WASHINGTON (AFP) - Several US TV networks late on Thursday (Nov 5) halted live coverage of Mr Donald Trump's first public appearance since election night after concluding that the President was spreading disinformation.
Mr Trump unleashed a flood of incendiary and unsubstantiated claims in a 17-minute address, insisting that Democrats were using "illegal votes" to "steal the election from us".
The President spoke as late vote counting in battleground states showed Democrat Joe Biden steadily closing in on victory.
"OK, here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the President of the United States, but correcting the President of the United States," said MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, as the network quickly ended its live coverage.
NBC and ABC News also pulled the plug on their live coverage of Mr Trump.
"What a sad night for the United States of America to hear their president say that, to falsely accuse people of trying to steal the election," said CNN's Jake Tapper.
He described it as "lie after lie after lie about the election being stolen", with no evidence, "just smears".
WASHINGTON: Some Republicans are breaking with President Donald Trump’s attempts to falsely declare victory in the election and claim without evidence that Democrats are trying to “steal” it from him. Trump escalated those allegations late on Thursday (Nov 5), telling reporters at the White House that the ballot-counting process is unfair and corrupt.
Trump did not back up his claims with any details or evidence, and state and federal officials have not reported any instances of widespread voter fraud.
Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who spoke at a recent Trump campaign rally, did not address Trump directly, but said in a tweet on Thursday night that if any candidate believes “a state is violating election laws they have a right to challenge it in court & produce evidence in support of their claims”.
Rubio said earlier: “Taking days to count legally cast votes is NOT fraud. And court challenges to votes cast after the legal voting deadline is NOT suppression.”
From retirement, former GOP Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, was more direct: “No Republican should be okay with the President’s statements just now. Unacceptable. Period.”
Maryland GOP Governor Larry Hogan, a potential 2024 presidential hopeful who has often criticised Trump, said unequivocally: “There is no defence for the President’s comments tonight undermining our Democratic process. America is counting the votes, and we must respect the results as we always have before.”
“No election or person is more important than our Democracy,” Hogan said on Twitter.
Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney did not address Trump's remarks directly, but sought to provide a reassuring note. Counting votes is often “long” and “frustrating”, Romney said.
If any irregularities are alleged, “they will be investigated and ultimately resolved in the courts”, Romney tweeted. “Have faith in democracy, our Constitution and the American people.”
Before Trump’s speech in the White House briefing room, several Republicans challenged his attempts to halt vote-counting in Pennsylvania and other battleground states. The comments left Trump without key voices of support as he continues to trail Democrat Joe Biden in his bid for re-election.
A demonstrator reads a banner on display at Black Lives Matter Plaza, Nov 5, 2020, in Washington. (Photo: AP/Alex Brandon)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Trump ally who won re-election on Tuesday in Kentucky, told reporters that “claiming you’ve won the election is different from finishing the counting”. His office declined to comment after Trump’s address on Thursday.
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski urged “everyone to be patient” as results come in. “It is critical that we give election officials time to complete their jobs, and that we ensure all lawfully cast ballots are allowed and counted,” she said in a statement.
Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican, addressed Trump directly on Twitter: “Stop. Full stop,” he wrote on Wednesday in response to Trump’s claim that Democrats were trying to “steal” the election.
“The votes will be counted and you will either win or lose,” Kinzinger told Trump. “And America will accept that. Patience is a virtue.”
The comments by the Republican lawmakers and other GOP leaders were rare public rebukes of Trump, who has demanded – and generally received – loyalty from fellow Republicans throughout his four-year term. Most in the GOP take pains to avoid directly criticising Trump, even when they find his conduct unhelpful or offensive to their values and goals.
Trump's tweets declaring victory and calling for officials to “STOP THE COUNT” were an early test of how strongly he can keep Republicans in line as he tries to challenge the voting process in court.
One Democrat, Senator Chris Murphy, told the Associated Press earlier on Thursday he hopes Republicans step up. “I think Republicans will likely want to give him a day or two to, you know, sort of make his arguments.“
But, Murphy said, when it becomes clear that there’s no path for Trump’s disputes, “My hope is that Republicans will put public and private pressure on him.”
While Biden was close on Thursday to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, it was unclear when a national winner would be determined after a long, bitter campaign dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on Americans and the national economy.
In remarks on Wednesday at the White House, Trump baselessly claimed victory and alleged “major fraud on our nation” as state election officials continued counting ballots amid a huge increase in voter turnout.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Trump ally who is an analyst for ABC News, said there was no basis for Trump’s argument. Christie called Trump’s attack on the integrity of the election “a bad strategic decision” and “a bad political decision, and it’s not the kind of decision you would expect someone to make ... who holds the position he holds”.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, said Wednesday on Fox News that while he supports Trump, “if it ends up being Biden, all of us will accept that”.
As elected officials, Republicans and Democrats “believe in the rule of law”, DeWine said. “Every vote has to be counted. We as a country accept election results.”
Eric Trump (left), son of President Donald Trump, and wife Lara Trump depart after a news conference on legal challenges to vote counting in Pennsylvania, Nov 4, 2020, in Philadelphia. (Photo: AP/Matt Slocum)
Trump’s family, never shy about expressing their support, took to Twitter to question why GOP lawmakers were not rushing to the president’s defence. “Where are Republicans! Have some backbone. Fight against this fraud. Our voters will never forget you if your sheep!” Trump’s son Eric tweeted.
Ohio Senator Rob Portman, a Republican, said states administer US elections, not the federal government. “We should respect that process and ensure that all ballots cast in accordance with state laws are counted. It’s that simple,” Portman said in a statement.
“It’s best for everyone to step back from the spin and allow the vote counters to do their job,” added Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said without evidence on Thursday night (Nov 5) that if "legal" votes were counted he would "easily" win the presidential election, in a signal he is in no mood to concede to Joe Biden.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us if you count the votes that came in late," said Trump in his first televised appearance since election night.
"We're looking at them very strongly, but a lot of votes came in late."
He also said that he had "already decisively won many critical states, including massive victories" in Florida, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio.
"We won these and many other victories despite historic election interference in big money, big media and big tech," said Trump at the White House briefing room.
Trump added his team had launched a "tremendous amount of litigation" to counter what he called the "corruption" of Democrats, even as several officials in battleground states yet to be called have defended the integrity of the vote.
SPEECH CUT SHORT BY US TV NETWORKS
Beyond the rhetoric, Trump's complaints were specifically targeting the integrity of the huge number of ballots mailed in, rather than cast in person on election day.
The big shift to postal ballots this year reflected the desire of voters to avoid risking exposure to COVID-19 in crowded polling stations during a pandemic that has already killed more than 230,000 Americans.
However, because Trump often denied the seriousness of the virus and told his supporters not to support mail-in ballots, far fewer Republicans took advantage of the option, compared to Democrats.
Several major US television networks cut away from live coverage of Trump's event soon after it started, with MSNBC citing the need to correct false claims by the president.
TRUMP SONS STAND BY ELECTION CLAIMS
Donald Trump Jr, the eldest, called on his father in a tweet to wage "total war" against the cheating that he believes is tainting the presidential election.
The inflammatory tweet was framed by some, including the New York Post, as a clear sign of growing panic in the Trump camp over Joe Biden's chances of winning the White House.
"The best thing for America's future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long," Don Jr wrote on his Twitter account, where he regularly retweets conspiracy theories.
He did not provide any evidence of the cheating he alleged was going on.
"It's time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!" he added, before deriding the "total lack of action" from Republicans, naming some - such as South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, usually a staunch Trump ally.
His younger brother Eric also targeted the party that his father theoretically heads.
"Where are Republicans! Have some backbone. Fight against this fraud. Our voters will never forget you if your sheep!" he wrote.
Few, however, appeared to answer his grammatically incorrect call.
Trump's eldest daughter and one of his senior advisers, Ivanka, tweeted Thursday that her father "will always go to the mat fighting for the hardworking men & women of this great Country!"
But she has not tweeted or retweeted any of the fraud allegations championed by her brothers since Election Day.
PATHS TO VICTORY
Joe Biden appears to be in the lead following wins in Michigan and Wisconsin. With 264 electoral college votes projected to go to the Democrat, he is one battleground state away from becoming president-elect.
Trump, with 214 electoral votes, faces a much higher hurdle. To reach 270, he needs to claim all four remaining battlegrounds: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada.
Earlier Biden told reporters in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware that he had "no doubt" he would defeat Trump and be declared winner of the US election. He urged voters to remain calm and said that the result would be known "very soon".
Meanwhile, Trump's campaign has lost court rulings in the closely contested states of Georgia and Michigan, and has vowed to bring a new lawsuit challenging what it called voting irregularities in Nevada.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said without evidence on Thursday night (Nov 5) that if "legal" votes were counted he would "easily" win the presidential election, in a signal he is in no mood to concede to Joe Biden.
"If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us if you count the votes that came in late," said Trump in his first televised appearance since election night.
"We're looking at them very strongly, but a lot of votes came in late."
He also said that he had "already decisively won many critical states, including massive victories" in Florida, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio.
"We won these and many other victories despite historic election interference in big money, big media and big tech," said Trump at the White House briefing room.
Trump added his team had launched a "tremendous amount of litigation" to counter what he called the "corruption" of Democrats, even as several officials in battleground states yet to be called have defended the integrity of the vote.
SPEECH CUT SHORT BY US TV NETWORKS
Beyond the rhetoric, Trump's complaints were specifically targeting the integrity of the huge number of ballots mailed in, rather than cast in person on election day.
The big shift to postal ballots this year reflected the desire of voters to avoid risking exposure to COVID-19 in crowded polling stations during a pandemic that has already killed more than 230,000 Americans.
However, because Trump often denied the seriousness of the virus and told his supporters not to support mail-in ballots, far fewer Republicans took advantage of the option, compared to Democrats.
Several major US television networks cut away from live coverage of Trump's event soon after it started, with MSNBC citing the need to correct false claims by the president.
TRUMP SONS STAND BY ELECTION CLAIMS
Donald Trump Jr, the eldest, called on his father in a tweet to wage "total war" against the cheating that he believes is tainting the presidential election.
The inflammatory tweet was framed by some, including the New York Post, as a clear sign of growing panic in the Trump camp over Joe Biden's chances of winning the White House.
"The best thing for America's future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long," Don Jr wrote on his Twitter account, where he regularly retweets conspiracy theories.
He did not provide any evidence of the cheating he alleged was going on.
"It's time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!" he added, before deriding the "total lack of action" from Republicans, naming some - such as South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, usually a staunch Trump ally.
His younger brother Eric also targeted the party that his father theoretically heads.
"Where are Republicans! Have some backbone. Fight against this fraud. Our voters will never forget you if your sheep!" he wrote.
Few, however, appeared to answer his grammatically incorrect call.
Trump's eldest daughter and one of his senior advisers, Ivanka, tweeted Thursday that her father "will always go to the mat fighting for the hardworking men & women of this great Country!"
But she has not tweeted or retweeted any of the fraud allegations championed by her brothers since Election Day.
PATHS TO VICTORY
Joe Biden appears to be in the lead following wins in Michigan and Wisconsin. With 264 electoral college votes projected to go to the Democrat, he is one battleground state away from becoming president-elect.
Trump, with 214 electoral votes, faces a much higher hurdle. To reach 270, he needs to claim all four remaining battlegrounds: Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Nevada.
Earlier Biden told reporters in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware that he had "no doubt" he would defeat Trump and be declared winner of the US election. He urged voters to remain calm and said that the result would be known "very soon".
Meanwhile, Trump's campaign has lost court rulings in the closely contested states of Georgia and Michigan, and has vowed to bring a new lawsuit challenging what it called voting irregularities in Nevada.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump spent a second day in the White House on Thursday (Nov 5) stewing over election results that suggested a path to victory was slipping from his grasp, even as his campaign projected confidence.
Trump has not been seen in public since his premature declaration of victory in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. The flurry of pronouncements flowing out of the White House ahead of the election has slowed to a trickle. And in the West Wing, some aides were eyeing returns warily and losing confidence that outstanding states would break Trump’s way.
Trump was monitoring the results and calling allies from the White House residence and the Oval Office. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona’s Doug Ducey were among those fielding his calls.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said the president was “working” but declined to elaborate. Trump's preoccupation with the election results was evident from his tweets.
“STOP THE COUNT!” he proclaimed. But the president has no authority over election counting and halting the count at that moment would have resulted in a swift victory for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
“ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED!” he later wrote. That seemed to advocate tossing out untold legally cast votes, including those from service members stationed overseas. Many states accept mail-in ballots after Election Day as long as they were postmarked by Nov 3.
Trump's all-caps declarations had the tone of a last stand from a man who abhors losing. They mirrored a last-ditch legal effort waged by his campaign in several key undecided battlegrounds that was largely dismissed by experts as superficial and unlikely to shift the outcome in any meaningful way.
With just a handful of states yet to be decided, Biden had a clear advantage over Trump in the still-developing election results, but the president did still have a narrow path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win reelection. To prevail, Trump would have to win all four remaining battleground states; Biden would have to win one.
Trump's team outwardly expressed optimism.
"Donald Trump is alive and well,” Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a call with reporters Thursday morning. He predicted Trump would win Pennsylvania and other states that were too early to call.
White House and campaign staff were engaged in the same waiting game as the rest of the nation, somberly glued to television screens and watching results trickle in. In the West Wing, some aides have been eyeing returns warily, losing confidence that outstanding states will break Trump’s way.
Supporter of President Donald Trump demonstrate outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center where votes are being counted on Nov 5, 2020, in Philadelphia, following Tuesday's election. (Photo: AP/Matt Slocum)
Some are all but resigned to the idea of a Trump loss and have been discussing future employment prospects even as others continue to make unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud.
Those have been echoed by Trump, who has falsely claimed victory in several key states while amplifying unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about expected Democratic gains as legally cast absentee ballots and early votes were tabulated.
Trump had no events on his schedule Thursday and made no reference to the surging coronavirus.
Confirmed new positive cases climbed to an all-time high of more than 86,000 per day on average, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalisations are also setting records and deaths are on the rise, up 15 per cent to an average of 846 deaths every day.
Biden received a private briefing on the virus on Thursday afternoon, before emerging to tell the American public to be patient in awaiting the election results.
It was a very different tone from Trump, whose campaign released an all-caps statement from the president to rile up his base.
“IF YOU COUNT THE LEGAL VOTES, I EASILY WIN THE ELECTION! IF YOU COUNT THE ILLEGAL AND LATE VOTES, THEY CAN STEAL THE ELECTION FROM US!” he said. Officials are currently counting legal ballots and there is no evidence of any kind of widespread or decision-altering fraud.
Trump's campaign was nonetheless dispatching loyalists like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former director of national intelligence Ric Grenell to hold press conferences in states where they are mounting legal challenges.
Trump supporters argue their points with demonstrators from the organisation Code Pink outside the Republican National Committee headquarters, on Nov 5, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Photo: AP/Alex Brandon)
And as they tried to sow public doubt about a potential Trump loss, they announced they would be creating a website and reopening a phone line to collect accounts of alleged fraud.
The campaign also bombarded supporters with fundraising messages warning of unsubstantiated Democratic efforts to “steal” the outcome. The effort had raised well over US$10 million, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because of not being authorised to discuss it publicly. At least some of the money was earmarked for paying down general election debt.
Meanwhile, allies of the president, including his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, used Twitter to call out what he labelled, “The total lack of action from virtually all of the ‘2024 GOP hopefuls.’"
“They have a perfect platform to show that they’re willing & able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead,” he wrote, adding: “Don’t worry @realDonaldTrump will fight & they can watch as usual!”
Several of those who have been discussed as possible 2024 Republican candidates quickly chimed in, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Hale, who served as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, a conservative firebrand.
Trump Jr, who has also been discussed as a potential future candidate, made clear the family has no interest in calmly waiting for votes to be counted.
“The best thing for America’s future is for @realDonaldTrump to go to total war over this election to expose all of the fraud, cheating, dead/no longer in state voters, that has been going on for far too long,” he wrote. “It’s time to clean up this mess & stop looking like a banana republic!”
