President Donald Trump is refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election, in which President-elect Joe Biden has received 290 electoral votes and counting, well over the 270 votes required to take the White House.
Instead of conceding the election, the President has instead embarked on a days-long Twitter tirade, sharing misleading videos and outright lies falsely claiming that widespread voter fraud tipped the election to Biden, who currently leads Trump by around 5 million votes.
In addition to the President's Twitter claims, the Trump campaign has filed numerous lawsuits across multiple states alleging various forms of voting irregularities and improprieties.
The Trump campaign lawyers face the unenviable task of validating Trump's increasingly unhinged lies regarding massive voter fraud and the erosion of U.S. elections' integrity.
The New York Times recently reported that lawyers at Jones Day—one of the most prominent firms representing the President's campaign—are growing increasingly concerned that the firm is "advancing arguments that lack evidence and may be helping Mr. Trump and his allies undermine the integrity of American elections."
In Maricopa County, Arizona, a hearing occurred on Thursday regarding "Sharpiegate" (not to be confused with the time Trump edited a hurricane map with a permanent marker last year, also labeled "Sharpiegate).
Workers at a voting facility in Maricopa County gave voters permanent markers instead of pens to mark their ballots. Trump's allies later claimed that this was done deliberately to invalidate the increasing number of Republican votes in the county.
In reality, the Arizona Secretary of State and election officials in Arizona confirmed that permanent marker did not invalidate any ballots.
Lawyer Kory Langhofer is arguing on behalf of the Trump campaign that 180 of these ballots were improperly invalidated (Biden currently leads in the state by nearly 15 thousand votes).
In opposition to the President's overall narrative that he's the victim of widespread voter fraud, Langhofer conceded that he was not arguing fraud took place, saying:
"This is not a fraud case. We are not alleging fraud. We are not saying anyone is trying to steal the election."
Trump has accused Democrats of trying to "steal" the election multiple times.
Langhofer's concession came just a day after another Trump campaign lawyer in Pennsylvania walked back allegations of fraud perpetuated by the President.
Once again, the President's erratic accusations buckled under scrutiny in a court of law.
Meanwhile in Maricopa.
What Trump lawyers are telling judges in these cases is not what Trump and his allies are telling the public. https://t.co/kyvedoUZ8v
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 12, 2020
See #maga? TRUMP's own lawyers aren't alleging fraud. https://t.co/sB6SSRm2WP
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) November 12, 2020
"Stop the good faith errors!" doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it? https://t.co/HvrsxJIMYv
— Daniel Larison (@DanielLarison) November 12, 2020
Shot, shot, shot, shot... chaser https://t.co/CnsUCER2EY pic.twitter.com/VGjKXayRYd
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) November 12, 2020
Awaiting POTUS tweet: “SO MANY GOOD-FAITH ERRORS BY PEOPLE NOT TRYING IN ANY WAY TO COMMIT FRAUD OR STEAL THE ELECTION FROM ME" https://t.co/tgAgifLJ78
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 12, 2020
https://t.co/9PNmHislBv pic.twitter.com/mnUsXoi6cI
— Josh Chafetz (@joshchafetz) November 12, 2020
Trump's legal battles are unlikely to hold up, leading some to think he's only succeeding in undermining faith in American democracy.
Honestly how does @Twitter justify not suspending Trump's account at this point? He is spewing conspiratorial nonsense and is the nation's leading source of disinformation. Any “news" value of his feed is now outweighed by damage to democracy.
— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) November 12, 2020
There's no cause for panic, because Trump's coup isn't going to work. However, that doesn't mean everything is fine. On his way out the door, Trump is pushing his supporters closer towards rejecting democracy entirely. https://t.co/gTEj4s5kCR
— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) November 12, 2020
hey guys, be nice to trump as he dismantles our democracy, sows irreversible distrust in america's voting systems, and prevents the transition of power, which in turn will cause thousands more US coronavirus deaths, all for the sake of soothing his wounded ego. give him space ❤️
— Jill Gutowitz (@jillboard) November 12, 2020
Trump's time in the White House is up after noon on January 20th.
