The President Has Lost - And There Isn’t Anything He Can Do About It
Ian Franks
14 Nov

Courts don’t work on allegations alone. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.

With the battle of the ballots now behind us, the fight for the White House has developed into a war of words and legal arguments in the U.S. courts.

No surprise there, as the incumbent president, Donald Trump, desperately tries to cling to power while former Vice-President Joe Biden attempts to prepare for his inauguration.

It is reminiscent of a traditional British pantomime where Donald stands on stage saying, “I have won,” but the audience shouts back, “Oh no you haven’t”.

Cue exchanges of, “Oh yes I have,” and, “Oh no you haven’t,” as children double-up in laughter. A supposedly great comedy at Christmastime, but not when it’s about who will lead one of the world’s greatest powers for the next four years.

Instead of being funny, this is embarrassing. Trump, without producing any evidence that will stand up in court, makes wild and unfounded allegations of electoral fraud while Biden, who has won the election according to the BBC and the U.S. TV networks, calls for calm.

The outgoing resident, for that is what he is, refuses to concede defeat, as his legal team fights desperately in the courts. What is going on? Is this really democracy?

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One thing demanded by courts in any case is proof. They require evidence of wrongdoing. Courts don’t work on allegations alone. So, huff and puff all you like - that won’t impress the learned guardians of the law.

That is why Trump’s lawyers are not just facing a uphill battle, they are fighting for a lost cause. Already, we have seen some cases thrown out before they even got started – because of lack of evidence. What are they alleging? Well, let’s take a look:

Pennsylvania

The time taken to count the votes was seen by Trump as a sign that fraud was taking place. It wasn’t.

True, a state court, and the U.S. Supreme Court, have both ruled that state officials must separate ballots received by extended deadlines, in case they are found to be unconstitutional. But it is extraordinarily unlikely that the number involved will be anywhere near Biden's 45,000-vote lead.

In another case, a state judge ruled that party observers could stand six feet from counting officials, but a move to stop vote counting was thrown out.

Michigan

Allegations of wrongdoing in the city of Detroit were made by Trump’s team because, it claimed, there was a lack of transparency in the vote-counting process.

However, two judges were having none of it.

"This court finds that while there are assertions made by the plaintiffs that there is no evidence in support of those assertions," said Judge Timothy Kenny. He refused to delay the certification of election results.

"On this factual record, I have no basis to find that there's a substantial likelihood of success on the merits as relates to this defendant, nor am I convinced that there is a clear legal duty on behalf of anyone who is properly before this court to manage this issue," said Judge Cynthia Stephens. She rejected a request to stop the vote counting.

Arizona

The Trump campaign alleged that some voters had their ballots incorrectly rejected because they used Sharpies to fill them out, despite officials stating it was not true.

"Don't promote disinfo! [sic] Stop spreading #SharpieGate claims," said Chris Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Eventually, the legal action was dropped.

President Trump takes part in a town hall event. 20 October, 2020. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Ian Franks is the managing editor of 50 Shades of Sun.

Georgia

Another Trump move fell on deaf ears in Georgia where it was dismissed by a judge. Trump lawyers alleged that votes received after the polling day deadline were mixed in with legitimate ballots.

The allegations were based on testimony from a Georgia Republican poll watcher who later failed to provide any evidence.

Nevada

First, the Trump campaign sued, unsuccessfully, to stop the processing of mail ballots in Clark County.

Later, the team joined with the Nevada Republican Party and together claimed that "irregularities have plagued the election" in Clark County, but gave no evidence. They argued that the county should not be able to use a machine, used in many states, to check and verify signatures. Federal Judge Andrew Gordon had other ideas and dismissed the case.

Unless there is some highly unlikely legal interference with the electoral process, the next step is the electoral college votes to elect the president and vice-president. This is due to take place in one month’s time on Monday, 14 December.

If all goes to plan and there are no changes to the states called for each candidate, the 538 Electoral College votes should be cast 306 for Biden and Harris, and just 232 for Trump and Pence.

With recounts only likely to flip votes by a few hundred, history tells us, they won’t change the results of those states or the overall electoral college decision. That, linked with the courts’ refusal to allow Trump’s legal manoeuvres without evidence, sees Joe Biden set to sail to victory in the electoral college and then cruise to his inauguration on 20 January.

Really, the fact that Trump refuses to concede defeat is embarrassing to himself, the grand office of the president, the Republican party, and the country itself.

He needs to face the truth that a majority of legal votes cast in the election went against him. In effect, they amounted to the American people rising up, pointing at the incumbent president, The Apprentice-style, and saying, “Donald Trump, you’re fired”.

Well done, ‘we the people’.

OPINION
The President Has Lost - And There Isn’t Anything He Can Do About It
Ian Franks
14 Nov

Courts don’t work on allegations alone. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.

With the battle of the ballots now behind us, the fight for the White House has developed into a war of words and legal arguments in the U.S. courts.

No surprise there, as the incumbent president, Donald Trump, desperately tries to cling to power while former Vice-President Joe Biden attempts to prepare for his inauguration.

It is reminiscent of a traditional British pantomime where Donald stands on stage saying, “I have won,” but the audience shouts back, “Oh no you haven’t”.

Cue exchanges of, “Oh yes I have,” and, “Oh no you haven’t,” as children double-up in laughter. A supposedly great comedy at Christmastime, but not when it’s about who will lead one of the world’s greatest powers for the next four years.

Instead of being funny, this is embarrassing. Trump, without producing any evidence that will stand up in court, makes wild and unfounded allegations of electoral fraud while Biden, who has won the election according to the BBC and the U.S. TV networks, calls for calm.

The outgoing resident, for that is what he is, refuses to concede defeat, as his legal team fights desperately in the courts. What is going on? Is this really democracy?

Get The Locus sent straight to your inbox
Thanks for subscribing to The Locus!
Something went wrong. Sorry about that.

One thing demanded by courts in any case is proof. They require evidence of wrongdoing. Courts don’t work on allegations alone. So, huff and puff all you like - that won’t impress the learned guardians of the law.

That is why Trump’s lawyers are not just facing a uphill battle, they are fighting for a lost cause. Already, we have seen some cases thrown out before they even got started – because of lack of evidence. What are they alleging? Well, let’s take a look:

Pennsylvania

The time taken to count the votes was seen by Trump as a sign that fraud was taking place. It wasn’t.

True, a state court, and the U.S. Supreme Court, have both ruled that state officials must separate ballots received by extended deadlines, in case they are found to be unconstitutional. But it is extraordinarily unlikely that the number involved will be anywhere near Biden's 45,000-vote lead.

In another case, a state judge ruled that party observers could stand six feet from counting officials, but a move to stop vote counting was thrown out.

Michigan

Allegations of wrongdoing in the city of Detroit were made by Trump’s team because, it claimed, there was a lack of transparency in the vote-counting process.

However, two judges were having none of it.

"This court finds that while there are assertions made by the plaintiffs that there is no evidence in support of those assertions," said Judge Timothy Kenny. He refused to delay the certification of election results.

"On this factual record, I have no basis to find that there's a substantial likelihood of success on the merits as relates to this defendant, nor am I convinced that there is a clear legal duty on behalf of anyone who is properly before this court to manage this issue," said Judge Cynthia Stephens. She rejected a request to stop the vote counting.

Arizona

The Trump campaign alleged that some voters had their ballots incorrectly rejected because they used Sharpies to fill them out, despite officials stating it was not true.

"Don't promote disinfo! [sic] Stop spreading #SharpieGate claims," said Chris Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Eventually, the legal action was dropped.

President Trump takes part in a town hall event. 20 October, 2020. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Georgia

Another Trump move fell on deaf ears in Georgia where it was dismissed by a judge. Trump lawyers alleged that votes received after the polling day deadline were mixed in with legitimate ballots.

The allegations were based on testimony from a Georgia Republican poll watcher who later failed to provide any evidence.

Nevada

First, the Trump campaign sued, unsuccessfully, to stop the processing of mail ballots in Clark County.

Later, the team joined with the Nevada Republican Party and together claimed that "irregularities have plagued the election" in Clark County, but gave no evidence. They argued that the county should not be able to use a machine, used in many states, to check and verify signatures. Federal Judge Andrew Gordon had other ideas and dismissed the case.

Unless there is some highly unlikely legal interference with the electoral process, the next step is the electoral college votes to elect the president and vice-president. This is due to take place in one month’s time on Monday, 14 December.

If all goes to plan and there are no changes to the states called for each candidate, the 538 Electoral College votes should be cast 306 for Biden and Harris, and just 232 for Trump and Pence.

With recounts only likely to flip votes by a few hundred, history tells us, they won’t change the results of those states or the overall electoral college decision. That, linked with the courts’ refusal to allow Trump’s legal manoeuvres without evidence, sees Joe Biden set to sail to victory in the electoral college and then cruise to his inauguration on 20 January.

Really, the fact that Trump refuses to concede defeat is embarrassing to himself, the grand office of the president, the Republican party, and the country itself.

He needs to face the truth that a majority of legal votes cast in the election went against him. In effect, they amounted to the American people rising up, pointing at the incumbent president, The Apprentice-style, and saying, “Donald Trump, you’re fired”.

Well done, ‘we the people’.

Ian Franks is the managing editor of 50 Shades of Sun.
The President Has Lost - And There Isn’t Anything He Can Do About It
Ian Franks
14 Nov

Courts don’t work on allegations alone. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.

With the battle of the ballots now behind us, the fight for the White House has developed into a war of words and legal arguments in the U.S. courts.

No surprise there, as the incumbent president, Donald Trump, desperately tries to cling to power while former Vice-President Joe Biden attempts to prepare for his inauguration.

It is reminiscent of a traditional British pantomime where Donald stands on stage saying, “I have won,” but the audience shouts back, “Oh no you haven’t”.

Cue exchanges of, “Oh yes I have,” and, “Oh no you haven’t,” as children double-up in laughter. A supposedly great comedy at Christmastime, but not when it’s about who will lead one of the world’s greatest powers for the next four years.

Instead of being funny, this is embarrassing. Trump, without producing any evidence that will stand up in court, makes wild and unfounded allegations of electoral fraud while Biden, who has won the election according to the BBC and the U.S. TV networks, calls for calm.

The outgoing resident, for that is what he is, refuses to concede defeat, as his legal team fights desperately in the courts. What is going on? Is this really democracy?

One thing demanded by courts in any case is proof. They require evidence of wrongdoing. Courts don’t work on allegations alone. So, huff and puff all you like - that won’t impress the learned guardians of the law.

That is why Trump’s lawyers are not just facing a uphill battle, they are fighting for a lost cause. Already, we have seen some cases thrown out before they even got started – because of lack of evidence. What are they alleging? Well, let’s take a look:

Pennsylvania

The time taken to count the votes was seen by Trump as a sign that fraud was taking place. It wasn’t.

True, a state court, and the U.S. Supreme Court, have both ruled that state officials must separate ballots received by extended deadlines, in case they are found to be unconstitutional. But it is extraordinarily unlikely that the number involved will be anywhere near Biden's 45,000-vote lead.

In another case, a state judge ruled that party observers could stand six feet from counting officials, but a move to stop vote counting was thrown out.

Michigan

Allegations of wrongdoing in the city of Detroit were made by Trump’s team because, it claimed, there was a lack of transparency in the vote-counting process.

However, two judges were having none of it.

"This court finds that while there are assertions made by the plaintiffs that there is no evidence in support of those assertions," said Judge Timothy Kenny. He refused to delay the certification of election results.

"On this factual record, I have no basis to find that there's a substantial likelihood of success on the merits as relates to this defendant, nor am I convinced that there is a clear legal duty on behalf of anyone who is properly before this court to manage this issue," said Judge Cynthia Stephens. She rejected a request to stop the vote counting.

Arizona

The Trump campaign alleged that some voters had their ballots incorrectly rejected because they used Sharpies to fill them out, despite officials stating it was not true.

"Don't promote disinfo! [sic] Stop spreading #SharpieGate claims," said Chris Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Eventually, the legal action was dropped.

Georgia

Another Trump move fell on deaf ears in Georgia where it was dismissed by a judge. Trump lawyers alleged that votes received after the polling day deadline were mixed in with legitimate ballots.

The allegations were based on testimony from a Georgia Republican poll watcher who later failed to provide any evidence.

Nevada

First, the Trump campaign sued, unsuccessfully, to stop the processing of mail ballots in Clark County.

Later, the team joined with the Nevada Republican Party and together claimed that "irregularities have plagued the election" in Clark County, but gave no evidence. They argued that the county should not be able to use a machine, used in many states, to check and verify signatures. Federal Judge Andrew Gordon had other ideas and dismissed the case.

President Trump takes part in a town hall event. 20 October, 2020. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Unless there is some highly unlikely legal interference with the electoral process, the next step is the electoral college votes to elect the president and vice-president. This is due to take place in one month’s time on Monday, 14 December.

If all goes to plan and there are no changes to the states called for each candidate, the 538 Electoral College votes should be cast 306 for Biden and Harris, and just 232 for Trump and Pence.

With recounts only likely to flip votes by a few hundred, history tells us, they won’t change the results of those states or the overall electoral college decision. That, linked with the courts’ refusal to allow Trump’s legal manoeuvres without evidence, sees Joe Biden set to sail to victory in the electoral college and then cruise to his inauguration on 20 January.

Really, the fact that Trump refuses to concede defeat is embarrassing to himself, the grand office of the president, the Republican party, and the country itself.

He needs to face the truth that a majority of legal votes cast in the election went against him. In effect, they amounted to the American people rising up, pointing at the incumbent president, The Apprentice-style, and saying, “Donald Trump, you’re fired”.

Well done, ‘we the people’.

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