Trump campaign plans rallies amid efforts to challenge election results

President Trump’s campaign intends to hold rallies amid efforts to challenge the election results that saw Joe Biden named president-elect last week.

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said the events would be “grassroots rallies” similar to boat parades through which supporters voiced backing for Trump during the campaign. He said that Trump would not host the events. Axios first reported on plans to hold campaign-style rallies.

“These would be grassroots rallies, as we’ve already seen pop up in a variety of states since election day, organic shows of support like the tractor and boat parades have been all year,” Murtaugh said in a statement to The Hill. “There is no plan for the President to hold rallies.”

Trump has refused to concede to Biden after the former vice president was projected by news organizations as the winner of the presidential race on Saturday.

“The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” Trump said in a prepared statement released by his campaign shortly after Biden was named the victor.

The Trump campaign is challenging the election results in a handful of key states by participating in recounts and forecasting lawsuits over electoral fraud allegations that have not been substantiated.

The Trump campaign has already said it would seek a recount in Wisconsin, where Biden won by roughly 20,000 votes. On Sunday evening, the campaign announced Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) as the leader of its recount team in Georgia, where officials expect to soon begin a recount of the extremely close race.

Trump claimed without evidence that the election was being stolen from him last week and has raised allegations of widespread fraud. Some Republicans have criticized the president’s rhetoric and while they have said he maintains the right to challenge the results in court, several have doubted his claims of widespread fraud.