>> Sreenivasan: ON THIS EDITION

FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7:

>> MY RESPONSIBILITY AS

PRESIDENT WILL BE TO REPRESENT

THE WHOLE NATION.

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'LL

WORK AS HARD FOR THOSE WHO VOTED

AGAINST ME AS THOSE WHO VOTED

FOR ME.

>> Sreenivasan: JOE BIDEN IS

DECLARED THE 46th PRESIDENT OF

THE UNITED STATES; PRESIDENT

DONALD TRUMP PROMISES LEGAL

CHALLENGES AHEAD; AND A

STILL-DIVIDED COUNTRY CELEBRATES

AND PROTESTS ON THIS HISTORIC

DAY.

NEXT ON PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND.

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>> Sreenivasan: GOOD EVENING,

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

DEMOCRAT JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. IS

NOW THE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE

UNITED STATES.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND

MULTIPLE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS

CALLED THE RACE FOR THE FORMER

VICE PRESIDENT THIS MORNING

AFTER NEW BALLOT COUNTS EXTENDED

MR. BIDEN'S LEAD IN

PENNSYLVANIA, GIVING HIM AN

ADDITIONAL 20 ELECTORAL COLLEGE

VOTES, PUSHING HIS TOTAL ABOVE

THE 270 NEEDED.

PENNSYLVANIA'S VOTE PUT

PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN AT 284

ELECTORAL VOTES WITH CURRENT

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AT 214.

WITHIN AN HOUR, THE A.P. ALSO

CALLED NEVADA FOR MR. BIDEN,

BRINGING THE COUNT TO 290.

THE VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT, KAMALA

HARRIS, POSTED HER

CONGRATULATORY CALL TO HER

RUNNING MATE ON TWITTER:

( CHEERS )

IN WASHINGTON, D.C., LARGE

CROWDS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE

WHITE HOUSE, AND IN TIMES SQUARE

IN NEW YORK CITY PEOPLE CHEERED

THE NEWS.

>> ♪ LET FREEDOM RING. ♪

>> Sreenivasan: IN LANSING,

MICHIGAN, AND IN OTHER CITIES,

TRUMP SUPPORTERS DEMONSTRATED,

WAVING FLAGS AND PROTESTING THAT

THE ELECTION IS TOO CLOSE TO

CALL.

THOUSANDS OF BALLOTS ARE STILL

BEING COUNTED IN MANY STATES,

BUT THE MARGINS OF THE VOTE

COUNTS TODAY PUT MR. BIDEN FAR

ENOUGH AHEAD TO PRECLUDE A TRUMP

COMEBACK, ACCORDING TO THE A.P.

MR. TRUMP WAS AT HIS VIRGINIA

GOLF COURSE WHEN THE CALL WAS

MADE.

HE QUICKLY ISSUED A STATEMENT

THAT SAID: "THE SIMPLE FACT IS,

THIS ELECTION IS FAR FROM OVER,"

AND ALSO SAID, "BEGINNING

MONDAY, OUR CAMPAIGN WILL START

PROSECUTING OUR CASE IN COURT."

PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN WAS AT

HOME IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE,

WHERE HE ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT

MIRRORED HIS CALL IN A SPEECH

LATE LAST NIGHT FOR AMERICANS TO

UNITE.

>> NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTED FOR,

I'M CERTAIN OF ONE THING: THE

VAST MAJORITY OF THE 150 MILLION

AMERICANS WHO VOTED, THEY WANT

TO GET THE VITRIOL OUT OF OUR

POLITICS.

WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO

AGREE ON A LOT OF ISSUES, AT

LEAST WE CAN AGREE TO BE CIVIL

WITH ONE ANOTHER.

WE HAVE TO PUT THE ANGER AND THE

DEMONIZATION BEHIND US.

IT'S TIME FOR US TO COME

TOGETHER AS A NATION TO HEAL.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY, BUT

WE HAVE TO TRY.

>> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR'S

DANIEL BUSH IS IN PHILADELPHIA

AND HAS MORE ON THE MOMENT THE

RACE WAS CALLED AND WHAT THE

PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS SAY THEY ARE

PLANNING NEXT.

DAN BUSH, YOU'RE IN PENNSYLVANIA

ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE

ASSOCIATED PRESS CALLED THE

ELECTION FOR JOE BIDEN.

YOU WERE GETTING READY FOR A

PRESS CONFERENCE FROM THE TRUMP

CAMPAIGN.

WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO SAY?

>> HARI, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF

A CHAOTIC SCENE HERE.

THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SCHEDULED A

PRESS CONFERENCE JUST AROUND THE

TIME THAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FIRST CALLED PENNSYLVANIA FOR

JOE BIDEN, WHICH PUT HIM OVER

THE 270 THRESHOLD FOR VICTORY.

THEN THEY CALLED THE ENTIRE RACE

FOR JOE BIDEN.

SHORTLY AFTER THAT, RUDY

GIULIANI, A CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S, AS WELL AS

COREY LEWANDOWSKI AND SOME

OTHERS, CAME OUT HERE, AND RUDY

GIULIANI RAN THROUGH A LITANY OF

CLAIMS OR ALLEGATIONS AROUND

WHAT HE IS CLAIMING AS

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY RELATED TO

THE ELECTION.

RUDY GIULIANI SAID THAT THIS IS

OUTRAGEOUS.

HE SAID THAT MAIL-IN BALLOTS

WERE "HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS."

HE SAID THAT NO REPUBLICAN GOT A

CHANCE TO INSPECT BALLOTS.

THAT IS NOT TRUE.

HE SAID THAT THERE WAS ZERO

SECURITY AROUND THIS VOTE

COUNTING PROCESS.

THAT IS NOT TRUE, AS WELL.

I SAW THAT SECURITY, AS WELL AS

THE REST OF THE PRESS DID, WITH

OUR OWN EYES WHEN WE TOOK TOURS

OF THE FACILITIES WHERE THEY'RE

COUNTING THESE BALLOTS.

I SHOULD ALSO NOTE, AS WELL,

THERE IS NO WIDESPREAD EVIDENCE

OF VOTER FRAUD EITHER HERE IN

PENNSYLVANIA OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN

THE COUNTRY.

BUT EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION WAS

CALLED, THERE WAS RUDY GIULIANI

MAKING THAT LEGAL ARGUMENT.

THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS ALREADY

FILED SEVERAL SUITS AROUND THE

COUNTRY.

RUDY GIULIANI SAID MORE ARE

COMING, SO YOU CAN SEE THE TRUMP

CAMPAIGN DIGGING IN ITS HEELS

HERE FOR WHAT THEY THINK COULD

BE A LONG LEGAL FIGHT.

>> Sreenivasan: WHAT IS THE

LIKELIHOOD OF THE VOTES BEING

RECOUNTED IN PENNSYLVANIA?

AND IS THAT LIKELY TO PROVE THE

TYPE OF RESULT THAT RUDY

GIULIANI WANTS?

>> THAT IS THE CRITICAL

QUESTION, HARI.

UNDER PENNSYLVANIA LAW, THE

SECRETARY OF STATE IS REQUIRED

TO ORDER A RECOUNT IF THE MARGIN

IS WITHIN 0.5%, HALF OF 1%.

AS OF TODAY, JOE BIDEN WAS UP BY

ROUGHLY 30,000 VOTES.

THAT NUMBER MAY HAVE ALREADY

GONE UP SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT

WE LOOKED AT IT CLOSELY.

THAT IS BECAUSE AS MORE MAIL-IN

AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE

COUNTED, THOSE ARE BREAKING AT

UP TO 75% IN JOE BIDEN'S FAVOR.

RIGHT NOW, HE'S ROUGHLY ON THAT

BUBBLE OF WHAT WOULD BE A 0.5%

MARGIN, HARI.

BUT AGAIN, AS THESE NUMBERS COME

IN, HE'S GOING TO GO UP.

THE EXPECTATION IS, HE WILL

EXCEED AND THAT THE MARGIN WILL

NOT BE WITHIN THE AMOUNT THAT

PENNSYLVANIA WOULD HAVE TO

PROCEED WITH A RECOUNT.

RUDY GIULIANI WAS ASKED ABOUT A

POSSIBILITY OF A RECOUNT TODAY.

HE JUST SAID, "STAND BY, MORE

LAWSUITS ARE COMING."

SO, WE ARE FOLLOWING THESE FINAL

NUMBERS VERY CLOSELY FOR THAT

VERY REASON.

>> Sreenivasan: DAN, WERE THERE

ANY SPECIFIC GROUPS THAT HELPED

JOE BIDEN CROSS THAT LINE IN

PENNSYLVANIA?

>> WELL, HARI, JOE BIDEN COMING

INTO THIS ELECTION IN THE FINAL

WEEKS MADE A VERY STRONG PITCH

TO A COUPLE OF KEY GROUPS: BLACK

VOTERS IN PHILADELPHIA AND

PITTSBURGH, OTHER PARTS OF THE

STATE; AS WELL AS SUBURBAN

VOTERS, THOSE SAME VOTERS THAT

PRESIDENT TRUMP WENT AFTER IN

THE FINAL WEEKS WITH HIS "LAW

AND ORDER" MESSAGE.

THOSE SUBURBAN VOTERS TOLD ME

THAT MESSAGE DID NOT RESONATE

WITH THEM FOR THE MOST PART.

TRUMP DID GET SUPPORT IN THE

SUBURBS, BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO

HOLD OFF A BIG TURNOUT FOR JOE

BIDEN IN CITIES, IN SUBURBS.

AND IN THE END, THAT "GET OUT

THE VOTE" OPERATION GOT HIM OVER

THE TOP.

>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT, DAN

BUSH JOINING US FROM

PHILADELPHIA.

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, HARI.

>> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR WHITE

HOUSE CORRESPONDENT YAMICHE

ALCINDOR JOINED US FROM

WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR MORE ON THE

PRESIDENT'S REACTION AND HIS

PLANS.

YAMICHE, WE HEARD FROM DAN BUSH

IN PHILADELPHIA THAT RUDY

GIULIANI, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE

TRUMP CAMPAIGN, REGARDLESS OF

WHAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAYS,

REGARDLESS OF THE CALL, THEY ARE

INTERESTED IN PROSECUTING THIS

FURTHER.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE PRESIDENT PUT OUT A

STATEMENT JUST MOMENTS AFTER JOE

BIDEN WAS DECLARED THE

PRESIDENT-ELECT BY A NUMBER OF

NEWS AGENCIES, AS WELL AS THE

A.P., SAYING THAT THIS ELECTION

IS NOT OVER AND THAT HE PLANS TO

PROSECUTE THIS CASE.

NOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE

WHO ARE CLOSE TO PRESIDENT

TRUMP, AND THEY SAY THIS: THE

PRESIDENT WILL AT SOME POINT

HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE MAY

HAVE LOST THIS ELECTION.

IT SEEMS LIKE HE WILL LOSE THIS

ELECTION.

BUT HE'S REALLY SET UP TWO CAMPS

OF PEOPLE.

THERE THE PEOPLE LIKE RUDY

GIULIANI, LIKE COREY

LEWANDOWSKI, HIS PERSONAL

ATTORNEY AND HIS FORMER CAMPAIGN

MANAGER IN 2016, WHO WILL

CONTINUE TO REALLY WANT TO

FIGHT, CONTINUE TO TRY TO EDGE

HIM ON.

BUT THEN, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE

LIKE JARED KUSHNER, HIS SON-IN-

LAW, WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE TO

REEL HIM BACK WHEN IT'S TIME TO

REEL BACK, TO SAY, "LOOK, YOU'VE

LOST THIS THING."

LET'S ALSO JUST STEP BACK EVEN

FURTHER AND SAY THAT THIS WAS A

PRESIDENT WHO RAN AS A POLITICAL

OUTSIDER, WHO HAS NOW BEEN

OUSTED BY A RECORD NUMBER OF

VOTERS.

YES, THE ELECTION WAS TIGHT, BUT

JOE BIDEN HAS MORE VOTES THAN

ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS RUN FOR

PRESIDENT.

AND THIS REALLY IS A REPUDIATION

OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ALL OF

THE THINGS THAT HE'S BEEN DOING,

THE RACIST LANGUAGE, THE-- THE

DOWNPLAYING OF THE CORONAVIRUS,

THE SCANDALS.

HE-- HE WILL LEAVE OFFICE-- IF

THIS ALL GOES THROUGH, HE WILL

LEAVE OFFICE AS AN IMPEACHED

PRESIDENT, AND HE WILL JOIN ONLY

NINE OTHER PRESIDENTS IN HISTORY

TO NOT WIN A SECOND TERM.

>> Sreenivasan: LET'S ALSO TALK

ABOUT THE HISTORIC NATURE OF

KAMALA HARRIS BEING THE

PRESUMPTIVE VICE PRESIDENT.

>> THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF

POLITICAL POETRY HERE.

PRESIDENT TRUMP BEGAN HIS

POLITICAL CAREER QUESTIONING THE

BIRTHPLACE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN

AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN THAT

RACIST THEORY OF BIRTHERISM, AND

HE'S NOW GOING TO BE LEAVING

OFFICE AND WITH A BLACK WOMAN

COMING INTO OFFICE AS VICE

PRESIDENT, SOMEONE THAT HE'S

MOCKED FOR SAYING HER NAME WRONG

OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THIS IS, OF COURSE, ALSO A

HISTORIC FIRST.

SENATOR HARRIS, NOW VICE

PRESIDENT-ELECT HARRIS, HAS HAD

SO MANY DIFFERENT FIRSTS IN HER

LIFETIME, BUT NOW SHE IS THE

FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTED VICE

PRESIDENT-ELECT.

SHE'S THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN, THE

FIRST ASIAN WOMAN, THE FIRST

GRADUATE OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY, THE

FIRST MEMBER OF THE DIVINE NINE.

THOSE ARE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN

SORORITIES.

SHE'S THE MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA

ALPHA-- ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA

SORORITY, INCORPORATED.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT

FIRSTS HERE, AND IT'S HISTORY-

MAKING FOR HER TO WALK INTO

OFFICE JUST A HEARTBEAT AWAY

FROM THE PRESIDENCY.

I'VE JUST BEEN TALKING TO BLACK

LIVES MATTER ACTIVISTS AS WELL

AS BEN CRUMP, AN ICON IN SOME

WAYS-- THE CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY

WHO HAS DONE SO MANY DIFFERENT

CASES, FROM TRAYVON MARTIN TO

AHMAUD ARBERY TO GEORGE FLOYD--

AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE FELT HOPE

TODAY.

HE FEELS AS THOUGH HIM-- THIS

ELECTION OF KAMALA HARRIS PUTS

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO HAVE

BEEN THE BACKBONE OF THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY INTO AN

EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR THE FIRST

TIME IN HISTORY.

AND THERE'S REALLY BEEN THIS

FEELING OF EXCITEMENT, THIS

FEELING THAT THINGS MIGHT BE

DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND AS WE

LOOK AT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT

WAYS THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS FACE

INJUSTICES AND INEQUALITIES IN

THIS COUNTRY.

>> Sreenivasan: AND THERE ARE AT

LEAST 70 MILLION VOTERS WHO DID

NOT VOTE FOR JOE BIDEN, AND THIS

IS A COUNTRY STILL DEEPLY

DIVIDED.

THAT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT JOE

BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS HAVE

AHEAD OF THEM.

>> I'VE BEEN TALKING TO

DEMOCRATS WHO ARE DOING A LOT OF

SOUL-SEARCHING AND WONDERING WHY

THIS ELECTION WAS SO CLOSE.

YOU'RE RIGHT TO SAY THAT THIS

WAS AN ELECTION THAT REALLY PUT

INTO CLEAR FOCUS HOW POLARIZED

AMERICA IS.

AND I'VE TALKED TO SO MANY TRUMP

SUPPORTERS AS WELL AS BIDEN

SUPPORTERS WHO SIMPLY CANNOT

UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEONE WOULD

VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE THAT

ISN'T THEIR CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.

BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS HAD SUCH A

PROBLEMATIC HISTORY WITH TRUTH.

HE'S BEEN SPREADING

DISINFORMATION FOR SO LONG.

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT FOREIGN

INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS, BUT

WE RIGHT NOW HAVE A

DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN GOING ON

HEADQUARTERED AT THE WHITE HOUSE

WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.

SO, A LOT OF THAT POLARIZATION

IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING THERE.

I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT

REPUBLICANS ARE FEELING VERY

PRESSURED RIGHT NOW TO STICK

WITH THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE THEY

REALIZE THAT THE PRESIDENT'S

BASE IS GOING TO BE THE BASE

THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO

TURN OUT IN 2022 AND 2024.

SO, IT'S ALSO AN INCENTIVE FOR

REPUBLICANS TO CONTINUE TO BE

POLARIZED AS THEY BACK THE

PRESIDENT.

>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT.

PBS NEWSHOUR'S YAMICHE ALCINDOR,

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANKS.

>> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR'S JOHN

YANG IS IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE,

WHERE THE PRESIDENT AND VICE

PRESIDENT-ELECT ARE PLANNING AN

8:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME SPEECH

AND CELEBRATION TONIGHT.

SO, JOHN, CERTAINLY NOT AS FAST

AS THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN WOULD HAVE

EXPECTED, BUT THE RESULT CAME

TODAY NONETHELESS.

WHAT WAS THE IMMEDIATE REACTION

FROM THE BIDEN CAMP?

>> I THINK THEY EXPECTED THIS TO

BE A LITTLE LONG AND DRAWN OUT.

THEY EXPECTED IT TO BE LIKE

THIS, BUT NOT AS LONG AS IT WENT

ON.

AS ONE SENIOR ADVISER TO THE

CAMPAIGN TOLD ME LAST NIGHT, THE

ADVISER SAID THAT NOTHING ABOUT

THIS CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN EASY, SO

WHY SHOULD THE ELECTION BE ANY

DIFFERENT?

>> Sreenivasan: YEAH.

SO, WHAT ARE THE CAMPAIGN'S

PLANS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE

RECOUNTS THAT ARE LIKELY TO

HAPPEN IN GEORGIA AND

PENNSYLVANIA, AND THE LEGAL

CHALLENGES THAT THE TRUMP

CAMPAIGN IS PLANNING TO CONTINUE

TO MOUNT?

>> BOB BAUER, WHO'S THE HEAD OF

THE LEGAL TEAM FOR THE BIDEN

CAMPAIGN, SAYS THAT HE DOES NOT

EXPECT ANY OF THESE LEGAL

CHALLENGES TO MAKE ANY

DIFFERENCE.

AND AS YOU'VE SEEN, A LOT OF

THEM HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT AT THE

STATE LEVEL.

HE SAYS THAT IT'S POLITICAL

THEATER.

HE SAYS IT'S A STRATEGY DESTINED

TO FAILURE.

AND THEY ALSO SAY ABOUT THESE

NARROW MARGINS, NUMBER ONE, THEY

SAY A WIN IS A WIN NO MATTER HOW

SMALL.

AND ON THE RECOUNTS, THEY DON'T

SEE ANYTHING IN THESE RECOUNTS

THAT CAN OVERTURN THE RESULTS,

THAT THEY EXPECT TO HAVE ENOUGH

ELECTORAL VOTES THAT THEY CAN

AFFORD-- NUMBER ONE, THEY CAN

AFFORD TO HAVE SOME STATES GO

THE OTHER WAY.

BUT THEY DON'T THINK THAT'S

GOING TO HAPPEN.

YOU KNOW, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAYS THAT SINCE 2000, THERE HAVE

BEEN 31 STATEWIDE RECOUNTS.

IN ONLY THREE OF THOSE RACES HAS

THE OUTCOME BEEN REVERSED.

AND IN EACH OF THOSE THREE, THE

MARGIN WAS LESS THAN 300 VOTES.

AND I THINK YOU'RE NOT GOING TO

SEE THAT-- THAT CLOSE OF A

MARGIN IN ANY OF THESE STATES.

>> Sreenivasan: JOHN, I DON'T

KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY REPORTING

ON THIS, BUT THE ONLY OTHER

THING THAT REALLY PIERCES

THROUGH THE NEWS CYCLE TODAY IS

THE FACT THAT WE ARE STILL

BREAKING RECORDS WHEN IT COMES

TO THE NUMBER OF COVID-19

INFECTIONS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE

ARE ACTUALLY DYING FROM THIS.

I KNOW THAT THE BIDEN TEAM KNOWS

THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE

PRESIDENT, OR HE'S NOT GOING TO

BE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

KAMALA HARRIS, UNTIL THE

SWEARING-IN CEREMONY.

BUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING NOW TO

TRY TO PREPARE?

WHAT KINDS OF POLICY DECISIONS

COULD THEY BE PLANNING FOR?

>> THIS HAS BEEN THE MAJOR

CONTRAST THEY'VE BEEN DRAWING

WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE

CLOSING DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN

ABOUT HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS

BEEN TREATING THIS PANDEMIC.

THIS WEEK, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

BIDEN AND-- AND SENATOR HARRIS

HAD A BRIEFING WITH MEDICAL

EXPERTS ON THE CORONAVIRUS.

THEY'VE BEEN HAVING THINGS LIKE

THAT ALL ALONG, BUT EVEN AS THEY

WAITED FOR THE RETURN.

SO, I THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO

SEE THIS AS BEING SOMETHING

FRONT AND CENTER IN THE

PRESIDENT-ELECT'S TRANSITION

NOW.

>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT, JOHN

YANG JOINING US FROM WILMINGTON.

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Sreenivasan: THE LEGAL

CHALLENGES IN THIS ELECTION

BEGAN WELL BEFORE ELECTION DAY

WITH LAWSUITS OVER MAIL-IN

VOTING, WHAT BALLOTS WOULD BE

COUNTED, AND MORE.

THE PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM HAVE

SAID DESPITE JOE BIDEN BEING

DECLARED THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF

THE UNITED STATES, MORE LAWSUITS

LIE IN WAIT.

I SPOKE WITH GUY CHARLES,

PROFESSOR OF LAW AT DUKE

UNIVERSITY AND CO-DIRECTOR OF

THE CENTER ON LAW, RACE AND

POLITICS.

>> THIS ELECTION, EVEN THOUGH IT

HAS BEEN AN ELECTION UNDER A

GLOBAL PANDEMIC, HAS ACTUALLY

BEEN RUN FAIRLY WELL.

AND SO, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND

PLACES IN THE ELECTION THAT YOU

CAN SAY ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS

WERE COUNTING VOTES THAT WEREN'T

SUPPOSED TO BE COUNTED, THAT

ENABLED PEOPLE TO VOTE WHO

SHOULDN'T HAVE VOTED.

AND GIVEN THE MARGINS OF WHERE

WE KNOW THEM IN THE VARIOUS

BATTLEGROUND STATES, IT'S GOING

TO BE VERY HARD TO FIND EVIDENCE

OF WRONGDOING AND THEREFORE TO

OVERCOME THE ADVANTAGES THAT NOW

PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN HAS IN

THESE BATTLEGROUND STATES.

>> Sreenivasan: SO, IT'S NOT

JUST ABOUT FINDING THE KIND OF

ANECDOTAL CASE WHERE THERE MIGHT

BE FOUR BALLOTS MISSING, OR 10

BALLOTS MISSING, BUT SOMETHING

THAT WAS SYSTEMATIC ENOUGH TO

OVERTURN THE 20,000-MARGIN LEAD

IN A STATE, OR THE 50,000-MARGIN

LEAD SOMEWHERE ELSE.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

SO, WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOW

IS EITHER A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER

OF BALLOTS-- 50,000 OR 20,000,

30,000 IN PENNSYLVANIA, FOR

EXAMPLE-- AND THOSE BALLOTS

SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COUNTED,

SOMETHING WENT WRONG, THERE IS A

TABULATION ERROR, THERE'S--

THERE'S SOME MISTAKE OF LAW THAT

HAPPENED.

AND THAT WOULD OVERTURN THE

RESULTS.

THAT WOULD LEAD US TO BELIEVE

THAT THE RESULTS AND THE

ELECTION-- WOULD UNDERMINE OUR

FAITH IN THE RESULT.

SO, FINDING A STRAY VOTER WHO

WAS NOT EITHER ABLE TO VOTE OR

SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN ONE OR

TWO INSTANCES, THAT IS WILDLY

INSUFFICIENT.

AND YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN

THE POSITION OF A JUDGE.

THE JUDGE WOULD HAVE TO OVERTURN

AN ELECTION ON THE BASIS OF ONE

OR TWO THINGS THAT WERE WRONG.

AND THEY ARE EVEN HAVING A HARD

TIME FINDING THAT, MUCH LESS

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE

THOUSANDS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS

SYSTEMATICALLY ACROSS THE

COUNTRY.

SO, YOU COULD START WITH

PENNSYLVANIA.

DO HAVE IT THERE?

WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT

THERE, IS IT GEORGIA, RIGHT?

THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT THEY

ARE FACING.

AND IT'S-- TO SAY THAT IT'S

UPHILL, I THINK, IS AN

UNDERSTATEMENT.

>> Sreenivasan: BUT ONE THING

PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS,

HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS MAKE IT

TO THE SUPREME COURT AND DOES

THE SUPREME COURT WEIGH IN,

SIMILAR TO 2000, WHERE THE

DECISION TO STOP THE COUNT IN

FLORIDA AT THAT POINT WAS

SIGNIFICANT?

AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE A

PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE BASED ON ALL

OF THESE COUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN

HAPPENING IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT

STATES, BUT THERE ARE LEGAL

CHALLENGES IN MULTIPLE STATES

THAT THE ADMINISTRATION-- OR, I

SHOULD SAY, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN--

HAS MADE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SO, THE-- THIS CASE IS NOT

COMPARABLE TO BUSH V. GORE.

SO, IN 2000, YOU BASICALLY-- THE

ELECTION CAME DOWN TO ONE STATE,

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY

SMALL MARGIN.

AND REALLY, THEN, THERE'S A

SIGNIFICANT QUESTION AS TO HOW

THE BALLOTS WERE BEING COUNTED,

AND WERE THEY BEING COUNTED IN A

WAY THAT WAS UNIFORM.

MOREOVER, AS THE PROCESS WENT

ALONG AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE

CERTIFIED A WINNER, THEN THE

QUESTION WAS, CAN YOU-- WHAT IS

IT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO TO

OVERCOME THAT PRESUMPTION?

AND WILL CONTINUING THE PROCESS

UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMACY OF-- OF

THE ELECTION, ESPECIALLY IN

LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THERE

DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SIGNIFICANT

EVIDENCE OR ANY EVIDENCE OF

WRONGDOING.

AND SO, YOU HAD A WINNER WHO WAS

TRYING TO PRESERVE-- THIS WAS

BUSH-- TRYING TO PRESERVE HIS

MARGINS.

IN THIS CASE, YOU HAVE THE

PRESIDENT WHO IS BEHIND,

SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND AND IN A

NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STATES.

AND WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME--

ANYWHERE NEAR THE SAME SET OF

QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE

COUNTING OF THE BALLOTS.

AS FAR AS WE KNOW, ALL OF THE

EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE IN ALL OF

THESE VARIOUS STATES IS THAT THE

BALLOTS WERE ACCURATELY COUNTED.

AND SO, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING

FOR HIM TO POINT TO, RIGHT?

SO, IT DOESN'T COME DOWN TO ONE

STATE HE'S BEHIND, HE DOESN'T

HAVE THE EVIDENCE.

AND IT JUST IS NOT A COMPARABLE

SITUATION.

AS MUCH AS ONE WOULD LIKE FOR IT

TO BE, THE FACTS JUST ARE NOT

THERE.

>> Sreenivasan: GUY CHARLES,

PROFESSOR OF LAW AT DUKE

UNIVERSITY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING

ME.

>> Sreenivasan: AS JOE BIDEN IS

PROJECTED TO BE PRESIDENT-ELECT,

THE UNITED STATES IS REPORTING

RECORD NUMBERS OF NEW COVID-19

INFECTIONS, INCLUDING THE WHITE

HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF.

MARK MEADOWS TESTED POSITIVE FOR

THE CORONAVIRUS, SENIOR

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS

CONFIRMED YESTERDAY.

THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS THAT

SEVERAL OTHER WHITE HOUSE

STAFFERS ARE ALSO POSITIVE.

THE NEW POSITIVE CASES IN THE

WHITE HOUSE INNER CIRCLE COME AS

THE U.S. RECORDED MORE THAN

126,000 CASES IN THE LAST 24

HOURS, A NEW RECORD ACCORDING TO

RESEARCHERS AT JOHNS HOPKINS.

THE DAILY DEATH TOLL, WHICH IS

SEEN AS A LAGGING INDICATOR, WAS

MORE THAN 1,146 IN THE LAST 24

HOURS.

THAT'S THE FOURTH DAY IN A ROW

IT HAS BEEN ABOVE 1,000.

IN TOTAL, THE U.S. HAS RECORDED

MORE THAN 236,000 DEATHS.

GLOBALLY, THE NUMBER OF DAILY

INFECTIONS ARE ALSO AT RECORD

LEVELS WITH MORE THAN 600,000

NEW CASES RECORDED ON FRIDAY.

IN TOTAL, THE NUMBER OF CASES IS

APPROCHING 50 MILLION, WITH MORE

THAN 1.2 MILLION DEATHS.

IN ITALY, A PARTIAL SHUTDOWN OF

NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES STARTED

YESTERDAY WHILE IN THE U.K., A

LOCKDOWN THAT INCLUDES ALL

RESTAURANTS, GYMS, AND

NONESSENTIAL RETAIL STARTED ON

THURSDAY.

AND IN GERMANY, WHICH RECORDED A

RECORD NUMBER OF CASES

YESTERDAY, A FOUR-WEEK PARTIAL

LOCKDOWN BEGAN EARLIER THIS

WEEK.

FOR MORE ON PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE

BIDEN AND HIS ROAD TO VICTORY,

VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour.

>> Sreenivasan: ONE OF THE TOO-

CLOSE-TO-CALL STATES WHERE THERE

WILL BE A RECOUNT IS THE

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS

GEORGIA.

THERE ARE ALSO TWO U.S. SENATE

SEATS WHERE NO CANDIDATE

RECEIVED 50% OF THE VOTE.

THAT MEANS THERE WILL BE A RUN-

OFF ELECTION THAT WILL DETERMINE

WHICH PARTY CONTROLS THE SENATE

DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

I SPOKE WITH RICKEY BEVINGTON,

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT FOR GEORGIA

PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHO JOINED

US FROM ATLANTA.

RICKEY, IT'S SURPRISING TO A LOT

OF PEOPLE THAT GEORGIA PLAYED

SUCH AN INFLUENTIAL AND A

CRITICAL ROLE IN THIS ELECTION.

GOING FORWARD, REGARDLESS OF

WHAT THE COUNT IS AT THIS VERY

MOMENT, THERE'S GOING TO BE A

RECOUNT, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY, HARI.

SO, GEORGIA WILL FIRST DO AN

AUDIT NEXT WEEK.

GEORGIA HAS A BRAND-NEW

ELECTIONS AND VOTING AND

BALLOTING SYSTEM.

SO, THERE WILL BE AN AUDIT,

WHICH IS NOT A RECOUNT, NEXT

WEEK, SIMPLY TO MAKE SURE THAT

THE NEW SYSTEM WORKED, RIGHT?

AND THEN, AFTER THE AUDIT, IN

ABOUT TWO WEEKS, IT WILL BE AN

ACTUAL RECOUNT OF THE NEARLY

FIVE MILLION BALLOTS CAST IN THE

STATE OF GEORGIA IN 2020.

>> Sreenivasan: AND THEN, AS

WE TURN THIS PAGE-- IF WE TURN

THIS PAGE EASILY-- GEORGIA IS

GOING TO HAVE TWO SENATE RUNOFF

ELECTIONS COMING JANUARY 5, AND,

FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOT USUAL TO

HAVE TWO SENATE ELECTIONS AT THE

SAME TIME.

BUT THEY'RE INCREDIBLY

INFLUENTIAL THIS TIME.

>> IT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY.

GEORGIA REALLY IS GOING TO BE

THE CENTER OF THE AMERICAN

POLITICAL UNIVERSE BETWEEN NOW

AND JANUARY 5, WHICH IS THE

RUNOFF ELECTION DAY.

INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN DAVID

PERDUE IS SEEKING A SECOND TERM.

HE DID NOT GET THE 50% THRESHOLD

TO AVOID A RUNOFF AGAINST

DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER JON

OSSOFF.

AND INCUMBENT APPOINTED SENATOR,

ANOTHER REPUBLICAN, KELLY

LOEFFLER, ALSO DID NOT GET ABOVE

THE 50% THRESHOLD TO AVOID A

RUNOFF.

NOW, THERE WERE 20 CHALLENGERS

AGAINST LOEFFLER.

THIS WAS A VERY UNIQUE SPECIAL

ELECTION.

RARELY WOULD WE SEE TWO

SENATORIAL ELECTIONS IN ONE

YEAR.

HOWEVER, OUR FORMER SENIOR

SENATOR, JOHNNY ISAKSON, HAD TO

RESIGN, RETIRE ABOUT A YEAR AGO

DUE TO HEALTH REASONS.

SO, LOEFFLER WAS APPOINTED.

SHE TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY, AND

SO THAT'S WHY WE CALLED IT A

"JUNGLE PRIMARY," AND ANY

CANDIDATE COULD RUN WHO WANTED

TO.

LOEFFLER WILL FACE THE REVEREND

RAPHAEL WARNOCK ON JANUARY 5.

HE IS CURRENTLY PASTOR OF

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING'S FORMER

CHURCH, EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH

IN ATLANTA.

>> Sreenivasan: AND THOSE TWO

SENATE RACES COULD VERY WELL

DETERMINE THE BALANCE OF POWER

IN THE U.S. SENATE, AND, REALLY,

WHAT KIND OF POWER JOE BIDEN

WOULD HAVE IF HE IS PRESIDENT.

>> IT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY,

HARI, AND THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW

WHO'S GOING TO WIN.

IF BOTH DEMOCRATS ARE

SUCCESSFUL-- WHICH WOULD BE

ANOTHER HISTORIC EVENT-- IN

THESE TWO SENATE RUNOFFS, YES,

THE DEMOCRATS WOULD TAKE THE

SENATE.

IF ONE WINS-- THIS IS WHAT I

MEAN WHEN I SAY THAT GEORGIA IS

GOING TO BE THE CENTER OF THE

POLITICAL UNIVERSE.

IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

AND, OF COURSE, THERE'S KAMALA

HARRIS, WHO WOULD BE A

TIE-BREAKER VOTE IN THE SENATE

IF IT'S JUST THAT CLOSE IN THE

TERMS OF THE BALANCE OF POWER.

NOW, WE ARE EXPECTING IN GEORGIA

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

TO BE SPENT BY A LOT OF GROUPS

TRYING TO GET OUT THE VOTE FOR

THEIR CANDIDATE COME JANUARY 5.

>> Sreenivasan: RICKEY

BEVINGTON OF GEORGIA PUBLIC

BROADCASTING, THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANKS, HARI.

>> Sreenivasan: FINALLY TONIGHT,

PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN AND VICE

PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS

WILL SPEAK TO THE NATION AT

8:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME.

PBS NEWSHOUR WILL HAVE A SPECIAL

REPORT TONIGHT ON HIS VICTORY

AND THE ROAD AHEAD.

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EDITION OF

PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND.

FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES,

VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour.

I'M HARI SREENIVASAN.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

STAY HEALTHY AND HAVE A GOOD

NIGHT.

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