Claims forwarded by former President Donald Trump that there is widespread fraud in Philadelphia have been swiftly rebuffed by local law enforcement.

At around 4:40pm ET on Tuesday afternoon, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to write: “A lot of talk about massive CHEATING in Philadelphia. Law enforcement coming!!!”

Soon after, CNN reported that the Philadelphia Police Department were unaware of any issues with the voting process and that there was no law enforcement response incoming.

Trump’s baseless claims about electoral fraud have continued since 2020 and often include reference to the city of Philadelphia, a key area in the swing state of Pennsylvania. In September the 78-year-old told the crowd at a Pennsylvania event, “they cheat in this state, especially in Philadelphia.”

Democrats ready to counter fake fraud claims

In 2020, Trump’s election defeat to Joe Biden brought about an avalanche of baseless claims of electoral fraud. Trump lost more than 40 lawsuits alleging mal-practice and was caught asking a Georgia election official to “find” enough votes to overturn the result.

This time around Trump appears to be following a similar playbook, going on to claim that Vice President Kamala Harris could only win “if it was a corrupt election”.

In 2020 there was a sense that Trump caught officials off-guard with the vociferousness of his baseless claims. This time around, the Democrats are determined to ensure that the former President is not allowed the same opportunity to sew mistrust in the electoral system.

Speaking last week, Harris said: “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.”