Dec 1, 2020 - Politics & Policy

The walls close in on Trump

Margaret Talev

Walls closing in on Trump — Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

With Bill Barr's "Et tu, Brute!" interview with AP, President Trump is watching the walls close in on his claims of fraud, hoaxes and conspiracies.

Why it matters: Trump and his legal team continue to claim election fraud. But the Republican governors of Arizona and Georgia have certified their elections, a loyalist like Barr has weighed in, and lower-ranking officials have taken potshots.

The big picture: The deadline for states to choose electors is just a week away — Dec. 8 — and those electors will submit their votes six days later.

Barr's conclusion that “we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election” would be a blow enough even if it didn't follow notable public statements from other officials.
Former CISA director Chris Krebs reassured the public about election systems' integrity via Twitter, and interviews before and after being fired as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
FDA chief Stephen Hahn pushed back against presidential pressure to rush approval of a COVID vaccine, as Axios scooped Monday night.

The backdrop: Jonathan Swan reports Trump is pressuring Barr to release a report the president believes could hurt perceived Obama-era enemies — and views Barr's designation of veteran prosecutor John Durham as special counsel as a stall tactic.

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The walls close in on Trump

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