Trump campaign disavows lawyer Sidney Powell: Transition updates

The campaign now says she's not a member of the president's legal team.

Last Updated: November 23, 2020, 1:31 PM EST

President-elect Joe Biden is moving forward with transition plans, capping a tumultuous and tension-filled campaign during a historic pandemic against President Donald Trump, who still refuses to concede the election two weeks after Biden was projected as the winner and is taking extraordinary moves to challenge the results.

Running out of legal alternatives to override the election loss, Trump invited Michigan's top Republican state lawmakers to visit the White House on Friday, as he and allies pursue a pressure campaign to overturn results in a state Biden won by more than 150,000 votes.

Despite Trump's roadblocks and his administration refusing to recognize Biden as the president-elect, Biden is forging ahead as he prepares to announce key Cabinet positions.

Though Trump has alleged widespread voter fraud, he and his campaign haven't been able to provide the evidence to substantiate their claims and the majority of their lawsuits have already resulted in unfavorable outcomes.

Top headlines:

Here is how the transition unfolded this past week. All times Eastern.
Nov 22, 2020, 2:02 PM EST

Loeffler tests negative, but will continue to self-isolate

Following inconclusive and positive COVID-19 tests, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., tested negative overnight, according to her campaign communications director.

The senator has been actively campaigning with Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., ahead of their runoff races in January. Their efforts have drawn several Republicans to the state, including Vice President Mike Pence on Friday. Loeffler and Pence appeared on stage in close proximity without masks on Friday. Perdue was also at the rally and in close proximity without a mask.

Loeffler had passed two rapid COVID tests on Friday morning before starting a day of campaigning, but found out at night she had tested positive in a PCR test, which generate fewer false positives or false negatives.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks to supporters during a watch party on election night, Nov. 3, 2020, Atlanta.
Branden Camp/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

"She was informed later in the evening after public events on Friday that her PCR test came back positive, but she was retested Saturday morning after conferring with medical officials and those results came back inconclusive on Saturday evening," campaign spokesperson Stephen Lawson said late Saturday.

In his statement Sunday afternoon, Lawson said, "Out of an abundance of caution, she will continue to self-isolate and be retested again to hopefully receive consecutive negative test results. We will share those results as they are made available. She will continue to confer with medical experts and follow CDC guidelines."

-ABC News' Quinn Scanlan, Mark Osborne and Benjamin Siegel

Nov 22, 2020, 11:47 AM EST

Biden's 1st cabinet picks coming on Tuesday

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday that President-elect Joe Biden will soon announce his first cabinet picks, a sign that he is moving swiftly forward with his transition despite President Donald Trump's refusal to concede the race.

"You're going to see the first of the president-elect's cabinet appointments on Tuesday of this week," Klain told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on "This Week."

-ABC News' John Verhovek

Nov 22, 2020, 11:40 AM EST

Election lawsuits: By the numbers

Since Election Day, the Trump campaign and its allies have lost in court at least 30 times in their efforts to overturn the results of the election, according to an ABC News count. 

The campaign itself has filed 19 lawsuits across 5 states-- 17 of which have been lost so far by being denied, dismissed, withdrawn, etc. The campaign has had one win.

Matthew Dowd joins "This Week" this morning to discuss where our country and democracy is heading after the president seems to not be backing down from his baseless claims of election fraud.
2:50

Pennsylvania Republican Governor Pat Toomey calls for Trump to 'stand down'

Matthew Dowd joins "This Week" this morning to discuss where our country and democracy is heading after the president seems to not be backing down from his baseless claims of election fraud.
ABCNews.com

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin

Nov 22, 2020, 11:08 AM EST

Chris Christie: It’s time for Trump election challenges to end

When ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked former New Jersey Governor and ABC News Contributor Chris Christie if it was time for Trump's challenges to the election results to end, he agreed.

"Yes. And here's the reason why the president has had an opportunity to access the courts," Christie said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday. "And I said to you -- you know, George, starting at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, if you've got the evidence of fraud, present it."

"What's happened here is quite frankly -- the conduct of the president's legal team has been a national embarrassment," he added.

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