Trump supporters chant 'destroy the GOP' at a rally in Washington DC, after Republican officials in Georgia refused to back the president's bid to overturn the election

Stop the Steal, DC — US President Donald Trump flies in Marine-1 over a pro-Trump rally of supporters demonstrating against the election results, on December 12, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

At a rally in Washington DC Saturday, Trump supporters vented their anger at Republican party officials who've refused to take part in President Trump's bid to subvert the election.
"Destroy the GOP," some chanted at the event, according to video footage posted online.
The rally was attended by supporters including Alex Jones and Michael Flynn, and Trump took part in a Marine One flyover in a show of support.
The anger shown by the supporters will likely fuel concern about a growing rift in the party between backers of Trump's groundless election fraud claims, and those who have rejected them.
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Trump supporters chanted "destroy the GOP" at a rally in Washington DC on Saturday, venting their anger at Republican state officials who refused to take part in President Trump's bid to overturn the election result and cling to power.

According to footage of the rally posted on Twitter, far-right activist Nick Fuentes addressed supporters, attacking the Republican Party and alleging that it had failed to keep Trump in power.

Fuentes, in a tweet Saturday, posted a picture of himself addressing the rally, and wrote "We are going to destroy the GOP and transform it into a party that truly puts AMERICA FIRST!"

—Nicholas J. Fuentes (@NickJFuentes) December 12, 2020

"In the first Million MAGA march, we promised that if the GOP did not do everything in their power to keep Trump in office, then we would destroy the GOP," said Fuentes through a megaphone.

"As we gather here in Washington DC for a second Million MAGA March, we're done making promises. It has to happen now. We are going to destroy the GOP," he continued, to cheers and applause from Trump supporters.

The crowd, many wearing red caps emblazoned with Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan, then started chanting, "Destroy the GOP! Destroy the GOP!"

—Johnattan F. Bilancieri (@BilancieriNews) December 12, 2020

In recent weeks a rift has emerged in the Republican party, with Trump and his supporters attacking Republican officials in swing states, such as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

He is one of a number of Republican officials in key states who have refused to obey Trump's demands and block certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

The Trump campaign has alleged widespread ballot fraud in the election while producing no convincing evidence to support the claim. The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by Texas' Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to overturn the election result, in a conclusive blow to the bid to overturn the election.

In a sign of the hold Trump still has over the Republican base, recent polls have found that most Republican voters believe his claims of mass voter fraud, while hundreds of GOP members of the House of Representatives backed the failed Supreme Court lawsuit.

The rift has led to concerns among some Republicans that Trump supporters could boycott the crucial January 5 Senate runoffs, imperiling the party's chances of retaining control of the US Senate.

Saturday's rally was attended by thousands of Trump supporters, though the turnout was reportedly not as large as last month's Stop the Steal rally in the US capital. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and former national security director Michael Flynn, who are revered by the president's base, were among the supporters who attended.

—Dan Scavino🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) December 12, 2020

Trump flew over the rally several times in Marine One on his way to the Army-Navy game, in a nod of support to the protesters.

Later, violence flared, as members of the far-right Proud Boys clashed with supporters of the far-left Antifa group. The Washington Post, citing DC fire department spokesman, Doug Buchanan, said four people had been hospitalized with stab wounds.

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