Trump's Wild Claims Test Limits of Republican Loyalty
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Sit and get fit Saturday November 7, 2020 T: 582-7800 www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday Page 8 Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper Trump's wild claims test limits of Republican loyalty President Donald Trump leaves after speaking at the White House, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, in Washington. Associated Press By S. PEOPLES/J. COLVIN That stark reality did little to silence the likes of Maryland Gov. Larry Hog- Associated Press an, a second-term Republican who has not ruled out a 2024 White House WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's wild and unsupported bid. He described the president's claims as "dangerous" and "embarrass- claims of voter fraud have emerged as a high-stakes Republican loyalty ing." test that illustrates the tug of war likely to define the future of the GOP "If there are legitimate challenges, we have a process, that's the way it whether he wins or loses the presidency. works," Hogan told The Associated Press. "But to just make accusations of There is a pervasive sense among current and former GOP officials that the election being stolen and widespread fraud without providing any the president's behavior is irresponsible if not dangerous, but a divide has evidence, I thought was really bad for our democratic process and it emerged between those influential Republicans willing to call him out was something I had never seen in my lifetime." publicly and those who aren't. "Other Republicans did speak up," he noted, "but certainly not enough Driving their calculus is an open acknowledgement that Trump's better- of them." than-expected showing on Election Day ensures that he will remain the Republican Party's most powerful voice for years to come even if he loses. Continued on Page 2 A2 SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2020 UP FRONT Trump's wild claims test limits of Republican loyalty Continued from Front counts in several states. ers did not want him to ad- On Fox News the night be- dress the nation Thursday Indeed, the most aggres- fore, Graham said he was night when he made his sive Republican criticism transferring $500,000 from most outrageous claims. was limited to the small and his campaign account to Wisconsin Sen. Ron John- familiar group of frequent Trump's legal fund, and son, a staunch Trump ally, Trump critics such as Utah called for others to make highlighted the obvious Sen. Mitt Romney and Ne- donations as well. downside of Trump's ques- braska Sen. Ben Sasse, who Ari Fleischer, a former aide tions about the integrity of will not face Republican to President George W. the voting process. voters again for at least Bush, said Trump was simply "It's very unfortunate that no four years. But a handful saying out loud about the matter who wins, the other of more regular Trump de- voting system what most half of America is not going fenders raised the embat- losing candidates say pri- to view this as a particularly tled president's ire by failing vately. legitimate election," John- to rush to his defense. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan warns of a surge in coronavirus "I wish people talked with son said on WTMJ-AM, a Some Trump allies viewed cases, during a news conference Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, in less bombast. But I'm not local radio station. "I'm not former United Nations am- Annapolis, Md. going to fault the president saying it's legitimate or not. bassador Nikki Haley's initial Associated Press for it," Fleischer said. I'm saying this process has response as a political obit- Blunt, was not afraid to needed to take the White "Be gentle about Trump's been set up where people uary of sorts for the presi- call out Trump's inconsist- House. behavior," he urged. "When are not going to view it as dent. She thanked Trump ent calls to stop counting With things trending in the I watched it last night and legitimate. And that's a real on Twitter for helping to de- ballots in states where he's wrong direction for him, watched these heads ex- problem." liver "conservative victories" ahead and keep counting Trump continued to spread plode I just rolled my eyes. Trump spent most of Friday up and down the ballot in states where he's behind. baseless rumors of voting ... We've always been a behind closed doors at the and predicted that "truth "You can't stop the count in fraud throughout the day, noisy democracy." White House, angry about will prevail." one state and decide you calling on the Supreme Yet history suggests that the direction of the race It was a similarly muted want the count to continue Court to intervene even Trump's rhetoric and ac- and insisting that his aides defense from Missouri Sen. in another state," Blunt told as his campaign struggled tions go well beyond the and allies push back. There Josh Hawley, another reporters. "That might be to produce significant evi- normal trappings of de- was no indication he would Trump ally in the 2024 con- how you'd like to see the dence of malfeasance. mocracy. Never before has concede, no matter what versation. He avoided em- system work but that's not Still, there was no shortage a sitting president so ag- the final vote tally showed. bracing some of Trump's how the system works." of Republican leaders will- gressively undermined the Hogan, the Maryland gov- most outlandish claims but As votes were tallied across ing to back him up — espe- integrity of a U.S. election. ernor, acknowledged that vowed to introduce legisla- the country Friday after- cially after Donald Trump His strategy was entirely Trump would have "an im- tion to address some of the noon, Biden was on the Jr. called out their silence predictable. With polls portant voice with the base president's concerns about cusp of winning the presi- on social media. showing him lagging, of the Republican Party" transparency during an ap- dency as he opened up South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Trump raised questions moving forward regardless pearance on Fox News. narrow leads in the critical Graham told reporters Fri- about the integrity of the of the 2020 election's out- A spokesman declined to battlegrounds of Georgia day that he was "not con- voting system for much of come. make Hawley available and Pennsylvania. The shifts ceding" Biden's tightening the year. Yet his words from "I'm sure he's going to be to answer follow-up ques- put Biden in a stronger po- grasp on the presidency the White House this week a factor to contend with," tions. But Missouri's other sition to capture the 270 and fully supported Trump's were no less shocking. Hogan said. "I don't antici- Republican senator, Roy Electoral College votes efforts to challenge ballot Even internally, some advis- pate him going quietly."q Bannon lawyer quits fraud case after inflamatory remarks NEW YORK (AP) — A law- headed for being disloyal dants of misappropriating yer for President Donald to the president. The re- money from the group, Trump's former chief strat- marks prompted Twitter which raised $25 million egist, Steve Bannon, quit to permanently suspend from thousands of donors defending him in a fed- Bannon's account. who thought their cash eral fraud case a day af- "I'd put the heads on pikes" would be used to build the ter Bannon made inflam- as a warning to federal wall. matory comments about bureaucrats, Bannon said Prosecutors declined com- Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI on video. "You either get ment on Friday. There was Director Christopher Wray. with the program or you no new lawyer for Ban- In a letter dated Friday, are gone." non named in the court defense attorney William Bannon, 66, is facing record.q Burck told a federal court charges he ripped off judge in New York City that Trump supporters as an or- he was withdrawing from ganizer of a group called the case. He did not give "We Build The Wall" that a reason why. Reached portrayed itself as eager by email, Burck declined to help the president build to discuss the decision. a barrier along the U.S.- In this April 12, 2019, file photo, attorney William Burck speaks The lawyer quit after Ban- Mexico border. He has before Judge Leonard Hanser during a hearing in New England non suggested on an on- pleaded not guilty. Patriots owner Robert Kraft's prostitution solicitation case, in West Palm Beach, Fla. line broadcast that Fauci Prosecutors have accused Associated Press and Wray should be be- Bannon and co-defen- A3 U.S. NEWS SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2020 Protesters crying foul over vote counts stir safety concerns By ADAM GELLER in a Hummer from Virginia, Associated Press did not have permits to Pro-Trump protesters — carry the weapons in Penn- some of them openly car- sylvania, police said. A rying rifles and handguns — military-style rifle without a rallied outside vote-tabula- serial number was found in- tion centers in a few cities side their vehicle along with around the country Friday, ammunition, Police Com- responding to groundless missioner Danielle Outlaw claims by President Donald said. The car had a window Trump that the Democrats sticker for the right-wing were trying to steal the conspiracy theory QAnon. White House. District Attorney Larry Kras- Elections officials in several ner did not say why the states where Democrat Joe men had come to Philadel- Biden was ahead said the phia but said there were no anger outside their doors indications they were part made them fear for the of an extremist group.