Pro-Trump Protesters Rally in Washington

Demonstrators rallied in Washington on Saturday in support of President Donald Trump and his unproven claims of fraud in the Nov. 3 election.

Several rallies were scheduled for the day, including a Million MAGA March, a Women for Trump event and a Stop the Steal demonstration, which leveled unproven claims of voter fraud in the presidential election.

Trump has refused to concede the presidential race to President-elect Joe Biden, citing irregularities in several swing states. State election officials have reported no serious irregularities with the vote that would affect the outcome of the race.

The protests are taking place in the wake of projections that Biden had decisively won the election, with well in excess of the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to claim victory.

About two hours before the pro-Trump rallies were scheduled to begin, Trump rode down Pennsylvania Avenue in a motorcade, smiling and waving at some of the demonstrators who had come to show support for the president.

The motorcade then took Trump to his namesake golf course in nearby Northern Virginia for a round of golf. On his return to the White House, the president again drove by to cheers of supporters, Fox News reported.

The rallies were promoted by conservative media personalities as well as white nationalists and had fueled plans of counterdemonstrations organized by anti-fascism and anti-racism groups. Some scuffles broke out, according to news reports.

Members of the far-right Proud Boys attended, and The Washington Post reported that conspiracy theorist and Infowars broadcaster Alex Jones was leading a Stop the Steal caravan from Texas.

Trump tweeted Friday: “Heartwarming to see all of the tremendous support out there, especially the organic Rallies that are springing up all over the Country, including a big one on Saturday in D.C. I may even try to stop by and say hello.”

It is not clear how many people turned up in Washington, and the city’s police department does not estimate crowd sizes.

Christopher Rodriguez, Washington’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management director, said in a press conference Thursday that the city is aware of about a dozen organizations planning events in Washington but that most of the groups are expected to be small.

“I don’t want anyone to think we are talking about large numbers of folks,” he said.

Rodriguez stressed that violence will not be tolerated at the events.

The Metropolitan Police Department told Fox News that 10 arrests were made.

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