Does Trump actually have a plan to reverse the election? Not really, but he reportedly wants the fight.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump is refusing to concede that he lost his bid for re-election, at least publicly, but it's not clear he has a coherent — much less viable — plan to reverse the will of the electoral and popular majority that evidently voted him into retirement. Trump and his allies have filed at least 15 legal challenges in Pennsylvania, plus more in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan. "Some staffers still believe the election outcome can change with litigation and recounts," The Associated Press reports. "But there is a growing recognition among most that the election is lost and the building will be vacated by Jan. 20."

One White House official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump "understands that the fight isn't winnable but characterized his feelings as: 'Let me have the fight.'" He reportedly thinks he owes it to his supporters and considers the potential damage to his successor payback for the Russia investigations. One potential line of attack Trump's legal team has discussed "would be attempting to get court orders to delay vote certification in critical states, potentially positioning Republican-controlled state legislatures to appoint pro-Trump electors who would swing the Electoral College in his favor," the Journal reports. That end run around voters isn't expected to work.

GOP and Democratic officials in Pennsylvania have already said that's not legal in their state, "legal experts say it is unlikely that judges would block finalizing votes in a state unless evidence exists of widespread fraud," the Journal reports, and "many of the advisers and lawyers said they doubt the effort would succeed and say it is aimed largely at appeasing Mr. Trump, who believes the election was stolen from him and expects his legal team to keep fighting." Trump's campaign has yet to prove any fraud in court, and "his lawyers must walk a precarious line between advocating for their client and upholding their professional oath," AP notes.

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A senior Trump campaign official told The Washington Post that their strategy revolves around recounts and messaging about illegal votes, but most Trump aides, advisers, and allies "say there is no grand strategy to reverse the election results," the Post reports. "Asked about Trump's ultimate plan, one senior administration official chuckled and said, 'You're giving everybody way too much credit right now.'"

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.