Echoing the president's baseless claims of voter fraud, Trump supporters are taking to the streets to protest election results
- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the 2020 presidential election, Insider, and Decision Desk HQ projected Friday.
- President Donald Trump has not conceded and continues to make baseless claims of voter fraud.
- Some supporters of Trump continue to protest the results of the election, echoing the president's baseless claims of voter fraud.
Supporters of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, including the president himself, are continuing to contest the results of the 2020 US election.
Leaders around the world have already sent their congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, as have several US politicians, including former President George W. Bush.
Insider and Decision Desk HQ projected Biden as the winner of Pennsylvania and, therefore, the US presidency, on Friday, with the state's 20 electoral votes giving him the 270 needed to win the Electoral College. On Saturday morning, he became the projected winner in Nevada, putting him at 279 electoral votes, per Decision Desk HQ, and major media outlets in the US all called the race for Biden.
Even so, Trump has not conceded and continues to make baseless claims of voter fraud while continuing numerous legal challenges contesting results in key battleground states. Trump's campaign also continues to post calls to "help stop" voter fraud.
Throughout the election week, supporters of Trump clashed with people celebrating Biden's lead. When Biden first took the lead in Pennsylvania, both celebrating crowds and Trump supporters protesting the election results took to the streets, Business Insider's Oma Seddiq previously reported.
On Friday, The Washington Post first reported that text messages calling for recipients to congregate in Philadelphia to rally in support of baseless claims that liberals were "trying to steal this election" were sent from phone numbers leased by OpnSesame, a company run by the Trump campaign's digital director, Gary Coby.
Aaron Grando, 33, of Philadelphia told Business Insider he received this same text message on Thursday at about 2:30 p.m. and "was a little concerned" because he knew a crowd was gathering at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which was close to the address listed in the text message.
"I definitely have not signed up for anything from a right-leaning source — I do wonder where they got my number," he added.
The Trump campaign and Coby did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. The Associated Press reported a top Trump campaign official said the campaign did not send the message.
Read more: Legal problems galore await Trump now that he's lost reelection and his presidential immunity
Even as major media outlets have called the election for Biden, some supporters of Trump are following suit of the president and protesting the results of the election. On Saturday, celebrations for Biden and Harris' victory filled the streets. At the same time, many supporters of Trump have congregated at state capitols to protest the election results, according to videos from journalists at local media outlets.
Many of these supporters have organized "Stop the steal" rallies, which were held across the US. Local media outlets, including Mississippi's WJTV, Kansas City's KCTV5 News, and CBS Pittsburgh, reported these demonstrations organized by Trump supporters.
- Read more:
- Fox News' Chris Wallace says there 'doesn't seem to be much reason to believe' Trump's election lawsuits will succeed
- Here are the legal challenges Trump's campaign has filed to dispute the 2020 election results
- Trump makes baseless claims about 'illegally received' ballots in Pennsylvania during fractious tweetstorm
- Photos show how front pages around the US and world recorded Biden and Harris' historic victory