US President Donald Trump has held out the prospect of a legal battle over the results of the country’s election, with the result hanging in the balance as counting continues in some important states.

Speaking at the White House this morning (4 November), President Trump said he would take the election results to the Supreme Court to prevent what he described as a “major fraud on our nation".

Postal vote counting delays

Trump has repeatedly complained about the record number of postal votes in this year’s election, which could delay counting in some states. These votes, which have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to favour Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Trump polled better than expected against Biden, winning the key states of Florida, Texas and Ohio, but a number of other crucial states remain too close to call, particularly Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Biden told supporters he believed he was on track to win the election. His campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon described Trump’s statement on the legitimacy of the vote as "outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect".