Donald Trump ratcheted up his desperate campaign to cling to power by pressuring vice-president Mike Pence to overturn the result of the presidential election when Congress meets to certify the vote on Wednesday.
The certification of the vote at a joint session of Congress is normally a ceremonial occasion presided over by the vice-president, and Mr Pence’s role requires him to declare that Joe Biden was the victor in November’s general election.
However, on Tuesday, Mr Trump falsely suggested that Mr Pence could use the occasion to nullify the result. “The vice-president has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.