Trump Again Leaves Room for Election Contest... Harris Prepares for Lawsuit (Comprehensive)

[US Election 2024]

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the United States, raised a "conspiracy theory" claiming that election fraud was occurring in key battleground areas such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of the 5th (local time), the day of the election. When asked whether he would concede if he lost this election, he added the caveat "if it is a fair election." Analysts interpret this as leaving open the possibility of refusing to concede this year, as he did by not accepting the 2020 election results. The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, is also preparing for such a scenario of election refusal.

[Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

At around 4:40 p.m. Eastern Time on the same day, former President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming, "There are many talks about large-scale election CHEATING in Philadelphia." He added, "Law enforcement is coming." About 30 minutes later, he posted an additional message saying, "Philadelphia and Detroit! Strong law enforcement is there."

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in this election. Pennsylvania, known as the "battleground of battlegrounds," has the largest number of electoral votes (19) among the seven battleground states, making it a crucial area to secure for victory this year. Regarding this, Seth Bluestein, a Republican commissioner in Philadelphia, told AFP news agency that "this claim is absolutely not true" and that "voting in Philadelphia is safe."

In particular, former President Trump's sudden claim of election fraud on the afternoon of the election day, while voting was still underway, is interpreted as an attempt to rally his supporters. Analysts also suggest that this was a preemptive move to prepare for not conceding even if he loses this election. He lost to Democratic candidate President Joe Biden in the 2020 election but declared election refusal by emphasizing claims of fraudulent voting.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

On the morning of the same day, right after voting in West Palm Beach, Florida, former President Trump claimed, "I did great in the first election (2016), and did much better in the second election (2020), but something happened," asserting that his defeat was due to election fraud. When asked if he would concede if he lost, he reaffirmed his position by saying he would concede "if it is a fair election." This was also interpreted as leaving room for election refusal.

Additionally, former President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with concerns that those who do not accept the election results might incite another riot, similar to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. When asked if he would urge his supporters to refrain from violence, he responded, "No need to say," adding, "Of course, there will be no violence. My supporters are not violent people."

Before this election, there were already predictions that former President Trump might not concede the results even if he lost. CNN reported shortly after Trump's conspiracy theory claims that "Trump will exploit every mistake that occurs during the counting process," calling it "a repetition of the same strategy used for years." The rival Harris campaign and the Democratic Party have also taken measures. They have already assembled a large legal team deployed nationwide in preparation for litigation. A Harris campaign adviser told CNN, "Everyone could sue everyone for 4 to 6 weeks," predicting a "litigation hell." The Democrats also warned, "The election is decided by the American people, and there is no way to overturn the results."

Currently, the Democrats are closely monitoring the possibility that, as in 2020, former President Trump might suddenly declare victory while counting is still underway and refuse to accept the counting results. Typically, in U.S. presidential elections, there is a tendency for an early lead by Republicans before absentee ballots are counted, known as the "red mirage," which then disappears.

According to AP News and others, as of 11:47 a.m. Korean time on the same day, Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, secured 99 electoral votes by announcing victories starting with the "blue state" Vermont. Former President Trump, the Republican candidate, secured 178 electoral votes mainly from "red states" Kentucky and Indiana. Since counting is still ongoing and the "magic number 270" (270 electoral votes) needed to win is still far off, it is difficult to predict the final winner. To win the presidential election, a candidate must secure a majority of the 538 electoral votes allocated to each state, that is, at least 270 votes.