This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareQAnon is a conspiracy theory that didn’t exist until a few years ago. It’s actually a webbed network of conspiracy theories that, at its most basic, alleges there is a secret group of elites working to get President Trump out of office. There are allegations of pedophilia mixed in there, too.So what’s up with two congressional candidates who have embraced this relatively new conspiracy theory winning their primaries in 2020? One even has a good shot of going to Congress.In May, Jo Rae Perkins won a Republican Senate...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareQAnon is a conspiracy theory that didn’t exist until a few years ago. It’s actually a webbed network of conspiracy theories that, at its most basic, alleges there is a secret group of elites working to get President Trump out of office. There are allegations of pedophilia mixed in there, too.So what’s up with two congressional candidates who have embraced this relatively new conspiracy theory winning their primaries in 2020? One even has a good shot of going to Congress.In May, Jo Rae Perkins won a Republican Senate...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareMuch about the coronavirus is putting us in unprecedented political territory, but one thing is becoming evident: Keeping the coronavirus in check, even via strict measures, is so far a political winner.A look at recent polling of nine governors — five Republicans and four Democrats from states that are polled frequently because they will likely be determinative in the 2020 election — shows that the governors who instituted face-mask requirements, urged social distancing and reopened more slowly than other states have...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareMuch about the coronavirus is putting us in unprecedented political territory, but one thing is becoming evident: Keeping the coronavirus in check, even via strict measures, is so far a political winner.A look at recent polling of nine governors — five Republicans and four Democrats from states that are polled frequently because they will likely be determinative in the 2020 election — shows that the governors who instituted face-mask requirements, urged social distancing and reopened more slowly than other states have...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareTo win the Senate majority, Democrats need to net four seats total in November’s election, or they need to net three and for Democrats to win back the White House, which would allow the vice president to cast tie-breaking votes.Either option — but especially the latter — is in the realm of possibility for Senate Democrats as and could bring Senate Republicans down with him.But Democrats will probably also have to win in at least one state that has traditionally been difficult for them at the Senate level, such as Georgia...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareTo win the Senate majority, Democrats need to net four seats total in November’s election, or they need to net three and for Democrats to win back the White House, which would allow the vice president to cast tie-breaking votes.Either option — but especially the latter — is in the realm of possibility for Senate Democrats as and could bring Senate Republicans down with him.But Democrats will probably also have to win in at least one state that has traditionally been difficult for them at the Senate level, such as Georgia...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareIn Thursday’s White House coronavirus briefing, for states to consider opening back up as soon as May 1. But they didn’t put a timeline on any of this, and the federal government is not forcing any state to take action before its leaders see fit.Here’s what you need to know from Thursday’s briefing.This wouldn’t have been a battle if Trump hadn’t made it one, specifically by coming out Monday he had “absolute” power with regard to reopening the economy. That’s not the case, and New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) threatened...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareIn Thursday’s White House coronavirus briefing, for states to consider opening back up as soon as May 1. But they didn’t put a timeline on any of this, and the federal government is not forcing any state to take action before its leaders see fit.Here’s what you need to know from Thursday’s briefing.This wouldn’t have been a battle if Trump hadn’t made it one, specifically by coming out Monday he had “absolute” power with regard to reopening the economy. That’s not the case, and New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) threatened...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareA former Senate staffer for Joe Biden claims that he sexually assaulted her in 1993. Biden that “unequivocally, it never, never happened.” and the spent several weeks carefully looking at Tara Reade’s allegation. Since then, a new corroborator of Reade’s story has emerged, as well as multiple reports with former Biden staffers questioning Reade’s version of events.President Trump’s campaign is seeking to weaponize this case against the Democrats’ presumptive nominee. But it’s also a complicated allegation. Let’s break...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareA former Senate staffer for Joe Biden claims that he sexually assaulted her in 1993. Biden that “unequivocally, it never, never happened.” and the spent several weeks carefully looking at Tara Reade’s allegation. Since then, a new corroborator of Reade’s story has emerged, as well as multiple reports with former Biden staffers questioning Reade’s version of events.President Trump’s campaign is seeking to weaponize this case against the Democrats’ presumptive nominee. But it’s also a complicated allegation. Let’s break...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareWhen President Trump was asked at Sunday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing why he didn’t warn Americans in February that the virus was spreading and implement social distancing earlier, Trump’s response was to go back to late January, when he issued the travel restrictions on Chinese people coming to the United States.In other words: More than two months into this crisis, Trump doesn’t have an answer for why he didn’t do more in this crucial window to prepare the country for the coronavirus.On Sunday, Trump...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareWhen President Trump was asked at Sunday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing why he didn’t warn Americans in February that the virus was spreading and implement social distancing earlier, Trump’s response was to go back to late January, when he issued the travel restrictions on Chinese people coming to the United States.In other words: More than two months into this crisis, Trump doesn’t have an answer for why he didn’t do more in this crucial window to prepare the country for the coronavirus.On Sunday, Trump...WW…

Gift ShareThis article is free to access.Why?The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service.Follow this story and more by Please noteThe Washington Post is providing this important election information free to all readers. Get election results and other major news delivered to your inbox by signing up for This coverage has ended. .With , President Trump falsely asserted election fraud, pledged to mount a legal challenge to official state results and made a premature claim of victory in a that may take days to resolve. In remarks at the White House early...…Gift ShareThis article is free to access.Why?The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service.Follow this story and more by Please noteThe Washington Post is providing this important election information free to all readers. Get election results and other major news delivered to your inbox by signing up for This coverage has ended. .With , President Trump falsely asserted election fraud, pledged to mount a legal challenge to official state results and made a premature claim of victory in a that may take days to resolve. In remarks at the White House early...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift SharePresident Trump has boxed Georgia Republicans facing two Senate runoffs into a difficult situation. When he traveled there Saturday to campaign for the candidates, he himself was in a corner: He needed to champion his baseless claims of election fraud, but still urge Georgia voters to cast ballots in this allegedly flawed system again in January.“They can only win if they cheat,” Trump said of Democrats, broadly. “They can’t win this state unless they cheat, and they cheat better than anybody.”That was supposed to be the...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift SharePresident Trump has boxed Georgia Republicans facing two Senate runoffs into a difficult situation. When he traveled there Saturday to campaign for the candidates, he himself was in a corner: He needed to champion his baseless claims of election fraud, but still urge Georgia voters to cast ballots in this allegedly flawed system again in January.“They can only win if they cheat,” Trump said of Democrats, broadly. “They can’t win this state unless they cheat, and they cheat better than anybody.”That was supposed to be the...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift SharePart of what makes President Trump’s hold over the Republican Party so powerful is that the Republican establishment doesn’t fully understand it. And that means it is unsure about how to wield it without Trump helping.That’s manifesting in an ugly way for the party in Georgia. As Trump on his way out of office, at least some hardcore Trump supporters in the state are turning on the GOP.This couldn’t come at a worse time for the party. Republicans are trying to rally their loyalists to vote Jan. 5 in two Senate runoff...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift SharePart of what makes President Trump’s hold over the Republican Party so powerful is that the Republican establishment doesn’t fully understand it. And that means it is unsure about how to wield it without Trump helping.That’s manifesting in an ugly way for the party in Georgia. As Trump on his way out of office, at least some hardcore Trump supporters in the state are turning on the GOP.This couldn’t come at a worse time for the party. Republicans are trying to rally their loyalists to vote Jan. 5 in two Senate runoff...WW…

This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift SharePresident Trump’s aides have told my Washington Post colleagues to never expect the president to actually say “I concede” the election. And polls suggest the president has taken along a sizable chunk of the Republican base with him into falsely believing the election was rigged and he won.But Trump is acknowledging in other ways that he knows he’s lost, most recently and prominently on Thursday, if (rather, when) the electoral college votes for President-elect Joe Biden on Dec. 14. “Certainly I will, and you know that,”...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift SharePresident Trump’s aides have told my Washington Post colleagues to never expect the president to actually say “I concede” the election. And polls suggest the president has taken along a sizable chunk of the Republican base with him into falsely believing the election was rigged and he won.But Trump is acknowledging in other ways that he knows he’s lost, most recently and prominently on Thursday, if (rather, when) the electoral college votes for President-elect Joe Biden on Dec. 14. “Certainly I will, and you know that,”...WW…