Trump keeps up false claims of widespread fraud at Georgia rally

US President Donald Trump campaigned in Georgia on Saturday for two Republican senators at a rally that some in his party feared could end up hurting, not helping, their chances by focusing on his efforts to reverse his own election defeat. In his first rally appearance since he lost to Democrat Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 presidential contest, Trump urged the crowd to vote for Republican candidates in the Georgia runoff election on Jan. 5 despite his unsubstantiated claims of significant electoral fraud in the state.

But he gave considerable time in his remarks to allegations, made without evidence, of widespread fraud in the nationwide election that led to a Democrat reclaiming the White House. Trump has declined to concede the race.The president repeated his attacks on Republicans who have refused to back his claims, including Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp. Earlier on Saturday, Trump phoned Kemp and pressured the governor on Twitter to take further steps to help him overturn the election results.

Trump’s allegations of widespread voter fraud have been rejected by state and federal officials across the country, and his campaign’s numerous legal challenges have almost all failed.

Trump said on Saturday that voters could and should refuse to accept what he called the “rigged” presidential election results while also casting ballots for Perdue and Loeffler in the runoffs.“If you don’t vote, the socialists and the communists win,” he said. “We can fight for the presidency and fight to elect our two great senators, and we can do it at the same time.”
VALDOSTA, Georgia (Reuters), 5 Dec, 2020