News
Trump races to rehabilitate brand in final days in office
As the House of Representatives voted to impeach him for inciting last week’s violent breach of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, President Donald Trump has an increasingly singular focus in his final days in office: rehabilitating his brand.
Trump’s concern about the future of his personal fortune is among the reasons some of his allies have suggested in recent days that he invite President-elect Joe Biden to the White House for the customary meeting between a sitting and a newly elected president, according to three people familiar with the discussions. And it is why Trump may deliver a farewell address, a tradition for outgoing presidents, to highlight what he sees as his accomplishments.
Proponents of such moves have made the case to Trump that anything he can do to make good on his very recent commitment to a smooth transition of power, even at this late date, “will be better for your brand in the long term,” a Trump ally said.
“The brand is becoming radioactive,” this ally said. “That matters more to him, because that’s going to have real, tangible effects on his life immediately.”
Wednesday marked the second time the House had approved articles of impeachment against Trump. The Senate will not issue its verdict before Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20.
No invitation for a meeting has been extended from the White House, Biden transition officials said.
But conversations between Biden’s transition team and the White House have escalated to more senior ranks this week. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has spoken with senior Biden transition officials within the past 24 hours, Biden and Trump officials said Wednesday evening. The conversations focused on policy issues, an administration official said, although the officials did not know whether the topic of a meeting between Biden and Trump was discussed.
NBC News has previously reported that if any such meeting took place, it would involve strict coronavirus protocols and that it would likely occur outside, according to Biden aides.
Melania Trump similarly has not invited Jill Biden to the White House for the customary tea between the current and soon-to-be first ladies, a Biden aide said.
Trump administration officials have been conferring with their counterparts on the Biden team at various levels. White House spokesman Judd Deere had a phone call Wednesday with several members of the Biden transition team — Karine Jean-Pierre, TJ Ducklo and Meghan Hays — who will be working in the White House press office. Deere said that during the half-hour call they discussed transition-related topics and press operations.
As Congress moved forward with impeachment, Trump and his shrinking group of advisers have been looking at ways to use his remaining time in the White House to salvage his reputation and minimize the blow to his post-presidential financial standing.
Trump has also made calls this week to ask about the environment for his business ventures, including reaching out to at least one banker to whom he owes money, a person familiar with the call said.
“He’s got to get his branding back up or they’re in trouble,” a Republican close to the White House said. “He went too far.”
Keeping Trump’s brand from further damage is in part what prompted Kushner and deputy White House chief of staff Dan Scavino to object to the idea of his joining some fringe social media platforms — such as Parler or Gab — after he was banned from using mainstream social networks like Twitter and Facebook. An administration official said advisers did not think the more fringe platforms best served Trump’s interests.
In the week since Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, his business’ bottom line has taken a large hit. The Professional Golfers’ Association of America pulled a prestigious tournament from his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. New York City announced Wednesday that it was severing its multimillion-dollar contracts with the Trump Organization. And some banks have said they will not do business with Trump.
Trump could issue pardons to curry favor in ways that might help protect and rebuild his personal and business brands. In the last week, there has been discussion among his allies over whether he should rethink issuing more controversial pardons, given his diminished political capital, or whether he should “open the floodgates,” as an ally put it, to dilute backlash over pardons of himself or family members and to maximize the number of people who might be indebted to him once he leaves office.
Trump could issue those pardons in two or three groups, with some additional ones, on the evening of Jan. 19 and morning of Jan. 20, hours before his term ends.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is among those who is concerned that Trump could waver on a pardon for him, two people familiar with the matter said.
Bannon, who was indicted on charges of fraud, has recently expressed worries about his chances of a pardon, and he has told people close to Trump that he thinks Kushner will try to block Trump from pardoning him.
“This is the last time he’s going to have any kind of power,” the Trump ally said. “He might as well use it.”
Trump’s focus on his life post-presidency, rather than on how his final days in office are unfolding, is also evident in the lack of a clear legal strategy or defense team for his Senate trial, according to several people involved in the discussions.
Trump views any impeachment trial as something that is happening after January 20, if at all.
Longtime Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani — who is among those expected to receive pardons — has said he might lead a potential group of lawyers. But others who were involved in impeachment in 2019, such as Alan Dershowitz, said they have not been contacted by the White House for any such assignment.
-NBC News
News
[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election
[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, has emerged victorious in the Ondo governorship election.
Olayemi Akinwumi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, disclosed the results in Akure, Ondo’s capital, on Sunday.
Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor, secured 366,781 votes, surpassing Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
Nejo Adeyemi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, trailed behind with 4,138 votes.
The APC dominated the election, winning all 18 local government areas, while the PDP failed to secure any victories.
The off-cycle election in Ondo, contested by 17 candidates, took place peacefully, with minimal violence reported.
Prior to the election, Aiyedatiwa expressed confidence in his victory, citing his impressive record in office.
Aiyedatiwa emphasized that he was the sole candidate to have visited all 18 local government areas, adding that he’s willing to concede defeat if the election is free from manipulation.
Ajayi, Aiyedatiwa’s closest rival, expressed concerns regarding INEC’s capability to ensure a fair electoral process.
The PDP candidate also criticized the commission’s sluggish pace, alleging that it constitutes a “deliberate attempt to rig the polls”.
ONDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS (UPDATED)
1– Akure North
APC 14, 451
PDP 5, 787
2–Okitipupa
- APC 26, 811
- PDP 10, 233
3—Akoko Northeast
APC 25, 657
News
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has shifted the collation of results for the Ondo State governorship election from 5am to noon.
The Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, had earlier announced that collation of the remaining five council areas will resume by 5 a.m. (Sunday), but later said it commences by noon.
Prof Akinwunmi is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja.
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Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it is to give room for the arrival of results from the remaining council areas.
He said: “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive some receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume 5am for these local governments.”
According to results from 13 of the 18 local government areas announced so far by INEC, Aiyedatiwa has polled 259,851 votes ahead of his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Agboola Ajayi, who scored 81,031 votes.
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
News
Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
The Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa), through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), has said that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bought votes from the electorate for as low as N3,000 and N5,000 respectively during the Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State.
Prof. Victor Adetula, Lead, CDD-EAC Observation Mission Ondo 2024; and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Director, CDD-West Africa, said this in CDD’s EAC preliminary statement on the conduct of the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, presented by Ms Oluseyi Awojulugbe, a member of the CDD-EAC.
The report also said that the election recorded lower incidents of disinformation and information manipulation, also referred to as fake new compared to the recently concluded off-cycle September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
“CDD-EAC notes a lot of instances of vote buying. In Okitipupa LGA, Ward 09, Unit 003 (Irowa, Ilutitun 3), voters were solicited for their votes, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 per voter and PDP ₦3,000.
“In Odigbo LGA, Ward 01, Unit 001 (Oja Baale, Agbabu), reports of vote-buying were noted, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 and PDP ₦5,000 per voter.
“Our observers also noted that some party agents started transferring money to voters to circumvent having to hold cash. In Ese-Odo, Ward 07, Unit 013 (Tari Ama Zion Ugo Community, Arogbo Ward 2), Vote-buying was observed at this polling unit, with PDP offering ₦3,000 and APC offering ₦5,000 to voters.
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“CDD observers watching the process in Ward 5, PU 001, located at St Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East spotted APC leaders writing down the names of those who voted for their candidate.
“Subsequently, a card was given to them and they were instructed to converge at an agreed location where cash would be disbursed to them.
“In Ward 005, PU 001, St Barnabas Primary School, Ifon, CDD-EAC observers saw policemen arguing over money shared by a party stalwart.
“The policemen reportedly frowned that about 10 of them were given N100,000 while only one official from another branch of the armed services allegedly got N15,000,” the report said.
The CDD-EAC said that the vote buying incidents and behaviour of party agents sparked multiple conflicts during the voting process, listing Idanre LGA, Ward 06, PU 004 (Methodist High School), where APC agents were accused of strategically monitoring voters’ choices, a move initially defended by security officials but later curtailed after protests.
The report, however, commended the prompt arrival of electoral officials at polling units (PUs), with 99% of CDD-EAC observers reporting that the INEC officials were at their stations before 8:30am.
Observers also reported cases of rowdiness in the polling environment with some youths disagreeing in some cases about the initiative by poll officials to allow elderly voters to cast their ballots first, leading to the disruption of the process, despite the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Post Office Premises, Akungba Akoko, Akoko South West.
On disinformation and information manipulation, the report said that the numbers of false narratives, claims and counter claims in the Ondo State governorship election have been relatively low, compared to other recent polls.
It said, “In the campaign period, and on Election Day, 13 claims have so far been reported and fact checked by CDD War Room.
“This is low, compared to the 61 claims reported during the same period in the Edo election, representing a 79% increase between the two elections. While 12 of these claims have been assessed to be either false or misleading, the sole claim peddled on voting day was adjudged to be true.”
Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
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