Rising this weekend. The response from President Trump today, he actually played golf while g20 World Leaders held a Virtual Conference on the Global Pandemic response, the american president went to his golf club in suburban Northern Virginia outside washington and played golf, and he tweeted about voter fraud in an election that he overwhelmingly and fairly lost to joe biden. And yet, in another blow to the president s attempts to discredit the Election Results here in the u. S. , a federal judge just threw out the president s lawsuit alleging voter fraud in the state of pennsylvania. Its a major loss for President Trump this evening. Right now i want to bring in our justice correspondent, jessica schneider, our White House Correspondent jeremy diamond, and Arlette Saenz whos in wilmington, delaware, where president elect biden is. Jessica, tell us first of all about this major legal defeat for the president , some 48 hours before pennsylvania counties plan to actually officially certify the vote. Wolf, this is a 37page ruling from a federal judge, and it completely tears down the entire legal strategy that the trump team has been banking on. Now, this is judge matthew bran out of the middle district of pennsylvania. Hes a longtime republican, he was appointed by President Trump, but he completely rips apart the legal strategy by the trump team that was fronted by Rudy Giuliani. This is how judge bran put it in his opinion saying, like frankensteins monster haphaz d haphazardly stitched together. This was an hours long hearing. I listened in to it for several hours this week, and the judge in this case he expressed skepticism, but its really in this opinion that he tears this down. He says this in his opinion, he says one might expect that when seeking such a startling outcome a plaintiff would come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant krumcorruption that has not happened. This court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative, unsupported by evidence. This is a major takedown of the trump strategy. This was a strategy that was promoted extensively by Rudy Giuliani all week long. He was in the courtroom making his case for several hours. He then held a press conference later in the week where he went on and on about the voter fraud that he said had run rampant in these democrat controlled cities like philadelphia and detroit. Wolf, the judge here in this case basically saying that they did not come forward with any evidence here, with any facts to back up their claims, and this was really the last major case in a major swing state that if it was granted could have actually affected any of these votes. So really, this was the last ditch effort by the Trump Campaign, and it has been completely knocked down by a longtime republican whos the federal judge in the middle district of pennsylvania, wolf. Very interesting indeed a major setback for the president. Any reaction, jeremy, from the president to this latest in a string of legal losses for his campaign all across the country. Well, wolf, the Trump Campaign has already vowed in a statement this evening from Rudy Giuliani and jenna ellis whos another lawyer for the Trump Campaign to appeal this decision, and perhaps in what is a novel reaction to losing a case and not just losing a case but essentially having your argument torn apart by a federal judge who says that you have no evidence in this case, they say that they are happy that this judge dismissed this case so quickly. They say in the statement todays decision turns out to help us in our strategy to get expeditiously to the u. S. Supreme court, although we fully disagree with this opinion, were thankful to the obama appointed judge for making this anticipated decision quickly rather than simply trying to run out the clock. And as jessica noted, while this judge was indeed nominated to the court by president obama, he is a member of the federalist society. He was a longtime republican, so by no means is this somebody who is acrimonious towards the president and his campaign. As for the president himself, he is tweeting up a storm as well this evening arguing once again that there are thousands of illegally cast votes, no evidence to back that up, and whats so interesting, wolf, is while the president continues to use his bull horn to make all of these Conspiracy Theory laden claims about this election, making these baseless allegations about widespread voter fraud in all of these battleground states, his lawyers have yet to actually present that evidence in court. Rudy giuliani made very clear in this very same case earlier this week that he was not making an allegation of fraud and clearly, what arguments they are making in court are being thoroughly dismissed as they are in this case by judge brann because they dont meet the bar. While the president and his allies have been making this case publicly with no evidence using these conspiracy theories, they cant make those same arguments in federal court, wolf, because they do not meet that higher standard that happens a court of law. Thats absolutely true. Arlette, youre covering the biden transition for us. Any reaction from the president elect . Well, wolf, president elect joe bidens team is welcoming this decision as they say it essentially backs up their arguments that there are no credible legal challenges that the Trump Campaign can mount to bidens win. A spokesperson for biden, Michael Guinn telling me yet another court has rejected trump and giulianis baseless claims of voter fraud and their appalling assault on our democracy. The judges ruling couldnt be clearer. Our people, laws and institutions demand more, and our country will not tolerate trumps attempt to reverse the results of an election that he decisively lost. The biden team has for several weeks now been arguing that the president s team cannot really mount any credible legal challenges to the outcome of this election, but they have also been warning that the way that the president has been handling himself, his refusal to concede and also this insistence on waging these lawsuits that that is a damaging and threatening democracy. We heard the president elect himself just a few days ago talking about how irresponsible of a president he believes that President Trump is showing himself to be in this moment. Weve also heard from one of bidens top senior advisers who has said this election is over and nothing that the Trump Campaign will try to do is able to change that, and they are getting some backup to that, at least today, with the dismissal of this lawsuit. You know, its interesting, jessica, the defeats are clearly piling up for the president and his legal team, well over two dozen so far nationwide. Is there any more hope in any of these other very, very remote long shot cases that theyre trying to pursue . All of the judges weve seen in these cases wolf, whether its the ultimate opinions or in court, these judges have been very skeptical, whether or not theyve been republican or democrat appointed. I think what were seeing from the trump team is a shift from the legal strategy to really the political strategy here. While theyre continuing to push these cases in court, you heard it from jeremy there, the campaign saying that they will be appealing this all the way to the supreme court. What were starting to see is movement on the political front. We have certification deadlines that are coming up in michigan and pennsylvania on monday, nevada on tuesday and then throughout the following week. What we saw or are seeing in michigan is perhaps some political pressure to stop the certification, and this is something that ive talked with election lawyers about throughout the day today, and theyre concerned that on monday when the state board of canvassers meets, this is a fourmember board. Two republicans, two democrats and the concern here is that they could deadlock when they go to vote on monday, and if they do deadlock, im told that democrats will run to court to try to get an order for certification that will mandate that these two republicans vote to certify. But theyre going to have to work through the courts on this. Its possible that the governor could step in. It appears that the strategy might be putting pressure on these political players to maybe not certify in states where thats still a possibility like michigan where were going to see that convening of the state board at 1 00 p. M. On monday, wolf. Very interesting indeed. Jeremy, we just got some more breaking news. The republican senator in pennsylvania, pat toomey has just put out a statement. Let me read a couple of lines for you and for our viewers. With todays decision by judge matthew brann, a longtime conservative republican whom i know to be a fair and unbiased jurist, to dismiss the trump campai campaigns lawsuit, President Trump has exhausted all plausible Legal Options to challenges result of the president ial race in pennsylvania, and then senator toomey goes on to say this. I congratulate president elect biden and Vice President elect Kamala Harris on their victory. They are both dedicated public servants, and i will be praying for them and for our country. Thats a significant development, the republican senator from pennsylvania, jeremy, issuing a very strong statement accepting what is clearly the reality. It certainly is, woclf, and t tells you what a death knell this ruling by judge brann, he has these conservative credentials despite the Trump Campaigns attempts to attack his character and characterize him as simply as an obama appointee. It makes clear that this is a big decision in the federal court this evening, and that it essentially eliminates a pathway to victory for the president in the state of pennsylvania and therefore more broadly makes very clear that joe biden is the president elect. And that is something that pat toomey, who like many other republican lawmakers has been unwilling to call joe biden the president elect is now comfortable doing because of how significant this decision is. But wolf, the president has made very clear in tweets this evening, for example, that his strategy now is moving beyond simply the legal system. Its also moving to try and essentially overturn the will of the voters by pressuring these republican state lawmakers. The president in one tweet this evening saying that he hopes that legislatures in these battleground states have the, quote, courage to essentially overturn the results of the election, and its so stunning to hear those words, but that is what the president is trying to do here. Hes saying that, look, we cant get this done in the courts. We cant prove our case of fraud in the courts, but so what were going to try and do now is to pressure these state lawmakers. And weve already seen that effort essentially fail in the state of michigan. Yesterday the president hosted the House Speaker and the Senate Majority leader from the state of michigan at the white house yesterday, and both of those lawmakers afterwards said very clearly that they havent seen any evidence of fraud and that they expect the certification process to play out in a lawful and fair manner. All right, jeremy, thank you. Arlette, thanks to you. Jessica, excellent reporting as usual. Lets discuss whats going on, all the breaking news, our senior political analyst Ron Bronstein is joining us, a Senior Editor at the atlantic. Thanks so much for joining us. Another statement, i just want to get your reaction, senator pat toomey, republican of pennsylvania in a statement recognizing that joe biden, Kamala Harris have won this election. He adds this, to ensure that he is remembered for these outstanding accomplishments and to help unify our country, President Trump should accept the outcome of the election and facilitate the president ial transition process. What are the chances thats going to happen anytime soon . Pretty slim, and in part because so few republicans and even pat toomey himself waiting until this point to kind of, you know, acknowledge the gravity exists or the sky is blue, you know, we are in a position where the president is pursuing a Conspiracy Theory that is at once racist and is focused on largely africanamericans, the cities with large africanamerican population, even though his vote declined more in suburban areas around those cities. Hes not accusing oakland county, michigan, or montgomery county, pennsylvania, of manipulating the vote. Hes accusing the officials inside these heavily minority cities where he actually improved from 2016. Its a Conspiracy Theory that also has an enormous cost in the ability of Vice President biden, president elect biden to begin his planning for dealing with the pandemic that now has, what, 83,000 americans hospitalized, the highest number weve ever seen. And it really continues what has been an ongoing assault on our democracy. This is not the first step on this road. We have a president who openly extorted the government of ukraine using American Military aid to try to manufacture dirt on his opponent, who weaponized the post office, who has been the first ever to manipulate try to manipulate the census for the advantage of one party, and through it all it has proceeded in large part because so few republicans have been willing to step up against it, and i think its proceeding now largely for the same reason. Good for senator toomey to do what is clearly the right thing to do right now for the good of the country. Doesnt the president realize, you know, ron, that he has lost in the National Popular vote right now. Hes lost the election by more than 6 million votes. Take a look at this. Biden has 51 , trump has 47. 2 . Right now he is down by more than 6 million votes right now, and in the Electoral College 306 to 232. You need 270 to be elected president of the United States. Hes way behind in the Electoral College. Its been exactly two weeks today, two weeks since all the major news organizations, not just cnn, abc, nbc, cbs, fox, Associated Press all projected that joe biden is the winner of this election. Why doesnt the president recognize what is so abundantly clear that he lost and he becomes gracious and promises to work with the Incoming Administration for a smooth transition . Well, first, recognizing and acknowledging reality has never been one of this president s strengths. I mean, were talking about someone who, you know, kind of how do you know when theyre lying. Their lips are moving. He has said so many falsehoods that he has no one, i think, you know, is surprised that he is reacting in this one. I think the surprise, wolf, is that so many republicans have been reluctant to call him out on it and thus provided oxygen to it, and he feels as if he can operate within the closed circle of the Republican Coalition and pressure these republican legislators or other officials like the canvassers in wayne county that he did successfully pressure. Well see what happens on monday with the statewide canvassers, but it is kind of a form of succession, he is essentially saying i reject the idea that blue america can legitimately vote me out, and you have to wonder, our assumption has been that republican elected officials are reluctant to challenge him on this because they are afraid of him. They are worried about a tweet. They are worried about a primary challenge. I think we have to allow for the possibility that a fair number of them are okay with the idea of him overturning the election, if he can find any way to do so. A judge, judges or state legislators. Does anybody really believe based on what weve seen over the last few years that Mitch Mcconnell would throw himself on the pyre to defend american democracy if trump can find a way to convince legislators to overturn the results in enough states. I dont think so, its not going to happen, but i think its pretty ominous the signals that are being sent. Along with senator toomeys statements, which we just reported on, very significant state the republican senator from pennsylvania, republican congresswoman liz cheneys call for proof of the president s Election Fraud claims came through as well. She issued a pretty tough statement as well. Either show the evidence you got or move on and accept reality. Senator mitt romney of utah, he tweeted this week that the president has failed to make even a plausible case before any court. Given tonights latest legal defeat in pennsylvania, how much longer do you believe the bulk of the gop including the gop leadership in the house and the senate will continue to indulge in the president s fantasy, and congresswoman cheney is a member of the Republican Leadership in the house. You would think this far after the election we would be reporting on the republicans who have not called on the president to abandon what is obviously an attempt to overturn the clear will of the voters, but so few have done so that were still reporting on those who have, and i think, you know, he feels as though he has enough of the party in his corner that he can continue to pressure republicans, i think, until the certifications are beyond legal challenge. You know, there is a cost to this for republicans.