Trump tweets Biden 'won', then retracts, plans to renew China crackdown

US President Donald Trump worked to take back an apparent acknowledgement that Joe Biden won the White House and was making clear he would keep trying to overturn the election result.
 

Trump’s earlier comments Sunday had given some critics and supporters hope that the White House was ready to begin working on a transition with Biden’s team. Not so fast, Trump soon assured.

Trump, without using Biden’s name, said that “He won” as part of a tweet that made baseless claims about a “rigged” election. But as the Republican president saw how his comments were being interpreted as his first public acknowledgement of a Biden victory, he quickly reversed course.

“He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA,” Trump subsequently tweeted. “I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!”

Nearly two weeks after Election Day, Trump has neither called Biden nor made a formal concession, and White House officials have insisted that they are preparing for a second term.

Former President Barack Obama, in an interview aired Sunday on CBS, said he would remind Trump that, as president, he is a public servant and a temporary occupant of the office. Trump plans several new hard-line moves against China in the remaining weeks of his term, according to a senior administration official, potentially tying the hands of President-elect Joe Biden.

Actions under consideration include protecting US technology from exploitation by China’s military, countering illegal fishing and more sanctions against Communist Party officials or institutions causing harm in Hong Kong or the far western region of Xinjiang, the official said, without providing specifics. “Unless Beijing reverses course and becomes a responsible player on the global stage, future US presidents will find it politically suicidal to reverse President Trump’s historic actions," John Ullyot, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said.

Axios reported earlier that Trump may announce sanctions or trade restrictions against more Chinese companies, government entities or officials, citing human rights violations or threats to US national security. Biden’s transition team said it had no comment for now on the report.