DONALD TRUMP laid the groundwork for an attempt to overturn the 2020 US presidential election even before he lost, knowingly pushed false claims of voter fraud and “resorted to crimes” in his failed bid to cling to power, according to a court filing.

Unsealed on Wednesday, the filing from special counsel Jack Smith’s team offers the most comprehensive view to date of what prosecutors intend to prove if the allegations that the far-right billionaire conspired to overturn the election result in a trial. 

The filing cites previously unknown accounts offered by Mr Trump’s closest aides to paint a portrait of an “increasingly desperate” president who, while losing his grip on the White House, “used deceit to target every stage of the electoral process.”