We begin on Friday, December 4th, Vice President Pence appears at a rally in Savannah, GA in support of Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ahead of the January 5th Senate runoff. The vice president didn’t strike the same tone as President Trump in claiming that the presidential election was rigged. However, he did give a specific timetable on when the coronavirus vaccine will be ready.
Meanwhile, President Trump orders that all American troops are to leave Somalia by January 15th, five days before Joe Biden is scheduled to be inaugurated. Approximately 700 Special Operations forces have been stationed in the Eastern African country with the goal of holding off advances from Islamist insurgents.
Saturday, December 5th, Trump holds a massive rally in Valdosta, GA in support of Perdue and Loeffler. In spite of repeatedly making claims that he won the 2020 election by “a lot,” the president teases a 2024 run before getting back on message.
Sunday, December 6th, President Trump tweets that his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, tested positive for the coronavirus. The former New York City mayor has been litigating the Trump campaign’s legal challenges, alleging widespread voter and election fraud in the battleground states that Joe Biden won in November. Giuliani, who’s 76, was reportedly hospitalized and being treated at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC.
Monday, December 7th, the Trump administration imposes sanctions and a travel ban on 14 Chinese officials over their role in expelling four opposition members from its Beijing-backed Hong Kong legislature. Observers of the move believe its part of an effort for President Trump to cement his hardline stance against China while also cornering President-elect Joe Biden to holding the line.
Tuesday, December 8th, speaking at the White House’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine summit, President Trump signs an executive order prioritizing Americans’ access to the coronavirus vaccine. The Trump administration plans to get vaccine doses to 300 million Americans within the next six months.
Wednesday, December 9th, President Trump throws his support behind a Texas lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin over their election results, even intervening by filing a motion to become a plaintiff in the case.
Thursday, December 10th, Trump hosts 12 state attorneys general at the White House for lunch the day after intervening in the Texas lawsuit of the four battleground states, which has been backed by states that Trump won in the November election. Meanwhile, more than 20 states formed a coalition to oppose the Texas lawsuit, states that Joe Biden won in November.
Friday, December 11th, the Washington Post reports that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to either give clearance to the nation’s first coronavirus vaccine by the end of the day or submit his letter of resignation. The FDA later authorizes the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for emergency use, which will begin arriving in states on Monday, December 14th.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court rejects the Texas lawsuit against four battleground states, saying that Texas lacks standing to sue Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have heard Texas’ complaint, but they would not have done what Texas wanted. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, all of whom were appointed by Trump, joined in the majority in rejecting the Texas lawsuit.
While President-elect Joe Biden is setting up his transition team, the race is on between him and President Trump to take credit for the coronavirus vaccine. Even though the vaccine has been developed and tested under the Trump administration, it will largely be administered by Biden’s, unless of course, Trump pulls off a miracle in court to win re-election.
