President Trump used the trappings of a White House address to claim, without proof, that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election and promised to keep fighting to overturn the results in a prerecorded video he said may be the “most important speech” he’s ever made.
Trump has suffered a string of setbacks as his legal challenges were defeated in court.
He has remained largely holed up at the White House as, one by one, his key allies, including Attorney General William Barr, admitted that there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
But on Wednesday, Trump returned to the idea that fraud cost him the election, suggesting President-elect Joe Biden’s low profile on the campaign trail was suspicious — rather than being due to coronavirus precautions.
“My opponent was told to stay away from the election. Don’t campaign. We don’t need you. We’ve got it. This election is done,” he said. “In fact, they were acting like they already knew what the outcome was going to be.”
“They had it covered. And perhaps they did, very sadly for our country. It was all very, very strange.”
Statement by Donald J. Trump, The President of the United States
Full Video: https://t.co/EHqzsLbbJG pic.twitter.com/Eu4IsLNsKD
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020
Trump couched his claims as a defense of the Constitution and the principle that only “legal votes” should be counted.
But the speech also contained a string of conspiracy theories that have been debunked, such as voting machines switching Trump votes to Biden at the press of a button.
“We have a company that is very suspect. Its name is Dominion,” he said from behind a lectern bearing the presidential seal. “With a turn of a dial, or the change of a chip, you can press a button for Trump, and the vote goes to Biden. What kind of a system is this? We have to go to paper.”
Election officials have repeatedly pointed out that the system leaves a paper trail and that it is impossible for votes to be switched from one candidate to another.
Time is running out for Trump. States have until Dec. 8 to resolve disputes and certify their results.
Even so, the president has hinted that he plans to disrupt the transition further. He has so far not invited Biden to the White House and has also hinted that he may not attend the Jan. 20 inauguration, using the date instead to announce a 2024 election run.
Earlier in the day, his press secretary deflected questions about whether he would be present to see his successor sworn in.
“I’ll leave that to the president to make his announcement,” said Kayleigh McEnany. “He tweeted something to the effect of, he knows what his decision is, and he’ll make his decision at the right time.”
The result is a sense that Trump’s claims of fraud are an exercise in fundraising and a means of keeping his name in the headlines as he ponders life after the White House.
In his address, Trump adopted a steady tone and role of magnanimous leader, looking out for his country.
“Ultimately, I am prepared to accept any accurate election result. And I hope that Joe Biden is, as well,” he said. “But we already have the proof. We already have tens of thousands of ballots more than we need to overturn all of these states that we’re talking about.”
Trump is due to return to the campaign trail on Saturday. He will travel to Georgia on Saturday for a “victory rally,” appearing alongside Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who face a runoff election.
