Thousands of pro-Trump supporters came out en masse to support the president, reiterating the same claims of voting irregularities and fraud that President Donald Trump has continued to echo, days after the elections. The supporters, who were clad in red, white, and blue, urged the president not to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, Fox News reports.
Trump made an appearance at the rally when his motorcade drove past the supporters, who were excited and proceeded to chant various messages of support.
On Friday, the president using his favorite Twitter platform alluded to attending the rally. He said the support he was getting was inspiring, but Trump would spend Saturday morning playing golf at his Virginia golf course. As he made way to the White House, he was met by crowds of supporters who waved flags of support.
The president spent time retweeting tweets, images, and videos that supported his cause while saying he would not be conceding. Trump maintained his stance that the election was rigged and called it corrupt. Due to the coronavirus, the November 3 poll witnessed a massive use of mail-in voting, a process that Trump had severely criticized months before the election, USA Today reports.
Biden currently has a popular vote of more than 78 million – the highest ever votes for a presidential candidate. He has also secured more than 290 of the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency. Trump, on the other hand, has 72 million votes and 232 electoral votes. The results from Georgia have not been called yet, but Biden is projected to win there also after leading during a hand recount that was underway at the time of going to press.
The Women for America First organized a “March for Trump” Saturday. The rally, which started at Freedom Plaza, subsequently marched on to the Supreme Court. According to the National Park Service, 10,000 people were estimated to show up; however, many more people pulled up and filled the White House’s vicinity.
The demonstrators from different parts of the country, such as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, could be seen protesting against voter fraud. “Stop the Steal,” “This election was stolen from us,” and “Four More Years” were amongst the various chants propagated by the protesters. The demonstrations went on mostly peacefully.
While the “March for Trump” rally gained ground, “The Million MAGA March” was planned in what the Proud Boys group termed the greatest Trump rally in history. They had earlier shown interest in making an appearance at the rally.
Counter-protesters turned up too and echoed sentiments of Biden’s victory. They mocked the pro-Trump groups and tagged the president as a sore loser. They also demanded he must leave.
By late afternoon on Saturday, the demonstrations had turned violent, with the two opposing groups hurling dangerous objects at each other. Many people were physically assaulted. As of 4:30 pm, the police reported that about ten people had been arrested for various offenses, including illegal possessions of firearms, physical assault, disorderly conduct, no permit, and assault on an officer. The police had to intervene in brawls between the two groups on numerous occasions.
Despite the rising cases of coronavirus in the country, many participants in the rally were not putting on their facemasks, as recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), especially when in large gatherings.
Source: usatoday.com
