JAKE TAPPER: We're standing by for electors across the country to officially cast ballots as President Trump continues to challenge the election results and democracy itself. Our correspondents are spread out across the nation. In Michigan, new security protocols in place because of concerns over protests and, quote, credible threats of violence. Dianne Gallagher is in Lansing, Michigan for us. There are some protesters gathering already?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN: yes. We have a small smattering of protesters who are already starting to show up at the capitol. The electors don't actually meet until 2:00 p.m. Here in Michigan. They're several hours early. Snow flurries are starting to fall. Things have been ramping up since late last night when an email went out to state, house, senate staff, and members, letting them know all of the office buildings will be closed because of the, quote, credible threats of violence. The Capitol Building was already going to be closed to anyone not involved in the Electoral College in part due to COVID, in part due to planned protests. Michigan is an open-carry state. We have seen how tense some protests surrounding the election have been in this state.

A little bit ago, the Michigan Speaker of the House and Speaker-elect issued a statement, Jake, saying they were stripping a Republican representative, Gary Eisen, from his committee assignments for the rest of the term, after an interview he did with a local radio station saying he could not assure there wouldn't be violence today at protests he was helping coordinate. He wouldn't give any details on the protests today aside from saying, quote, it is going to be violent, it is going to be protests. When asked by the WPHM Radio host if he could assure everybody would be safe, it would be okay, representative Eisen said no.

Again, the Speaker-elect, Jake, and Speaker, both Republicans, as is Eisen, stripped of his committee memberships for the remainder of the term, which is about two weeks. There's a lot of tension here now over something that's typically mundane, not much attention is paid to it. Electors have the option of being escorted by police into the Capitol Building just because of the concern and the threats.

TAPPER: That proclivity to encourage violence is a cancer the Republican party has within it that it needs to figure out what to do about. Thank you so much.