WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump has confirmed he will address a rally of his supporters Wednesday in Washington, called in protest at the certification by Congress of Joe Biden’s election victory.
“I will be speaking at the SAVE AMERICA RALLY tomorrow on the Ellipse at 11AM Eastern (1600 GMT),” tweeted the Republican, who refuses to concede defeat two months after the November vote.
“Arrive early,” Trump urged — promising “BIG CROWDS!” at the site near the White House.
Biden will be delivering remarks of his own Wednesday, from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, following a meeting with his economic advisors.
Trump has steadfastly refused to accept his election loss, making repeated and unfounded claims of fraud in the states where he was narrowly beaten.
Multiple courts have rejected legal challenges from Trump’s team but he has succeeded in sowing doubt among Republican voters, more than half of whom believe Trump won or aren’t sure who did, according to a survey last month.
That confusion was echoed by many of his supporters who gathered near the White House on Tuesday, in preparation for what Trump has promised would be a “wild” protest the following day.
Convinced by Trump’s allegations that mass fraud tarnished the vote, many were hoping for a last-minute surprise that would keep him in power beyond January 20, the date of Biden’s inauguration.
Large parts of Washington’s downtown area were boarded up, with shops and businesses shuttered by the coronavirus and amid fears of a repeat of the violence that rocked the city during racial justice protests last year.
Vice President Mike Pence will preside over Wednesday’s joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote that confirmed Biden as the winner of the White House, by 306 votes to 232.
While Trump supporters protest in the streets, several House and Senate Republicans have already signalled they will object to certifying the votes in some swing states won by Biden, potentially forcing proceedings into the overnight hours.
But the chance of the gambit working is virtually zero. Democrats control the House of Representatives, while only a dozen Republicans in the 100-member Senate are likely to object to confirmation.
© Agence France-Presse