U.S. President Donald Trump greets as he embarks on Air Force One at Andrews Base Station in Maryland, USA, on December 23, 2020.
Tom Brenner | Reuters
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he will attend the protests in Washington, DC on Jan. 6, the day Congress certifies Electoral College votes and declares President-elect Joe Biden victorious.
The president shared a video clip on Twitter encouraging supporters to protest the November election results and said he will be there.
Trump still refuses to indulge in the race and continues to make unfounded claims of election fraud, which have been consistently dismissed by state and federal courts, as well as by his own Department of Justice.
The joint session of Congress to count the electoral votes is a routine procedure and marks the last step in reaffirming Biden as the winner.
A group of Republican senators and elected senators are pushing to delay Biden’s certification Wednesday, an effort that is unlikely to change the poll’s calculation that Biden won 306-232.
Protesters are scheduled to gather at the Washington Monument, Freedom Plaza and the Capitol. The Proud Boys, a far-right group that has promoted violence, have vowed to attend incognito.
The nation’s capital has become a battleground for violent protests in recent months. Thousands of Trump supporters gathered in November to protest the results of the presidential election in DC. The demonstrations turned violent and nearly two dozen people were arrested.
Protesters also clashed during rallies in Washington state and Washington, DC in December over election results, racial injustice and pandemic restrictions. At least four people were stabbed in DC after a pro-Trump rally.