The Joe Biden campaign has criticized incumbent president Donald Trump after he told the nation that he believes he has "won" the election.
In a speech made at an early-morning press conference from the East Wing of the White House on November 4, the 74-year-old POTUS stated: "This is without question the latest news conference I've ever had."
Trump's address can be seen below:Trump continued: "I want to thank the American people for their tremendous support. Millions and millions of people voted for us tonight. And a very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise that group of people, and we won’t stand for it."
Per The Guardian, Trump also declared victory in battleground states whose final ballot counts have not yet been categorically determined.
The Republican leader went on to surmise:
"This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.
"This is a major fraud on our nation. We want the law to be used in a proper manner. So we'll be going to the US Supreme Court. We want all voting to stop. We don't want them to find any ballots at four o'clock in the morning."
In a tweet made to his 87.7 million Twitter followers at 5.49 am, Trump also wrote: "We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed! [sic]"
The social media platform has since put out a warning on Trump's tweet, which reads: "Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process. [sic]"
Per a report from The Hill, Biden Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillion has since issued a harsh rebuke of Trump's words in an official statement.
O'Malley Dillion stated:
"The counting will not stop. It will continue until every duly cast vote is counted. Because that is what our laws — the laws that protect every Americans' constitutional right to vote — require."
She added:
"We repeat what the Vice President said tonight: Donald Trump does not decide the outcome of this election. Joe Biden does not decide the outcome of this election.
"The American people decide the outcome of this election. And the democratic process must and will continue until its conclusion."