WASHINGTON, United States聽 鈥 President Donald Trump is urging supporters to amass in Washington on January 6 for a last-ditch rally to pressure Congress to not certify Joe Biden鈥檚 election victory.
Thousands of supporters from around the country, from the Women for America First group, to StoptheSteal, to the violent Proud Boys, are expected to descend on the US capital pressing Trump鈥檚 unsupported claim that massive voter fraud was behind his defeat in the November 3 election.
Trump tweeted twice this weekend urging supporters to attend, labelling the election 鈥渢he biggest SCAM in our nation鈥檚 history.鈥
鈥淪ee you in Washington, DC, on January 6th. Don鈥檛 miss it,鈥 he wrote Sunday.
The rally raised fears of fresh violence after the previous pro-Trump protest that included the Proud Boys on December 12 saw several people stabbed and dozens arrested.
Trump appears to hope that the protestors could pressure Congress to reject the final count of state-based electors and reverse his election loss.
鈥淲e the People聽must take to the US Capitol lawn and steps and tell Congress #DoNotCertify,鈥 StopTheSteal declared online.
鈥淐ongress cannot certify this fraudulent Electoral College,鈥 they said.
On January 6 Vice President Mike Pence is to lead Congress in certifying the Electoral College votes submitted by each state, which represent the results of the popular vote.
In the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Pence is to open and read the certificates reporting elector tallies from each state, and then declare the victor.
That process should be, as it almost always is, a formality.
Democrat Biden captured 306 electors while Republican Trump only won 232.
Trump鈥檚 campaign has lost dozens of court challenges in several contested states, with judge after judge saying they showed no evidence of any significant fraud.
But the session can be stalled if lawmakers from both houses submit formal objections to any state鈥檚 report.
Alabama Representative Mo Brooks told Fox 黑料社 on Monday that he has the support of 鈥渄ozens鈥 of lawmakers to formally challenge the counts.
Meanwhile Trump and supporters have pressured Pence to unilaterally reject some pro-Biden states鈥 elector certificates, a power legal experts say Pence does not have.
Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger on Sunday said it was all an effort by 鈥渃ertain members of Congress and the president鈥 to raise money.
鈥淚t is a scam and it is going to disappoint the people that believe this election was stolen,鈥 he told CNN.