2020 ELECTION

Former President Barack Obama Endorses Joe Biden for President | C-SPAN

How Kamala Harris Became Biden's VP Pick | WSJ

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held a press briefing a day after a crowd of people breached security at the U.S. Capitol. She called on Vice President Pence to use the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office saying he, “incited an armed insurrection against America.” She also said the House was prepared to begin impeachment proceedings. The speaker went on to call for the resignation of the chief of the capitol police, and spoke about security concerns related to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Vice President-elect Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) spoke at a rally in Columbus, Georgia, in support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Both candidates were campaigning ahead of their runoff elections on January 5, 2021, the outcome of which could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. The vice president-elect spoke about the national importance of the race and the impact a Democratic-controlled Senate could have on the incoming Biden-Harris administration.

President-elect Biden announced the nominees and appointees for his climate and energy team, including former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy as National Climate Adviser, former Michigan Governor (D) Jennifer Granholm as Energy Secretary, and Representative Debra Haaland (D-NM), as the first Native American Interior Secretary. President-elect Biden said his climate team looked like America and was ready on day one to address the “existential threat of climate change.” Questions were not taken from reporters.

President-elect Biden campaigned for two Democratic Georgia U.S. Senate candidates -- Jon Ossoff and Rev. Rafael Warnock -- in Atlanta. Both men faced runoff elections with the Republican incumbents -- Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler -- on January 5, 2021 after all candidates failed to reach the 50 percent threshold in the 2020 election. President Biden said Georgia Democrats would need to again turn out in record numbers to secure a victory for the two candidates, whose win would secure the narrowest possible majority for Democrats in the Senate, giving the part 50 in their caucus plus the tie-breaking vote of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The drive-in rally also featured opening remarks from Stacey Abrams, the Fair Fight 2020 founder and former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic mayor of Atlanta.

President-elect Biden introduced several of his choices for top positions in his administration. He selected Tom Vilsack to return as agriculture secretary, Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) to serve as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Denis McDonough as the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative, and Susan Rice as the director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council. President-elect Biden also briefly responded to a reporter’s question about a federal investigation into his son Hunter saying, “I’m proud of my son.”

Incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock participated in an often contentious televised debate. Sen. Loeffler was asked about whether President Trump had lost Georgia in the general election and referred to Rev. Warnock, as “radical, liberal Raphael Warnock.” Warnock said, she “continues to cast doubt on an American democratic election” and questioned her stock trades. Both candidates talked about coronavirus relief and defunding the police. The Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Broadcasting sponsored the event. On January 5, the candidates face off in a special runoff election that will determine control of the U.S. Senate.

President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris spoke to reporters following a virtual meeting with the National Governors Association concerning the coronavirus pandemic and the economy. The president-elect said he stood ready to work with all state and local governments to get the virus under control and rebuild the economy. He reiterated that he would not impose a nationwide lockdown. On the transition front, President-elect Biden said he had not ruled out taking legal action against the General Services Administration (GSA) for not recognizing the election win and giving his team access to information for the transition of power.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris spoke about their economic recovery plans in Wilmington, Delaware. Their remarks came after a meeting with business and labor leaders. During the news conference, President-elect Biden also warned that if the Trump administration does not coordinate soon with the Biden-Harris team concerning vaccine distribution plans, more people could die. Other topics discussed included global trade, student loan debt forgiveness and working with Republicans to get things done.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) held a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic and the results of the 2020 election. Speaker Pelosi called on the Trump administration and Senate Republicans to pass coronavirus relief legislation, which she said was essential for boosting the economy and reopening schools. Sen. Schumer called on his Republican colleagues to accept the results of the 2020 election and start to work with President-elect Joe Biden.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addressed the nation from Wilmington, Delaware, after being declared the winners of the 2020 presidential election. President-elect Biden said the American people have “delivered us a clear victory,” and he urged that “this grim era of demonization in America begin to end here and now.” He also addressed supporters of President Trump, saying he understands their disappointment but that it was “time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again, and to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not enemies. We are Americans.” Vice President-elect Harris in her remarks thanked the American people and acknowledged the women who paved the way before her, “including the black women who are often, too often, overlooked,” saying “they are the backbone of our democracy.”