Donald Trump, the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, stirred controversy on Saturday by urging his supporters to “go into” Philadelphia and other Democratic-run cities to “guard the vote.” This call to action was justified by his unfounded claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election.
Speaking at a campaign event in Iowa, Trump emphasized the importance of scrutinizing votes in key battleground states that are likely to play a decisive role in the general election. He specifically mentioned major cities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, urging supporters to be vigilant.
Despite numerous lawsuits challenging the outcome of the 2020 election being dismissed, Trump persists in asserting, without evidence, that he lost to President Joe Biden due to fraud. The former president did not specify who he was directing to “go into” these cities, but a campaign aide clarified that he was referring to poll-watchers and volunteers aiming to ensure a secure election.
This aligns with the Republican National Committee’s plans to recruit and train tens of thousands of poll workers and watchers in hotly contested states. Trump’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny over his recent rhetoric on the campaign trail, including using terms like “vermin” to describe his political enemies, drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany’s language.
Timothy Naftali, a senior research scholar at Columbia University, expressed concern over Trump’s comments, noting that they were made in the context of undermining trust in U.S. elections. As Trump holds a commanding lead in the Republican Party’s primary race, the 2024 election is expected to be contentious.
In recent weeks, Biden’s re-election campaign has intensified efforts to challenge Trump, highlighting his legal issues and potential policies detrimental to the economy and democracy. Trump, facing multiple criminal trials, reiterated plans to reform the Affordable Care Act at a separate event in Iowa, referring to the healthcare insurance program as “a disaster” without providing specifics.
