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US President Trump in front of supporters in Montoursville, Pennsylvania
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JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS
US President Donald Trump has advised his supporters that they may have to wait several weeks for a result of the election next Tuesday.
"The whole world and our country will wait and wait and wait to find out who won, you will wait for weeks," said Trump on Saturday during a performance in Newton, Pennsylvania.
"November 3rd will come and go and we won't know. And you will have chaos in our country."
Trump did not refer this warning to riots in the streets, but to the counting of postal votes.
Trump's Republicans had tried to prevent the extension of a deadline for the counting of election papers in Pennsylvania in court, but their attempt failed.
Postal voting documents with a timely postmark must therefore still be counted, even if they arrive three days after the election date on November 3rd.
In a close race between Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, the result in Pennsylvania could matter - and neither the Republicans nor the Democrats can count on a majority in the "Swing State".
You can read the warning of a renowned lawyer about the election result here: US legal scholar warns of "total system collapse"
Trump accused the Supreme Court in Washington of having made a "terrible, political, terrible decision" with regard to the postal voting deadline.
He warned that "very bad things" and something "dangerous" could happen while ballot papers were being tallied.
Trump failed to provide more detailed explanations and evidence to support his claim.
"November 3rd will come and go and we won't know. And you will have chaos in our country."
Donald Trump
For months, the president has been campaigning against postal voting, which experience shows that more Democratic voters than Republican supporters use to cast their votes.
Trump claims there is massive potential for postal voting fraud.
He did not provide any evidence for this.
He also insists that it must be clear on election night who has won.
In most previous elections, the winner actually turned out on election night.
This year, however, those responsible in several states are expecting delays because significantly more people are voting by postal vote due to the corona pandemic.
Trump and Biden go on the final offensive
In the last legs of the US election campaign, President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden went on the final offensive - including mutual attacks.
Before the vote on Tuesday, Biden tried to score points with the Obama factor: On Saturday he appeared twice with the former president in the particularly competitive state of Michigan.
Trump spoke four times to supporters in Pennsylvania, another important swing state.
Biden wants to perform there on Sunday, Trump is expected in Iowa, North Carolina and Michigan.
The Republican incumbent ranks behind Biden in polls both nationally and in several potentially crucial states.
His re-election is by no means ruled out, especially as the electoral system means that the candidate with the most votes can also lose.
Both sides have declared this year's vote as a fateful election and warn against the respective opponent as future president.
Tens of millions of Americans have already voted and cast their votes by letter or at the polling station.
"We're done with the chaos, the tweets, the anger, the hatred, the failure, the refusal to take any responsibility."
Joe Biden
Biden tried on Saturday in Flint, Michigan, to take advantage of the annoyance of many compatriots over the past four years with Trump.
"We're done with the chaos, the tweets, the anger, the hatred, the failure, the refusal to take any responsibility."
It is wrong to turn Americans against one another because of their gender, ethnicity or origin, Biden said at his other appearance in Detroit.
"Everyone knows who Donald Trump is, let's show who we are."
He repeated his promise to serve all Americans if elected.
"For God's sake, please vote!" Biden appealed, almost pleading.
"It's time to get up and take our democracy back."
Tuesday is about everything, said ex-President Barack Obama, whose deputy Biden had been until 2017.
"You can choose change."
Obama promised that it would not be as stressful with Biden and his runner-up Kamala Harris as with Trump.
You won't have to argue so much anymore.
He praised Biden for his sense of responsibility and kindness.
Biden really cares about the Americans.
Michigan is one of the strategically immensely important "swing states" where it is not clear in advance whether the Republican or Democratic candidate will win by tradition.
Pennsylvania is also such a "battleground state".
Just like in Michigan, Trump just barely prevailed there in 2016 - this year polls see Biden just in the lead.
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