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12.57pm BST
There has been a lot of noise generated by Donald Trump’s refusal at his press briefing yesterday to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose November’s election.
Republican Steve Stivers has popped his head above the parapet this morning on the issue. The Ohio congressman has this morning tweeted that “Nothing defines our Constitutional Republic more than the peaceful transition of power. I’ve taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I will uphold that oath.”
Regardless of how divided our country is right now, when elections are over and winners are declared, we must all commit ourselves to the Constitution and accept the results.
Related: Donald in Blunderland: Trump won't commit to peaceful power transfer at surreal press briefing
12.48pm BST
Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin have a state of the polls piece in the New York Times this morning. Their analysis shows:
Donald Trump is on the defensive in three red states he carried in 2016, narrowly trailing Joe Biden in Iowa and battling to stay ahead of him in Georgia and Texas.
Trump’s vulnerability even in conservative-leaning states underscores just how precarious his political position is. While he and Biden are competing aggressively for traditional swing states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida, the poll suggests that Biden has assembled a coalition formidable enough to jeopardize Trump even in historically Republican parts of the South and Midwest. Continue reading...