Donald Trump supporters have warned there will be a “civil war” in America if the ex-President loses this year’s election.
Mr Trump is set to cement his place as the Republicans' nominee this weekend, romping to victory in the South Carolina Primary - in the home state of his sole remaining rival, Nikki Haley. He'll give a speech on Saturday night at the CPAC conference in Washington DC - the largest pro-Trump conference in the United States.
Thousands of Donald Trump fans flocked to the conference - with many giving stark warnings about what will happen if their guy doesn’t win in November.
“If it was like 2020 I think there'll be probably, likely, a civil war. Or some kind of revolution,” Carina Hunt, from Texas, told the Mirror. “If they try that again and are successful, with duping the results, I think people have woken up enough that they won't stand for it and there'll be a revolution. Just like we did against you all in the 1700s.”
Mr Trump has a 30 point lead in the polls over Ms Haley ahead of today’s (SAT) primary election in South Carolina. Ms Haley has pledged to stay in the race “until the last person votes.” “South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
While most expect Mr Trump to win the nomination, some Republicans are concerned his ongoing legal battles will be a drag on his ability to beat Joe Biden in November. Suzanne Monk, an activist campaigning on behalf of people imprisoned for involvement in the violent insurrection at the US Capitol building on January 6 2021, said another Trump defeat would cause “chaos. Chaos.”
“There is actually so much evidence, there was a lot of election fraud that went on,” she said. “I think Americans would actually perceive that we do not have the capacity to hold elections anymore, and that I don't know how America will react, but it puts us in a constitutional crisis.”
Margaret Kochman from Long Island, New York added: ”We're headed for a revolution. That's what we are heading for. They're already taking up arms, right? They already are arming them themselves."
Margaret’s husband Matthew said: “It's a very sad situation where everything is going. There is no protection from the police, right? The police have their their hands tied.” “The army is woke,” Mrs Kochman added.
As well as the usual members of congress, senators and American political talking heads, this year's conference has taken on a more British flavour. Liz Truss gave a speech to a half-empty hall on Thursday, branding Joe Biden "weak" and all but endorsing a second Trump term in office.
And Trump diehard Nigel Farage was set to the stage to speak on Friday. While few attendees had heard of Rishi Sunak - or even Liz Truss, who spoke at the conference on Thursday - the former Brexit Party leader has a full-scale fan club at CPAC.
“We love Nigel!,” Ms Monk said. “I am actually friends with Nigel. Yeah. I was just having a smoke with him.” Asked if he’d make a good Prime Minister, she said: “Maybe, maybe. I would get to see him less. The security in the smoking room would be a little higher.”
Ms Hunt said Mr Farage should “100%” be made British Prime Minister. “I don't get to vote. But I think he has the English people's best interests at heart and not his own self-interest. I think he is a true conservative.”
Ms Kochman said: "I like him a lot. He's got a pleasant manner. I like his English Accent and he seems to be level headed. He likes America" Dixie Ferguson, from Washington State said. "I love Nigel. He seems like an American talking. The way he thinks."
Pedro Israel Orta, an author from Florida who saw Liz Truss’ speech yesterday said she should be given a second shot at being PM. “Absolutely. I see her as a modern Margaret Thatcher,” he said.
In her speech at CPAC, Ms Truss complained her failed premiership had been scuppered by a “backlash” from the media, the corporate world and “also from people that were meant to work for the government.” And she used a column on the Fox News website to blame the so-called “deep state” for sabotaging her 49-day stint in Downing Street.
“We do have obviously, some folks who are operating against the, better interests of the people,” said Mrs Monk. “She's not wrong to say that. And if she's saying that, she's probably the kind of person you want in office.”
Jared Taylor from Northern Virginia said he'd enjoyed Ms Truss' speech, but added: "What about keeping Britain white? That's going to help. She didn't say that, but she should have. Do you think Muslims and Africans care about the west? Or about Runnymede? Or about 1066? They care about the handouts.”