Liberals

And he hinted that his opinion of Vice-President Mike Pence might hinge on whether Pence obstructed Congress from accepting the Electoral College vote on Wednesday. “I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. I have to tell you. I hope that our great vice-president comes through for us. He’s a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much.”

Like so many of Trump’s jokes, it was meant to be funny because it was true. The White House lawn is littered with pink slips of those who “didn’t come through” when Trump needed a democratic norm shattered on his behalf. All of which might be a simple historical footnote — a weird coda to a weird presidency — except that it raises the question of what exactly Trump is planning to do in the coming weeks to try to hold onto the White House, as he insisted again and again in the speech he would. His call with Raffensperger, his suggestions about Pence, the fact that all the former secretaries of defence felt the need this week to come out to pre-emptively oppose military intervention in the election.

And the fact that, though his odds of succeeding seem non-existent, those assembled to hear him speak here and millions more across the country believe he did rightfully win the election and should hold power by any means necessary.

One man in the crowd shouted that it was time for a civil war. Another woman told a news crew earlier in the day she expected to attend Trump’s inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20. “Fight for Trump!” they chanted as giant flags hanging from cranes waved above the Marine One helicopter behind the podium.

“We have to go all the way, and that’s what’s happening,” Trump said. “You watch what happens over the next couple of weeks.”