>> Sreenivasan: ON THIS EDITION FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7: >> MY RESPONSIBILITY AS PRESIDENT WILL BE TO REPRESENT THE WHOLE NATION.

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'LL WORK AS HARD FOR THOSE WHO VOTED AGAINST ME AS THOSE WHO VOTED FOR ME.

>> Sreenivasan: JOE BIDEN IS DECLARED THE 46th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES; PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP PROMISES LEGAL CHALLENGES AHEAD; AND A STILL-DIVIDED COUNTRY CELEBRATES AND PROTESTS ON THIS HISTORIC DAY.

NEXT ON PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND.

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>> Sreenivasan: GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

DEMOCRAT JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. IS NOW THE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND MULTIPLE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS CALLED THE RACE FOR THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT THIS MORNING AFTER NEW BALLOT COUNTS EXTENDED MR. BIDEN'S LEAD IN PENNSYLVANIA, GIVING HIM AN ADDITIONAL 20 ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES, PUSHING HIS TOTAL ABOVE THE 270 NEEDED.

PENNSYLVANIA'S VOTE PUT PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN AT 284 ELECTORAL VOTES WITH CURRENT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AT 214.

WITHIN AN HOUR, THE A.P.

ALSO CALLED NEVADA FOR MR. BIDEN, BRINGING THE COUNT TO 290.

THE VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT, KAMALA HARRIS, POSTED HER CONGRATULATORY CALL TO HER RUNNING MATE ON TWITTER: ( CHEERS ) IN WASHINGTON, D.C., LARGE CROWDS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE, AND IN TIMES SQUARE IN NEW YORK CITY PEOPLE CHEERED THE NEWS.

>> ♪ LET FREEDOM RING.

♪ >> Sreenivasan: IN LANSING, MICHIGAN, AND IN OTHER CITIES, TRUMP SUPPORTERS DEMONSTRATED, WAVING FLAGS AND PROTESTING THAT THE ELECTION IS TOO CLOSE TO CALL.

THOUSANDS OF BALLOTS ARE STILL BEING COUNTED IN MANY STATES, BUT THE MARGINS OF THE VOTE COUNTS TODAY PUT MR. BIDEN FAR ENOUGH AHEAD TO PRECLUDE A TRUMP COMEBACK, ACCORDING TO THE A.P.

MR. TRUMP WAS AT HIS VIRGINIA GOLF COURSE WHEN THE CALL WAS MADE.

HE QUICKLY ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT SAID: "THE SIMPLE FACT IS, THIS ELECTION IS FAR FROM OVER," AND ALSO SAID, "BEGINNING MONDAY, OUR CAMPAIGN WILL START PROSECUTING OUR CASE IN COURT."

PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN WAS AT HOME IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, WHERE HE ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT MIRRORED HIS CALL IN A SPEECH LATE LAST NIGHT FOR AMERICANS TO UNITE.

>> NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTED FOR, I'M CERTAIN OF ONE THING: THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE 150 MILLION AMERICANS WHO VOTED, THEY WANT TO GET THE VITRIOL OUT OF OUR POLITICS.

WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO AGREE ON A LOT OF ISSUES, AT LEAST WE CAN AGREE TO BE CIVIL WITH ONE ANOTHER.

WE HAVE TO PUT THE ANGER AND THE DEMONIZATION BEHIND US.

IT'S TIME FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AS A NATION TO HEAL.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY, BUT WE HAVE TO TRY.

>> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR'S DANIEL BUSH IS IN PHILADELPHIA AND HAS MORE ON THE MOMENT THE RACE WAS CALLED AND WHAT THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS SAY THEY ARE PLANNING NEXT.

DAN BUSH, YOU'RE IN PENNSYLVANIA ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CALLED THE ELECTION FOR JOE BIDEN.

YOU WERE GETTING READY FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.

WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO SAY?

>> HARI, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A CHAOTIC SCENE HERE.

THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SCHEDULED A PRESS CONFERENCE JUST AROUND THE TIME THAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FIRST CALLED PENNSYLVANIA FOR JOE BIDEN, WHICH PUT HIM OVER THE 270 THRESHOLD FOR VICTORY.

THEN THEY CALLED THE ENTIRE RACE FOR JOE BIDEN.

SHORTLY AFTER THAT, RUDY GIULIANI, A CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S, AS WELL AS COREY LEWANDOWSKI AND SOME OTHERS, CAME OUT HERE, AND RUDY GIULIANI RAN THROUGH A LITANY OF CLAIMS OR ALLEGATIONS AROUND WHAT HE IS CLAIMING AS SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY RELATED TO THE ELECTION.

RUDY GIULIANI SAID THAT THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS.

HE SAID THAT MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE "HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS."

HE SAID THAT NO REPUBLICAN GOT A CHANCE TO INSPECT BALLOTS.

THAT IS NOT TRUE.

HE SAID THAT THERE WAS ZERO SECURITY AROUND THIS VOTE COUNTING PROCESS.

THAT IS NOT TRUE, AS WELL.

I SAW THAT SECURITY, AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE PRESS DID, WITH OUR OWN EYES WHEN WE TOOK TOURS OF THE FACILITIES WHERE THEY'RE COUNTING THESE BALLOTS.

I SHOULD ALSO NOTE, AS WELL, THERE IS NO WIDESPREAD EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD EITHER HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.

BUT EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION WAS CALLED, THERE WAS RUDY GIULIANI MAKING THAT LEGAL ARGUMENT.

THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS ALREADY FILED SEVERAL SUITS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

RUDY GIULIANI SAID MORE ARE COMING, SO YOU CAN SEE THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN DIGGING IN ITS HEELS HERE FOR WHAT THEY THINK COULD BE A LONG LEGAL FIGHT.

>> Sreenivasan: WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE VOTES BEING RECOUNTED IN PENNSYLVANIA?

AND IS THAT LIKELY TO PROVE THE TYPE OF RESULT THAT RUDY GIULIANI WANTS?

>> THAT IS THE CRITICAL QUESTION, HARI.

UNDER PENNSYLVANIA LAW, THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS REQUIRED TO ORDER A RECOUNT IF THE MARGIN IS WITHIN 0.5%, HALF OF 1%.

AS OF TODAY, JOE BIDEN WAS UP BY ROUGHLY 30,000 VOTES.

THAT NUMBER MAY HAVE ALREADY GONE UP SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT WE LOOKED AT IT CLOSELY.

THAT IS BECAUSE AS MORE MAIL-IN AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE COUNTED, THOSE ARE BREAKING AT UP TO 75% IN JOE BIDEN'S FAVOR.

RIGHT NOW, HE'S ROUGHLY ON THAT BUBBLE OF WHAT WOULD BE A 0.5% MARGIN, HARI.

BUT AGAIN, AS THESE NUMBERS COME IN, HE'S GOING TO GO UP.

THE EXPECTATION IS, HE WILL EXCEED AND THAT THE MARGIN WILL NOT BE WITHIN THE AMOUNT THAT PENNSYLVANIA WOULD HAVE TO PROCEED WITH A RECOUNT.

RUDY GIULIANI WAS ASKED ABOUT A POSSIBILITY OF A RECOUNT TODAY.

HE JUST SAID, "STAND BY, MORE LAWSUITS ARE COMING."

SO, WE ARE FOLLOWING THESE FINAL NUMBERS VERY CLOSELY FOR THAT VERY REASON.

>> Sreenivasan: DAN, WERE THERE ANY SPECIFIC GROUPS THAT HELPED JOE BIDEN CROSS THAT LINE IN PENNSYLVANIA?

>> WELL, HARI, JOE BIDEN COMING INTO THIS ELECTION IN THE FINAL WEEKS MADE A VERY STRONG PITCH TO A COUPLE OF KEY GROUPS: BLACK VOTERS IN PHILADELPHIA AND PITTSBURGH, OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE; AS WELL AS SUBURBAN VOTERS, THOSE SAME VOTERS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WENT AFTER IN THE FINAL WEEKS WITH HIS "LAW AND ORDER" MESSAGE.

THOSE SUBURBAN VOTERS TOLD ME THAT MESSAGE DID NOT RESONATE WITH THEM FOR THE MOST PART.

TRUMP DID GET SUPPORT IN THE SUBURBS, BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO HOLD OFF A BIG TURNOUT FOR JOE BIDEN IN CITIES, IN SUBURBS.

AND IN THE END, THAT "GET OUT THE VOTE" OPERATION GOT HIM OVER THE TOP.

>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT, DAN BUSH JOINING US FROM PHILADELPHIA.

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, HARI.

>> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT YAMICHE ALCINDOR JOINED US FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR MORE ON THE PRESIDENT'S REACTION AND HIS PLANS.

YAMICHE, WE HEARD FROM DAN BUSH IN PHILADELPHIA THAT RUDY GIULIANI, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAYS, REGARDLESS OF THE CALL, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN PROSECUTING THIS FURTHER.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE PRESIDENT PUT OUT A STATEMENT JUST MOMENTS AFTER JOE BIDEN WAS DECLARED THE PRESIDENT-ELECT BY A NUMBER OF NEWS AGENCIES, AS WELL AS THE A.P., SAYING THAT THIS ELECTION IS NOT OVER AND THAT HE PLANS TO PROSECUTE THIS CASE.

NOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND THEY SAY THIS: THE PRESIDENT WILL AT SOME POINT HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE MAY HAVE LOST THIS ELECTION.

IT SEEMS LIKE HE WILL LOSE THIS ELECTION.

BUT HE'S REALLY SET UP TWO CAMPS OF PEOPLE.

THERE THE PEOPLE LIKE RUDY GIULIANI, LIKE COREY LEWANDOWSKI, HIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY AND HIS FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER IN 2016, WHO WILL CONTINUE TO REALLY WANT TO FIGHT, CONTINUE TO TRY TO EDGE HIM ON.

BUT THEN, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE JARED KUSHNER, HIS SON-IN- LAW, WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REEL HIM BACK WHEN IT'S TIME TO REEL BACK, TO SAY, "LOOK, YOU'VE LOST THIS THING."

LET'S ALSO JUST STEP BACK EVEN FURTHER AND SAY THAT THIS WAS A PRESIDENT WHO RAN AS A POLITICAL OUTSIDER, WHO HAS NOW BEEN OUSTED BY A RECORD NUMBER OF VOTERS.

YES, THE ELECTION WAS TIGHT, BUT JOE BIDEN HAS MORE VOTES THAN ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS RUN FOR PRESIDENT.

AND THIS REALLY IS A REPUDIATION OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S BEEN DOING, THE RACIST LANGUAGE, THE-- THE DOWNPLAYING OF THE CORONAVIRUS, THE SCANDALS.

HE-- HE WILL LEAVE OFFICE-- IF THIS ALL GOES THROUGH, HE WILL LEAVE OFFICE AS AN IMPEACHED PRESIDENT, AND HE WILL JOIN ONLY NINE OTHER PRESIDENTS IN HISTORY TO NOT WIN A SECOND TERM.

>> Sreenivasan: LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORIC NATURE OF KAMALA HARRIS BEING THE PRESUMPTIVE VICE PRESIDENT.

>> THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF POLITICAL POETRY HERE.

PRESIDENT TRUMP BEGAN HIS POLITICAL CAREER QUESTIONING THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN THAT RACIST THEORY OF BIRTHERISM, AND HE'S NOW GOING TO BE LEAVING OFFICE AND WITH A BLACK WOMAN COMING INTO OFFICE AS VICE PRESIDENT, SOMEONE THAT HE'S MOCKED FOR SAYING HER NAME WRONG OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THIS IS, OF COURSE, ALSO A HISTORIC FIRST.

SENATOR HARRIS, NOW VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT HARRIS, HAS HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT FIRSTS IN HER LIFETIME, BUT NOW SHE IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT.

SHE'S THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN, THE FIRST ASIAN WOMAN, THE FIRST GRADUATE OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY, THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE DIVINE NINE.

THOSE ARE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SORORITIES.

SHE'S THE MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA-- ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT FIRSTS HERE, AND IT'S HISTORY- MAKING FOR HER TO WALK INTO OFFICE JUST A HEARTBEAT AWAY FROM THE PRESIDENCY.

I'VE JUST BEEN TALKING TO BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTIVISTS AS WELL AS BEN CRUMP, AN ICON IN SOME WAYS-- THE CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY WHO HAS DONE SO MANY DIFFERENT CASES, FROM TRAYVON MARTIN TO AHMAUD ARBERY TO GEORGE FLOYD-- AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE FELT HOPE TODAY.

HE FEELS AS THOUGH HIM-- THIS ELECTION OF KAMALA HARRIS PUTS AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN THE BACKBONE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY INTO AN EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY.

AND THERE'S REALLY BEEN THIS FEELING OF EXCITEMENT, THIS FEELING THAT THINGS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND AS WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS FACE INJUSTICES AND INEQUALITIES IN THIS COUNTRY.

>> Sreenivasan: AND THERE ARE AT LEAST 70 MILLION VOTERS WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR JOE BIDEN, AND THIS IS A COUNTRY STILL DEEPLY DIVIDED.

THAT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS HAVE AHEAD OF THEM.

>> I'VE BEEN TALKING TO DEMOCRATS WHO ARE DOING A LOT OF SOUL-SEARCHING AND WONDERING WHY THIS ELECTION WAS SO CLOSE.

YOU'RE RIGHT TO SAY THAT THIS WAS AN ELECTION THAT REALLY PUT INTO CLEAR FOCUS HOW POLARIZED AMERICA IS.

AND I'VE TALKED TO SO MANY TRUMP SUPPORTERS AS WELL AS BIDEN SUPPORTERS WHO SIMPLY CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEONE WOULD VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE THAT ISN'T THEIR CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.

BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS HAD SUCH A PROBLEMATIC HISTORY WITH TRUTH.

HE'S BEEN SPREADING DISINFORMATION FOR SO LONG.

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS, BUT WE RIGHT NOW HAVE A DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN GOING ON HEADQUARTERED AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP.

SO, A LOT OF THAT POLARIZATION IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING THERE.

I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT REPUBLICANS ARE FEELING VERY PRESSURED RIGHT NOW TO STICK WITH THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE THEY REALIZE THAT THE PRESIDENT'S BASE IS GOING TO BE THE BASE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TURN OUT IN 2022 AND 2024.

SO, IT'S ALSO AN INCENTIVE FOR REPUBLICANS TO CONTINUE TO BE POLARIZED AS THEY BACK THE PRESIDENT.

>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT.

PBS NEWSHOUR'S YAMICHE ALCINDOR, THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANKS.

>> Sreenivasan: NEWSHOUR'S JOHN YANG IS IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, WHERE THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT ARE PLANNING AN 8:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME SPEECH AND CELEBRATION TONIGHT.

SO, JOHN, CERTAINLY NOT AS FAST AS THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN WOULD HAVE EXPECTED, BUT THE RESULT CAME TODAY NONETHELESS.

WHAT WAS THE IMMEDIATE REACTION FROM THE BIDEN CAMP?

>> I THINK THEY EXPECTED THIS TO BE A LITTLE LONG AND DRAWN OUT.

THEY EXPECTED IT TO BE LIKE THIS, BUT NOT AS LONG AS IT WENT ON.

AS ONE SENIOR ADVISER TO THE CAMPAIGN TOLD ME LAST NIGHT, THE ADVISER SAID THAT NOTHING ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN EASY, SO WHY SHOULD THE ELECTION BE ANY DIFFERENT?

>> Sreenivasan: YEAH.

SO, WHAT ARE THE CAMPAIGN'S PLANS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE RECOUNTS THAT ARE LIKELY TO HAPPEN IN GEORGIA AND PENNSYLVANIA, AND THE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IS PLANNING TO CONTINUE TO MOUNT?

>> BOB BAUER, WHO'S THE HEAD OF THE LEGAL TEAM FOR THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN, SAYS THAT HE DOES NOT EXPECT ANY OF THESE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.

AND AS YOU'VE SEEN, A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT AT THE STATE LEVEL.

HE SAYS THAT IT'S POLITICAL THEATER.

HE SAYS IT'S A STRATEGY DESTINED TO FAILURE.

AND THEY ALSO SAY ABOUT THESE NARROW MARGINS, NUMBER ONE, THEY SAY A WIN IS A WIN NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

AND ON THE RECOUNTS, THEY DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THESE RECOUNTS THAT CAN OVERTURN THE RESULTS, THAT THEY EXPECT TO HAVE ENOUGH ELECTORAL VOTES THAT THEY CAN AFFORD-- NUMBER ONE, THEY CAN AFFORD TO HAVE SOME STATES GO THE OTHER WAY.

BUT THEY DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

YOU KNOW, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAYS THAT SINCE 2000, THERE HAVE BEEN 31 STATEWIDE RECOUNTS.

IN ONLY THREE OF THOSE RACES HAS THE OUTCOME BEEN REVERSED.

AND IN EACH OF THOSE THREE, THE MARGIN WAS LESS THAN 300 VOTES.

AND I THINK YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT-- THAT CLOSE OF A MARGIN IN ANY OF THESE STATES.

>> Sreenivasan: JOHN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY REPORTING ON THIS, BUT THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT REALLY PIERCES THROUGH THE NEWS CYCLE TODAY IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE STILL BREAKING RECORDS WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMBER OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY DYING FROM THIS.

I KNOW THAT THE BIDEN TEAM KNOWS THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE PRESIDENT, OR HE'S NOT GOING TO BE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, UNTIL THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY.

BUT WHAT ARE THEY DOING NOW TO TRY TO PREPARE?

WHAT KINDS OF POLICY DECISIONS COULD THEY BE PLANNING FOR?

>> THIS HAS BEEN THE MAJOR CONTRAST THEY'VE BEEN DRAWING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE CLOSING DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN ABOUT HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN TREATING THIS PANDEMIC.

THIS WEEK, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND-- AND SENATOR HARRIS HAD A BRIEFING WITH MEDICAL EXPERTS ON THE CORONAVIRUS.

THEY'VE BEEN HAVING THINGS LIKE THAT ALL ALONG, BUT EVEN AS THEY WAITED FOR THE RETURN.

SO, I THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THIS AS BEING SOMETHING FRONT AND CENTER IN THE PRESIDENT-ELECT'S TRANSITION NOW.

>> Sreenivasan: ALL RIGHT, JOHN YANG JOINING US FROM WILMINGTON.

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Sreenivasan: THE LEGAL CHALLENGES IN THIS ELECTION BEGAN WELL BEFORE ELECTION DAY WITH LAWSUITS OVER MAIL-IN VOTING, WHAT BALLOTS WOULD BE COUNTED, AND MORE.

THE PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM HAVE SAID DESPITE JOE BIDEN BEING DECLARED THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, MORE LAWSUITS LIE IN WAIT.

I SPOKE WITH GUY CHARLES, PROFESSOR OF LAW AT DUKE UNIVERSITY AND CO-DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER ON LAW, RACE AND POLITICS.

>> THIS ELECTION, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN AN ELECTION UNDER A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RUN FAIRLY WELL.

AND SO, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND PLACES IN THE ELECTION THAT YOU CAN SAY ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS WERE COUNTING VOTES THAT WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE COUNTED, THAT ENABLED PEOPLE TO VOTE WHO SHOULDN'T HAVE VOTED.

AND GIVEN THE MARGINS OF WHERE WE KNOW THEM IN THE VARIOUS BATTLEGROUND STATES, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD TO FIND EVIDENCE OF WRONGDOING AND THEREFORE TO OVERCOME THE ADVANTAGES THAT NOW PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN HAS IN THESE BATTLEGROUND STATES.

>> Sreenivasan: SO, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT FINDING THE KIND OF ANECDOTAL CASE WHERE THERE MIGHT BE FOUR BALLOTS MISSING, OR 10 BALLOTS MISSING, BUT SOMETHING THAT WAS SYSTEMATIC ENOUGH TO OVERTURN THE 20,000-MARGIN LEAD IN A STATE, OR THE 50,000-MARGIN LEAD SOMEWHERE ELSE.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

SO, WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SHOW IS EITHER A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BALLOTS-- 50,000 OR 20,000, 30,000 IN PENNSYLVANIA, FOR EXAMPLE-- AND THOSE BALLOTS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COUNTED, SOMETHING WENT WRONG, THERE IS A TABULATION ERROR, THERE'S-- THERE'S SOME MISTAKE OF LAW THAT HAPPENED.

AND THAT WOULD OVERTURN THE RESULTS.

THAT WOULD LEAD US TO BELIEVE THAT THE RESULTS AND THE ELECTION-- WOULD UNDERMINE OUR FAITH IN THE RESULT.

SO, FINDING A STRAY VOTER WHO WAS NOT EITHER ABLE TO VOTE OR SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN ONE OR TWO INSTANCES, THAT IS WILDLY INSUFFICIENT.

AND YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE POSITION OF A JUDGE.

THE JUDGE WOULD HAVE TO OVERTURN AN ELECTION ON THE BASIS OF ONE OR TWO THINGS THAT WERE WRONG.

AND THEY ARE EVEN HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING THAT, MUCH LESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE THOUSANDS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS SYSTEMATICALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SO, YOU COULD START WITH PENNSYLVANIA.

DO HAVE IT THERE?

WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT THERE, IS IT GEORGIA, RIGHT?

THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT THEY ARE FACING.

AND IT'S-- TO SAY THAT IT'S UPHILL, I THINK, IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

>> Sreenivasan: BUT ONE THING PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS, HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS MAKE IT TO THE SUPREME COURT AND DOES THE SUPREME COURT WEIGH IN, SIMILAR TO 2000, WHERE THE DECISION TO STOP THE COUNT IN FLORIDA AT THAT POINT WAS SIGNIFICANT?

AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE A PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE BASED ON ALL OF THESE COUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT STATES, BUT THERE ARE LEGAL CHALLENGES IN MULTIPLE STATES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION-- OR, I SHOULD SAY, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN-- HAS MADE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SO, THE-- THIS CASE IS NOT COMPARABLE TO BUSH V. GORE.

SO, IN 2000, YOU BASICALLY-- THE ELECTION CAME DOWN TO ONE STATE, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY SMALL MARGIN.

AND REALLY, THEN, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT QUESTION AS TO HOW THE BALLOTS WERE BEING COUNTED, AND WERE THEY BEING COUNTED IN A WAY THAT WAS UNIFORM.

MOREOVER, AS THE PROCESS WENT ALONG AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE CERTIFIED A WINNER, THEN THE QUESTION WAS, CAN YOU-- WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO TO OVERCOME THAT PRESUMPTION?

AND WILL CONTINUING THE PROCESS UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMACY OF-- OF THE ELECTION, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OR ANY EVIDENCE OF WRONGDOING.

AND SO, YOU HAD A WINNER WHO WAS TRYING TO PRESERVE-- THIS WAS BUSH-- TRYING TO PRESERVE HIS MARGINS.

IN THIS CASE, YOU HAVE THE PRESIDENT WHO IS BEHIND, SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND AND IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STATES.

AND WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME-- ANYWHERE NEAR THE SAME SET OF QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE COUNTING OF THE BALLOTS.

AS FAR AS WE KNOW, ALL OF THE EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE IN ALL OF THESE VARIOUS STATES IS THAT THE BALLOTS WERE ACCURATELY COUNTED.

AND SO, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING FOR HIM TO POINT TO, RIGHT?

SO, IT DOESN'T COME DOWN TO ONE STATE HE'S BEHIND, HE DOESN'T HAVE THE EVIDENCE.

AND IT JUST IS NOT A COMPARABLE SITUATION.

AS MUCH AS ONE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE, THE FACTS JUST ARE NOT THERE.

>> Sreenivasan: GUY CHARLES, PROFESSOR OF LAW AT DUKE UNIVERSITY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> Sreenivasan: AS JOE BIDEN IS PROJECTED TO BE PRESIDENT-ELECT, THE UNITED STATES IS REPORTING RECORD NUMBERS OF NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS, INCLUDING THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF.

MARK MEADOWS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS, SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS CONFIRMED YESTERDAY.

THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS THAT SEVERAL OTHER WHITE HOUSE STAFFERS ARE ALSO POSITIVE.

THE NEW POSITIVE CASES IN THE WHITE HOUSE INNER CIRCLE COME AS THE U.S.

RECORDED MORE THAN 126,000 CASES IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, A NEW RECORD ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS AT JOHNS HOPKINS.

THE DAILY DEATH TOLL, WHICH IS SEEN AS A LAGGING INDICATOR, WAS MORE THAN 1,146 IN THE LAST 24 HOURS.

THAT'S THE FOURTH DAY IN A ROW IT HAS BEEN ABOVE 1,000.

IN TOTAL, THE U.S. HAS RECORDED MORE THAN 236,000 DEATHS.

GLOBALLY, THE NUMBER OF DAILY INFECTIONS ARE ALSO AT RECORD LEVELS WITH MORE THAN 600,000 NEW CASES RECORDED ON FRIDAY.

IN TOTAL, THE NUMBER OF CASES IS APPROCHING 50 MILLION, WITH MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION DEATHS.

IN ITALY, A PARTIAL SHUTDOWN OF NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES STARTED YESTERDAY WHILE IN THE U.K., A LOCKDOWN THAT INCLUDES ALL RESTAURANTS, GYMS, AND NONESSENTIAL RETAIL STARTED ON THURSDAY.

AND IN GERMANY, WHICH RECORDED A RECORD NUMBER OF CASES YESTERDAY, A FOUR-WEEK PARTIAL LOCKDOWN BEGAN EARLIER THIS WEEK.

FOR MORE ON PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN AND HIS ROAD TO VICTORY, VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour.

>> Sreenivasan: ONE OF THE TOO- CLOSE-TO-CALL STATES WHERE THERE WILL BE A RECOUNT IS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS GEORGIA.

THERE ARE ALSO TWO U.S. SENATE SEATS WHERE NO CANDIDATE RECEIVED 50% OF THE VOTE.

THAT MEANS THERE WILL BE A RUN- OFF ELECTION THAT WILL DETERMINE WHICH PARTY CONTROLS THE SENATE DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

I SPOKE WITH RICKEY BEVINGTON, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT FOR GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHO JOINED US FROM ATLANTA.

RICKEY, IT'S SURPRISING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GEORGIA PLAYED SUCH AN INFLUENTIAL AND A CRITICAL ROLE IN THIS ELECTION.

GOING FORWARD, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE COUNT IS AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THERE'S GOING TO BE A RECOUNT, RIGHT?

>> ABSOLUTELY, HARI.

SO, GEORGIA WILL FIRST DO AN AUDIT NEXT WEEK.

GEORGIA HAS A BRAND-NEW ELECTIONS AND VOTING AND BALLOTING SYSTEM.

SO, THERE WILL BE AN AUDIT, WHICH IS NOT A RECOUNT, NEXT WEEK, SIMPLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW SYSTEM WORKED, RIGHT?

AND THEN, AFTER THE AUDIT, IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS, IT WILL BE AN ACTUAL RECOUNT OF THE NEARLY FIVE MILLION BALLOTS CAST IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA IN 2020.

>> Sreenivasan: AND THEN, AS WE TURN THIS PAGE-- IF WE TURN THIS PAGE EASILY-- GEORGIA IS GOING TO HAVE TWO SENATE RUNOFF ELECTIONS COMING JANUARY 5, AND, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOT USUAL TO HAVE TWO SENATE ELECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME.

BUT THEY'RE INCREDIBLY INFLUENTIAL THIS TIME.

>> IT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY.

GEORGIA REALLY IS GOING TO BE THE CENTER OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL UNIVERSE BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 5, WHICH IS THE RUNOFF ELECTION DAY.

INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN DAVID PERDUE IS SEEKING A SECOND TERM.

HE DID NOT GET THE 50% THRESHOLD TO AVOID A RUNOFF AGAINST DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER JON OSSOFF.

AND INCUMBENT APPOINTED SENATOR, ANOTHER REPUBLICAN, KELLY LOEFFLER, ALSO DID NOT GET ABOVE THE 50% THRESHOLD TO AVOID A RUNOFF.

NOW, THERE WERE 20 CHALLENGERS AGAINST LOEFFLER.

THIS WAS A VERY UNIQUE SPECIAL ELECTION.

RARELY WOULD WE SEE TWO SENATORIAL ELECTIONS IN ONE YEAR.

HOWEVER, OUR FORMER SENIOR SENATOR, JOHNNY ISAKSON, HAD TO RESIGN, RETIRE ABOUT A YEAR AGO DUE TO HEALTH REASONS.

SO, LOEFFLER WAS APPOINTED.

SHE TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE CALLED IT A "JUNGLE PRIMARY," AND ANY CANDIDATE COULD RUN WHO WANTED TO.

LOEFFLER WILL FACE THE REVEREND RAPHAEL WARNOCK ON JANUARY 5.

HE IS CURRENTLY PASTOR OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING'S FORMER CHURCH, EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH IN ATLANTA.

>> Sreenivasan: AND THOSE TWO SENATE RACES COULD VERY WELL DETERMINE THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE U.S. SENATE, AND, REALLY, WHAT KIND OF POWER JOE BIDEN WOULD HAVE IF HE IS PRESIDENT.

>> IT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY, HARI, AND THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW WHO'S GOING TO WIN.

IF BOTH DEMOCRATS ARE SUCCESSFUL-- WHICH WOULD BE ANOTHER HISTORIC EVENT-- IN THESE TWO SENATE RUNOFFS, YES, THE DEMOCRATS WOULD TAKE THE SENATE.

IF ONE WINS-- THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY THAT GEORGIA IS GOING TO BE THE CENTER OF THE POLITICAL UNIVERSE.

IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

AND, OF COURSE, THERE'S KAMALA HARRIS, WHO WOULD BE A TIE-BREAKER VOTE IN THE SENATE IF IT'S JUST THAT CLOSE IN THE TERMS OF THE BALANCE OF POWER.

NOW, WE ARE EXPECTING IN GEORGIA MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE SPENT BY A LOT OF GROUPS TRYING TO GET OUT THE VOTE FOR THEIR CANDIDATE COME JANUARY 5.

>> Sreenivasan: RICKEY BEVINGTON OF GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING, THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANKS, HARI.

>> Sreenivasan: FINALLY TONIGHT, PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS WILL SPEAK TO THE NATION AT 8:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME.

PBS NEWSHOUR WILL HAVE A SPECIAL REPORT TONIGHT ON HIS VICTORY AND THE ROAD AHEAD.

THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EDITION OF PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND.

FOR THE LATEST NEWS UPDATES, VISIT www.pbs.org/newshour.

I'M HARI SREENIVASAN.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

STAY HEALTHY AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

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