robert: a divided nation, divided washington. >> we have no doubt that when the count isd, finisenator heirs and i will be law the history. on the brink of history after days of counting and standoffs. >> it will be hopefullyleed up but it will probably go through a legal pcess. robert: but political war continues as president trump fights on. some reference urge caution. >> weot heardhing today about any >> a divided nation. and a divided washington. next. ♪ anuncer: 24 is show. "washington week." funding is provided by -- >> when the world gets

complicated a lot goes through ur mind. with fidelity wealth middleweight, a dedicated advisor can tailor advice and recommendations to you life. that's fidity wealth nagement. ♪ announcer: consumer cellular. additional funding is p tvided estate of arnold adams and koo and patricia yuen through the yuen foundation.

the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. once again, from washington, moderator robert costa. robert: good eving and welcome to "washington week." days after a record num r of americans voted, the nearing a conclusion. is finally with former vice president joe biden inching ahead of president trump in several battle grounds states but t even as count winds down, the political war in this nation continues. president trump, asw, you k is insisting the election is far from over. he is alleging widespread voter fraud,ho w evidence and while some veteran republicans are speaking up and u ing him to stop. many in the party stands with him and fl emboldened. after tuesday, the .comis clinging on to the senatee

jompled has fisked up seats in the hues. across the i'm, democrats are upbeat with these white how reason reach and possible victories looming in the south ant the sun bd senator harris is poised to be if first black woman to ever serve as investment, but they also know theyave a lot of work to do. and joining me tonight to discuss this historic american crossroads is yamiche alcindor, white house core responsibilities for the pbs newshour. peter baker, chief white house correspondent for "the new york times" and susan davis, congressional correspondent for nationallick radioand co-host of npr's politics podca. t first, let's turn to joe biden, who has been urging and projecting confidence from his campaign hawpes. h>> i'me to telephone you tonight we believe we're on track to win in election. now, every vote must be counted. no one's going to take our democracy away from us.,

not n not ever. democracy is sometimes mess criticism. itometimes require as little patience as well but that paence has been rewarded anyhow for more than 240 years. robert: let's begin with joe biden and yamiche alcindor, you're at the white house, you're talking to republican sources. they're know that joe biden may speak tonight. it's been reported by cbs news and others thate may address ht the nation tonut the associated press has yet to call what is thisoment for president trump and for vice president bide season what do you hair? biden it's really the ent decades of as much as in work, government. really, this is a moment where he's looking at -- out at his career and realizing that mine within grasp of becoming the next preside of the united states and as you noted, senator kamala heirs will be making history as the first woman,

first black wome woman, first asian to be the first vice president of the uted states. of course, they have a lot of things they need to balance with progressives and governing what looks like a atrepublican-controlled s but for president trump, he's ben resigned, angry, watching tv, lashing out at people, taking names, wantsing republicans to come out and back his unfounded claims. i've been talking to sources at the white house who feel like this is a white house that's winding down. the president has made some of the mostme dishonest stas we've seen in his president sitch thus far. he gave a speech last night where almost every sentence was fals claims about votes magically appearing,laims about democrats stealing the election. vomentse are being count and would he is losing leads in critical battle grounds and the new battle grounds state, essentially, of georgia. robert: sue, how do you read vice preside biden's handling of this fragile moments

in northwestern democracy. sorry, that was for sue davis. robert: we're all doing our best here. susan: i think joe bidennd i think the democratic party saw that the american people sent a message that they want more stability to i think biden has sfodges.y measured in his house speaker nancy pelosi earlier today said she hasn't even spoken to josme biden yet, that they're don't wvet to that official phone call until the race has been officiallyll , short of respecting all the enormous and tradition that is donald trump blew up. i think there's going to be a big discussion over what this election meant and what it's going to mean for the agendas and what can get done in washington but i don't think there's any doubt that joe bideo sees partf his election as returning some sort of tradition and flahert to the way the

perspective conducts himself in the overwhelm office. robert: if does end up in that office, what would his biden be as president peter: it's great question. he's going to win a substantialv populare victory no nearts what. we don't know what the eventual electoral college counlts would be. if it stays as is, it would be trump won four years ago that president trump called a land slide and man date for hiswn agenda. vice president biden's agendas, as suein was s is normalcy to some extent, it's calm. on his punch card is obviously going to have to behe coronavirus. we're seeing worse spikes that ever thiseeek. wh we were paying attention to the election, the number of cases in america has gone up to 125,000 cases a day, and deaths

n the rise as well. if that hasn't gotten under control by the time a president biden takes office if he were to win, no question naled be number one but he wants to restore alliances with our international partners and a likely republican senate will probably brake on some of ideas they wanted to get through. robert: what did you pick up? one thing i picked up was the latino vote wastainly not a monolith. president trump did better with lati voters than he did in 2016. yamiche: that's right. there is a narrative from the trump combine saying they did better with white men, black men, latino men. when you look at the biden coalition, looking at the exit polls and you see something

interestingco -- noege-camed oe sident trump and people who are making money. i saw in the "new york times" eximents polls that people making money, white americans were breaking for joe bind. he still held on to a substantia number of fwren voters, of course, but we see m winning critical michigan, like wisconsin. that telephones that you joe bi n was able to in some ways pull together and chip away at the coalition that cents president trump to the president sit i think the soul searching right now that's going on in the democratic parties i sense is for a lot of people wondering why is this race so close? we're not talking about the e popular vut the electoral college vote. people stay all of the messages that democrats made, all of then messagingresident touch

trump's immigration language. separation of feafplgs.yi youven p the coronavirus, he still was able to get impacts -- million americans, almost half the country to back him and that it something t joe bileds season really going to have to contend with. robert: whether you look at the political map, what catches your eye. georgia, suffer a tight rails. are making gains in the stoucht. but fumpts south inlorida, president trump did well. what's happening in america when you look at tha plan? susan: i think what's interesting about this election ishat in some ways it really was a status quo election. the country decided w theyted republicans to keep the snalt, they wanted democrats to keep the house. in the y no changes remarkable. the one thay decide that i had didn't want was donald trump, or so it seems so far. i think republicans in some ways

feeleartened and encouraged by in election, that there was this fear that president trump could cause sweepg losses down the ballots, that the suburbs in this count would be out of play for republicans for louisiana teches to come and think the facts that didn't happen has sort of put dembarats on their heels a little bit and in democrats, especially ny progressive democrats not only pleaved that was the election that was going to happen but theion they needed to be able too advance some of the ideas andnd a items their party. supports. so the election is a bit of a adr scrapd i think you're going to have republicans dug in, not necessarily behinds the bts but on a lot of ideas and the agendas that the pnt put forward. i don't think they're looking at in election as if those issues were big losers. i think on immigration, trade, the economy, although the perspective was a bit more traditional on economic issues.

the participant has still shifted more towards the lollingy of donald trump. heaviesttill going to be the most important member of the republican particints and still have a tremendous swaim over what the party stands for. robert: president trump is dug nvestment he remains definals. he has alleged wild spreads vomplete fraud but his statements runs counter to what election officials are ying nationwide but here is a snapshot of what the president said onhursday and again, he does not have evidence to back up these claims. >> if you counts the legal volts, i easely if you county. the illegal votes, neck fry to steal the election from us. we thi there's going to be a lot of litigation because --e becae have so much evidence, so much proof and it's going to ends uphe programs at

highest court in the lands. robert: peter, where is this id prt in terms of his legal battle against the election results? it was report would jared kushner, his son-in-law was looking for a james baker to help out withprocess. you've written a book with your wife on james bake what makes in different than 2000 when bush was at baker's side?pe r: i called secretary baker yields to ask hum about this. d he said there are huge difference between this and 2000. for one thing in florida, it was a recounts. they didn't get into a legal bale until after allhe votes in florida had been county. ed and then gone influence a machine and recounted and at that point the democrats were seeking hand recounts abl the reans were saying enough is enough. here you have a president saying stop the countsefore it's even been completed a first time and ker said that's not t kinds

of thing the president should be doing in hisiew. if nape want fwaker time pport, they're not getting baker. they don't have any evidence right now for the kinds of things the perspective is ying. ings are like shroud the observers be six feet away or 30 feet away? procedure rull linings -- things ling that some t with larger sweep the judges are tossing w olesale because they're so ungrounded in anything and there's nothingno righ the president has come up with that justifies new spigs that there's a wholesale stealing of the election. you'd have to believe there's a far-reaching cspiracy that streaches from coast to coast, multiple cities, multiple counties, states with democratic governors and somehow it was all kept secret from us.

robert: n us? just reported that supreme court jumps samuel alitoo has issued an orders on the cnts in philadelphia. to have ballots continue to b separated by the counts will coinue. i spoke to someone in nevad the trump campaign is spoiling for a fight there. rns about ised con they're fighting in pennsylvania. what's the real story when you talk to people at the white house tonight about how long this fight will playmi out? e: that's the key queson. how long is the president going to put up a fight and can he put up a fight in nut states if he gifpbles t lose multiple states? if he loses, georgia, pennsylvania, and nevad can he really launch these legal battles? ill has a trump advisor tell me today the only path that the perspective sees to visibilityry at that point is to have recounts in those criticismst es they just mentioned so the president is teetering on

this because the math isn't on his side. he has to run the table a a in other words to make this work for him. the president, as peter just said, he's wanting people to believe this conspiracy theory but hat's also remember last night the president was out thing a reds wave, talking about the fact that republicans piked up seats in the house and looked poe to keep the estimates. you would have to believe at the conspiracy theory only affected him because the down-ballot races went mnly in the republicans' way. he's touting the votes that he likes while telling people, on't county. me. these historic may have-in blooths, mostly went to joe bimedsen bec be same. may feel them investment and thd prt had been saying i want you to come in person. now he's in a situation where mail-in votes are zip coming -

an continuesly coming in and favoring joe biledsen in that wa robert: some republicans have spoken out. >> there may be fralmons. we know that right now and for the be. to go outs and claim that withou nil evidence of that is -- is dangerous. >> the if the's allegations of large-scale fraud and theft of the election are not starkte i'm not atwar of noy significant wrongdoing. robert: sue, you talked about how the .comfeels like they're in a pretty good spot after tuesday because of those gains in the house and the senate is tight but will taky s out even more about president trump's handling of theesult, about the election's integrity? seen what's happen sad really familiar story of the last four yes. the president says or dulls something really outrage use anw

on thele key voices in the house stands behind him. kevin mccarthy, the house lear today' sort of echoed the perspective today. inpendents people like susan collins, who have been contribution of the president before or from republicans whoer retiring thike pat thoomy in pennsylvania. the perspective still has an immessages amount o loyalty, especially inhe how was. senators have always been a little more relucta to support him but law makers like louie gohmert of texas has already gone to feameds and is outside the convention center. they see this has sort of a loyalty testo theresident that will be used to judge other reasons down the line. yes, president trump may ultimately lose this election licansthink a lot of rep

judged about how much they defended him or unified behind him or championed his cause on the way out. so i think a lot r ublicans still see this as an opportunities because they don't actually bgoieve he'g to win in election but they don't want to alienate those trumpvo rs and supporters and they want to be able to say long term i was with him unt the very ends and there's no reason to believe that the presidents going to back down from these unsubstantiatededim cand i don't think there's any reason to believe there's going to be a major funds mental break from him within the republican party, although you may see a louder chorus of republicans saying ok, enough, it's time to move on. robert: earlier today senate majority leadser mitch mcconnell said he believes there will be a peaceful transfer of power. my s sourc the president is going to fight politely and legally, say the election is sten, protect his brands but

he'll ultimately love the white house. is in uneets, though, inside o this white house and ha administration if he is defeated and the race is called they -- that he'll u put a fight that uses executive power and not just rhetoric and tweets? peter: if this race is caed and the courts have rejected his claims, electoral college votes and i don't know what the perspective cowleds do. his power goes away on january 2079 at noon regardless of what he wants to doth i electoral college has taken his vote and congress has sermented the there's a lot of talk about that because he's such an in-- unpredictable character. so volatile and erratic. u hear talk there military ficers talking about they're was a possibility. the facts we're even discussing

that is stunning. it's a testaments or maybe that's nothe rights words but it's a mark of how far we havet come t people are even raising that question but i don't see how he does anything if the process go -- goes to its ends and h has lost. i think he wants to justify a loss so tn -- he can say it was all a scan and seem he was victimized by the deep state conspiracy that wa out toet him. robert: where does this nation go from here. an article says "we were two countries and neither is going to beonquered or disappear anytime soon." so many rumor white voters going with trump in records numbers. urban and suburban voters goingr with vicident biden. yamiche: it's a harleds thing t answer. when we look at these numbers and election we see two

different americas. america is more polarized than ever and there are so many people who can't uerstand why one person vote frds presidents trump and the other voted fore biden. joe w bimedsen on in ymeds of unifying the nation. on thisa i of going back to a decency in the white house. he's worked with lens republicans in the past. we saw linledscy graham today, an a ally of president trump saying look, i like president trump, i want him to win but il ork with joe biden if he is the next esident. but there's so much anger thatt presidrump has ginned up to see how this country goes towards feeling morets u. i should also note quickly that i was just in florida talking to people, supporters of the president. there's a rea divides with the truth in this uncan. the supportsers of president trump, some of them only believe

what predent trump says. they only believe fox news and other conservativete immed it dufments matter what the government or what data says. we're in a touch position here. robert: and sue, in a minute here, we're nbe m a nation anymore, reds vs. blue, rerablican versus dem but as a professor at notre dame, bob schmul toads me this week we're a tribal nation politically. susan: that didn't start with donald trump and it's not going to ends with him. we've seen this happening progressively over the past 20 ars of politics. people are dwimedsed, surrounds themselves with lessnd les people that think differently from this will. i think it's one of th reasons that disinformation exavens have been successful is that the occracks inty were already there and they've just been exploited and it's one of the broledser macrochallenges, not just for the president but of government to try to cohesive

ively bring in country back together again and a nouncemental task forg robert: peter, your cake a -- take? nancy: i think that's exactly right. 48% more or less of the american people thinking donald trump should be re-elected. and for democrats andic repus who votes on the other sides, it's hard for them to understand that and it's just as hard for trump voters to understand how hey could not vote for him. we are two coasts and one middle and i think that's a challenge for this new president coming in, if it is joe biden. robert: many thanks to our reporters for joining us. yamiche alcindor, peter baker, susan davis. stay with us for our seconds part of our election special. we'll dig in on the latest report on congress there a divided washington. politico's jake sherman will

join us.m robert costa. see you soon. ♪ap nuck oning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] announcer:orporate funding forto "washingweek" is provided by -- >> when the world get complicated a lot goes through your mind. with fidelity wealth management, aedicated dwrise advisor can

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♪ >> inside a divided washington. >> he's expanded this party that reflects america, that looks like america. >> we've los someattles but we won the war. robert: the balance of power is ruptured on capitol hill as republicans cling to the senate majority and make gains in the house. democrats are upbeat about biden ut debating who's to blame for >> with a margin that small, there will be a recounts in georgia. robert: and both parties brace far senate showdown in georgia, next. ♪ announcer: this is "washington week." fundsing is provided by -- the corporation for public