US election results 2024: 'Massive cheating' in key swing state of Philadelphia, alleges Donald Trump

Donald Trump made claims about voter fraud in Philadelphia during the 2024 election, alleging massive cheating despite officials confirming the safety and security of the voting process. This echoes his 2020 election denial, which led to the Capitol riots, and raises concerns about potential unrest if he loses again.

Donald Trump sought to undermine Tuesday the credibility of voting in the biggest city of must-win Philadelphia, a soundly Democratic area that was part of the ex-president's unsupported 2020 fraud claims. Trump said there was "a lot of talk about massive cheating" in Philadelphia amid reports of unusually high voter participation, but an official quickly refuted the allegation, calling it "yet another example of disinformation." "Law enforcement coming!!" Trump posted on his site, Truth Social.

As Americans cast their ballots in a contentious race that polls indicate is essentially a tie between Trump and Kamala Harris, he offered no proof to back up his assertion. "There is absolutely no truth to this allegation," Republican Seth Bluestein, the city commissioner, stated. "Voting in Philadelphia has been safe and secure." An inquiry on Trump's claim was not immediately answered by Philadelphia police.

Trump's denial that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden resulted in violent attacks on the US Capitol by the former reality TV star's followers who wanted to prevent the vote from being certified. Trump is expected to reject the result if he loses again this year, raising the specter of chaos and violence in an already tense and deeply polarized United States.

When asked Tuesday whether he would accept defeat in the 2024 election, Trump offered a qualified response. "If I lose an election, if it's a fair election, I would be the first one to acknowledge it. So far I think it's been fair," he said.