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Defiant Trump baselessly claims he was cheated as Biden nears victory

In remarks from the White House briefing room Thursday night, President Trump bragged of Republican victories in the House and Senate before baselessly claiming that widespread voter fraud has caused his lead in the presidential race to "miraculously" slip away.

Why it matters: As Trump spoke, mail-in ballots that overwhelmingly favor Joe Biden continued to thin his lead in the must-win state of Pennsylvania. If Biden wins Pennsylvania, he will not need to win any of the other outstanding swing states.

What they're saying: Trump, who spent months railing against the reliability of mail-in voting, questioned why the ballots counted after Election Day were so "one-sided," expressing frustration that his leads were "miraculously being whittled away."

  • He claimed without evidence that "fake polls" showing a wide Biden lead before the election were "designed to keep our voters at home, create the illusion of momentum for Biden, and diminish Republicans' ability to raise funds."
  • Trump also claimed that the "election apparatus in Georgia," where his lead has thinned to less than 3,500 votes, is "run by Democrats" — despite the fact that Georgia's secretary of state is a Republican.

The bottom line: The president provided no evidence for his allegations of "tremendous corruption and fraud," but pledged to continue fighting to have ballots thrown out in court.

The other side: Joe Biden spoke briefly on Thursday afternoon and urged Americans "to stay calm" because the "process is working." He added that he has "no doubt that when the count is finished, Sen. Harris and I will be declared the winners."

Go deeper: Follow Axios' full live election coverage

Go deeper

Shawna Chen
Dec 1, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Georgia election official to Trump: Condemn “potential acts of violence”

Gabriel Sterling. Photo: Jessica McGowan via Getty

Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting implementation manager, called on President Trump and the state's Republican senators to denounce threats against election workers in a press conference on Tuesday.

Why it matters: State election workers have been the recipients of death threats after conspiracy theorists shared false videos about the election results on social media. Trump and his allies continue to claim widespread election fraud took place in the state.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
Dec 1, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Exclusive: Don Jr. tells Georgia Senate voters that Trump is on the ballot

Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui T./Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In a six-figure radio ad being released in Georgia today, Donald Trump Jr. tells the state's voters that the U.S. Senate — and his father's accomplishments — are on the line during January's special election, according to audio obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: Trump Jr.'s first of many advertisements in the Georgia Senate races argues the race isn't just about electing the Republican incumbents, but also about preserving President Trump's agenda.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Gigi Sukin
22 mins ago - Health

U.S. exceeds 100,000 COVID-related hospitalizations for the first time

People wait outside the Emergency room of the Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park, California on Dec 1. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images

More than 100,200 Americans were hospitalized as of Wednesday due to the coronavirus for the first time since the outbreak began in early 2020, per the COVID Tracking Project.

The big picture: The milestone comes as health officials anticipated cases to surge due to holiday travel and gatherings. The impact of the holiday remains notable, as many states across the country are only reporting partial data.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow