US Election: Trump raises spectre of rigged polls

With one day to go before the election, Donald Trump has raised the spectre of a rigged election, accusing the Democrats of trying to steal it.

“They are fighting so hard to steal this damn thing,” Trump said on Sunday at a rally in Pennsylvania, referring to moves to extend polling hours and warning of the possibility of voting machine tampering. He insisted that the elections “have to be decided by 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock on Tuesday night,” calling Democrats “crooked people.”

He claimed that they spend “all this money on machines,” and questioned what might happen if results took an extra 12 days to determine. Trump suggested that he was the only one speaking about the election risks, saying, “And then they accuse you of being a ‘theorist’… The ones that should be locked up are the ones that cheat on these horrible elections that we go through in our country.”

He appeared to be laying the groundwork to contest the validity of the election if he loses, reiterating that he was the real winner of the 2020 election and that he should have stayed in office. “We had the safest border in the history of our country the day that I left,” he added, saying, “I shouldn’t have left (the White House) because we did so well.”

Pennsylvania was his first stop on Sunday, before heading to North Carolina and Georgia—states that can determine his victory. These three are among seven swing states that can go either way, unlike others that firmly support one party.

Trump has been focusing his campaign speeches on issues like illegal migration, crime, bringing back manufacturing and jobs, and inflation, often deviating from his scripted remarks to speak off-the-cuff. In Pennsylvania, he largely abandoned prepared remarks and spoke extemporaneously, stating, “I love being off these stupid teleprompters because the truth comes out.”

Speaking behind bullet-proof glass, he joked that “to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news.” This comment drew scathing criticism for allegedly promoting violence against the media. His spokesperson, Steven Cheung, clarified that the remarks were meant to protect reporters rather than incite harm.

At his subsequent rallies, Trump continued to focus on his campaign’s themes, repeating his promise of a “Golden Age” if elected. He faced backlash for a comedian’s insult directed at Puerto Rico during his New York rally, calling it an island of garbage.

In Georgia, Trump attacked the Biden administration’s open border policy, claiming it has allowed in criminals and murderers. He invited the family of a Puerto Rican woman allegedly murdered by an illegal migrant on stage, underscoring his support among Puerto Ricans and their opposition to open borders. Carmen Ramirez, the victim’s mother, stated, “I have a 25-year-old daughter with a lot of life, and somebody stopped her life. And we have to stop with this and keep going with Donald Trump.”