The Joe Biden campaign hinted on Friday that President Donald Trump may have to be escorted from the White House in January if he refuses to concede an election that he looks increasingly on track to lose.
“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 if Mr Biden wins the election.
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 inches closer to victory, CNN reported that the US Secret Service has dispatched more agents to his home in Wilmington, Delaware. The Federal Aviation Administration has also implemented a no-fly zone around Mr Biden's home.
Mr Trump has repeatedly refused to accept the validity of key swing states that continue to tabulate ballots, offering baseless conspiracy theories of mail-in voter fraud to discredit the vote counts.
Twitter has repeatedly flagged the president’s posts this week, 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.
Mr Biden pulled ahead in Pennsylvania and Georgia on Friday as both states continue to count ballots. A victory in either state would secure enough electoral college votes to propel Mr Biden to the presidency.
