“Stay out of Washington,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening, calling Antifa a “terrorist organization.” He added the law enforcement is watching “very closely” and tagged the FBI, the Defense Department, the Justice Department, Homeland Security and Interior – which runs the US Park Police, responsible for federal property in DC – in the tweet.
He also confirmed that he would address the ‘Save America’ rally at 11am local time on Wednesday, urging “big crowds” to arrive early as “doors” to the Ellipse – an open space on the south side of the White House – will open at 7 in the morning.
Thousands of the president’s supporters have arrived in the US capital ahead of Wednesday’s joint session of Congress that is expected to certify the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president, even as 150 or so Republican lawmakers said they would object.
Trump appears to be expecting Vice President Mike Pence to “reject fraudulently chosen electors,” meaning the delegations from five states in which his campaign alleged misconduct in administering the vote and even outright fraud.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Trump said he hoped the Democrats will take notice of the protesters who “won’t stand for a landslide election victory to be stolen.” Even more importantly, he said, the “weak and ineffective RINO [Republican in Name Only] section of the Republican Party” should pay attention.
He tagged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), and Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and John Thune (R-South Dakota), all of whom have refused to back his challenge to the legitimacy of the November 3 election and urged the party to move on into the Biden presidency.