“Trump is living out the final days of his presidency in a state of denial. ‘It’s rigged and stolen!’ he complained during a phone call with a prominent Republican the day after the Electoral College affirmed Joe Biden as president-elect. “You can’t reason with him at all,” the Republican said. According to two sources briefed on the conversations, Republicans are privately suggesting to Trump that he should call Biden. Their advice is that Trump doesn’t have to concede. Instead, Trump should tell Biden that he will assist with the transition while he waits for legal challenges to play out. Trump rejected the idea, the sources said.”
“As Biden’s inauguration approaches, Republicans close to the White House told me Trump could be poised for a final round of norm-shattering actions. One source said Trump has discussed a preemptive-pardon blitz of everyone close to him, so Biden’s Justice Department can’t investigate his administration. (A White House spokesperson declined to comment.) “Trump doesn’t want his team targeted,” the source said. Another source said Trump wants the Department of Justice to name a special counsel to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden as a way of getting even with Democrats for the Robert Mueller probe. ‘If Trump is going to leave office, he wants a special counsel, 100%,’ the source said” – Gabe Sherman, Vanity Fair.