WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden was set Monday to receive his first presidential daily briefing since winning the 2020 election, a victory that was further cemented when the battleground state of Arizona certified his win there.
The certification of Arizona’s 11 electoral college votes came as President Donald Trump and his allies have charged rampant voter fraud in Arizona, a state Trump won in 2016. The state’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey, hailed the voting process there on Monday.
“We do elections well, here, in Arizona. The system is strong, and that’s why I have bragged on it so much,” Ducey said as he oversaw the certification.
At the same time the vote was being certified in Phoenix, Trump campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis were at a meeting with some Republican state legislators at a hotel about two miles away, where Giuliani was pushing a number of unfounded conspiracy theories aimed at undermining the election results in Arizona and other battleground states Trump lost.
While certifying the results, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs ticked through the number of security measures that were taken to keep the vote secure. “Every Arizona voter has my thanks, and should know that they can stand proud that this election was conducted with transparency accuracy and fairness in accordance with Arizona’s laws and elections procedures, despite numerous unfounded claims to the contrary,” she said.
Trump’s refusal to concede the election as his lawyers try far-fetched legal and public relations maneuvers to overturn the results of the election initially resulted in a delay of the official transition process, including Biden’s ability to get the presidential daily briefing.
The report, which Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also received on Monday, is a classified document outlining high-level intelligence and analysis on a range of national security issues. It’s prepared by the director of national intelligence and includes information from the CIA and other elements of the intelligence community.
In other transition news:
- The Arizona certification paved the way for Democrat Mark Kelly to be sworn in as the state’s new U.S. senator later Monday. His swearing-in will shrink the current Republican majority to 52-48.
- Biden named Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, to lead his Office of Management and Budget and economist Cecilia Rouse to chair the Council of Economic Advisers. This follows his planned selection of Janet Yellen as his treasury secretary. Biden is expected to introduce members of his economics team Tuesday in Wilmington.
- Biden and Harris are forming a presidential inaugural committee on Monday to organize activities surrounding their swearing-in on Jan. 20, announcing an initial senior leadership team for the effort.
- Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is on Biden’s shortlist for attorney general, sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. Outgoing Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates are also under consideration.
- Former Obama administration national security adviser Tom Donilon is no longer in the running to be Biden’s CIA director. Sources familiar with the process told NBC News that Donilon turned down the position.
- Biden and Harris announced an all-female communications team Sunday, with Jen Psaki, a former spokeswoman during the Obama administration, serving as White House press secretary.
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Jon Ossoff, who will go up against incumbent GOP Sen. David Perdue in one of two Georgia Senate runoffs in January that will determine control of the chamber, blasted his opponent over a series of well-timed stock trades during the pandemic, saying he “has been using his office to enrich himself” and demanding that Perdue, who has declined to participate in any further debates “come out of hiding and answer some questions.”
- Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a press conference Monday, “There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half-truths, and misinformation, and frankly, they are misleading the president as well apparently.” Raffensperger also appealed to fellow Republicans, “Upholding the law matters. Truth matters, and your vote matters, anyone telling you to boycott an election is not on your side.”
After receiving the President’s Daily Brief, Biden and Harris are expected to meet separately with transition team advisers. Over the weekend, Biden suffered hairline fractures in his right foot while playing with one of his dogs. His doctor said Sunday that the injury would likely require a walking boot for several weeks.
Trump, meanwhile, has lunch with Vice President Mike Pence on his schedule. He spent the weekend at Camp David after celebrating Thanksgiving at the White House.
