By LIBBY CATHEY and ADIA ROBINSON, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 48 days.
Here is how the transition is unfolding. All times Eastern:
Dec 03, 10:56 am
Georgia Senate holds hearings on presidential election
The Republican-dominated Georgia State Senate is holding two hearings Thursday on the state’s election following persistent and unsubstantiated claims from Trump and his supporters that Georgia’s electoral process was manipulated.
Election officials in the state, including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have repeatedly rejected these claims, saying there is no evidence of widespread fraud that would overturn the election results nor evidence of a concerted effort to change Georgia’s vote. They have also warned the conspiracy theories have prompted death threats to election workers.
The first of the two hearings kicked off at 9:30 a.m. and is being held by the Senate Government Oversight Committee to “evaluate the election process to ensure the integrity of Georgia’s voting process,” according to a release.
The second hearing, being held by a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will include “testimony of elections improprieties” and will “evaluate the election process to ensure the integrity of Georgia’s voting process.”
Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was spotted by reporters arriving at the Georgia State Capitol Thursday morning.
-ABC News’ Quinn Scanlan
Dec 03, 10:45 am
Overview: Biden meets with transition advisers as Trump continues to make baseless claims
Pressing forward with their transition with less than 50 days until the inauguration, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala will receive the President’s Daily Brief, meet with transition advisers and participate in a joint CNN interview on Thursday.
Harris announced a slate of incoming senior staff Thursday morning. She’s tapped Tina Flournoy, former President Bill Clinton’s current chief of staff, as her chief of staff, adding to her so far all-female team of which four out of five are women of color.
Biden is expected to announce more Cabinet picks in the coming days.
Trump, meanwhile, is continuing to contest the results of the election and showing no signs of backing down after posting a 46-minute video on Facebook Wednesday filled with falsehoods and conspiracy theories, despite his legal team and its allies having not been victorious in more than 30 court cases.
In the video, the president made no mention of Attorney General William Barr’s comments in which he said the Justice Department hasn’t found evidence of voter fraud that would change the outcome of the election.
ABC News has learned Barr met with Trump at the White House Tuesday, with one source briefed on the meeting describing Barr’s interaction with the president as “intense,” but not elaborating with any additional details about the content of their discussion.
Trump on Thursday is slated to present the Medal of Freedom to Lou Holtz ahead of an afternoon signing ceremony of an executive order promoting the use of artificial intelligence in government. The White House on Wednesday wouldn’t divulge whether Trump still has confidence in Barr to lead the Justice Department.
Dec 03, 10:15 am
Harris announces new picks, including chief of staff
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris rolled out key members of her incoming staff Thursday morning, adding to her so far all-female team of which four out of five are women of color.
Hartina “Tina” Flournoy, who is currently serving as chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, has been tapped as Harris’ chief of staff. She previously served as chief counsel in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel under Bill Clinton and as an assistant to the president for public policy at the American Federation of Teachers.
“Tina brings a strong commitment to serving the American people, and her leadership will be critical as we work to overcome the unprecedented challenges facing our nation,” Harris said in a statement announcing the picks.
Rohini Kosoglu, who previously served as a senior adviser to Harris on the campaign and on the transition, has been selected as Harris’ domestic policy adviser. She was Harris’ chief of staff in the Senate and was the first South Asian woman to serve in that role.
Nancy McEldowney, a former ambassador to Bulgaria with more than 30 years of experience in the U.S. Foreign Service, will serve as Harris’ national security adviser.
The announcement follows Ashley Etienne being named as Harris’ communications director and Symone Sanders as her chief spokeswoman.
-ABC News’ Averi Harper
Dec 02, 11:06 pm
Raimondo may be chosen to lead Biden’s HHS department
With President-elect Joe Biden preparing to unveil his picks to lead agencies on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus, Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island has emerged as a potential selection to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, sources tell ABC News.
The Harvard, Oxford and Yale-educated governor has long been rumored as someone who could enter a Biden administration after she was vetted for vice president. Raimondo, who was elected in 2014, was seen ahead of the election as a possible nominee for Treasury or Commerce secretary, given a Wall Street background that has made her a target for progressives hoping to influence Biden’s incoming administration.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who was also vetted for vice president, is seen as another leading contender for HHS secretary, given her work leading a state during the pandemic, and serving as New Mexico’s health secretary earlier in her career. She has also been boosted by Latino Democrats and advocates who want Biden’s cabinet to reflect the diversity of the coalition that helped him win the White House.
Biden’s pick for HHS secretary, and other coronavirus and health-related roles, could be unveiled as early as next week, sources told ABC News.
A transition spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about Biden’s consideration of the governors or the timing of any announcements. Raimondo and Lujan Grisham’s offices did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr, Ben Siegel, John Santucci, Katherine Faulders, Molly Nagle
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