The US Supreme Court on 11 December dismissed a bid by Texas to overturn the results of the presidential election, which Republican Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden according to the initial count, in a fresh setback for the president.
The longshot suit lodged against four states key in the November 3 vote - Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - challenged Biden's victory in each jurisdiction.
But the Supreme Court, made up of nine justices including three appointed by Trump, said Texas - which voted for the president - "has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections."
The Supreme Court did not listen to the case but dismissed it, claiming Texas was not the injured party.
The court's decision "is an important reminder that we are a nation of laws, and though some may bend to the desire of a single individual, the courts will not," tweeted Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel.
Biden spokesman Mike Gwin said the ruling was "no surprise."
"Dozens of judges, election officials from both parties, and Trump's own Attorney General have dismissed his baseless attempts to deny that he lost the election," he said.
The Texas suit had been seen as audacious given that no one state has any legal right to interfere in another's voting processes. Even so, it was backed by 106 Republican lawmakers and 17 state attorneys general.
‘Stop the Steal’
Trump and his legal team claim the 3 November presidential election saw “massive fraud” involving a range of illegal processes including interference with electoral computer servers, and late night ballot stuffing when the trend was heading for what they claim was a Trump “landslide”.
Texas alleged that the results in the other four states were "unconstitutional" because of their heavy use of "fraud-prone" mail-in votes during the coronavirus pandemic.
It offered no proof of significant fraud, and didn't challenge the use of mailed ballots in states Trump won.
The suit cited numerous alleged examples of potential fraud already rejected by lower courts.
Dozens of court losses
Trump and his allies have filed dozens of lawsuits in several key states, almost all of which have been thrown out by the courts. Last week the Supreme Court also refused his bid to overturn his loss in Pennsylvania.
Texas was just one of the challenges. Trump had hoped that the high court, whose bench he has tipped solidly to the right, would intervene in his favour.
In 2000, the Supreme Court halted a recount in Florida, where George W. Bush was only 537 votes ahead of Democrat Al Gore, allowing the Republican to win the election.
Minutes before the Supreme Court ruling came down Trump released a new TV ad claiming that the election was stolen, calling it an "outrage" and telling supporters to contact their legislators.
Earlier on 11 December he urged the Supreme Court to show "great Wisdom and Courage" in a tweet that claimed that the "American People" needed the Texas lawsuit to win.
He also retweeted a theory about voter fraud declaring that "Joe Biden will not set foot in that White House."
The lawsuit came as all 50 states plus Washington, DC have formally certified their vote tallies, opening the way to convene the Electoral College.
‘President-elect Biden”
Shortly after the unofficial results came in from the 3 November election, the US media crowned Biden “president-elect” and have been running many stories that assume he will be sworn in as US president on 20 January 2021.
Time Magazine named Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris “Person of the Year” as a clear signal of how the editors view the outcome of this contentious race.
The media has given space to the Biden team’s plans and tended to dismiss the legal moves by the Trump team to challenge the outcome of the election.
‘Foreign interference’
The Trump team has yet to concede holding to the claim that not only was there massive fraud in the US election but there was serious foreign interference from China, Iran, Russia and other nations.
According to sources in or close to the Trump legal and military team, the court and Supreme Court challenges, which have largely floundered, are just part of an overall plan to protect the integrity of the US democratic system and to adhere to the constitution.
Sources claim the Trump team has long been prepared for efforts by the opposition to “steal” the election. A key element in their arsenal is the information they have collected over the last four years and the 12 September 2018 “Executive Order on Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election” signed by President Trump.
At this point in time, there are still other avenues in play, including the possibility of action over alleged foreign interference, with allegedly hundreds if not thousands of politicians and other officials lined up for criminal and possible treasonous charges, tied to the 2018 executive order.
The US media has written off Trump winning a second term and Germany’s Der Siegel dubbed him, “Loser of the Year”. But surprises may be in store in the narrow window up until 20 January 2021.
AFP, Mizzima, Newsmax
