More than a week after the US election was called in favour of Joe Biden, Donald Trump is continuing to issue false claims about fraudulent voting and is refusing to concede. While his behaviour may seem shocking, it’s not a great surprise, says Lawrence Douglas, the author of Will He Go?
He tells Anushka Asthana that Trump’s refusal to accept defeat was inevitable given the campaign he ran, and that his legal challenges are almost entirely without merit. However, while there is little he can practically do to remain in power, there is a political impact of a sitting president refusing to follow the norms of peaceful transition, which could have a lasting effect on US democracy and the country’s reputation abroad.
Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters