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WASHINGTON. —  US President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that nothing would stop the transfer of power in the government, while President Donald Trump pursued lawsuits in several states in a long-shot bid to hold on to power.

Trump’s campaign said it would file a lawsuit to stop Michigan from officially certifying Biden as the winner there until the state could verify that votes were cast lawfully, the latest in a flurry of lawsuits in battleground states.

Legal experts have said Trump’s litigation has little chance of changing the outcome, and state officials have said there were no significant irregularities in the November 3 election.

Meanwhile, Trump supporters faced a possible setback in Pennsylvania. A witness who had raised accusations of ballot tampering recanted his allegations, according to Democrats in Congress who were briefed on the investigation.

Trump’s accusations of fraud did not appear to be gaining traction with the public. Nearly 80 percent of Americans, including more than half of Republicans, recognise Biden as the winner, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Top Republicans in Congress, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, said Trump had a right to challenge Biden’s victory, and others echoed the president’s unfounded accusations of widespread fraud. Privately, some aides said Trump would need to produce credible evidence soon to retain their support.

Judges have tossed out election lawsuits in Michigan and Georgia brought by the Trump campaign. Trump’s campaign and Republicans have mostly sued over claims of procedural problems with vote counting and have not presented evidence of fraud in their lawsuits. — Sowetan.