Democrats fear that Trump may have to be escorted from the White House

The Joe Biden campaign hinted that President Donald Trump may have to be escorted from the White House in January if he refuses to concede the election.

“As we said on July 19, the American people will decide this election,” Mr Biden’s campaign spokesman, Andrew Bates, said. “And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”

The statement highlights the suspicion that Mr Trump may refuse to co-operate in a smooth transition of power and resist vacating the White House after Mr Biden is sworn in as president.

It would mark the first time in US history that a sitting president would refuse to step down after the end of his term.

As Mr Biden inched closer to victory yesterday, CNN reported that the US Secret Service has sent more agents to his home in Wilmington, Delaware. The Federal Aviation Administration also put in place a no-fly zone around Mr Biden’s home.

Mr Trump has repeatedly refused to accept the validity of votes in crucial swing states that continue to tabulate ballots, offering baseless conspiracy theories of mail-in voter fraud.

Twitter repeatedly flagged the president’s posts in recent days, stating that “they might be misleading about an election or other civic process”.

His campaign has launched several lawsuits throughout Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada, many of which have failed to advance.

Yesterday Mr Biden crossed the 270-vote threshold in the US electoral college required to become the next President of the United States.

It was a dramatic turnaround from early on election night, when Mr Trump looked likely to sweep the race.