Georgia secretary of state says Trump ‘knows in his heart’ he lost election as former president holds rally

MAGA supporters on Saturday waited for hours in central Georgia and waved signs proclaiming “Trump won” in anticipation of the former president’s first post-Labor Day campaign rally – despite Georgia’s secretary of state saying this week that Trump “knows in his heart that he lost the election”.

Brad Raffensperger defended his state’s handling of election results in an interview with the Washington Examiner, hitting back after Mr Trump sent him in a letter asking the secretary of state to “decertify” the 45^th president’s defeat last November.

“What bothers me, and it really should bother everyone, after 10 months since the last ballots were counted, we’re still dealing with this misinformation and disinformation surrounding the elections,” Mr Raffensperger said.

The secretary of state has written a new book, Integrity Counts, detailing the results of Georgia’s investigation into the election – which included multiple recounts, audits and checks.

“Every time we’ve looked into all of these and all of these concerns, it’s clear that Donald Trump lost the election fair and square,” Mr Raffensperger told the Examiner.

Regarding Trump’s appearance Saturday – where he will be endorsing Republican candidates such as his friend, former football player and Senate candidate Herschel Walker - Mr Raffensperger seemed resigned but defiant.

“He’s going to come, and he’s going to say what he’s going to say, but he knows in his heart that he lost the election,” Mr Raffensperger said.

“He’s continued to promote the big lie, and then he’s also fundraising off this issue,” he added.

The secretary of state told the Examiner that his office would not specifically be responding directly to anything said in Georgia on Saturday by Mr Trump, who has been touting the event as an “EPIC rally”.

“We are not going to win that bullhorn argument,” Mr Raffensperger said.