Donald Trump attacks poll legitimacy with threat ‘to go in with lawyers’

Donald Trump has raised the prospect of the US election becoming mired in legal challenges as he vowed to “go in with our lawyers” in his latest attack on the legitimacy of the vote.

The President lashed out at Supreme Court rulings that are allowing Pennsylvania and North Carolina, two of the most hotly-contested swing states, to count postal ballots that arrive late but are postmarked before election day tomorrow.

He told reporters after landing in North Carolina last night: “I think a lot of fraud and misuse can take place. I think it’s a terrible decision by the Supreme Court. A terrible decision.”

Postal ballots are playing a significant role in this year’s vote amid fears long queues will fuel a surge in coronavirus infections. Several states are refusing to count them until the polls have closed, raising the prospect that the result may not be known for several days. Democratic candidate Joe Biden is believed to hold an advantage in early voting which has seen more than 92 million already cast their ballots either in person or by mail. Several commentators predict Mr Trump will see a surge in support tomorrow, raising the possibility that he leads the contest on election night but loses once all the votes are cast.  

Mr Trump has been criss-crossing the nation in a desperate push for support in battleground states. He was due to hold rallies today in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Mr Biden, 77, and his running mate Kamala Harris were focusing on Pennsylvania, the state pundits believe could be the most vital to his hopes.

Mr Trump has suggested he will fire the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, after the election. Dr Fauci cautioned the US will have to deal with “a whole lot of hurt” in the weeks ahead due to surging virus cases.