WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump continues to press his argument that the vote was rigged against him, the machinery of government and democracy is moving inexorably toward Joe Biden's presidency.
As U.S. District Judge put it this week in throwing out a lawsuit challenging Biden's win in Michigan: "This ship has sailed."
Trump has refused to recognize that fact and vows to press on with his challenges. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted a call to "#OVERTURN" the results of the election and has continuously tweeted baseless claims that he was the winner.
But Biden is firmly on track to become president Jan. 20, after having won a decisive majority of the electoral vote.
As of Tuesday, nearly every state has now certified the results of their elections, a process known as "safe harbor." With Biden's win certified, the electoral college will formally recognize Biden's win on Dec. 14.
The Trump campaign and other Republicans continue to file lawsuits attempting to overturn election results on widespread fraud claims. But none of those lawsuits have proved any systematic fraud or consequential error in U.S. voting systems.
Trump has also not been helped by the newly-conservative Supreme Court and the hundreds of federal judges that he's appointed. His repeated attempts to personally pressure election officials in Michigan and Georgia into delaying certification also amounted to nothing.
Ultimately, Biden will be sworn in on Jan. 20 after receiving 306 electoral college votes — the amount of votes Trump won in his 2016 win over Hillary Clinton, which he has referred to as a landslide win.