Former President Donald Trump and his allies have intensified their attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging that she seized the Democratic Party nomination in an undemocratic coup and is preparing to rig the upcoming election against him. These baseless accusations are gaining momentum as polling data shows Harris leading Trump, prompting him to label any inconvenience or obstacle as an example of election interference.

During a recent rally in Pennsylvania, Trump declared, "This was an overthrow of a president. This was an overthrow," referring to the transition from President Joe Biden to Harris on the ticket. He continued to claim that Harris and the Democrats staged a coup against him, further fueling his supporters' doubts about the legitimacy of the current administration.

Trump's attempts to cast doubt on election integrity echo his strategy from the 2020 election, where he repeatedly claimed that the election was stolen from him through Democratic cheating. This culminated in the attempted insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, by his own supporters. National security experts warn that if Trump were to lose again in 2024, similar efforts could incite his far-right supporters to further violence or even be used to launch a campaign to overturn the election results.

Elizabeth Neumann, a senior official in Trump's Department of Homeland Security, criticized Trump's rhetoric, stating, "This is Donald Trump's playbook: 'There's a deep state, they're all out to get me.'" She pointed out that despite lacking any evidence, Trump defaults to claims of illegality and coup whenever he faces a formidable opponent. While some view this rhetoric as mere showmanship, Neumann argued that Trump and his allies are also laying the foundation for a new version of the "Stop the Steal" narrative.

Former Rep. Joe Walsh, a Republican from Illinois, highlighted the effectiveness of these claims within MAGA circles, stating, "They believe it. That was the attack on democracy. That's what they're going to do to push back on the legitimate charge that Trump tried to overthrow an election four years ago." Trump's base has consistently supported his allegations of election fraud and continues to rally behind his unfounded accusations against Harris.

Throughout his political career, Trump has used various excuses to explain his losses, ranging from claims of massive voter fraud to allegations of fraudulent mail-in ballots. Now, he is falsely accusing Harris of unlawfully deposing Biden and even suggesting that artificial intelligence is being used to inflate her crowd sizes. Trump's refusal to commit to accepting the election outcome if he were to lose further amplifies concerns about a peaceful transition of power.

As the election season unfolds, it remains to be seen how these baseless claims will impact public perception and confidence in the electoral process.