US Elections 2020: Trump prematurely claims to have won the presidential election

In a somewhat raucous press conference at the White House, attended by many of his family and supporters, late on election night President Donald Trump made a wild and highly premature claim that he had won the 2020 presidential election. The President then attacked the normal election processes and attempted to spin a false narrative about fraud being committed in the election.

Despite many legitimately cast ballots still to be counted, the President said he would take a legal case to the Supreme Court in a bid to stop any more ballots being counted, something that goes entirely against the standard election procedure.

Trump's false claims about the election

Trump began by thanking the American people for their support. "Millions and millions of people voted for us," Trump said in the East Room, before going on: "A very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise that group of people."

Trump claimed he was ready to declare victory early in the evening: "We were getting ready for a big celebration. We were winning everything. And all of a sudden it was just called off," he said.

He then claimed, falsely, that a fraud was being committed on the American public and that the process was an "embarrassment to our country."

"Frankly we did win this election," Trump continued and said he was going to "ensure the integrity of the election." He said he would take a legal case to the Supreme Court to stop any more votes being counted.