President Donald Trump falsely claimed he had won the presidential election early Wednesday and threatened to ask the US Supreme Court to halt the counting of legally cast absentee ballots he described as a “fraud.”
Trump pointed to his early lead in the pivotal battleground of Pennsylvania and said it would be “almost impossible” for Democratic nominee Joe Biden to catch up there and in other states. In fact, there were enough votes outstanding in those states to swing the total back to Biden’s favour.
Speaking in the White House East Room, Trump said he would be “going to the US Supreme Court” and that “we want all voting to stop.”
The remarks were similar to those he raised before the election, casting doubt on the validity of ballots cast by mail because of the pandemic. Polling has shown those ballots, legitimately cast, may favour Biden.
Biden’s campaign called Trump’s statement “outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect.” Some Republicans also criticized the president’s efforts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of ballots. (USAToday)