Four years ago, Trump did not accept his election defeat – and thus caused US democracy to falter. Now it looks as if he is using a similar strategy as a precaution.
On the weekend before the US election, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a precautionary measure sowed doubts about a possible election defeat and raised unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. During a campaign appearance in the hotly contested state of Pennsylvania, he called the Democrats a “demonic party” and in lengthy statements accused them of cheating in the presidential election on Tuesday (November 5th). The 78-year-old told ABC News that he assumed the winner of the race for the White House would be decided on election night.
The fact that the ex-president is stirring up fears of election fraud in such detail so shortly before election day is probably no coincidence – and is reminiscent of his actions four years ago. On election night, Trump declared himself the winner in 2020 – and called for a stop to the vote counting when he was temporarily ahead of his challenger Joe Biden. To this day he does not recognize his election defeat. There are fears in the USA that Trump could now repeat this strategy. It is likely that the result of the election will not be known within a few hours of the polls closing. Postal votes in particular are delaying the counting process in some states.
During his election campaign appearances, Trump also played on the fears of people in the USA and painted the picture of a “country in decline”. He said: “If I win, the American people will take control of this country again. The United States is now an occupied country.” He insulted his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the usual manner. “She has no clue. She’s like a child when it comes to the economy.” The vote comes down to a neck-and-neck race between the US vice president and Trump.
Polls also predict tight races in the particularly competitive swing states – both are roughly equal in polls there. That’s why the two candidates are concentrating particularly on these states in the last few meters. In addition to Pennsylvania, Trump also had Georgia and North Carolina on Sunday’s agenda. Harris was in Michigan.
Former US President Barack Obama campaigned for Harris in Milwaukee in the swing state of Wisconsin. “You may not agree with every decision she makes,” Obama said of the US vice president. But she will stand up for the people in the country. The 63-year-old mocked Trump: He doesn’t even know how to change a flat tire. “Donald Trump got $400 million from his daddy. That’s how he got rich.” Nevertheless, he had to declare bankruptcy several times, Obama said of his successor in the White House.
Back then, Trump only inherited the good economy from him. At the end of his presidency, gasoline was only cheap because everyone was sitting at home because of the corona pandemic and there was no demand. Obama also spoke directly to black voters and people with roots in Latin America. “Why do you think the answer is to vote for someone who has a long history of demeaning and disrespecting your communities?” he asked.
In addition to Obama, Harris can expect other prominent support in the final stretch of the election campaign these days. According to Harris’ campaign team, the 60-year-old will be on stage with artists Lady Gaga and Katy Perry at performances on Monday evening (local time) in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania. US talk show host Oprah Winfrey and singer Ricky Martin are also expected. Among others, his son Don Jr. promoted Trump on Sunday. He made several appearances with Trump’s running mate JD Vance.
