Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will go head-to-head next week as a vast majority of US citizens cast their ballots. The Republican leader has repeatedly assured that he would accept the results of a “free and fair” election — without actually explaining what that might look like. Poll watchers and top officials remain braced for a premature victory declaration reminiscent of the previous election.
“We are sadly ready if he does and, if we know that he is actually manipulating the press and attempting to manipulate the consensus of the American people … we are prepared to respond,” Harris told ABC News during a recent interview.
She has previously indicated that there were teams in place to tackle such a situation.
The former POTUS has repeatedly insisted for the past four years that he had won the 2020 polls — with many supporters backing the assertion. It is also pertinent to note that supporters of the Republican leader had led the January 6 Capitol ‘riots’ after his defeat to Joe Biden.
Trump had also dubbed himself the winner hours after Election Day in 2020 — well before the results were tallied. President Biden was later declared the winner on the Saturday after Election Day.
Disinformation about the 2024 US presidential election is currently spreading on an unprecedented scale — with online instigators sowing doubts about the integrity of the electoral process as millions of Americans cast their ballots.
Heading into Election Day, conspiracy theorists and foreign actors are amplifying unverified allegations of fraud that echo Donald Trump’s claims that the result can’t be trusted if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris. They’re using Elon Musk‘s X and other social media platforms to sow skepticism among voters by circulating fake images of destroyed ballots and bogus reports about blocked polling places.
(With inputs from agencies)
