RICK TYLER

But officials in both parties agree that the surge of GOP departures will make the Republicans' challenge more difficult in the Senate. Several Missouri Republicans are expected to seek the nomination to replace Blunt, but none will be more divisive than former Gov. Ahead of Greitens' announcement, some Republicans worried that he could jeopardize the Senate seat if he emerges as the party's nominee. The former president won by the same margin in Iowa, where 87-year-old Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is considering retirement. AdMeanwhile, Blunt predicted political success for Republicans in Missouri and beyond during a Monday news conference.

The moves come a day after electors nationwide formally cast votes affirming Biden's victory in last month's presidential election. As Republicans began discussing a Biden presidency more openly on Tuesday, Trump still pledged to press forward with almost nonexistent legal options. There has never been anything like this in our Country!” Trump tweeted just as members of his party were publicly recognizing Biden's victory. The normally humdrum political ceremony didn’t change the facts of the election, but was nonetheless used as political cover by leading Republicans. Unless Democrats win both those races, Senate Republicans will have the power to block many of Biden's Cabinet nominations, not to mention thwart his policy initiatives.

The moves come a day after electors nationwide formally cast votes affirming Biden's victory in last month's presidential election. As Republicans began discussing a Biden presidency more openly on Tuesday, Trump still pledged to press forward with almost nonexistent legal options. There has never been anything like this in our Country!” Trump tweeted just as members of his party were publicly recognizing Biden's victory. The normally humdrum political ceremony didn’t change the facts of the election, but was nonetheless used as political cover by leading Republicans. Unless Democrats win both those races, Senate Republicans will have the power to block many of Biden's Cabinet nominations, not to mention thwart his policy initiatives.

"That’s a mandate to flip the switch.”The idea of a Biden mandate, though, is relative, certainly embraced by Democrats who want to push ahead with his agenda. California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House's Republican leader, said the election “was a mandate against socialism," stepping up the relentless GOP attacks, even though Biden is a centrist Democrat. Biden comes to the presidency like few in recent history, with a rare mix of experience but also a potentially divided Congress. Whether McConnell emerges in the new Congress as majority or minority leader with a narrowly divided Senate, the longest serving Republican leader in history will have great leverage over legislation that arrives on Biden's desk. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and even McCarthy will have oversize roles because of the changed makeup of the new Congress.

The lower-than-expected turnout at the comeback rally, in particular, left Trump fuming. The vast majority of the attendees, including Trump, did not wear face masks as recommended by the Trump administration's health experts. Before Oklahoma, the campaign had planned to finalize and announce its next rally this week. At least one swing state governor, meanwhile, says Trump would not be welcome to host a rally in her state amid the pandemic. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said she would think very seriously about" trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to.

The lower-than-expected turnout at the comeback rally, in particular, left Trump fuming. The vast majority of the attendees, including Trump, did not wear face masks as recommended by the Trump administration's health experts. Before Oklahoma, the campaign had planned to finalize and announce its next rally this week. At least one swing state governor, meanwhile, says Trump would not be welcome to host a rally in her state amid the pandemic. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said she would think very seriously about" trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to.

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden makes a statement during an event in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., September 24, 2019. This is a Joe Biden scandal that Democrats and their media allies are trying to remake into a Donald Trump problem, said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump re-election campaign. The focus on Ukraine and Biden could take a toll on the Biden campaign, said Rodell Mollineau, a former Democratic top aide to U.S. Senate leadership. Senator Bernie Sanders, a Republican strategist close to the Trump campaign said. The Ukraine matter is yet more evidence that Biden remains the opponent that Trump would still rather avoid, Bidens campaign said.

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoEach night features 10 candidates, putting seasoned politicians alongside lesser-known faces eager to continue their introduction to a national audience. BIDEN VS. HARRIS 2.0In the first debate, former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. During the previous debate, she said she would support a complete government takeover of insurance but then later walked back that stance. The Democratic Party is aiming to reduce the number of candidates in the next debate, which will be held in September. But the third debate will require 130,000 donors and hitting 2% in polls - a tall order for some long-shot contenders.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Twenty Democratic presidential hopefuls will hit the debate stage on Wednesday and Thursday nights to square off for the first time in the 2020 nominating contest. FILE PHOTO: The line up of U.S. Democratic presidential candidates who will participate in the party's first of two nights of debate in Miami on June 26, 2019, in a combination file photos (L-R top row): U.S. Some leading white contenders have faced toughed questions this month surrounding race issues - and could be forced to defend themselves on the debate stage. A standout debate moment can help skyrocket a candidate from the bottom of the polls into the top tier. If moderators take note, that could lead to the first time candidates on a debate stage get asked to respond to a presidential tweet in real time.