Donald Trump was on his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, as Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election
Credit: Al Drago/Getty Images North America
… with supporters of Mr Biden gathering outside the club
Credit: Chris Kleponis/Bloomberg
Mr Trump speaks on the phone as he returns to the White House after playing golf
Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
Mr Trump’s statement said: "We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him. They don’t want the truth to be exposed. The simple fact is this election is far from over. Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media."
Mr Trump also remained defiant on Twitter. "The observers were not allowed into the counting rooms," he complained. "I won the election, got 71,000 legal votes. Bad things happened which our advisers were not allowed to see. Never happened before. Millions of mail-in ballots were sent to people who never asked for them."
Twitter flagged the tweet, saying the claim about election fraud was disputed.
THE OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE COUNTING ROOMS. I WON THE ELECTION, GOT 71,000,000 LEGAL VOTES. BAD THINGS HAPPENED WHICH OUR OBSERVERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR THEM!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020
He said his Democrat opponent had yet to be officially certified as the winner of any states and complained that observers had not been allowed "meaningful access" to the counting process in Pennsylvania.
"Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated," he added.
"The American people are entitled to an honest election. That means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots. This is the only way to ensure the public has full confidence in our election. It remains shocking that the Biden campaign refuses to agree with this basic principle."
How election day played out How election day played out
It came after Mr Trump’s campaign issued an extraordinary email soliciting donations to a legal fund to challenge election counts.
The message, headed "FINAL NOTICE", was sent to supporters who had yet to contribute and said: "So far, you’ve ignored all our emails asking you to join us in DEFENDING THE ELECTION. TENS OF THOUSANDS of Patriots have stepped up for the VERY FIRST TIME in the last 48 hours – why haven’t you?"
The goal was to raise at least $60 million (£45.6 million) to fund legal challenges brought by Mr Trump. Astute readers of the emails were quick to notice the fine print, which said only half of donations would be used on legal fees, with the balance being used to pay down campaign debt.
The president’s advisers have been split between ultra-loyalists including his family, who believe he should never give up until the result is legally overturned, and some political professionals within his circle who have accepted the reality of the situation.
Some have advanced an exit strategy under which Mr Trump would commit to a peaceful transfer of power without ever making a traditional concession speech. That plan could include him never meeting Mr Biden and declining to attend his inauguration.
Mr Trump would then be able to continue to claim the election was "stolen" after he leaves office.
Some Republicans have also been attempting to make the argument to Mr Trump that if he persisted with a lengthy legal battle it could end up destroying his legacy. They believe he might ultimately accept a scenario in which he leaves office without interfering with the transition of power and remains the most influential figure in the party.
Pressure on Mr Trump to accept some sort of compromise was mounting from some supporters.
Speaking shortly before TV networks called the race, Lindsey Graham, one of his key allies in the Senate, said he was "not conceding" that Mr Biden was the winner but began discussing the practicalities of how he would deal with a Biden administration. He said Mr Biden "deserves" to have his Cabinet nominees approved by the Senate.
"I have reached across the aisle and will continue to do so," said Mr Graham. "The vice president [Mr Biden] deserves a Cabinet."
Mr Trump’s speech in the White House on Thursday night, when he claimed he was being "cheated" out of the election, was followed by a restrained statement on Friday morning that said he was seeking "full transparency into vote counting".
That had been seen as an indication that advisers might be succeeding in moderating the president’s position.
Mr Trump’s mood was reportedly "black" and, as in previous crises, he has been paying close attention to who is defending him on television, and who is not. He has repeatedly spoken by telephone with Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate. Mr McConnell has offered only guarded public support for the president’s position on the election.
Larry Kudlow, Mr Trump’s senior economic adviser, told CNBC he expected "a peaceful transfer of power", saying: "This is a great country. This is the greatest democracy in the world, and we abide by the rule of law, and so will this president."
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