'My mind will not change': Trump reiterates claims of election fraud

Judges across US rejected cases brought by Trump campaign

US President Donald Trump on Sunday reasserted the unfounded claims that he won the November 3 election, in his first televised interview since losing the poll.

In a 45-minute interview, largely free of intervention from Fox News interviewer Maria Bartiromo, Mr Trump raged against the result and repeated conspiracy theories of election fraud without providing evidence.

"It's not like you're gonna change my mind. My mind will not change in six months," he said of his insistence that he won the November 3 poll.

"This election was rigged. This election was a total fraud. We won the election easily."

This browser does not support the video element.

Despite Mr Trump's attack on the validity of the US electoral system, his legal team has yet to provide any evidence that stands up in court.

Case after case was rejected by judges across the country.

The latest rebuff came from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which on Saturday turned down a lawsuit filed by Trump supporters seeking to contest Joe Biden's win in the state.

"We're trying to put the evidence in and the judges won't allow us to do it," Mr Trump said. "We are trying. We have so much evidence."

Ignoring the usual boundaries between his office and the judicial and law enforcement system, he complained that the Department of Justice and FBI were not helping him.

They are "missing in action", Mr Trump said, also questioning the the Supreme Court for not intervening.

"We should be heard by the Supreme Court. Something has to be able to get up there. Otherwise, what is the Supreme Court?" he said.

Democrat Mr Biden won the electoral college vote – the state-by-state competition deciding the winner – by 306 to 232.

In the popular national vote, which does not decide the result but still has political and symbolic significance, Mr Biden won with 51 per cent of the vote to Mr Trump's 47 per cent.

Losers of presidential elections traditionally concede almost immediately.

But whether or not Mr Trump ever acknowledges defeat, the electoral college is all but certain to go through the formal motions of confirming Mr Biden when it meets on December 14 and the Democrat will be sworn in on inauguration day, January 20.

Mr Trump declined to say whether there was an expiry date for his unsuccessful legal campaign.

"I'm not going to say a date," he said.

Asked if he saw a path to victory, Mr Trump said: "I hope so."

Updated: November 29, 2020, 8:46 PM