Trump Supporters Descend On Washington For Events Contesting Biden's Victory

Hundreds of President Trump's supporters were out in Washington, D.C., on Saturday for a day of rallying to echo the false assertion that the presidential election was marked by fraud.

One week after Joe Biden's presidential victory brought about spontaneous celebrations in the nation's capital, a crowd that included the group Women for America First, right-wing activists and conspiracy theorists gathered in the city's downtown near the White House.

Members of the Proud Boys, a white-nationalist movement designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, were also seen out on the streets of Washington.

A rally and a march to insist that Trump rightfully won a second term were planned for the day. The events are going by several names, including the Million MAGA March, the March for Trump and Stop the Steal DC.

By late Saturday morning, hundreds had assembled in Freedom Plaza near the White House.

Video showed attendees waving American and Trump 2020 flags. Few could be seen wearing a mask, even as the U.S. on Friday announced a new daily record of 184,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

At one point, the crowd was greeted by Trump himself, who rode past demonstrators in his mortorcade shortly after 10 a.m. Trump, who has refused to concede the election to Biden, waved to supporters who held out signs reading "Best prez ever" and "Stop the steal."

Ahead of Saturday's events, police in Washington announced road closures and parking restrictions. A march to the Supreme Court was scheduled for 2 p.m. Counterprotests are also planned to take place. [Copyright 2020 NPR]