President Donald Trump supporters alleging election fraud gathered at the North Las Vegas facility where some remaining votes from Tuesday’s election were being tallied.
Several hundred flag-waving protesters jeered near Clark County’s vote-counting warehouse, trumpeting their case as to why their candidate is being cheated by Democrats, Nevada election officials and the “fake news media.”
Depending on final voting results in Arizona, Joe Biden could claim the White House with Nevada’s six Electoral College votes. Upon last count Thursday, Biden was edging Trump by some 12,000 votes in Nevada.
Unsubstantiated conspiracies involving widespread voter fraud — historically rare in the U.S. — were again spouted by Trump on Thursday, when his campaign also filed a lawsuit in federal court in Nevada. The accusations seemed to stir emotions among his local supporters, who nonetheless remained peaceful.
The North Las Vegas protest, organized by conservative activists Courtney Holland and Michael Coudrey, is part of the national “Stop the Steal” movement. Facebook on Thursday suspended the group’s page, which had garnered more than 300,000 members, the Associated Press reported.
The organization has falsely claimed that Democrats are stealing the election, and some of its members had called for violence, according to the AP.
Before filing the lawsuit, Trump associates, including former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, previewed the complaint Thursday morning, claiming without proof that thousands of illegal votes had been cast, such as those from dead residents.
The claims were echoed in chants Thursday night: “What are you hiding ... dead people can’t vote!”
At one point they yelled about being let into the facility to witness the process. The group stayed on the public sidewalk, and when protesters would trail toward the building, North Las Vegas Police stopped them. Besides the rancor, there were no major disturbances, aside from someone launching a Trump sign toward media members. It didn’t hit anyone.
Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria was seen walking through the center’s parking lot early during the rally, with an officer on each side. It wasn’t clear where he was heading, but on Thursday he said he was concerned about the safety of his staff after a heckler interrupted his press conference Wednesday, yelling conspiracy theories.
Gov. Steve Sisolak, who was the target of insulting chants Thursday night, issued a statement condemning Trump’s election rhetoric. “President Trump’s comments to the American people tonight on the election were misleading, dangerous, and — most concerningly — false.”
A small group of counterprotesters mingled in the crowd, among them a man waving a “Democrat” flag who engaged several people. The interactions didn’t veer beyond verbal insults.
After Holland, Coudrey and Joe Weaver, a Trump campaign director in Nevada, spoke, the protest turned into a celebratory rally of sorts. Southern rock and disco played from a sound system. North Las Vegas officers blocked the small road adjoining the election center and a lane on Cheyenne Avenue while the group cheered and jeered when motorists honked.
Anne Vanhoose, who attended alone and said she wholeheartedly supports Trump, brought along a life-size cutout of the president draped with an American flag. She said she’s worried that there is not enough transparency as to how the votes are being tallied and would be devastated if her candidate lost.
Vanhoose said she knocked on doors for Trump’s campaign in the final month of the election season and claimed that the media has gone silent in reporting some of his achievements, such as his Middle East policy and his championing of free speech and religion.
Vanhoose, who mostly stays away from social media, spoke about meeting Republicans, Democrats and undecided voters while canvassing. While some cussed her out, others were open to hear her reasons for supporting Trump. The easygoing Las Vegas woman smiled when protesters approached her for a photo.
As of 9 p.m., no major incident had been reported in North Las Vegas.