Trump world divided as Rudy Giuliani and top advisers clash over concession

The president’s aides are clashing with his personal lawyer on how to move forward with his election loss, as the president-elect Joe Biden meets with his transition team

With conflicting advice coming from aides and family members over what he should do next, reports are painting a picture of a White House in turmoil following President Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 US elections.

Senior advisers and the president’s personal lawyer were clashing on Sunday over whether Mr Trump should concede or double down on his position, holding more rallies while battling the electoral process.

It comes after President-elect Joe Biden delivered a major speech on Saturday for the first time since the results of the election were projected by most media houses. Mr Biden has declared victory and vowed to “unify” the nation.

Meanwhile the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has served as Mr Trump’s attorney since 2018, has led chaotic news conferences and conducted a series of interviews in recent days in which he delivered an endless array of misinformation surrounding the election.

Mr Giuliani has outright disputed the results of the election while vowing a slew of lawsuits in key states across the country and insisting the president continue fighting to stay in power.

Several of those lawsuits have already been thrown out, and many of the claims both Mr Trump and Mr Giuliani have made in the days since the election have been proven to be false and frivolous.

Tensions are said to be running high in the White House as other top aides are reportedly urging Mr Trump to concede to Mr Biden.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has encouraged the president to consider his concession following his electoral loss, according to CNN’s Jake Tapper.

The journalist also reported on Sunday night that Mr Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner was urging the president to hold campaign-like rallies, along with Mr Giuliani and campaign adviser Jason Miller.

However, there appeared to be some conflicting reports, with CNN also reporting Mr Kushner advised Mr Trump to accept the reality of his situation, suggesting he should concede to Mr Biden. His wife, Melania Trump, also reportedly implored her husband to accept the results of the election, despite tweeting an apparent message of support.

“The American people deserve fair elections,” the first lady said in her statement. “Every legal - not illegal - vote should be counted. We must protect our democracy with complete transparency.”

Still, it remained unclear how Mr Trump has responded to conversations about his concession, or if Mr Meadows was successful in encouraging the president to consider eventually conceding to Mr Biden. It was reported Mr Meadows tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, before news broke projecting Mr Biden as the winner of the 2020 elections.

Some of the president’s legal advisers have released public statements of support for the president in his legal battles, including Jenna Ellis, a hired counsel for the Trump campaign who tweeted on Sunday: “I just spoke with President Trump and told him I love him and am so proud of him for standing firm for the rule of law, the Constitution, and our American system. Every legal vote must be counted fairly and accurately, regardless of the outcome.”

Mr Trump has spent his days following the announcement of the election releasing endless misinformation surrounding the vote count, promising a wave of continued lawsuits and legal challenges. Moreover, it wasn’t immediately clear how the president or his team thought they could overturn Mr Biden’s victory should any of his legal challenges prove to have substance. Mr Trump earned just 214 electoral votes, while 270 are required to secure the Oval Office.