[imagesource: Mediaite]

On January 20, 2021, Donald Trump will exit the White House, and Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States of America.

Before he does, the whining will only escalate, as Biden’s popular vote margin of victory nears seven million and Trump’s fragile ego takes knock after knock.

Yesterday, Trump spoke from the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, and delivered an astonishing 46-minute video rant filled with his greatest hits album of baseless allegations of voter fraud and outright falsehoods.

Here’s his opening:

Statement by Donald J. Trump, The President of the United States

Full Video: https://t.co/EHqzsLbbJG pic.twitter.com/Eu4IsLNsKD

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020

You’ll notice that tweet is labelled with a warning that “This claim about election fraud is disputed”.

Fun fact – at the time of writing, the nine most recent tweets on Trump’s account are labelled like that.

That’s a nice way of saying he’s talking complete and utter nonsense.

If you’re a real sucker for punishment, you can watch the full video here, but I think you’re fine to move on.

Unless you’re drinking the Kool-Aid, and aren’t bothered by the fact that legal challenge after legal challenge has been turfed out, it was just another sad reminder of the state of US politics at present.

More from the Washington Post:

The rambling and bellicose monologue — which Trump said “may be the most important speech I’ve ever made” and was delivered direct-to-camera with no audience — underscored his desperation to reverse the outcome of his election loss after a month of failed legal challenges and as some key states already have certified Biden’s victory.

The president’s latest salvo came a day after his attorney general, William P. Barr, said the Justice Department had found no evidence of voting fraud that could have changed the outcome of the election.

When Barr, a Trump lackey, admits defeat, you know things aren’t going to plan for POTUS.

But still, he soldiered on:

Trump claimed in Wednesday’s video, again without evidence, that “corrupt forces” had stuffed ballot boxes with fraudulent votes. He claimed the fraud was “massive” and “on a scale never seen before.” He called on the Supreme Court to “do what’s right for our country,” which he suggested entailed terminating hundreds of thousands of votes so that “I very easily win in all states.”

Narrator’s voice – no, he couldn’t.

In an opinion piece, the Washington Post’s Philip Bump went one further, calling it “the most petulant 46 minutes in American history”:

It presented no coherent case for the existence of fraud, instead substituting a volume of accusations for an abundance of proof…but Trump’s goal isn’t proving each point. It’s getting Americans to accept maybe just one or two, so that they’re receptive to his broader point: Something Must Be Done…

The essential question of the moment is how far Trump wants to go. Was this his way of sulking? Was the speech a lengthy vent, an airing of grievances without peer in American history? Or was it a sign Trump will continue to want to push the understood boundaries of what our electoral system allows?

Behind closed doors, many Republicans have expressed their disapproval with Trump’s conduct, but have largely abstained from public criticism.

One person went as far as to say that there’s no real harm in indulging the president’s claims, but that really does miss the mark.

Just ask Gabriel Sterling, a Republican who oversaw the implementation of Georgia’s new voting system.

He says that sooner or later, somebody is going to get seriously hurt, and he’s right.

A 20-year-old contractor for Dominion Voting Systems was on the receiving end of death threats against him and his family, and found a noose placed outside his home in Georgia.

After hearing Sterling’s pleas, Trump realised he was endangering the lives of everyday Americans, and came to his senses.

No, sorry, he doubled down:

Rigged Election. Show signatures and envelopes. Expose the massive voter fraud in Georgia. What is Secretary of State and @BrianKempGA afraid of. They know what we’ll find!!! https://t.co/Km7tRm2s1A

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020

It really is only a matter of time until these false claims result in the loss of human life.

[sources:washpost&washpost]