By Bowen Xiao and Cathy He
WASHINGTON— Tens of thousands of people converged at the Capitol and the Supreme Court on Saturday—amidst blaring musical horns, red, white, and blue apparel, and waving American flags—to take part in rallies calling for greater transparency in the 2020 election.
People traveled to Washington from all over the country to show their support for President Donald Trump. Many there expressed that the election process was handled improperly and is fraudulent. Some are optimistic that the tide will turn, including some high-profile supporters.
“Courts do not decide who the next president of the United States will be,” said former national security adviser Michael Flynn. “There are paths that are still in play.”
“We are in a crucible moment in the history of the United States of America,” he added.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected Texas’ bid to challenge the 2020 election results in four battleground states. Justices opined that the Lone Star State lacked legal standing—or capability—to sue under the Constitution because it has not shown a valid interest to intervene in how other states handle their elections.
“We’re only asking to just show us a little transparency,” said Flynn, who spoke outside the Supreme Court and later at Freedom Plaza. “Why not recount? Why not look at the signatures, Why not look inside these [voting] machines. Why not? what are they afraid of?”
Flynn called himself a “product of an unjust system” and said the current battle for the election “is about the fabric of the constitution of the United States of America.”
Trump on Nov. 25 pardoned Flynn after a yearslong case relating to the Russia investigation. Flynn had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about speaking to a Russian diplomat during Trump’s 2016 transition period. But Flynn, a retired three-star general, withdrew his plea before sentencing.
Different events, marches, and rallies took place throughout the day, starting from 9:30 a.m. Participants often shouted “Stop the Steal,” a common slogan among Trump supporters, and also the name of some of the grassroots movement organizing the event.
