Conspiracy Theory

The Arizona Republican Party continues to deny President-elect Joe Biden's win in the Grand Canyon state, even after its 11 electors for Biden cast their ballots and sent the certification to Congress on Dec. 14. As a result, a divide is widening between the activist, right-leaning faction and the establishment moderates in the state's GOP amid baseless accusations of election fraud by some Republicans and Trump allies -- accusations which have been dismissed by judges in several court cases. The clash within the Republican Party isn't likely to dissipate anytime soon, and those contrarian stances, like challenging Biden's win, within the party may even be a political strategy to energize some groups of voters, experts say. "This election is far from over," Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward said in a video posted on Twitter Tuesday morning . "Anyone who is telling you differently, whether it's in the media, whether it's the Democrat talking heads or whether it's the Republican establishment, is just avoiding the facts." But when it comes to facts, the nation's top attorney disagreed. The Justice Department uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would tip the results of the presidential election, Attorney General William Barr said. Voters in Arizona generally split their tickets; voting for Biden and Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly at the top of the ballot, and re-electing Republicans down the ballot. Any claims brought by the party or the president's allies have been thrown out in court, and the party is now pursuing audits through subpoena power enacted by members of the Republican-led state legislature. Ward won her post in 2019 after two statewide losses in Republican primaries for U.S. Senate seats against late Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Martha McSally. She's been challenging the election in unsuccessful courtroom battles and criticizing fellow Republican, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has defended the state's election integrity in the face of pushback from Ward and President Donald Trump. Despite Monday's Electoral College votes for Biden, Ward, who is a Trump elector, and other GOP electors in Arizona still met to cast unofficial ballots for the president-- and 27 members of the Arizona state legislature penned a joint resolution calling on Congress to accept those ballots, rather than the ones signed and certified by Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. James Strickland, an associate professor of political science at Arizona State University, said that Republicans' insistence on challenging election results might be a political strategy for future elections. "There seem to be many people within the party who genuinely have questions about election processes, but filing lawsuits also may be an electoral strategy for 2022 and 2024," Strickland said about election fraud claims. "Doing so may allow party officials to claim that they are pursuing all available options, thereby encouraging donors and other supporters to remain involved and, importantly, turn out to vote in those future elections." "Angry voters tend to turn out," he added. "If the party leadership is indeed pursuing the fraud claims to achieve a political benefit, then this would suggest that they believe a sizable enough portion of their supporters will appreciate and reward those efforts." The president has used his courtroom battles as a massive post-election fundraising mechanism. The Trump campaign and the GOP raised at least $170 million since Election Day, ABC News reported Dec. 1. Arizona-based Republican strategist Chuck Coughlin said that the election fraud accusations have created a tough road for members who don't support those claims. "They've hung on to this election fraud thing that is a presidential narrative that goes back to the Iowa primaries. When [Trump] lost to Ted Cruz, he said that he's just unwilling to accept any electoral outcome that he doesn't win," Coughlin said. As in other battleground states across the country, challenges to election results in Arizona are propelled by false claims of apparent fraud. Republicans recently counted a win after the state Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Maricopa County in order to conduct a forensic audit of its voting machines and two recent suits thrown out by courts in Arizona have been appealed, one to the U.S. Supreme Court and the other to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Overall, Trump and his allies filed nearly 60 lawsuits as part of the effort to overturn the results of the election, nearly all of which have since been dismissed by judges, often with sharply worded rulings. At least six suits were filed in Arizona alone. Last week, the United States Supreme Court rejected a bid led by Texas and supported by Trump to throw out votes from four swing states -- a significant blow to the effort to get the courts to overturn the results of the election. Secretaries of state across the country told ABC News last month that there was no evidence of widespread election fraud, and post-election audits of voting machines returned miniscule differences in the vote count. Despite the lack of success in the courts, dissension in the ranks continued to bubble over following Ducey's involvement in Arizona's election certification process. According to Coughlin, these types of battles aren't uncommon in Arizona. He said there's a faction of the party which has "consistently been anti-establishment, libertarian-leaning Republicans who dominate insider politics." "It's the narrow base of the Republican party that it operates from. And elected officials who don't have a broader base of support are vulnerable to that. McCain back in the day was the only one that could withstand it, and nobody else has that kind of broad base support. Clearly the governor doesn't have that," he said. MORE: Supreme Court denies bid by Texas, Trump to overturn 2020 election Ducey has drawn the ire of Trump, who wondered publicly on Twitter what the governor's "rush" was to certify the results. The governor became a target of Trump and his allies following Arizona's election certification. All of Arizona's 15 counties, led by Republicans and Democrats, canvassed and certified their own elections, which were then sent to Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and her office for further statewide audits. Only then, weeks after the election on Nov. 30, did Ducey participate in a certification of the statewide results alongside Hobbs and Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Alex Wong/Getty Images, FILE - PHOTO: President Donald Trump talks to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey during a working lunch with governors on workforce freedom and mobility at the White House on June 13, 2019 in Washington. While Ducey certified results, a meeting led by Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis continued to sow doubt about the election. It was attended by some state legislators and newly reelected members of Congress, including Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, who were all presented with baseless conspiracy theories of election fraud in Arizona. MORE: Former astronaut Mark Kelly sworn in as Arizona's newest US senator Coughlin said it is no surprise that the party has turned its criticism on Ducey in light of Trump's loss. Ross D. Franklin/AP - PHOTO: Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey answers a question on the topic of COVID-19 in Arizona during a news conference on Dec. 2, 2020, in Phoenix. "There isn't any other narrative than the Trump narrative," Coughlin told ABC News. "If you try and break away from that narrative at all, you see what happens. The first victim of that was Jeff Flake, the second victim was John McCain." "It's you either step in line, and you follow whatever the president says, including overthrowing the legitimate elections, or you're gonna face the ire of everybody else who's still on the train," he added. Strickland said he thinks it is too early to say whether or not the Republican party will be able to work past the Trump era in the coming years. "I imagine that Donald Trump will continue to have influence within the Republican Party, and that he might be a kingmaker in 2024, if he chooses not to run for president himself. Going forward, I imagine that the success of local political officials who have associated themselves with the fraud cases will depend on Trump's popularity within the Republican Party," Strickland said. Republicans across the country have campaigned for legislatures in battleground states to convene and grant a new slate of electors to cast ballots for Trump instead of Biden, which is not allowed by the Arizona Constitution. Ducey has all but denied calls for a special session, saying he would see the legislature on Jan. 11, when its next session is set to begin. House Speaker Russell Bowers also eventually shut down the ide a of convening the legislature, saying he would not authorize a special session and pointing to Arizona's Constitution and the lack of substantial evidence presented by Giuliani and Ellis. His resistance to bringing the legislature into session, in part, started calls for members of the statehouse not to vote for Bowers for Speaker of the House in the next session. MORE: McConnell recognizes Biden as president-elect 6 weeks after election Coughlin said the public quarrels are the "burning down of your own house." "They don't care because this is part of the party that puts the party ahead of country," he said. "If you don't believe the Trump message of division, then you're not a Republican. You know, you're a 'RINO' and it's a very narrow place to build a party from. Arguably it's incapable of winning a statewide election in Arizona." ABC News' Olivia Rubin contributed reporting. Election ResultsArizona State LegislatureRepublican PrimariesElection FraudPoliticsPresidential ElectionGOP LeadersGOP VotersDemocratic VotersGOP OfficialsArizona GOPCongressThe Republican PartyThe Justice DepartmentElectoral CollegeJoe BidenKelli WardWilliam BarrMark KellyJohn MccainMartha McsallyDoug DuceyDonald TrumpKatie HobbsTed CruzJeff FlakePaul GosarAndy BiggsRussell BowersMark BrnovichRudy Giuliani

Donald Trump defended spreading a preposterous conspiracy theory about the death of Osama bin Laden during a town hall on NBC Thursday night, saying he had merely been passing along a supporter’s view. “That was an opinion of somebody and that was a retweet. I’ll put it out there. People...Conspiracy TheoryCoronavirus Disease 2019White SupremacyNBCNavy Seal Team SixSupreme CourtAntifaConspiracy TheoriesTown HallDemocratsOpinionPedophiliaNutsSavannah GuthrieDonald TrumpOsama Bin LadenJoe BidenBen SasseSean ConleyAmy Coney BarrettRead Full Story

(CNN) — There are not Republicans and Democrats this month. There are people who buy President Donald Trump's conspiracy theories and those who don't. Those who don't have less and less patience for their former allies. Trump's onetime ally Doug Ducey, the Republican governor of Arizona, faced the President's Twitter...Read Full Story YoloFdaRhode IslandPoliticsDemocratsPolitical ConservativesYOLOCNNRepublicansFacebookCapitol HillTwitterGoogleRestorationParliamentDonald TrumpDoug DuceyFrank BowmanCharles IiSean HannityMark MeadowsJoe BidenMichelle Lujan GrishamRalph Northam

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit backed by President Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory, ending a desperate attempt to get legal issues rejected by state and federal judges before the nation’s highest court and subvert the will of voters.Trump bemoaned the decision late Friday, tweeting: “The Supreme Court really let us down. No Wisdom, No Courage!”The high court’s order earlier Friday was a stark repudiation of a legal claim that was widely regarded as dubious, yet embraced by the president, 19 Republican state attorneys general and 126 House Republicans.Trump had insisted the court would find the “wisdom” and “courage” to adopt his baseless position that the election was the product of widespread fraud and should be overturned. But the nation’s highest court emphatically disagreed.Friday’s order marked the second time this week that the court had rebuffed Republican requests that it get involved in the 2020 election outcome and reject the voters’ choice, as expressed in an election regarded by both Republican and Democratic officials as free and fair. The justices turned away an appeal from Pennsylvania Republicans on Tuesday.On Monday, the Electoral College meets to formally elect Biden as the next president.Trump had called the lawsuit filed by Texas against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin “the big one” that would end with the Supreme Court undoing Biden’s substantial Electoral College majority and allowing Trump to serve another four years in the White House.In a brief order, the court said Texas does not have the legal right to sue those states because it “has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.”Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who have said previously the court does not have the authority to turn away lawsuits between states, said they would have heard Texas’ complaint. But they would not have done as Texas wanted — setting aside those four states’ 62 electoral votes for Biden — pending resolution of the lawsuit. Trump complained that “within a flash,” the lawsuit was “thrown out and gone, without even looking at the many reasons it was brought. A Rigged Election, fight on!”Three Trump appointees sit on the high court. In his push to get the most recent of his nominees, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, confirmed quickly, Trump said she would be needed for any post-election lawsuits. Barrett appears to have participated in both cases this week. None of the Trump appointees noted a dissent in either case.The four states sued by Texas had urged the court to reject the case as meritless. They were backed by another 22 states and the District of Columbia. Republican support for the lawsuit and its call to throw out millions of votes in four battleground states was rooted in baseless claims of fraud, an extraordinary display of the party’s willingness to countermand the will of voters. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana were among those joining to support the action.“The Court has rightly dismissed out of hand the extreme, unlawful and undemocratic GOP lawsuit to overturn the will of millions of American voters,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday night. A few Republicans expressed concerns about the case. Many others remained silent even as Trump endlessly repeated claims that he lost a chance at a second term due to widespread fraud. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who has previously criticized the president, applauded the court’s decision.“Since Election Night, a lot of people have been confusing voters by spinning Kenyan Birther-type, ‘Chavez rigged the election from the grave’ conspiracy theories, but every American who cares about the rule of law should take comfort that the Supreme Court — including all three of President Trump’s picks — closed the book on the nonsense,” Sasse said in a statement. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the court “saw through this seditious abuse of the judicial process.” “While these stunts are legally insignificant, their cost to our country — in misleading the public about a free and fair election and in tearing at our Constitution — is high and we will not tolerate them from our sister states or anyone else,” said Shapiro, a Democrat. The Texas complaint repeated false, disproven and unsubstantiated accusations about the voting in four states that went for Trump’s Democratic challenger. The high court had never before been asked for such a dramatic remedy.Two days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed his suit, Trump jumped into the high court case. Hours later, the president held a meeting at the White House, scheduled before the suit was filed, with a dozen Republican attorneys general, including Paxton and several others who backed the effort.“If the Supreme Court shows great Wisdom and Courage, the American People will win perhaps the most important case in history, and our Electoral Process will be respected again!” he tweeted Friday afternoon. Trump had spent the week relentlessly tweeting about the Texas case with the hashtag “overturn” and claiming, falsely, that he had won the election but was robbed.In a statement Friday, Paxton called the Supreme Court’s decision “unfortunate.” Still, some of the top state Republican prosecutors who urged the court to get involved acknowledged that the effort was a long shot and sought to distance themselves from Trump’s baseless allegations of fraud. The case inflamed already high tensions over the election. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said his office staff received two death threats Thursday after he signed onto the brief supporting the case. The lawsuit also divided officials in some states. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox supported Texas’ case, even though he said the suit was “belated” and its chances “are slim at best.” Fox said the case raised “important constitutional questions about the separation of powers and the integrity of mail-in ballots in those defendant states.”But Gov. Steve Bullock, D-Mont., urged the court to reject the case. He said the fact that Texas is not suing Montana, which Trump won, even though the state similarly used mail-in ballots underscores that “this action is less about election integrity than it is about attempting to overturn the will of the electorate.” Trump’s repetition of election-related falsehoods and conspiracy theories has taken hold among far-right media and much of his base. Many Republican voters in several states won by Biden have demanded that their elected officials find a way to invalidate the president-elect’s victories. The Republican Party of Texas on Friday evening issued a statement raising the far-fetched possibility of secession. “Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution,” said party chairman Allen West, the former Florida congressman.Even though the court’s action seemed to be the end of the road for Trump’s legal fights about the 2020 election results, the president’s efforts may have a destabilizing effect long after he leaves office. Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, vowed Friday to keep fighting.“Some litigation may continue, but it will not change election results,” said Rick Hasen, a law professor at the Universtiy of California, Irvine. “The delegitimization of the Biden presidency by Trump, and of elections generally, will reverberate for years to come. And that’s a real tragedy.”____Merchant reported from Houston and Richer reported from Boston. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Montana; James MacPherson in Bismarck, North Dakota, Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho; Michelle Price in Las Vegas and Sophia Eppolito and Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City.The Supreme CourtRepublican Party Of TexasElection ResultsKevin MccarthyPoliticsPresidential ElectionDemocratic StateUS ElectionsConstitutional LawFederal ElectionsAPHouseThe Electoral CollegeGOPKenyanJoe BidenDonald TrumpSamuel AlitoClarence ThomasAmy Coney BarrettSteve ScaliseNancy PelosiBen SasseJosh ShapiroKen PaxtonJames MacphersonPatrick MorriseyRudy Giuliani

WASHINGTON – A crowd waving American flags and wearing “Make America Great Again" hats gathered Saturday in Freedom Plaza in support of President Donald Trump and his unfounded allegations of voter fraud in the presidential election . Later in the evening, the scene became unruly. Sporadic fights broke out between pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators after sundown, and the Metropolitan Police Department said at least six people were arrested. Videos posted to social media showed confrontations between Trump supporters and opponents and people wearing pro-Trump attire attacking bystanders. In one incident, a bystander pulled out a knife after arguing with Trump supporters. In another, police pepper-sprayed people involved in a scuffle. Earlier, the mood in Freedom Plaza was celebratory as speakers including Sebastian Gorka falsely claimed Trump had won the election and urged demonstrators to keep the pressure on state legislatures. A few blocks away, things were getting tense near Black Lives Matter Plaza, not far from the White House. Police in riot gear formed a line to separate members of the Proud Boys, a far-right nationalist group, from counterprotesters. Proud Boys antagonized police, demanding to be let through and trading expletives with counterprotesters. On Saturday night, more videos posted to social media showed fights and documented far-right demonstrators burning a Black Lives Matter banner . The violence escalated after dark, even as police worked to keep Proud Boy members away from counter-protesters, according to the Washington Post . Across the country in Olympia, Washington, Police in arrested one person following a shooting near a number of demonstrations, including a group that wanted COVID-19 restrictions lifted, another protesting President Donald Trump’s loss in the presidential election last month, and a Black Lives Matter counterprotest. The Washington DC rally was organized by Women for America First, a conservative group that organized last month's “Stop the Steal” rally, which drew tens of thousands of people. As many as 15,000 people were expected Saturday, according to the group's permit. Trump tweeted Saturday morning that he was unaware of the event , "but I’ll be seeing them!" People cheered as he flew on Marine One on his way out of town for the Army-Navy football game in West Point, New York. The crowd started to thin by mid-afternoon. Many didn't wear masks, despite a mask mandate set by Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. Organizer Cindy Chafian told attendees to wash their hands but mocked COVID-19 precautions like social distancing and mask-wearing. Chants of “CNN sucks, Fox News sucks too!” “Four more years!” and “Fight for Trump!” broke out as massive speakers blared pro-Trump songs such as “Real Women Vote For Trump.” As the rally concluded, a small crowd of Trump supporters bearing flags and signs marched to the Supreme Court where they broke into chants of “USA” and “Four more years.” The crowd started to disburse as police worked to clear the street. The Supreme Court on Friday denied an effort to prevent battleground states from casting their Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden on Monday. “The courts do not decide who the next president of the United States will be," former national security adviser Michael Flynn said. Though the Supreme Court's decision has all but sealed Trump's political fate, he contended, “There are paths that are still in play." Flynn pled guilty to perjury for lying to the FBI over his conversations with a Russian ambassador before Trump became president, but Trump pardoned him last month. Some attendees appeared to support QAnon, the baseless conspiracy theory that the FBI has deemed a domestic terrorist threat. ANALYSIS: Donald Trump stood no chance in front of a conservative Supreme Court. Here's why. Lisa Parry and her husband, Richard, drove 14 hours from Florida to show their support for Trump and demand transparency from the government. Parry, who wore a “Million MAGA March” sweatshirt, said she doesn’t believe Biden could’ve won the election. The night of the election, “I went to bed at 1 o’clock and Trump was ahead. There’s no way,” Parry, a retired nurse said. “I don’t believe it. It’s faked.” CHECK OUT: Here's a look at what courts said about rejecting attempts to overturn Biden's election win No allegations of widespread voter fraud have been substantiated, and a few dozen lawsuits raising such allegations have failed. Even Attorney General William Barr has said there is no evidence of fraud that would have affected the outcome of the presidential race. Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, implied he had been invited to the White House on Saturday. But White House Deputy Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told USA TODAY that Tarrio was merely on a Christmas tour open to the public. For Trump supporters, the rally is a way to express their disillusionment and anger over the election, Amy Kremer, chair for Women for America First, previously told USA TODAY. She traveled to the nation's capital as part of a two-week, cross-country bus tour. "We want him to continue to stay strong and fight to expose this voter fraud and demand transparency and election integrity," she said. "The second purpose is really to support each other." The rally comes just days before electors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., meet in their respective capitals to cast votes for president based on the popular votes in each state. Biden won 306 electoral votes and Trump got 232; a presidential candidate needs 270 to win. BEHIND THE LAWSUITS: For these Trump supporters primed to disbelieve defeat, challenging the election was a civic duty 'We, the people, are pissed' Robin Pressley, 53, of eastern Tennessee, came to the November rally and returned Saturday in pro-Trump attire. She said if the Electoral College formalizes the win for Biden on Monday, they’ll be back in the streets. “We’ll be back out here. We’re not going to quit,” she said. “We, the people, are pissed.” Pressley, who owns a cleaning business, and her husband, Greg, said they believe the election results still could be overturned although nearly every lawsuit alleging voter fraud has been struck down in court. “I don’t know how he’s going to do it,” Pressley said. “But God’s gonna take care of things.” “Trump will be inaugurated on January 20th,” Greg Pressley said. “The last word's not been said yet.” Stephanie Liu, a research assistant from New York, came to the rally with Chinese Americans for Trump to protest “election fraud.” “It’s so obvious ... the media was lying,” she said. “That makes America look so bad in front of the whole world.” Cynthia Brokenshire, Elizabeth Mortimer and Anmarie Kaziamis met on Facebook and carpooled from New Jersey to Washington Saturday morning. They couldn't attend the previous rally in November but made a point to come Saturday to support the “Stop the Steal” campaign. “Our democracy is at risk,” Kaziamis said while holding a Trump flag. “I wouldn’t miss this one for the world.” 'STOP THE STEAL': Trump says the election is not over as 'Stop the Steal' and 'voter fraud' disinformation go viral on Facebook and Twitter Several groups, including the anti-Trump organization Refuse Fascism and anti-fascist group All Out DC, held counterprotests at Black Lives Matter Plaza, just a few blocks from the White House. To avoid confrontation, organizers of Saturday's rally told demonstrators to avoid certain hotels and designated parts of Washington as a “no-go zone.” Five people were arrested Friday night and were charged with disorderly conduct, inciting violence and assault, among other charges. Skirmishes between protesters and counterprotesters broke out across the city at the November rally. At least 20 people were arrested on a variety of charges, including assault and weapons possession, The Associated Press reported. Contributing: Will Carless; Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At least 6 arrested as crowds turn unruly following pro-Trump rally in DC ShootingState LegislaturesPoliticsTrump SupportersRiot PoliceBlack Friday FightsRiot GearWashington DCAmericanThe Proud BoysThe Washington PostWomen For America FirstMarine OneArmy-NavyCNNDonald TrumpSebastian GorkaMuriel BowserJoe BidenMichael FlynnWilliam BarrJudd DeereElizabeth Mortimer

WASHINGTON – A crowd waving American flags and wearing “Make America Great Again" hats gathered Saturday in Freedom Plaza in support of President Donald Trump and his unfounded allegations of voter fraud in the presidential election . Later in the evening, the scene became unruly. WRC-TV reported that four people were taken to a hospital with stab wounds, and the Metropolitan Police Department told the station that 23 people were arrested. Videos posted to social media showed confrontations between Trump supporters and opponents and people wearing pro-Trump attire attacking bystanders. In one incident, a bystander pulled out a knife after arguing with Trump supporters. In another, police pepper-sprayed people involved in a scuffle. Earlier, the mood in Freedom Plaza was celebratory as speakers including Sebastian Gorka falsely claimed Trump had won the election and urged demonstrators to keep the pressure on state legislatures. A few blocks away, things were getting tense near Black Lives Matter Plaza, not far from the White House. Police in riot gear formed a line to separate members of the Proud Boys, a far-right nationalist group, from counterprotesters. Proud Boys antagonized police, demanding to be let through and trading expletives with counterprotesters. On Saturday night, more videos posted to social media showed fights and documented far-right demonstrators burning a Black Lives Matter banner . The violence escalated after dark, even as police worked to keep Proud Boy members away from counter-protesters, according to the Washington Post . Across the country in Olympia, Washington, Police in arrested one person following a shooting near a number of demonstrations, including a group that wanted COVID-19 restrictions lifted, another protesting President Donald Trump’s loss in the presidential election last month, and a Black Lives Matter counterprotest. The Washington DC rally was organized by Women for America First, a conservative group that organized last month's “Stop the Steal” rally, which drew tens of thousands of people. As many as 15,000 people were expected Saturday, according to the group's permit. Trump tweeted Saturday morning that he was unaware of the event , "but I’ll be seeing them!" People cheered as he flew on Marine One on his way out of town for the Army-Navy football game in West Point, New York. The crowd started to thin by mid-afternoon. Many didn't wear masks, despite a mask mandate set by Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. Organizer Cindy Chafian told attendees to wash their hands but mocked COVID-19 precautions like social distancing and mask-wearing. Chants of “CNN sucks, Fox News sucks too!” “Four more years!” and “Fight for Trump!” broke out as massive speakers blared pro-Trump songs such as “Real Women Vote For Trump.” As the rally concluded, a small crowd of Trump supporters bearing flags and signs marched to the Supreme Court where they broke into chants of “USA” and “Four more years.” The crowd started to disburse as police worked to clear the street. The Supreme Court on Friday denied an effort to prevent battleground states from casting their Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden on Monday. “The courts do not decide who the next president of the United States will be," former national security adviser Michael Flynn said. Though the Supreme Court's decision has all but sealed Trump's political fate, he contended, “There are paths that are still in play." Flynn pled guilty to perjury for lying to the FBI over his conversations with a Russian ambassador before Trump became president, but Trump pardoned him last month. Some attendees appeared to support QAnon, the baseless conspiracy theory that the FBI has deemed a domestic terrorist threat. ANALYSIS: Donald Trump stood no chance in front of a conservative Supreme Court. Here's why. Lisa Parry and her husband, Richard, drove 14 hours from Florida to show their support for Trump and demand transparency from the government. Parry, who wore a “Million MAGA March” sweatshirt, said she doesn’t believe Biden could’ve won the election. The night of the election, “I went to bed at 1 o’clock and Trump was ahead. There’s no way,” Parry, a retired nurse said. “I don’t believe it. It’s faked.” CHECK OUT: Here's a look at what courts said about rejecting attempts to overturn Biden's election win No allegations of widespread voter fraud have been substantiated, and a few dozen lawsuits raising such allegations have failed. Even Attorney General William Barr has said there is no evidence of fraud that would have affected the outcome of the presidential race. Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, implied he had been invited to the White House on Saturday. But White House Deputy Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told USA TODAY that Tarrio was merely on a Christmas tour open to the public. For Trump supporters, the rally is a way to express their disillusionment and anger over the election, Amy Kremer, chair for Women for America First, previously told USA TODAY. She traveled to the nation's capital as part of a two-week, cross-country bus tour. "We want him to continue to stay strong and fight to expose this voter fraud and demand transparency and election integrity," she said. "The second purpose is really to support each other." The rally comes just days before electors from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., meet in their respective capitals to cast votes for president based on the popular votes in each state. Biden won 306 electoral votes and Trump got 232; a presidential candidate needs 270 to win. BEHIND THE LAWSUITS: For these Trump supporters primed to disbelieve defeat, challenging the election was a civic duty 'We, the people, are pissed' Robin Pressley, 53, of eastern Tennessee, came to the November rally and returned Saturday in pro-Trump attire. She said if the Electoral College formalizes the win for Biden on Monday, they’ll be back in the streets. “We’ll be back out here. We’re not going to quit,” she said. “We, the people, are pissed.” Pressley, who owns a cleaning business, and her husband, Greg, said they believe the election results still could be overturned although nearly every lawsuit alleging voter fraud has been struck down in court. “I don’t know how he’s going to do it,” Pressley said. “But God’s gonna take care of things.” “Trump will be inaugurated on January 20th,” Greg Pressley said. “The last word's not been said yet.” Stephanie Liu, a research assistant from New York, came to the rally with Chinese Americans for Trump to protest “election fraud.” “It’s so obvious ... the media was lying,” she said. “That makes America look so bad in front of the whole world.” Cynthia Brokenshire, Elizabeth Mortimer and Anmarie Kaziamis met on Facebook and carpooled from New Jersey to Washington Saturday morning. They couldn't attend the previous rally in November but made a point to come Saturday to support the “Stop the Steal” campaign. “Our democracy is at risk,” Kaziamis said while holding a Trump flag. “I wouldn’t miss this one for the world.” 'STOP THE STEAL': Trump says the election is not over as 'Stop the Steal' and 'voter fraud' disinformation go viral on Facebook and Twitter Several groups, including the anti-Trump organization Refuse Fascism and anti-fascist group All Out DC, held counterprotests at Black Lives Matter Plaza, just a few blocks from the White House. To avoid confrontation, organizers of Saturday's rally told demonstrators to avoid certain hotels and designated parts of Washington as a “no-go zone.” Five people were arrested Friday night and were charged with disorderly conduct, inciting violence and assault, among other charges. Skirmishes between protesters and counterprotesters broke out across the city at the November rally. At least 20 people were arrested on a variety of charges, including assault and weapons possession, The Associated Press reported. Contributing: Will Carless; Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At least 23 arrested as crowds turn unruly following pro-Trump rally in DC ShootingState LegislaturesPoliticsTrump SupportersRiot PoliceRiot GearStreet DemonstrationsWashington DCAmericanWRC-TVThe Proud BoysThe Washington PostWomen For America FirstMarine OneArmy-NavyDonald TrumpSebastian GorkaMuriel BowserJoe BidenMichael FlynnWilliam BarrJudd DeereElizabeth Mortimer

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell, who was booted from his campaign’s legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories, as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud as he grasps for straws to stay in power.During a Friday meeting at the White House, Trump went as far as discussing getting Powell security clearance, according to two people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.That Trump is even entertaining the idea of installing Powell underscores the increasingly desperate steps he has been weighing as he tries to reverse the results of the Nov 3. election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has been entertaining conspiracy theories and outlandish schemes to try to remain in office, egged on by allies like former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney.It is unclear whether Trump intends to try to move forward with the effort to install Powell. Under federal law, the U.S. attorney general, not the president, is responsible for appointing special counsels. And numerous Republicans, from outgoing Attorney General William Barr to governors and state election officials, have said over and over again that there is no evidence of the kind of mass voter fraud that Trump has been baselessly alleging in the weeks since he lost. The Friday meeting was first reported by The New York Times.In addition to losing the popular vote by more than 7 million votes, Trump lost the Electoral College decisively to Biden, 306 electoral votes to 232.Trump’s campaign and his allies have now filed roughly 50 lawsuits alleging widespread voting fraud and almost all have been dismissed or dropped. Trump has lost before judges of both political parties, including some he appointed, and some of the strongest rebukes have come from conservative Republicans. The Supreme Court has also refused to take up two cases — decisions that Trump has scorned.With no further tenable legal recourse, Trump has been fuming and peppering allies for options as he refuses to accept his loss.That includes Giuliani, who during the Friday meeting pushed Trump to seize voting machines in his hunt for evidence of fraud. The Department of Homeland Security made clear, however, that it had no authority to do so. It is also unclear what that would accomplish.Barr told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this month that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have looked into claims that voting machines “were programmed essentially to skew the election results ... and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that.” Paper ballots are also retained under federal law and have been used to verify results, including in Georgia, which performed two audits of the vote tally using paper-ballot backups.Flynn, whom Trump recently pardoned for lying to the FBI, went even further, suggesting Trump could impose martial law and use the military to re-run the election. Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and White House counsel Pat Cipollone, voiced their objections, the people familiar with the meeting said.Powell was initially part of the president’s campaign legal team, but was booted after a bizarre news conference with Giuliani in which she made a series of outlandish claims of election fraud, including an assertion that election software was created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chavez” — the Venezuelan president who died in 2013. In interviews and appearances, Powell continued to make misleading statements about the voting process, unfurled unsupported and complex conspiracy theories involving communist regimes and vowed to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing. Trump’s team soon announced it had cut ties with Powell. “She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity,” Giuliani and another Trump lawyer, Jenna Ellis, said in a statement. Dominion Voting Systems, a particular target of Powell’s, has also demanded she retract the “wild” and “knowingly baseless” claims she has made about the voting machine company and threatened a defamation lawsuit. Since parting ways with the campaign, Powell has continued to file litigation on Trump’s behalf, teaming up with conservative attorney L. Lin Wood in Georgia. Powell and the White House did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.___Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.Dominion Voting SystemsVoting FraudVoting MachineVoter FraudPoliticsSpecial CounselGeneral CounselLegal CounselState Attorney GeneralSpecial AdviserAPPowell Security ClearanceRepublicansThe New York TimesThe Electoral CollegeDonald TrumpJoe BidenMichael FlynnRudy GiulianiWilliam BarrMark MeadowsPat CipolloneL. Lin Wood

NEW YORK (AP) — An election systems worker driven into hiding by death threats has filed a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s campaign, two of its lawyers and some conservative media figures and outlets.Eric Coomer, security director at the Colorado-based Dominion Voting Systems, said he wants his life back after being named in false charges as a key actor in “rigging” the election for President-elect Joe Biden. There has been no evidence that the election was rigged.His lawsuit, filed Tuesday in district court in Denver County, Colorado, names the Trump campaign, lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, the website Gateway Pundit, Colorado conservative activist Joseph Oltmann, and conservative media Newsmax and One America News Network.“I have been thrust into the public spotlight by people with political and financial agendas but, at heart, I am a private person,” Coomer said in a statement.“While I intend to do everything I can to recapture my prior lifestyle, I have few illusions in this regard,” he said. “And so, today, I put my trust in the legal process, which has already exposed the truth of the 2020 presidential election.”Dominion, which provided vote-counting equipment to several states, has denied accusations that it switched Trump votes in Biden’s favor, and no evidence has emerged to back those charges up.Dominion and another voting technology company, Smartmatic, have begun to fight back against being named in baseless conspiracy theories. After legal threats were made, Fox News Channel and Newsmax in recent days have aired retractions of some claims made on their networks.There was no immediate comment from those named in the lawsuit.His lawyers said Coomer has become “the face of the false claims.” Coomer’s name first got public exposure in a podcast by Oltmann, who claimed to have heard a strategy call of Antifa activists. When the prospect of a Trump victory was brought up, Oltmann said a man identified as “Eric from Dominion” supposedly said “don’t worry about the election, Trump is not going to win. I made ... sure of that,” adding an expletive.In an opinion piece written for the Denver Post, Coomer wrote that he has no connections to Antifa, was never on any call and the idea that there is some recording of him is “wholly fabricated.”The fact-checking website Snopes said Oltmann hasn’t cooperated in any attempts to verify his claims.Oltmann also claimed that Coomer made anti-Trump comments on Facebook. The lawsuit acknowledged that Coomer made comments critical of the president on his private Facebook page; he now says his page is inactive.Oltmann’s charges spread after he was interviewed by Malkin and Gateway Pundit. Eric Trump tweeted about them. OANN, and its White House correspondent Chanel Rion, reported on them. Powell, misidentifying Coomer as working for Smartmatic, said at a news conference that Coomer’s “social media is filled with hatred” for Trump, and she later repeated her charges in a Newsmax interview.Giuliani, at a news conference, called Coomer “a vicious, vicious man. He wrote horrible things about the president ... He is completely warped,” according to the lawsuit.Fox News Channel, another network popular with Trump supporters, is not being sued and Coomer actually uses Fox’s Tucker Carlson to buttress his case. The lawsuit notes a scheduled Powell appearance on Carlson’s show did not happen after she could not provide evidence for her charges.Coomer told The Associated Press earlier this month that right-wing websites posted his photo, home address and details about his family. Death threats began almost immediately.He said his father, an Army veteran, received a handwritten letter asking, “How does it feel to have a traitor for a son.”“It’s terrifying,” Coomer said. “I’ve worked in international elections in all sorts of post-conflict countries where election violence is real and people are getting killed over it. And I feel that we’re on the verge of that.”The Trump CampaignPoliticsPresidential ElectionTrump SupportersPolitical PunditAPDominion Voting SystemsGateway PunditOne America News NetworkSmartmaticAntifaThe Denver PostSnopesFacebookWhite HouseDonald TrumpJoe BidenRudy GiulianiMichelle MalkinEric TrumpChanel RionTucker Carlson

Lockdown has been particularly hard in Victoria and some dissent against restrictions is to be expected. While it might be easy to dismiss the anti-lockdown protesters by calling them selfish or deluded, we should not lo

The Big Bang Theory fans have discovered a continuity error in Young Sheldon that has Reddit questioning the popular series. MuzaffarAbd zeroed in on “Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib” as the culprit of the timeline distortion. In that outing from Season 3, Sheldon actually fakes being sick to get out of a test in P.E. Well, During that episode, Sheldon, Missy, and Paige all sneak out to the mall. In the main character's backpack are earplugs, Wetness, a compass, a map of the mall, and a whistle. Now, that might not seem too major, but in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon gets a whistle as a gift from Amy. This whistle could be the same one in question designed to save him from strangers in uncomfortable situations. But, how could Sheldon have this on his person as a young child when he doesn’t meet Amy until later. Hence the discussion began on social media with the quickness.The Big Bang TheorySheldon CooperMissyDiscoverYoung SheldonContinuity ErrorRedditHBO MaxCBSComicbook.comAmySpencer PerryRaegan RevordMuzaffarAbdTBBTSteven MolaroPaigeZoe PerryJim ParsonsLance BarberIain ArmitageChuck LorreAnnie PottsRead Full Story