Trump news live: Latest updates and tweets as GOP reps sue Pence in bid to overturn election

Donald Trump finally signed legislation deploying critically needed aid during the coronavirus crisis after his aides and allies reportedly promised him “wins” he could announce with his signature, following his empty threats to derail legislation and cut off relief for millions of Americans.

After leaving the White House to spend Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after a last-minute announcement that he would not sign an omnibus government spending bill that his administration helped negotiate, the president spoke with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who golfed with the president in Florida over the weekend.

The men spent the last several days “playing to his vanity,” Axios has reported, citing a source familiar with calls, and “invoked his legacy” as they reminded him “he didn’t want to hurt people,” as federal unemployment aid during the Covid-19 pandemic expired on 26 December. 

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports.

Via transition team pool: 

From the Office of President-elect Biden, here are the participants for the briefing today:

• Jake Sullivan, incoming National Security Advisor
• General Lloyd Austin (Ret.), Secretary-designate of Defense
• Antony Blinken, Secretary-designate of State
• Avril Haines, Director-designate of National Intelligence
• Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary-designate of Homeland Security
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador-designate of the United Nations 
• Nancy McEldowney, National Security Advisor to the Vice President-elect
• Derek Chollet, Department of State Agency Review Team
• Lieutenant General Karen Gibson (Ret.), Department of Defense Agency Review Team 
• Mike McCord, Department of Defense Agency Review Team
• Stephanie O’Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Agency Review Team
• Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart (Ret.), Director of National Intelligence Agency Review Team 
• Linda Etim, U.S. Agency for International Development Agency Review Team
• Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Department of Homeland Security Agency Review Team
• Craig Fugate, Department of Homeland Security Agency Review Team

The first case of Covid-19 was recorded in California on 25 January. It took 292 days to reach 1 million infections on 11 November.

It then took just 44 days for that number to top the 2 million mark.

Graeme Massie reports for The Independent from Los Angeles.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is poised to override Donald Trump’s veto of a $740bn annual defence spending bill on Monday, the first time Congress will have shot down a presidential veto in Mr Trump’s term, less than a month before he leaves office.

Alex Woodward reports for The Independent.

Per pool reporter Sabrina Siddiqui of The Wall Street Journal: 

He was joined by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Each sat on opposite sides of the stage for the virtual briefing, while attendees from the transition’s agency review teams were visible on a projector screen.

Among those joining virtually were Cabinet nominees Tony Blinken, Avril Haines, Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Alejandro Mayorkas, as well as Biden’s incoming national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Biden and Harris each offered very brief remarks to open the meeting, much of which were thanking the team members for dedicating their time to the transition in what Biden called “incredibly difficult circumstances.” He cited not only the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but also the delays in obtaining GSA ascertainment that initially created roadblocks for the transition team.

It was extremely difficult for pool to hear what Biden said from a distance, but he noted the last four years saw “our security jeopardized by the go-it-alone approach of this administration” and brought “a lot of damage” to American leadership.

“The truth is the challenges we face today can’t be solved by any one country acting alone,” Biden said. “I’m eager to hear your assessment.”

President-elect Joe Biden notes that there has been “a lot of damage to American global leadership and traditional alliances” during the Trump administration.

More than 330,000 Americans have died and millions of lives have been upended by Covid-19, as the promise of a drug remains a final hope for a government that failed, Alex Woodward writes.

President-elect Joe Biden will give brief remarks tomorrow on the Covid-19 crisis, according to an announcement by the transition team.

He will speak at 3.45pm ET on Tuesday.

It was announced earlier that Mr Biden will invoke the Defence Production Act to boost production of the Covid-19 vaccine once he takes office in January.

Donald Trump is putting the runoff elections in Georgia that will determine the fate of the Senate at risk, according to a Republican pollster.  

Frank Luntz, a communications consultant who frequently works for Republicans, said Mr Trump’s repeated attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election could cost GOP incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue their seats.  

The Republican senators face challenges from Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  

If both incumbents lose, the Democrats will take control of the Senate.  

Mr Luntz noted that the president has planned rallies to support the Republican senators, but he believes it may be too late to reverse the damage he has caused.