.
Catholic president- elect Biden speaks with Pope Francis
President- elect Joe Biden, who will be the nation’s second Catholic president after John F. Kennedy, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday. According to a readout of the call, Biden expressed his desire to work with Francis to address issues such as climate change and welcoming immigrants and refugees into the U. S. Francis also congratulated and extended his blessings to Biden for winning the election.
Trump warns of prospect of a Democratic- run Senate
Does Donald Trump believe the end is near? Some of his tweets suggest yes. Intentionally or not, Trump retweeted several items Thursday warning about the prospect of a Democratic- controlled U. S. Senate – something that can only happen if Joe Biden and Kamala Harris become president and vice- president.
“If the Democrats take control of the Senate, they want to turn America into a socialist state. The future of our country is at stake,” said Sen. David Perdue, R- Ga., one of several Georgiarelated posts retweeted by Trump.
But Democratic control of the Senate only happens if Biden and Harris take office.
Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, made a similar mistake on Wednesday. She tweeted, and then deleted, a post that described Harris as the “deciding vote” in a Democratic Senate.
Top Democrats in Congress urge Republicans to ‘ accept reality’
Top congressional Democrats called on Trump and Republicans to accept the results of the election and move on in a Thursday news conference.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, told reporters Republicans should “stop their shenanigans” about the election and that Republicans are “auditioning for profiles in cowardice.”
And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Republicans were “engaged in an absurd circus right now refusing to accept reality.” The delay in the transition, they said, could make it harder to address the pandemic and recession.
Asked about Democrats’ concerns about Trump’s refusal to concede, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican, told reporters Thursday “every recount needs to be finished” and “every challenge needs to be heard.”