>> jacqueline alemany author of the power up column what is it? >> thank you for having me it is the "washington post" early-morning newsletterea with our centers around washington sometimes were feature but this monday morning after

taking the last two weeks off there is a ten going on the week ahead. >> take us through the latest headlines. >> as we had with to do everything possible to divide the republican party on his way out the door before the children to run off to determine control of the senate. we started the christmas holiday with the trump $2000 stimulus checks after not participating in negotiations for several weeks by enforcing the senate to override the veto of the 740 billion tax cuts and then to retain power what we see play out his electoral college challenge which will culminate with a joint session on wednesday. republicanshaioiove have been

wranglingg republicans to contest the electoral college and now if you senators led by a ted cruz is still heading the effort on the senate side of the chamber and it is unlikely this will actually materialize because it's difficult because it's controlled by democrats but it is detrimental nevertheless to our process. host: this is happening before the tape came out talking about that phone conversation between the secretary of state

in georgia that was obtained by the "washington post" yesterday. how do you think that will impact the georgia runoff happening tomorrow but also the effort to object to the election results coming on wednesday in the joint meeting? >> my colleague amy gardner had the scoop yesterday with the several phone call before between georgia secretary of state and the president. no doubt the team senior staffum lawyers and then the secretary of state side. we have not heard much from republicans yet in response to the presidents threats toward the secretary of state asking him and warning him to find the quote unquote missing 11000 votes that are not actually missing the results were decisive joe biden won the election he won georgia

and election fraud has been identified. but republicans are split you have people like mitch mcconnell warning republicans is not healthy for the party especially before the election talk about the electoral college others are saying this is a litmus test so hearing from the president and this bolsters the case of what they are doing but i imagine we will see a lot of reporters asking senators and lawmakers on the hill today for their response and democrats are calling for their own investigation. and the georgia board of election also calling to have

a probe because the president is attempting to tamper with results which experts say is years and to questionable legal territory. >> and the mitch mcconnell leadership era how unusual this republican senate split is? >> the hallmark of the presidency is that republicans in general have coalesced through the unorthodox policies and ways of doing things. we haven't seen much push back in general and now at the end of his term, as he leaves the white house in 16 days joe bidenct is the president-elect no cancer pushing back because mitch mcconnell has realized there could be some

potentially devastating outcomes from the president's behavior right now in terms of we can control in washington. he is worried about the two runoff races which will determine control of the senate if they lose to the phmocrats democrats will have full control of congress also 2022 races that mitch mcconnell is worried about along with two members in leadership positions in the senate thathi including really plant up in 2022 so mitch mcconnell has always been strategic he is thinking ahead the president isn't getting in

to anything but burning white house down on his way out. host: author of the power up column from the "washington post" we have jacqueline alemany. now we will go to the foural lines on - - four lines one - - phone lines taking your phone calls. we are expecting to hear from president trump today headed to georgia what will he say? >> i think that our long phone call is what we will here today which is potentially problematic and that is the concerned with the continued rhetoric from the president about election fraud that it

is a unsubstantiated it might actually deter a turnout. but i was in georgia on election day eve, the weekend before leading up to the election in november and the president went to georgia and rallies 30000 people that came out during the pandemic to rally behind this president. the appeal is undeniable. if anybody thought him losing the election would be the end of trump i think a lot of people were mistaken and republicans to understand that by obviously there is a schism in the party others had the president and others back away. purdue and loeffler have had to do a tricky dance because of the dynamics at play. obviously they don't want to fully embrace the president's

claim because that means weakening their own supporters confidence may be from them turning out and that is a big question in a special election more than a regular election but then to realize that you need to support him in some regards that's why when the stimulus check conversation came up a few weeks ago you saw to do and loeffler all of a sudden had their finger up to the wind and changed their mind to supportpo the $2000 stimulus check which was something new and had it been previously considered. so a lot of claims from this president that have not panned out over election fraud.

there will be fact checking will also see the same that we've seen from the president when he goes to rallies. he does thrive off of the rallies and where he does his best. >> we will be airing bad at 7:00 o'clock p.m. we should note that the president elect joe biden scheduled to be in atlanta today as well allies on the peach state really have calls this morning california democratic line good morning. >>caller: good morning. ii don't understand the media obsession with donald trump. every day that goes by he is less and less significant. the notion this was a

threatening call is ridiculous. i listen to the call twice. i'm not a trump supporter all he basically did was make his case for i votingke and talked about he won the state by hundreds of thousands of votes in the officials politely said we disagree. the call it nowhere. now the democrats once again at the national level attacking trump it is ridiculous. he will have this rally tonight and 3 million people have already voted. thirty been decided going to atlanta tonight is almost meaningless. >> do you think this story and the president's complaints about the media will help them with his place in georgia? >> it doesn't matter. he's not on the ballot. what his base thinks or doesn't at this point really doesn't matter anymore.

>> does it help her do and loeffler that he is going down to georgia for? >> i think he is going forward trump i think he cares less if they when he is so desperate to stay in the limelight. what will he influence tonight when 3 million people have already voted? it doesn't make sense. >> i thank you are dead on the president doesn't have that much of an interest in the outcome of theseof races were the primary interest of the republican party at the moment and with these unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud so you are able to cloud the fact listening to theof audio

that is flat-out false but a lot of people listen to that and came away from it feeling that they believe the president enforces the conspiracy theories they are reading online. and on the flipside you are completely right they should be focusing on the next four years the white house and what they will do this and how they will maneuver. butul i do think we wouldn't be doing our jobs to call out the potential legal questions the audioth raises that is that prosecutorial discretion but the call was a little bit

inappropriate. some say it definitely violates us code and you can see people who are democrats who are nonpartisan already calling to open up investigations. and the problem with thisis president is it's not just a one-off but he's chipping away at the democratic norms and when these falsehoods and miss trial one - - miss truth and falsehood is repeated it becomes a commonly held belief so that is why we see media going out of their way to constantly fact check and it is the news aware this party

is going post trump. host: independent line good morning. llcaller: thank you for taking my call. these six states i'm surprised somebody don't come up and let them revote. that would eliminate all conspiracies it wouldn't take two days and they wouldn't want that anyway. host: would you like to see them revote in kentucky? >> no. the six states. host: i get your point i just wasn't sure after you cast your vote on election day. >> i think it would be fair.

hand vote only no machines. >> i think what we're hearing is what about all the republicans that one raises in those states? you want them to revote as well? >> republican line hollywood florida. >>caller: good morning. >> georgia or today's america.

>> what do you think he meant? >> i don't know. >> i'm sorry i missed the question. host: he was talking about schumer's statement democratic line go ahead. >>caller:oo and then to invoke the 26 amendment and then to threaten people in georgia and

he doesn't really want to be president think he is a very dangerous man. >> there has been quite a bit of reporting since the president started to run for this office that he wasn't all that interested in the role of the presidency with the process and then the title it was a surprise when he went after the people around him and i think at the tail end of the four years we see and relinquish the role he did not

enjoy playing he did not enjoy someone steeped in policy and legislation but someone is obsessed overturning the results of the election. he does not like being the loser and has no regard really for any constitutional boundaries or norms or really almost 350,000 americans and that is also what i heard from a handful of senate republicans yesterday working the phones and calling about the electoral college challenge they told me that that this was embarrassing for republicans that they are so focused on this issue and even a member of their own party recently died from covid-19.

host: in your columnli today talk about the divided republican party especially on the senate side of republicans can maintain control of the pptwo just one - - seats happening tomorrow what happens next week for mitch mcconnell or in a month when donald trump is out of office either any lasting impacts? >> that is the key question. i thank you have a handful of people who are presidential hopefuls with the eye on 2024 those that are spearheading the electoral college challenge ted cruz and holly but then senator cotton who also has been rumored to be

interested in a presidential run and bigger aspirations ndan the senate yesterday he said he was against the challenge because it's not congresses role to challenge the outcome of the election. i think that will be a constant push and pull we will see how republicans appeal to the trump base. at the end of the day it was still be very valuable for whoever is running for whatever race for the trumps to support them and campaign for them and we know thissi president can be transactional and vindictive. we saw him after really blunt came after him to encourage the governor to primary him i think that will the president

will keep tabs on but at the same time the senate majority leader retains control of the senat senate, it will be helpful for the republican party and with the joe biden agenda going forward. and that they will push through more relief with that's an additional package of the local municipalities and states but i think the biden administration has been bullish on the idea that you can work with mitch mcconnell and finally will be the

democrat to strike bipartisan agreement but i am more skeptical. i think it will be something we will watch closely how that will play out. >> you talk about tom collins objections to the efforts to overturn election results and describing his opposition from breitbart that he became the first republican senator actually a supporter of the trump agenda to propose a challenge to the electoral college saying he's concerned it would create a dangerous precedent that democrats would use in the future to undermine election integrity. robin from pennsylvania republican line good morning. >>caller: good morning. i don't think there's anything wrong with the phone call and the lady that you have on here says that would be doing their job if they didn't cover all

this stuff. let's see. to give a statement at the fbi to tell the truth about biden selling out the country what see when he is in office if the media and this lady here job to investigate mr. biden and another thing. host: you can respond to that. >> i don't think there's much left to investigate. if you remember it was litigated and investigated. somehank you will see from the congressional committees but i do think there is a point that joe

biden hasn't been vetted as thoroughly as president trump as by the nature that they have spent in the spotlight and the media will do that when biden is an office. host: a caller in the previous segment as the question if there would be as many leaks in the biden administration and from a newsgathering perspective how do you get access to them? do you think the biden administration would have many leaks? >> this is a good question because someone asked me that reporters paid money to get information and that is not how it works but when the reporter strikes up a

relationship with a source with the hands-on piece of information one reason or the other motivation is always unclear but generally what we see in the trump administration it happens for all different reasons but sometimes it occurs because they make that calculation is from this point of information and then those leaks need to be verified. and then to verify there is a lot of information that isis

leaked but we won't see as many with the biden administration even the way the campaign operated a very tightly net well oiled organization we are seeing much more control of what they are doing and what they are gettingin behind this will be a much more controlled environment of the trump administration different factions again the people around the president who at times were worried are trying to support the president's actions and to hold president

and check. >> to talk about the impeachment how they said watch out watch with this president would do. right now republicans are divided but i'm sorry we did not watch for this president can talk about. he doesn't care about us. >> have a wonderful day.

>> and those $2000 stimulus checks anything at the end of the 116 congress do you see anything to move or $2000 check? >> that's a great question. that we discuss whether dire and devastating situation americans are in right now. millions of americans unemployment insurance actually expired and that $600 check that was passed over $1200 for married couples that

began mailing on december 30th so for that's already providing some relief but those that feel there is more direct assistance in order to keep the economy afloat and that they are facing and eviction and as you noted the $2000 checks did not make it to congress and it would pick up more traction again with a pretty odd combination there with a handful of republicans but i don't see him relenting on the issue.

and with a bigger paycheck for thatee relief package for several months now. >> less than ten minutes left author of the power up column. if you want to become a subscriber how can they do that quick. >> uk and google "washington post" power up you can go to my twitter we you have a direct link or click on my and the link that should show up or send me a message to jacqueline alemany and theme on the list as well. host: texas democratic line good morning. >>caller: good morning.

my question is why does the white house allow this to go on? we are the united states of america. and we set the goal for all other countries. they don't realize the longer they let this go on and other countries cs like this and so vulnerable, they don't realize divided we will fall the united states always regardless of republican or democrat we need to move forward we are at a standstill where this president is continuously trying to bring the vision of the united states somebody somewhere in the white house these to put a stop to this. host: talk about division do you foresee if and when trump

leaves office will there be less division in this country? >> no. i don't. i think once a have to remove them. he is showing us right now he will not leave quietly. but once they have to remove them one - - him and then restore the united states. we are so messed up we need someone to come forward and i believe biden would bring the country back together. host: one was the last time the country was not messed up and we were together? >>caller: i believe the last

time when jimmy carter was an office. this man brought us together. he did not discriminate with color if you were democrat or republican, he always looked for what the people would do and what he could do for the people. >> i do thank you have a point. the fact senators and senators elect with 100 house members want to disrupt and challenge the electoral ratification that has played out and joe biden and decisively won the selection on - - this election

there have been many different recounts and nothing has been found and it is troubling for a democratic system. frederick matters. i do hope we can get back to a place of our democracy and electoral process gets the respect it deserves. especially with media as we call out these events and other countries as you noted while in our own country there seems to be just as muchs to molt. host: charleston rhode island

republican line good morning. >>caller: good morning. i am concerned the two of you are not telling the whole truth because there are lots of examples of god. those machines were hooked up to the internet in georgia especially and in many of the states a legislature did not change the laws for the voting they were changed by the courts. and there was a consent decree signed with a lawsuit caught up by stacy abrams who now thinks she won the governorship of georgia. it's okay for democrats to contest. also most republican have been contesting and trump never had a chance we had the c hat

parade and it went on and on right to the electoral college. these machines are counted in foreign countries like italy and serbia and germany why do you tell the people that? >> i am sorry i have to say that is not accurate information that you are getting the world direct you to a reliable new source. i'm not sure you are getting that information from but it is not accurate no such thing has beenat found. again this is been litigated over and over. feel free to reach out to me and i can provide you with more accurate information than .hat you are currently reading host: what will folks be reading on tomorrow? >> it will be all about georgia. working the phones and to those that i am dealing with

on the ground in november. internal polling shows both races are pretty tight with produce slightly ahead. but you never know with a run off because of the old adage of the turnout so that is to be determined. >> jacqueline alemany from the "washington post". we appreciate your time this morning. >> thank you for having me

sharing recommendations on how to approach another round of coronavirus relief legislation. >> we ar