Supporters of US President Donald Trump gather at the United States Supreme Court in Washington.
Washington, United States:
Thousands of die-hard Donald Trump supporters gathered for a final battle on Saturday in Washington, chanting “four more years” and accusing the fraud of an electoral defeat that will force the president to leave the White House after just one term.
Trump himself drove through his armored motorcade, en route to golf, smiling through his limousine window to cheers and signs saying “Best prez ever” and “Trump 2020: Keep America Great “.
The Republican president stands by discredited allegations of mass fraud and claims to have beaten President-elect Joe Biden in the November 3 vote, marking another unprecedented challenge to U.S. Democratic standards as his term runs out.
Later Saturday, he took to Twitter with a series of tweets and retweets that included allegations that voting machines could be hacked and complaints about news network coverage of the rallies.
Twitter slapped labels on at least eight of the posts as containing “disputed” information.
At least 10,000 people – few of them wearing masks – gathered at the city’s Freedom Plaza before marching to the Supreme Court, waving flags in a noisy atmosphere reminiscent of a Trump campaign rally.
“President Trump deserves to see who is behind him, he deserves to feel the love,” Baltimore walker Kris Napolitana told AFP. “I believe he will win when all the fraud and cheating is discovered.”
With the right-wing militia group the Proud Boys also among the attendees, a significant security presence was deployed to prevent clashes with anti-Trump events outside the Supreme Court.
Groups of counter-protesters stood nearby, some shouting about social justice and Trump supporters not wearing masks.
There were several scuffles, but no major violence was reported.
By late afternoon, Washington Police said there had been 10 arrests, including four for firearms violations and one for assaulting a police officer, without providing further details.
‘The whole system is rigged’
The latest tally has given Democrat Biden a clear victory in the state-by-state electoral college that decides the presidency, with 306 votes to 232. Two hundred and seventy votes are needed for the election.
But Margarita Urtubey, 49, a horse breeder who arrived from Miami with her sister, said the election was “so corrupt,” adding that “Trump won by a landslide. We are here to march for “stop the theft” of this election, to make our voices heard. “
With the march underway, Trump tweeted that “hundreds of thousands” had surrendered – while his spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany very exaggeratedly claimed that more than a million were in attendance.
But the turnout was undoubtedly high for a heavily Democratic city, doped by protesters from across the country from Florida to Pennsylvania to Colorado.
Darion Schaublin, who drove from Columbus, Ohio, said that “the whole system is rigged … the way information gets to people.”
“The truth never really comes out,” said the 26-year-old, who says he lost his job at a restaurant after refusing to wear a mask as protection against Covid-19.
Kathlin Erickson, who said she flew from Colorado in a plane “full of Trump supporters”, entertained hopes of a second Trump administration.
“A Trump victory? It’s far away, but anything is possible with God,” she said.
Trump is blocking Biden’s transition ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration and has launched numerous – unsuccessful – lawsuits challenging the vote count across the country.
Trump said Friday that “time will tell” if he remains president, in a momentary shift from his refusal to concede electoral defeat.
The hint of doubt came as he continued to claim that mass fraud – for which no evidence was produced – robbed him of victory.
Biden prepares for power
Despite his own intelligence officials’ declaration this week that the election was “the safest in American history,” Trump and his right-wing media allies show no sign of abandoning their quest to have the results overturned.
After passing walkers in Washington, Trump headed to his golf club outside the capital as he continued his usual weekend routine.
Half a dozen supporters stood on one side of the entrance with Trump flags, and about the same number stood on the other side with a large “Biden Harris” sign and one that read, “We have voted. You’re fired. “
On Saturday, Biden went biking in a Delaware state park with his wife Jill and a security guard. When asked if he was closer to choosing his firm, he said “yes”.
Despite Trump’s stance, the president-elect is preparing to take office, with many world leaders acknowledging his victory.
China was the last country on board, with a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry saying, “We extend our congratulations.”
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
