DONALD TRUMP has claimed the US election is being rigged against him by “big tech, big money, the media, pollsters and Democrats”.
The remarks came as part of an extraordinary address from the White House during which at least seven television networks interrupted the President to stress that his claims were unsubstantiated.
During his 17-minute speech, Trump accused “big media, big money and big tech” of coming together to commit “historic election interference”.
He added that if all “legal votes” had counted, he would win the election.
Trump went on to accuse Democrats of attempting to steal the election “corruptly” through mail-in ballots.
He also hit out at the media’s role in the “rigging”.
“As everyone now recognizes media polling was election interference in the truest sense of that word,” he said.
“By powerful special interests, these really phony polls, I have to call them phony polls, state polls, were designed to keep our voters at home, create the illusion of momentum for Mr. Biden and diminish Republicans abilities to raise funds.
“They were what's called suppression polls, everyone knows that now. And it's never been used to the extent that it's been used on this last election."
He also accused Democrats of meddling with the results in states where a winner has yet to be determined.
“There are now only a few states yet to be decided in the presidential race. The voting apparatus of those states are run in all cases by Democrats”' he said.
Trump also pointed to several lawsuits launched by his campaign against the alleged fraud yet offered no proof.
Two of these lawsuits have already been thrown out with one dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
“There's tremendous litigation going on and this is a case where they're trying to steal an election. They're trying to rig an election and we can't let that happen.”
Biden sought to rebuke those claims in a tweet saying: “No one is going to take our democracy away from us.
“Not now, not ever. America has come too far, fought too many battles, and endured too much to let that happen.”
The address came as the President’s lead continued to thin in key swing states like Pennsylvania and Georgia.
ABC, CBS and NBC – America's three main broadcast networks – all cut away from the conference while Trump was still talking to warn viewers he had made “a number of false statements".
Video: MSNBC only makes it 35 seconds into President Trump's White House remarks before not only bailing out to chastise him as a liar, but quit the press conference entirely to move on and interview the Arizona Secretary of State. pic.twitter.com/400PeK6XBv
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 5, 2020
Fox News and CNN covered the address in full.
Trump’s tirade continued on Twitter, with the President making several baseless claims concerning fraud, questioning the results in several close Senate races and urging Supreme Court intervention.
He also attacked social media regulation.
By contrast, Joe Biden has been calling for calm and patience while votes are counted.
“Democracy is sometimes messy. It sometimes requires a little patience as well,” he said during an address from Wilmington's Queen theater.
“So I ask everyone to stay calm, all people to stay calm. The process is working. The count is being completed and we'll know very soon.”
He also tweeted: “No one is going to take our democracy away from us. Not now, not ever. America has come too far, fought too many battles, and endured too much to let that happen.
“Keep the faith, folks.”
After winning the key swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan, Biden is the narrow favourite to win the presidency with several key results expected today.
Victory in Pennsylvania would hand him the presidency even if other states went to Trump. Biden could also win if he holds his lead in Arizona and Nevada.
See More: Donald Trump, US Election
