Trump supporters gather in Washington alleging election fraud

By Alfonso Fernandez

Washington DC, Dec 12 (efe-epa).- Chanting “Stop the steal,” thousands of supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump gathered on Saturday in the streets of Washington to protest against “fraud” in the November elections, which Democrat Joe Biden won.

The protesters organized around three marches in the heart of the US capital, a day after the Supreme Court rejected another lawsuit to overturn the presidential election results.

“We are in a spiritual battle for the heart and soul of this country. We will win,” Trump’s first national security adviser Michael Flynn said at one of the marches held in front of the top court.

Interestingly, Flynn recently received a presidential pardon after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

“This is not over, this is just the beginning,” former Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson said in another passionate speech, even though there are no longer any clear legal avenues to deny Biden’s victory in the elections.

“We are the cavalry. No one’s coming for us,” she added, amid chants of “four more years.”

Shortly later, Trump flew over the march in the presidential helicopter en route to the traditional annual football game between the army and the navy at the West Point military academy in New York.

“Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA,” the president tweeted.

According to the permits granted, the organizers expected crowds of up to 16,000 people. But according to an EFE estimate, the number of attendees was lower.

Among them was the far-right group “Proud Boys,” whose chairman, Enrique Tarrio, posted a photo taken at the White House on social media on Saturday morning fueling rumors of a meeting with Trump.

However, minutes later, White House spokesperson Judd Deere issued a statement denying that Tarrio had met the president and said he had been part of a public White House Christmas tour.

“He did not have a meeting with the president, nor did the White House invite him,” Deere said.

The march comes a day after the US Supreme Court dealt a death blow to Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 elections, rejecting a lawsuit filed by Texas.

The top court dismissed the complaint filed by Trump ally and the Republican attorney general of the state, Ken Paxton, to reverse the results of the presidential election won by Biden.

Trump, who has not acknowledged his defeat in the elections and made unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud, raged against the decision.

“The Supreme Court really let us down. No Wisdom, No Courage!” he tweeted.

The Electoral College is likely to meet to certify Biden as the next US president on Monday.

The Democrat, who will take office in a ceremony scheduled for Jan. 20, won 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.

Biden has almost finalized his future cabinet. He has already announced his nominations for the top positions: Janet Yellen as treasury secretary; Anthony Blinken as secretary of state, and retired General Lloyd Austin as secretary of defense. EFE-EPA