The Supreme Court refused to take up an appeal from the authorities in Texas, which sought to overturn the presidential defeat of Donald Trump.

His lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was amazed that "they can't push him away like that".

The president of the Texas Republican Party is even considering secession.

The Supreme Court of the United States inflicted another snub on Donald Trump on Friday, by refusing to take up an appeal formulated by the authorities in Texas which sought to overturn his defeat in the presidential election.

Its nine wise men, including three appointed by the Republican president, ruled in a short decision that Texas was not entitled to interfere with the organization of elections in other states.

While the main voters must meet Monday to register their votes, Donald Trump still refuses to concede defeat to Democrat Joe Biden and assures that the election was "stolen" from him.

The "firm and rapid" rejection of the appeal "is not a surprise," responded a spokesman for Joe Biden, denouncing "baseless attempts" on the part of the Republican billionaire's camp and "attacks on the process democratic".

Dodged responsibilities

Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, for his part judged that the complaint was "solid".

"They can't push her away just like that," he exclaimed on Fox News.

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany also said on Fox News that the Supreme Court had "shirked" its responsibilities to "hide behind the proceedings."

But the most violent reaction came from the president of the Republican Party of Texas, Allen West, who did not hesitate to consider secession of this southern state.

"Perhaps the law-abiding states should unite and form a Union of states that respect the Constitution," he said in a statement from his party.

Only one complaint accepted

For lack of tangible evidence to back up accusations of "massive fraud", the fifty or so complaints filed by Donald Trump's allies across the United States have all - with one exception - been dismissed by the courts or dropped.

After these failures, and a first setback before the Supreme Court, the Texan authorities filed an appeal on Tuesday which appeared to be a last-ditch operation.

They demanded the annulment of the results in four key states won by Joe Biden - Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin - on the grounds that, according to them, local authorities had violated election laws by expanding the use of postal voting.

Donald Trump had described the case as "very solid" and had intervened in a personal capacity in the proceedings.

More than 120 elected Republican Congressmen had formally associated themselves with the process, however much criticized by legal experts.