Supporters of President Trump are planning protests in Washington, D.C., on Saturday as the Trump campaign plans more rallies as it broadens its fight against election results.
Trump has refused to concede to Biden after news organizations projected on Saturday that the former vice president was the winner of the presidential race.
At the same time, Trump is planning a new political action committee that will allow him to raise money for federal election candidates, and his campaign has stepped up fundraising efforts for an “election defense taskforce.”
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The result is a growing sense that in defeat, Trump is carrying on in the same way that he governed — in a state of perpetual campaign.
Washington’s rally is called the “Million Maga March,” according to the group on Twitter, which is calling on protesters to gather at midday.
Details of the event have been posted on social media and taken up by accounts associated with far-right groups such as the Proud Boys, raising concerns that it might attract counterprotests and violence.
When asked about those fears, Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, said she was also monitoring reports of a caravan of protesters arriving from the south.
“We continue to follow those activities and be prepared for those activities,” she said during a park opening. “Our police chief will have a similar posture this weekend as he did last week, and we will be there to support peaceful exercise of First Amendment demonstrations.”
The protests come as one Trump insider told the Washington Examiner that some advisers had suggested sending the president back out on the road to keep his base excited and engaged.
However, Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said there were no plans for the president to hold rallies.
“These would be grassroots rallies, as we’ve already seen pop up in a variety of states since Election Day, organic shows of support like the tractor and boat parades have been all year,” he said.
On Tuesday, Trump used his Twitter presence to again claim “massive ballot counting abuse” and predicted he would eventually win the election race, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
WATCH FOR MASSIVE BALLOT COUNTING ABUSE AND, JUST LIKE THE EARLY VACCINE, REMEMBER I TOLD YOU SO!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2020
At the same time, details emerged of how the president may seek to continue to exert influence over the Republican Party.
Murtaugh confirmed that Trump had always planned to set up a leadership PAC whatever the election result “so he can support candidates and issues he cares about, such as combating voter fraud.”
Such PACs can accept donations of $5,000 per donor per year, allowing Trump to build a war chest that he can use to fund candidates and continue to wield influence.
It suggests a president who is looking to the future and working out in the manner of a figure who signed his reelection papers on the day he was sworn into power in 2017.
John Fredericks, a talk show host and advisory board member of Trump 2020, said the flurry of activity would encourage supporters to know that the fight was not over.
“As we go forward, it’s important that we keep the Trump voters involved and give them hope that we’ll keep fighting this until the facts are known,” he said.
“This is fighting the election outcome. We are going to fight for the truth, fight for every certified, verified ballot.”
