Trump ’ Boys’ on march

No sign of concession as President’s supporters rally

WASHINGTON DC: Thousands of supporters of US President Donald Trump have descended on Washington DC to protest against the outcome of the US election.

Demonstrators were joined by members of far- right groups including the Proud Boys, some wearing helmets and bulletproof vests.

Protesters swarmed Mr Trump’s motorcade as he drove past on his way to his golf course in Virginia.

Earlier, Mr Trump went on a Twitter spree expressing several U- turns on previous opinions. But in the shadow of his election defeat, he was not giving up the White House yet.

He weighed in on the importance of a “big and focused” COVID- 19 relief package for the US, which directly contradicted Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s continued rejections of the Democrats’ pleas for such a bill.

Negotiations on such a package remain stalled even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference on Thursday they were not willing to change their call for a large coronavirus package.

Mr Trump also tweeted that he loved New York City, despite earlier threats to withhold the vaccine from the Empire State alone out of all the other states, purely as retaliation against its governor, Andrew Cuomo.

Mr Trump also tweeted a message to Indians in honour of Diwali, the Festival of Lights mainly celebrated by Hindus, despite being anti- immigration for the duration of his presidential term.

Vice President- elect Kamala Harris is of South Asian ( Indian Tamil) descent.

While Mr Trump spoke publicly on Saturday for the first time since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the US presidential election a week ago, he has declined to formally acknowledge defeat.

Mr Trump spoke from the Rose Garden at the White House, delivering an update on vaccine efforts, but only hinted at the possibility that he will no longer be president at that time, saying only “time will tell”.

Two months from inauguration, President- elect Biden has moved ahead with transition plans, including launching a COVID- 19 task force, despite Mr Trump remaining unwilling to concede.